My Example Exterior Routine

[George @ DU]

I thought I would share my personal routine that I use on my own vehicles:

April: Full Detail - Engine Detail -> Wash / Dry -> Clay bar -> Medium cutting polish -> Finishing polish -> Glaze -> Sealant -> Wax (2 coats spaced 24 hrs apart) -> Wheel Detail
May: Wash / Dry -> Wax
June: Wash / Dry -> Wax
July: Wash / Dry -> Finishing Polish -> Glaze -> Sealant -> Wax
Aug: Wash / Dry -> Wax
Sept: Wash / Dry -> Wax
Oct: Full Detail - Engine Detail -> Wash / Dry -> Clay bar -> Medium cutting polish (as needed this time)-> Finishing polish -> Glaze -> Sealant -> Wax (2 coats spaced 24 hrs apart) -> Wheel Detail
Nov: Wash / Dry -> Wax
Dec: Wash / Dry -> Wax
Jan: Wash / Dry -> Finishing Polish -> Glaze -> Sealant -> Wax
Feb: Wash / Dry -> Wax
March: Wash / Dry -> Wax
April: Repeat Process

I typically try to wash and dry every other week and follow up the wash with a quick detail / wax extender

Let me know what you think of my process.

George

[picus]

Hey George, you really do 3 full polishes a year, or are they just spot polishes? Mine is similar but I change the order up, sort of like this:

April - light polish, re-seal.
July - re-seal.
Late oct/nov - re-seal.

then start again; wash in between about once every 1/2 weeks with a sealant extender. I do the polishing in April since that's when the car gets the summers, etc...

[Dogged]

It appears that George actually polishes four times a year. I find polishing to be the most labor intensive step. As a weekend detailer, I am sensitive to the amount of labor involved. My thought for my car is to polish twice a year as part of the full detail, and then in the off quarters to spot polish but detail the wheels in addition to applying glaze, sealant and wax. I have a different detailing routine for my wife's car.

[George @ DU]

Originally Posted by picus

Hey George, you really do 3 full polishes a year, or are they just spot polishes? Mine is similar but I change the order up, sort of like this:

April - light polish, re-seal.
July - re-seal.
Late oct/nov - re-seal.

then start again; wash in between about once every 1/2 weeks with a sealant extender. I do the polishing in April since that's when the car gets the summers, etc...

I assess the paint every quarter, but I'm also including if the paint is in good enough condition I'll use a polish like Klasse All-In-One just to strip everything down and re-protect. If I go the AIO route, I skip the glaze step.

I'll use an abrasive finishing polish, like Menzerna Final Polish II or PO106ff usually twice a year, typically Spring & Fall. Summer and Winter usually a non-abrasive chemical polish just to start fresh.

Do you think that this is too much polishing?

Thanks for the feedback guys.

George

[D-Rock]

What is glaze ??

[Diesel1]

Originally Posted by George @ DU

I assess the paint every quarter, but I'm also including if the paint is in good enough condition I'll use a polish like Klasse All-In-One just to strip everything down and re-protect. If I go the AIO route, I skip the glaze step.

I'll use an abrasive finishing polish, like Menzerna Final Polish II or PO106ff usually twice a year, typically Spring & Fall. Summer and Winter usually a non-abrasive chemical polish just to start fresh.

Do you think that this is too much polishing?

Thanks for the feedback guys.

George

I am no pro, but after using 106 twice now, I can see how it is addicting! IMHO i doubt 2 polishes with 106 in a year will harm anything. In actuality, I bet you it's better than 1 deep polishing per year with a heavier polish. To me, you are removing much less by maintaining regularly and removing a minute amount as opposed to less frequent polishing where you end up having to remove much more. By removing much more, you are going to end up removing too much from areas that may not need it.

Just a theory anyway. To me, unless you powergloss it 5-6 times per year, I doubt there will be much harm unless you plan to keep the vehicle 10+ years.

[Dream Machines SVR]

I like to polish only once a year. The car may get washed ten times a year max with about eight MF mitts, no high pressure and blot washing/blot drying so the defects I get are extremely minimal.

your process is a damn good process though for a daily driven car that will get replaced in three years or so.
Better resale too