Go to Amazon and order this (I like Meg's products),

• Harbor Freight DA
  
  
• Meg's Endurance Tire Gel
  
  
• Meg's Ultimate Protectant
  
  
• Meg's Ultimate Liquid Wax
  
  
• Meg's APC
  
  
• Rag Company's Borderless Blonde
  
  
• Rag Company's Waffle Weave
  
  
• Hex Logic White Pad (3)
  
  
• Hex Logic Orange Pad (2)
  
  
• Hex Logic Red Pad (2)
  
  
• M105
  
  
• M205
  
  
• 3M Auto Tape
  
  
• Mother's Wheel Brush
  
  
• ABN Woolies
  
  
• Trim Brush
  
  
• Chem Guys Wash Mitt (2)
  
  
• Mother's Clay Bar Kit
  
  This should run you about $345 for everything and have you setup to take care of your car for a long time. You can find a 20% discount code online for harbor freight to bring the price down $55 for the DA. Go to home depot and buy a couple buckets and you will be good to go.
  
  Edit: To add, I went to Lowes and bought a cheap inline sprayer for my hose and it works fine for foaming up the vehicle, plus it only costs $5.
  
  Edit2: If you are going to downvote me please post why you don't like my recommendation.

I've always struggled to keep my vehicles clean because 1) they were always old, 2) I've lived in condos, 3) car washes did a terrible job / detailers charged too much, and 4) I didn't realize you could do all of this yourself pretty effectively.


When I bought a new truck at the beginnging of the year, I randomly stumbled upon an Ammo NYC video and the nerd / clean-freak was intrigued. A couple dozen videos later, and I was hooked. Shout out to Larry for your passion - thank you for the insane amount of information on your channel. (Wish I could afford all of your products, or that you had some of them on Amazon!).

Living in a condo, I have to swing by my local coin wash and take up a bay with a few buckets during off-peak hours, but I've gotten it down to 1.5 hours and looking like this every time.

I've only been doing this for a few months, but thought I'd share the products I've researched and selected based on reviews and costs. Hope this helps save someone time!

TOOLS

• McGuire-Nicholas 22015 15-Inch Collapsible Tote - https://amzn.to/2HXGsvd - I love this thing. Handle is sturdy and holds every chemical I need.
  
• Relentless Drive Ultimate Car Wash Mitt - https://amzn.to/2KJC7td - Great mitt and would strongly recommend it. I've only used the mitt for a few washes so I can't comment on durability, but if I had to guess I think it's going to hold up. My only complaint is that it's so voluminous that it's difficult to rinse / wring out the dirt when using the two-bucket method. Not a big enough problem to look for another mitt, though.
  
  BUCKETS
  
  
• Chemical Guys ACC_101 Detailing Bucket Kit - https://amzn.to/2KJb552 - a good starter bucket, but it's worth calling out how much of this stuff is BS marketing: the bucket is only 4 gallons, the gamma lid can be bought for cheaper on amazon, the citrus gloss is OK, and the wash mitt is worthless / isn't going to hold up. I barely used the mitt once and fuzz falls off constantly when handling.
  
• Adam's Grit Guard Wash Bucket with Lid - https://amzn.to/2IoSflo - Better value than chemical guys, but the bucket is just a regular bucket ($4 at Home Depot) and the gamma lid can be purchased for $10-15 on Amazon. I'm not convinced grit guards are worth it, but more on that later.
  
• Grit Guard Washboard Bucket Insert - https://amzn.to/2HW4juZ - the product is well made and does what it's intended to do, but I'm skeptical of its value. Yes, rubbing your mitt on a washboard would intuitively get dirt to fall off, but is it actually more effective than using your hands (which you do anyway to wring out the mitt)? And I'm not buying that the fins "trap dirt." Anybody who looks at their rinse bucket while washing wheels for example can plainly see the water's black. Dirt's floating everywhere.
  
  
  CHEMICALS
  
  
• Mothers 08216 California Gold Instant Detailer - https://amzn.to/2KJ2f7t - this stuff has done a pretty good job for quick wipe-downs, spot cleans, etc.
  
• Griot's Garage 11108 Window Cleaner - https://amzn.to/2Iq5CSF - The spray bottle itself is awesome and works really well. The solution also seems to work well, though I've only ever used it after washing the truck and so I'm not sure how much it helps.
  
• Meguiar's G3626 Ultimate Waterless Wash & Wax - https://amzn.to/2jFg3DJ - I used this a few times with the microfiber directional pass method after some serious pollen clouds invaded Austin, and it worked surprisingly well. Ran through 3-4 towels to do my entire truck, then spot-cleaned with an instant detailer. Even though wheel wells and a few pieces were still dirty, it was a huge improvement without the hassle of a full wash. Will definitely be using this as my in-between wash method.
  
• Chemical Guys V7 High Gloss Spray Sealant and Quick Detailer - https://amzn.to/2HXiQ9R - I'm new to detailing, but this stuff is probably the most impressive chemical of everything I've used. The combination of a damp microfiber + V7 produces the result everyone thinks about when they think about car washes: a clean car with no streaks or water spots. Wringing out my microfiber towel can get old, but the end result is just awesome.
  
• Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Gloss - https://amzn.to/2I1knvx - I don't have the luxury of a frother right now, but from simply adding some in a bucket and using a power washer to generate suds, I get decent foam and the soap seems to work well. That said, it's not earth-shattering and I will probably try other washes when I run out.
  
  
  INTERIOR
  
  
• Mothers 06512 All-In-One Leather Care - https://amzn.to/2IlawAg - This stuff works great and smells even better.
  
  
  WHEELS
  
  
• Adam's Deep Wheel Cleaner - https://amzn.to/2K09l6f - The spray bottle is terribly difficult to press and I always end up using way more than I want. I'm not confident I need to use this instead of just using soap. Maybe it's for exceptionally dirty cars or those with tons of brake dust, but I'm rarely in either camp so I may not buy some more after I run out.
  
• Adam's Hex-Grip Pro Tire Dressing Applicator - https://amzn.to/2HYtb5y - Works well and easy to handle.
  
• Mothers Wheel Brush - https://amzn.to/2K0Ky1Y - really like how easy this is to handle and how soft the bristles are. Highly recommended.
  
• Optimum Opti-Bond Tire Gel - https://amzn.to/2KJsxGP - This is a good low-gloss gel, though I need to try additional coats to see if I can get those tire shinier.
  
• ABN Car Wheel Rim Cleaning 3-Piece Kit - https://amzn.to/2KFgSIR - Yes the big woolie has good reach and allows you to clean the inside of your rims effectively, but the handle is annoyingly difficult to hold after it becomes saturated / heavy to hold.
  
  
  TOWELS
  
  
• Chemical Guys Professional Grade Premium Microfiber Towels, Gold - https://amzn.to/2HY8Q0a - these things are outsidanding and are a great value. Definitely watch Larry's video on microfiber care, which fixed all of my annoyances with microfibers accruing fuzz in the dryer.
  
• THE RAG COMPANY EAGLE EDGELESS 500 Korean 70/30 Super Plush 500gsm Microfiber Detailing Towels - https://amzn.to/2HYVmky - very high plush and high quality, though I end up using the Chemical Guys towels more often and save these for random spot details. Probably not ideal.
  
• THE RAG COMPANY Premium Window, Glass, Mirror & Chrome Korean 70/30 Microfiber - https://amzn.to/2rrveVg - work great for cleaning windows and mirrors.
  
• Nylon Laundry Bag - https://amzn.to/2rtYOcP - I have one bag for clean and one for dirty. Has done a great job of keeping dust off the rags during storage.

Seems like you're in good shape. Do you have a wax or sealant yet?

I use these but honestly I rarely use them.

Buy three buckets, one for wheels, the others for a two bucket system.

Buy something to clean the wheels as well. I have the wheel woolies but I'm going to ask for the woolly wormit for my birthday from my wife.

Get a Waterless Wash and/or Quick Detailer for the times when you don't need a wash but you want to clean stuff up.

Take a look into this new Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax for a sealant. I have used the Fast Finish and it's great so this should be even better.

I also use Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax (D156 is the same but in a gallon jug) as a drying aid and it makes the car POP!


As a final suggestion, buy some 303 for the interior. You're going to love it. Not greasy, smells okay (not fruity), and leaves things looking great.

Audi allroad Quattro

This was by far the nicest vehicle I’ve worked on. My aunt was in town and asked me to clean up her car, but I only had about three hours to give it quick in and out so I had to do what I could. The interior had a nice layer of dust over everything, there was dog hair in most of the upholstery, the mats were covered in dirt and salt from the winter, and the leather seats all had a noticeable bit of dirt on them. The outside wasn’t too bad besides the wheels, which were nearly black from all the brake dust. There was also a bunch of tar around the wheels which I removed.

Products:

Interior

Carpro Inside

Leather scrub brush

All-purpose microfiber

Scrub brush

Rubber mats pressure washed and scrubbed with carpet brush and Britemax Interior Cleaner

Dog hair removed with scrub brush & vacuum

Wheels & Tires

Iron X

Meguiar’s All-Purpose Cleaner 4:1

Meguiar’s Hyper Wash

Multiple wheel brushes – Adam’s Wheel Face brush, Adam’s long handled brush, wheel woolies, Tuff Shine Tire Brush, & Carrand wheel brush

Wash

Foam gun with Carpro IX Snow Soap

2BW with Carpro Reset

Meguiar’s microfiber wash mitt

Decontamination

Carpro IX

Carpro Tar X

Meguiar’s mild clay

ONR clay lube dilution

Plastic razor

LSP

Carpro Eraser

Carpro Hydro2

Other

Meguiar’s Glass Cleaner Concentrate

Ammo Mud

Total time: 3 hours



Like I said, I didn’t have a ton of time on this car so I had to do what I could and split my time evenly on the interior and exterior. The wheels easily took about 45 minutes total which really had me rushing to get the rest of the exterior done. My aunt was very happy with the results and asked when she should have me do it again. Next time I’ll be able to plan and have more than a few hours to get more involved since this was kind of a spur of the moment detail. This is a beautiful car in and out and felt lucky to have gotten to work on it. I forget what year model this is, either a 2014 or 2015.

Credit to /u/zenautodetailing for the write up format. Links reflect where I bought the products. Many of these items should be on Amazon Prime.

Thanks for looking!

My parents' neighbor has been watching as I borrow Mom and Dad's hose and he recently asked if I could take on his car and I was happy to oblige! Overall, the exterior was in okay shape - couple bugs, a few spots of tree sap and bird poo, as well as just a good amount of dirt and mud tucked in some spaces. I gave the car a two bucket wash, clay, Iron X treatment, Iron X, clay and topped it off with a sealant. Thanks for pointing out that I listed my procedure out of order, /u/Deadfable! Here's the deets:

Products Used:

• Meguiar's Gold Class Shampoo
  
• Optimum No Rinse (Quick Detailer dilution for claying)
  
• CarPro's Iron X for decontamination
  
• Nanoskin AutoScrub Fine Grade Sponge
  
• Meguiar's D101 (4:1 on tires, wheel wells - 10:1 on the interior)
  
• Aerospace 303 Protectant for interior dressing
  
• Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax
  
• Harbor Freight DA Polisher w/ Buff & Shine 5.5" red pad
  
• Wheel Woolies
  
• Solo Horton Brushes
  
• Other assorted brushes
  
• Microfiber towels from The Rag Company
  

• 0000 Steel Wool from Home Depot (used with QD for the exhaust tips)
  

• Optimum Opti-Bond Tire Gel applied via foam block
  
• Stoner's Invisible Glass
  
  Overall a fun job! Got rewarded with a hearty lunch of sausage and peppers on Italian bread. Happy detailer!!

I use Nextzett Colortec Wheel Cleaner with a set of Wheel Woolies. I like Adam's Tire & Rubber Cleaner for the tires. Check out /r/AutoDetailing/ or Obsessed Garage on YouTube for more solid recommendations.

No problem! Nowadays I almost exclusively use the medium brush from this set to clean wheels and lugnuts, in addition to my wheel woolies. I then use a designated wheel microfiber (I use the gray Miner towels from The Rag Company) to dry the wheels off and catch any spots I missed with the brushes.

Hello! I bought a new car a little over a month ago and I wanted to do some basic cleaning with it, stuff that can be done maybe a couple times a month, since I never personally did that with my previous car.

Anyways, I live in SoCal so I'm trying to keep water usage to a minimum. This is my current "to-purchase" list that I'd like to buy soon;

ONR

iK Sprayer

Iron X

TRC Creature Edgeless 10pack

Mother's Tire Brush

ABN Wheel Woolies

Stoner's Reach Tool

Already have: Stoner's Invisible Glass, Costco multipack MF towels.

Will I still want to get a clay bar + wax for after washing, or is just washing every so often enough?

ABN Car Wheel Rim Cleaning 3-Piece Kit – Original Wheel Woolies Brush Stick Tool – Tire Woolie – Wooly Wand Set (3 Brushes) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L3KDUD0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_29H4Cb8QDYCDY

I’ve had these for 3+ years and they work wonderfully on all of our rims (3 styles of 5-spokes). Worth every penny.

Like other mentioned, get the wheel woolies to keep the barrels clean.

​

Unless the car is just going to sit in your garage and polished with a diaper then I wouldn't spend a bunch of money/time on it. Get one of the popular brake dust cleaners(like Sonax), do a good clean, maybe throw a cheap coat of wax on the inside barrel with whatever you have laying around, keep them clean with the woolies and then just go enjoy the car.

I believe these are the exact ones I am using. I bought them off amazon a while ago. Whoolies

Based on what you said about your wheels though I'd still recommend the EZ Detail Brush. If they're tight spokes, you probably won't even be able to utilize the large one. The other two are significantly smaller than the large one.

The only downside to the EZ detail is the spray back from the nylon bristles. As you pull it out of the spokes, it tends to spray back a lot of the chemical from the bristles wicking around.

Wheel woolies make cleaning rims so much easier.

Can't go wrong w/ Wheel Woolies.

https://www.amazon.com/ABN-Car-Wheel-Cleaning-3-Piece/dp/B00L3KDUD0/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2V8RMFR4P8ZN6&keywords=wheel+woolies&qid=1574197344&sprefix=wheel+wol%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-4