Detailing your car (Jesse did this post)

This past weekend we had a car detailing party. Some people may not think it was a party, but I sure thought it was. I like to keep my cars clean and looking good. I recently picked up a few things to help me wash the cars at home. I am not a big fan of using the sponge and bucket, so I bought one of these to help me. I also bought a car wash brush like they have at the car washes (minus the foaming part).

Start by cleaning out the inside of the car, vacuuming, wiping down the dash, etc… Don’t be afraid to get some Q-tips for the cracks.

We start the exterior process by applying some rim cleaner to get off all the grim on the wheels. One of our friend’s car had lots of build up crap and we were able to get a good portion of it off. We scrub them with a wheel brush to get off all the crap.

Once the wheels are nice and clean then we hook up the Mr. Clean spray and get the car soaped up. Then we give the car a good scrubbing with the car brush to get off all the dirt. I don’t recommend scrubbing the wheels with this brush since lots of grim can get transferred to the car and scratch up the paint. Once the car has been rinsed thoroughly to get off all the soap you can dry it with The Absorber.

The next steps are what really make the difference. Make sure you park your car in the garage or the shade to make sure the body is nice and cool.

I have recently become an advocate of claying your car. Claying is a way to remove all the built up above surface contaminants and restoring a smooth surface to your paint finish. A non-abrasive clay bar safely, easily, and instantly removes paint overspray, fallout, environmental contaminants and more, making waxing easier and more durable. I use Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit. Here is a Meguiar's YouTube video. It comes with everything you need to get the job done. It really is phenomenal what it goes for your paint surface. After doing part of the hood I could immediately tell a difference in the way the surface felt…like glass. I still find myself feeling how smooth the surface of our cars are now.

Once you have clayed your car then next step is to apply a protective coat of wax. I recommend Meguiar’s Gold Class or Meguiar’s NXT 2.0. There are lots of other waxes out there, so just find on you like. You can either apply the wax by hand or using an orbital buffer with an application pad. The buffer is the preferred method since it breaks the wax down more and helps is work into the surface better. Then once you have wax the car and allowed time for the wax to haze and dry, you can buff it off. Again you can do it by hand, but a buffer is better and saves your arms a lot of work.

The final step is to apply some tire shine. Once again, I like Meguiar’s Hot Shine Tire Foam, but any time foam or cleaner will do the job.

Now, step back and enjoy your new car. The next time it rains, you will see all the rain drops just bead up on the surface and roll off. It's a beautiful thing.

Yes, after reading this I am sure you will agree...Jesse is a car nerd.


Results...

Gotta love the Max. She's even better looking now.

Ashly's Pilot has never looked better.

See that great reflection? No contaminants there.

What a good looking set of cars.

Now that is a good finish...mirror like.