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Hi guys - thought I might try to make myself useful. I haven't been able to find if anyone has written up a full list for what they recommend to be the best order in which to perform a full detail on their car, so I took some time to write one up for anyone who may be interested 
Remember, not all these steps may be necessary for you personally - so skip to the next step if one isn't required!
I'm sure you pros will pick things out that I have missed or may even find some flaws in my list, but please don't hesitate to comment as this is to help everyone who is just stepping into the world of car detailing!
Products required:
3x 5L Wash buckets
2x Grit guards
1-2x Lamb’s wool or microfiber wash mitt
1x NXT generation car wash
1x Wheel and tyre brush
1x TechWax 2.0 Liquid Wax
1x Hot Rims Mag & Aluminium Polish/wheel cleaner
1x Hot Rims Tyre Spray
5-6x Microfiber drying towels
1x Microfiber waffle weave towel
2x Ultimate wipe detailing cloths
3-4x Terry-cloth towels
1x Ultimate Quik Wax spray
1x NXT generation metal polish
1x NXT generation glass cleaner
3x Foam application pads
1x Old cloth/rag
1x Kestrel DAS-6 polisher
1x Vacuum cleaner
1x Shine Protectant spray
1x Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner/Conditioner
1x Dust magnet mitt
1x ½ Clay bar
2-4x ‘Yellow’ foam 2.0 pads (6.5”-7”) – use more pads if you want best possible result.
2-4x ‘Black’ foam 2.0 pads (6.5”-7”) – use more pads if you want best possible result.
1x ‘Yellow’ foam 2.0 pad (4”)
1x ‘Black’ foam 2.0 pad (4”)
2x Cutting compound/polish (i.e. SwirlX, Ultimate Compound, ColorX, M205, etc.) – use the most abrasive compound necessary for the initial cut and then use a finishing polish to remove any remaining defects before the waxing stage.
Steps involved:
1) Make sure you have washed your hands thoroughly with soap - this is important.
2) Vacuum the vehicle thoroughly i.e. seats, mats, rear trunk, carpet - to reduce dust particle debris for the next step.
3) Use a 'Dust magnet mitt' to remove loose dust from plastics/vinyls in the interior i.e. door cards, dashboard, center console, etc. - this is to increase cleaning efficiency for the next step.
4) Apply 'Shine Protectant' with a foam application pad to plastics/vinyls in the interior - wipe-down with a Microfiber towel to even out the product and create a smooth matte finish.
5) Apply 'NXT Gen Glass Cleaner' to one inside window at a time - wipe off with a Microfiber towel or Ultimate wipe cloth.
6) Apply 'Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner/Conditioner' to seats with a foam application pad and then wipe off remaining residue with a Microfiber towel.
7) Ensure that the car is in a 'cool' location and that the paint surface is also 'cool' (between 15-20 degrees Celsius 'or' 59-74 degrees Fahrenheit and never in direct sunlight) before washing the car - this prevents the likeliness of car-wash formula from drying, leaving water marks on the paint.
8) Fill 3 five-liter buckets with water: One bucket & grit guard for rinsing your wash-mitt/chamois'; One bucket & grit guard for your 'Gold Class or NXT car wash formula' (1 cap per liter of water; use 4 liters) and one bucket for your 'wheel & tire brush' - this prevents accumulating road grime from other panels that may promote swirl marks as you wash.
9) 'Spray' the entire car down (starting with the roof, working all the way down) - this will help to remove loose road grime that is sitting on your paint's surface.
10) Wash the rims with a 'Hot Rims' cleaner product and use a soft-to-medium bristled wheel brush to remove stubborn dirt - doing this before washing the car stops road grime from getting on your clean paint; this saves you the hassle of having to go back and re-wash panels.
11) Begin washing your car with either 'Gold Class or NXT car-washing formula' (working from the roof, down) - Use your wash-mitt working in thorough side-to-side motions applying soft-to-medium pressure - wash and rinse one panel at a time and remember to rinse the wash-mitt after each panel to remove contaminants that may provoke swirl marks.
12) Rinse your car down (from the roof, down) - 'do not spray' the car down. Rinse with a stream of water as this allows the water to run-off the paint surface more effectively and dramatically reduces drying time and also the amount of water left sitting idle on your paintwork (which decreases the likeliness of water-marks forming).
13) Use a 'Microfiber towel/chamois' to dry the vehicle, then overlap with a 'Microfiber Waffle Weave Towel' as the final wipe-down step to remove any remaining water particles - Rinse and wring your 'Microfiber towel/chamois' after every panel to reduce the possibility of any remaining contaminants spreading across panels - remember to dry inside the door sills, boot crevices, gas flap and engine bay crevices with a separate Microfiber towel/chamois then the ones you use on the paintwork.
14) Feel your paint surface for contaminants (if your finger makes a squeaking noise and the paint doesn't 'feel like glass', using a clay bar will be necessary before continuing) - Take 1/4 of a piece of your clay bar and knead it into the palm of your hand, spray it with 'Quik Detailer' and also the surface you will be working on. Now apply to the sprayed area (only applying in straight lines) and wipe off with a Microfiber towel. Continue repeating this process and keep re-molding your piece of clay every half-panel or so. Remember; if you drop a piece of clay, throw it away and start with a new piece.
15) First pre-mist your foam buffing pad with 'Ultimate Quik Detailer'. Apply a small amount of 'cutting compound' to your 'Yellow' Meguiar's foam 2.0 buffing pad and whilst the D/A is off; set the speed dial between 5 and 6. Place your pad flat on the paint surface and turn on the D/A, quickly spreading the product across the area you will be working. Work in small sections (1/5 of a single panel at a time maximum), apply moderate to heavy pressure depending on degree of the defect, work the D/A 'slowly' and overlapping by 50% each time in a cross-gridded pattern (i.e. up & down and then side to side - repeat this for 4-6 passes) until the product is barely visible yet still wet - wipe off remaining residue with a Microfiber cloth or Ultimate detailing cloth before the product dries. Remember to 'clean on the fly' often to remove the residue build-up on the foam pad.
16) First pre-mist your foam buffing pad with 'Ultimate Quik Detailer'. Apply a small amount of 'finishing polish' to a 'Black' Meguiar's foam 2.0 buffing pad and whilst the D/A is off; set the speed dial between 3 and 4. Place the pad flat on the paint surface and turn on the D/A, quickly spreading the product across the area you will be working. Work in small sections (1/4 of a panel at a time maximum), apply only light pressure (do 'not' be overly aggressive), work the D/A 'slowly' around the area until there is only a very thin coating left on the surface - wipe off remaining residue with a Microfiber towel before the product dries. Remember to 'clean on the fly' often to remove the residue build-up on the foam pad.
17) First pre-mist your foam buffing pad with 'Ultimate Quik Detailer'. Apply a small amount of 'wax' to a separate 'Black' Meguiar's foam 2.0 buffing pad whilst the D/A is off; set the speed dial between 3 and 4. Place the pad flat on the paint surface and turn on the D/A, quickly spreading the product across the area you will be working on. As there is no paint correction necessary at this stage, you can now work the D/A much faster (being careful to not get overly enthusiastic with your movements). Apply only light pressure and work the product in until there is only a 'thin coating' left on the surface; continue this pattern until the entire paintwork has been covered and remember to 'clean on the fly' often to remove build-up of product/dried residue on the foam pad - let the product sit for 15-20 minutes 'after' you have finished waxing the final panel or until the wax is dried, this will vary depending on an individual's climate and can be checked using the 'swipe test'. Use a Microfiber towel or Ultimate wipe cloth to remove dried residue.
18) Apply a 'metal polish' to pure chrome parts with a foam application pad (i.e. exhaust tips, chrome bumpers, wheels, chrome mirrors, etc.) - use a Microfiber towel to wipe off residue and an old cloth to wipe off residue around the exhaust tip.
19) Apply 'Hot Rims Polish' to chrome rims - wipe off with a Microfiber towel. If you have clear-coated alloy wheels, Meguiar's 'All Wheel Cleaner' spray should do the trick.
20) Apply 'Hot Shine Tyre Spray' to your tires and let the product soak in - there is no need to wipe off, just let it dry.
21) Apply 'NXT Glass Cleaner' to one window at a time - wipe off with a Microfiber towel or an Ultimate wipe cloth.
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Phew, that took a good hour to re-write, so I hope it helps someone at least!!
Cheers,
Shaarn
Remember, not all these steps may be necessary for you personally - so skip to the next step if one isn't required!
I'm sure you pros will pick things out that I have missed or may even find some flaws in my list, but please don't hesitate to comment as this is to help everyone who is just stepping into the world of car detailing!
Products required:
- A water-source with a hose and nozzle
- A ‘cool’ location to wash and detail your vehicle
3x 5L Wash buckets
2x Grit guards
1-2x Lamb’s wool or microfiber wash mitt
1x NXT generation car wash
1x Wheel and tyre brush
1x TechWax 2.0 Liquid Wax
1x Hot Rims Mag & Aluminium Polish/wheel cleaner
1x Hot Rims Tyre Spray
5-6x Microfiber drying towels
1x Microfiber waffle weave towel
2x Ultimate wipe detailing cloths
3-4x Terry-cloth towels
1x Ultimate Quik Wax spray
1x NXT generation metal polish
1x NXT generation glass cleaner
3x Foam application pads
1x Old cloth/rag
1x Kestrel DAS-6 polisher
1x Vacuum cleaner
1x Shine Protectant spray
1x Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner/Conditioner
1x Dust magnet mitt
1x ½ Clay bar
2-4x ‘Yellow’ foam 2.0 pads (6.5”-7”) – use more pads if you want best possible result.
2-4x ‘Black’ foam 2.0 pads (6.5”-7”) – use more pads if you want best possible result.
1x ‘Yellow’ foam 2.0 pad (4”)
1x ‘Black’ foam 2.0 pad (4”)
2x Cutting compound/polish (i.e. SwirlX, Ultimate Compound, ColorX, M205, etc.) – use the most abrasive compound necessary for the initial cut and then use a finishing polish to remove any remaining defects before the waxing stage.
Steps involved:
1) Make sure you have washed your hands thoroughly with soap - this is important.
2) Vacuum the vehicle thoroughly i.e. seats, mats, rear trunk, carpet - to reduce dust particle debris for the next step.
3) Use a 'Dust magnet mitt' to remove loose dust from plastics/vinyls in the interior i.e. door cards, dashboard, center console, etc. - this is to increase cleaning efficiency for the next step.
4) Apply 'Shine Protectant' with a foam application pad to plastics/vinyls in the interior - wipe-down with a Microfiber towel to even out the product and create a smooth matte finish.
5) Apply 'NXT Gen Glass Cleaner' to one inside window at a time - wipe off with a Microfiber towel or Ultimate wipe cloth.
6) Apply 'Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner/Conditioner' to seats with a foam application pad and then wipe off remaining residue with a Microfiber towel.
7) Ensure that the car is in a 'cool' location and that the paint surface is also 'cool' (between 15-20 degrees Celsius 'or' 59-74 degrees Fahrenheit and never in direct sunlight) before washing the car - this prevents the likeliness of car-wash formula from drying, leaving water marks on the paint.
8) Fill 3 five-liter buckets with water: One bucket & grit guard for rinsing your wash-mitt/chamois'; One bucket & grit guard for your 'Gold Class or NXT car wash formula' (1 cap per liter of water; use 4 liters) and one bucket for your 'wheel & tire brush' - this prevents accumulating road grime from other panels that may promote swirl marks as you wash.
9) 'Spray' the entire car down (starting with the roof, working all the way down) - this will help to remove loose road grime that is sitting on your paint's surface.
10) Wash the rims with a 'Hot Rims' cleaner product and use a soft-to-medium bristled wheel brush to remove stubborn dirt - doing this before washing the car stops road grime from getting on your clean paint; this saves you the hassle of having to go back and re-wash panels.
11) Begin washing your car with either 'Gold Class or NXT car-washing formula' (working from the roof, down) - Use your wash-mitt working in thorough side-to-side motions applying soft-to-medium pressure - wash and rinse one panel at a time and remember to rinse the wash-mitt after each panel to remove contaminants that may provoke swirl marks.
12) Rinse your car down (from the roof, down) - 'do not spray' the car down. Rinse with a stream of water as this allows the water to run-off the paint surface more effectively and dramatically reduces drying time and also the amount of water left sitting idle on your paintwork (which decreases the likeliness of water-marks forming).
13) Use a 'Microfiber towel/chamois' to dry the vehicle, then overlap with a 'Microfiber Waffle Weave Towel' as the final wipe-down step to remove any remaining water particles - Rinse and wring your 'Microfiber towel/chamois' after every panel to reduce the possibility of any remaining contaminants spreading across panels - remember to dry inside the door sills, boot crevices, gas flap and engine bay crevices with a separate Microfiber towel/chamois then the ones you use on the paintwork.
14) Feel your paint surface for contaminants (if your finger makes a squeaking noise and the paint doesn't 'feel like glass', using a clay bar will be necessary before continuing) - Take 1/4 of a piece of your clay bar and knead it into the palm of your hand, spray it with 'Quik Detailer' and also the surface you will be working on. Now apply to the sprayed area (only applying in straight lines) and wipe off with a Microfiber towel. Continue repeating this process and keep re-molding your piece of clay every half-panel or so. Remember; if you drop a piece of clay, throw it away and start with a new piece.
15) First pre-mist your foam buffing pad with 'Ultimate Quik Detailer'. Apply a small amount of 'cutting compound' to your 'Yellow' Meguiar's foam 2.0 buffing pad and whilst the D/A is off; set the speed dial between 5 and 6. Place your pad flat on the paint surface and turn on the D/A, quickly spreading the product across the area you will be working. Work in small sections (1/5 of a single panel at a time maximum), apply moderate to heavy pressure depending on degree of the defect, work the D/A 'slowly' and overlapping by 50% each time in a cross-gridded pattern (i.e. up & down and then side to side - repeat this for 4-6 passes) until the product is barely visible yet still wet - wipe off remaining residue with a Microfiber cloth or Ultimate detailing cloth before the product dries. Remember to 'clean on the fly' often to remove the residue build-up on the foam pad.
16) First pre-mist your foam buffing pad with 'Ultimate Quik Detailer'. Apply a small amount of 'finishing polish' to a 'Black' Meguiar's foam 2.0 buffing pad and whilst the D/A is off; set the speed dial between 3 and 4. Place the pad flat on the paint surface and turn on the D/A, quickly spreading the product across the area you will be working. Work in small sections (1/4 of a panel at a time maximum), apply only light pressure (do 'not' be overly aggressive), work the D/A 'slowly' around the area until there is only a very thin coating left on the surface - wipe off remaining residue with a Microfiber towel before the product dries. Remember to 'clean on the fly' often to remove the residue build-up on the foam pad.
17) First pre-mist your foam buffing pad with 'Ultimate Quik Detailer'. Apply a small amount of 'wax' to a separate 'Black' Meguiar's foam 2.0 buffing pad whilst the D/A is off; set the speed dial between 3 and 4. Place the pad flat on the paint surface and turn on the D/A, quickly spreading the product across the area you will be working on. As there is no paint correction necessary at this stage, you can now work the D/A much faster (being careful to not get overly enthusiastic with your movements). Apply only light pressure and work the product in until there is only a 'thin coating' left on the surface; continue this pattern until the entire paintwork has been covered and remember to 'clean on the fly' often to remove build-up of product/dried residue on the foam pad - let the product sit for 15-20 minutes 'after' you have finished waxing the final panel or until the wax is dried, this will vary depending on an individual's climate and can be checked using the 'swipe test'. Use a Microfiber towel or Ultimate wipe cloth to remove dried residue.
18) Apply a 'metal polish' to pure chrome parts with a foam application pad (i.e. exhaust tips, chrome bumpers, wheels, chrome mirrors, etc.) - use a Microfiber towel to wipe off residue and an old cloth to wipe off residue around the exhaust tip.
19) Apply 'Hot Rims Polish' to chrome rims - wipe off with a Microfiber towel. If you have clear-coated alloy wheels, Meguiar's 'All Wheel Cleaner' spray should do the trick.
20) Apply 'Hot Shine Tyre Spray' to your tires and let the product soak in - there is no need to wipe off, just let it dry.
21) Apply 'NXT Glass Cleaner' to one window at a time - wipe off with a Microfiber towel or an Ultimate wipe cloth.
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Phew, that took a good hour to re-write, so I hope it helps someone at least!!
Cheers,
Shaarn
thanks for killin my Saturday morning bud 
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