Reddit mentions of THE RAG COMPANY (5-Pack) 16 in. x 16 in. Premium Window, Glass, Mirror & Chrome Professional Korean 70/30 Microfiber LINT-Free, Streak-Free Detailing Towels

(5-Pack) THE RAG COMPANY 16 in. x 16 in. Premium Window, Glass, Mirror & Chrome Professional Korean 70/30 Microfiber LINT-FREE, STREAK-FREE Detailing Towels

These have been a godsend for me. I clean my glasses every day with one of those cloths and I haven't washed it in 6 months!

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.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00GXRFOVE

I got them from amazon because I have prime so I got free two day shipping. I love them. I cannot say enough how much the process I described helped me in Windows. I do 5-20 cars a day... No matter what I did I always had issues with windows. Whether streaking, smearing or haze.. . Now it only happens if the rag is dirty

I used the nanoskin sponge to clay the entire car since the car is pretty new. I let the wax sit for an hour. I've never had much success with 845 even on different cars. I get about maybe 2 weeks MAX. That's on all waxes I have used. I always just wrote it off as my car not being able to be garaged and maybe dirty/mineraly hard water that my city has to use. Also, the way that I'm checking if the wax is still there is by observing how/if the water beads after rinsing and how the paint feels. Most of the time, it's no longer silky smooth and the water doesn't bead in nice circles anymore. The water beads in messy blobs.

 

My process goes:

1. Foam (let sit 3-5 minutes or until foam falls off)
   
2. Rinse
   
3. 2 bucket hand wash with gritgaurds panel by panel
   
4. Dry and/or nanoskin or clay
   
5. Apply wax panel by panel (let sit 1 hour after all panels have wax applied)
   
6. Clean windows and interior as I wait for wax
   
7. Wipe off wax
   
   This takes me about 4 hours...
   
    
   
   The products I use:
   
   

• Adams Car Shampoo
  
• The Rag Company Microfiber Mitt
  
• The Rag Company Window Towels
  
• The Rag Company Drying Towels
  
• The Rag Company Eagle Edgeless (to remove wax)
  
• Collinite 845 Insulator Wax
  
• SunJoe Electric Pressure Washer w/ MTM Foam Cannon
  Optum
  
• Optimum No Rinse & Shine as quick detailer/drying aid/clay lube
  
• Meguiar's Glass Cleaner

I use automotive glass towels to clean all glass whether that is screens, my glasses, or the coffee table. I recommend these by The Rag Company.

do the knockdown pass with whatever microfiber, do a follow up buffing pass with a glass specific towel. no product on the second pass. https://smile.amazon.com/RAG-COMPANY-Professional-Microfiber-STREAK-FREE/dp/B00GXRFOVE/