This thread will try to give you some pointers on picking out how to build the an ideal detailing schedule based on your needs. The detailer who wants to just protect their vehicle for as long as they can and do minimal amounts of maintenance steps will have a different agenda from the detailer who likes to apply a wax monthly or even sooner. I’ll outline a few basics on developing a routine that fits your needs.

First Things First - Understand the Process
Knowing what products and steps available to you, and knowing what each step of the detailing process accomplishes, will really enhance how you choose and develop your routine. I like to say there are roughly 12 major processes that are available to do, which I’ll outline below:

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Was there a major event that turned you on to learning more about automotive detailing?  What made you want to invest in the time, effort and money needed to properly care for your vehicle?

Here is my story…  Upon graduating from my alma mater, RPI, I worked for a small but successful internet company, www.racquetworld.com, and during my time there I decided to purchase a 2001.5 Audi S4.   Shortly after purchasing the Audi, I realized I wanted to take my detailing level up a notch after seeing how people were getting these great results I’ve been reading about on car forums.  I did my research, spent over $800 in products, and was on my way.  Soon after that I was detailing cars for close friends and family on the side, and not too long after that, detailing became my career with the formation of Detailed Image.  To this day, I enjoy learning new things and sharing my knowledge with others.  It’s an ongoing learning process which was why we choose the school theme for Detail University.

Share your experiences…

Many detailers often neglect the care of their engine bay, whether they are afraid to tackle an engine detail or never thought to detail their engine.  Once you learn the do’s and don’ts of engine detailing, it is a pretty straight forward process.  This is a step I highly encourage car owners to take when they are in the process of selling their vehicle.  Having a clean engine bay often gives the impression that the vehicle has been taken care of and can result in a higher resale value.

Lets hear about some products and techniques you use when detailing your engine bay.

Waxing Overview:
Waxing is a great way to really enhance the depth and gloss of your paint. When you have the right wax it can take your paint to another level where the paint really pops. These waxes will give you protection against harmful UV rays, contaminates, moisture and more. This protection is essential to preserving your vehicle’s finish. Most natural waxes will protect your painted surfaces for 2 – 8 weeks. We recommend layering waxes over sealants for increased protection, which is discussed in the previous step.

Prep Stage:
At this point the vehicle should be freshly washed, dried and already treated with clay bar, cutting polish, finishing polish, glaze and sealant if desired. Read the rest of this entry »

Sealants are made in labs to replicate what waxes do, but better. In general sealants give you a longer lasting shine and better protection than natural waxes. For best results make sure you have taken all the necessary preparation steps to clean and smooth out the clear coat. The cleaner and smoother the clear coat is, the better the sealant will bond to it. The sealant will adhere to the clear coat, providing a micro thin barrier of protection. The very high melting point of sealants makes them more durable and resistant to nature’s elements, abrasions and harmful contaminates. Contaminates have a more difficult time bonding to the clear coat, through the sealant, therefore its easier to remove contaminates during the washing process. Sealants typically give you full protection for 3 – 12 months depending on the sealant you select and how many coats are applied. It will also enhance the looks of the vehicle by providing a more reflective surface. To add even more depth and gloss to the paint, consider doing multiple coats or applying a wax over the sealant.

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Applying a glaze to your paint is a step that many professional detailers have used for years that is now becoming popular among weekend detailers. The reason glazes are so popular is for how well they work at hiding imperfections and adding gloss to the finish. True glazes are ultra fine polishes designed to cling to imperfections and fill them in. The oil fillers cling to the sides of the imperfection and optically make the paint look like the imperfections have disappeared or been reduced. Make sure you follow up with a sealant or wax to protect the glaze and extend its life. This is discussed in detail during the next step. The oils in the glaze will reflect the color of the surrounding paint to make the paint’s finish look uniform. The glaze will also make the surface look rich and glossy for a show room finish. This is a perfect step for: after using polishes, newer vehicles that do not want to use polishes yet, vehicle’s entered in shows and anyone looking to really make their paint “pop”.

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Finishing Polishes are light polishes designed to really shine the paint and restore a glossy finish. As most detailers know it is how you prep the surface that really determines the end result of your detail. Finishing polishes will help remove old wax or sealant, oxidation, embedded contaminates, very fine surface imperfections and more. This process helps clean the clear coat, which allows more light to pass through, thus creating a deeper shine. A cutting polish may leave a slight haze in the clear coat. Using a finishing polish will restore a brilliant gloss. The haze should be completely removed and the surface should be extremely smooth to the touch. This is the perfect step to take to prep your paint after using a cutting polish or before you use a glaze, sealant or wax.

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Cutting Polishes can drastically improve the condition of the clear coat. This step can help faded, oxidized, swirled and scratched clear coats look significantly better. The cutting polish helps restore a transparent clear coat, which allows for light to pass directly through the clear coat, thus creating a bright reflection with a deep shine. This step produces some of the most noticeable results that make you proud of your vehicles stunning appearance.

A cutting polish will remove a micro-thin layer of your clear coat. It helps smooth out scratches, swirls and buffs out watermarks that are etched into the clear coat. We suggest using a cutting polish once or twice a year or as needed to treat imperfections as they happen. The surface can appear hazy from using a cutting polish. This slight haze is to be expected and will be buffed out with finer polishes, also known as finishing polishes in the next step. Finishing Polishes are explained in more detail in the next step.

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Clay Bar is the ideal prep stage before using polishes, glazes, sealants and waxes. In order to achieve maximum shine, gloss and depth, the surface must be as clean as possible for light to pass through the clear coat and give maximum reflection.

Since you have just washed the vehicle removing the light contamination, some of this contamination is tightly bonded to the clear coat. Using the clay bar on your clear coat will help further remove both the macro-contamination (visible) as well as the micro-contamination (non-visible). With no contamination on the surface sealants and waxes can bond properly to the clear coat, which creates a more durable layer of protection. Sealants and waxes can not bond with most contaminates, so there is little to no protection where contaminates are. Applying any product over contamination can grind contaminates into the clear coat causing swirls, premature break down of detailing product, dirty applicator pads, and diminish overall results. Let the clay bar remove this surface contamination for a higher quality detail. To make the clear coat look even brighter use a polish as discussed in the next step.

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Washing and Drying can be the most overlooked step during a detail, however, in reality is one of the most important steps. You may be asking yourself how washing and drying can be so important. The reason is because many of the imperfections in your paint (scratches, swirl marks, water spots, etc.) are caused due to improper washing and drying techniques. Our goal is to teach you how to effectively remove contamination while minimizing the possibility of creating more imperfections in your paint.

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