shoez

Since I was about 15 years old, I've been doing basic detail jobs (washing, claying, polishing & waxing) for family and friends during the Summer. Over these past years I have relied almost entirely on off-the-shelf cleaning products from places like Autozone. They've served their purpose well, but I've recently been wanting to establish myself as more of a (quasi) professional by expanding my techniques.

So I have a few questions that I'd love to get some help with if you all could drop a little knowledge.

-Which polishes/buffing compounds would you personally recommend for general use? I've heard good things about the Menzerna and ZAIO lines but more info would help.

-As far as orbitals are concerned, do you swear by a certain model?

-Which cutting/polishing/applicator pads would you recommend for said buffer?

-Any tips on re-conditioning leather interiors and removing set-in oils and grime? How about removing stains from cloth or carpets?

-Are there significant benefits to using a pressure washer for the job?

If you'd like to impart any other wisdom please feel free, thanks guys!

Computer_Nerd

Use a clay bar.

Don't use orbitals or any mechanical shit.

Rotate to new towels and applicators, don't try to clean them.

Don't use a pressure washer.

Reloaded

Porter Cable 7424

That's all you need to know

Z33_Taxi

orbitals and stuff scare the shit out of me to use...

Clay bars are God's eraser.

The shop I worked @ in NY used Air to push all the water off..effective; I guess...I like using the Jelly blades

SupraTT804

3m is good stuff to use but expensive. Everything from the compound to the buffing pads is good.
Air nozzle to blow off the water in the cracks of the car. (get one with a handle and a soft tip)
orbitals are better when they are heavier. The bigger the better.
I use soap and water to clean the interiors especially leather. I prefer to use the soap that has some wax in it.
I personally don't use vinyl drressing on my interior since it leaves that oil sticky feeling. Some interor cleaners may say it has some vinyl dressing in it but thats ok. You just don't want the whole thing.
Tire shine is tire shine, you can get the cheap stuff.

Flite

at some of the tips here.

A good product line to start out with is Adams. From their polishes, to their general purpose cleaners, to their interior or plastic stuff.... everything is good and reasonably priced.
As for a buffer, Reloaded hit the nail on the head. The porter cable 7424 random orbit will can do anything you'll want.
Do NOT buy off the shelf tire or plastic dressing. Almost all of it is petroleum based and will break down the rubber/plastic over time. Brown tires are one of the easiest results to spot from cheap dressing. Clean, black tires and plastic look better than artificially shiney crap anyway.
For wheel cleaners, be very careful. If tire dressing is important, wheel cleaner is critical. For new wheels with little to no etching, I like Sonax wheel cleaner. For older wheels or ones that have become pitted, I like P21S gel. Both are ph neutral, but you have to work quicker with Sonax.
Clay bars are AN ABRASIVE! They're great, but they should not be used as a stand alone product. They are a prep product. You use clay before you polish. Only the very lightest clays should be used as a maintainence item


When you're ready to make some purchases, ask me specifics and I'll help you out. Everybody thinks they know what they're talking about. Trust the people who realize detailing is a long term learning process. This is an old picture of my cabinet. I've got about three times this plus equipment now. I've probably spent upwards of $3000 on this crap over the last 4 years.

SupraTT804

^^^ listen to this guy I'm just a kid

OhShift!

Zymol's lower end stuff is still pretty awesome product wise.

I've done Orbital and non, and have had great results with both. The 7424 is great, I just prefer to do it all by hand.

The pads and applicators will depend on the different products you use.

I only use a pressure washer for the pre-rinse, and for the first soaping. After that, use a hose with no nozzle.

Electric leaf blower to dry off cars.

Flite

Doing it by hand will not correct paint imperfections.

Pads/product/equipment can all be used interchangably to acheive the result you want.

Pressure washer should only be used for stuff like wheel wells... not paint. However, you can buy a foam cannon that uses a pressure washer for agitation. Don't ever "blast off" dirt with water pressure alone, not unless it's something like a mud truck.

Electric leaf blowers stir up dust, which settles on the car you're washing. Pressurized air should only be used to blow water out of impossible to reach places like mirrors and under taillights. They sell lower pressure electric blowers for this purpose.... but blowing with your mouth works just as good... and is free.

SCREECHO

I can refer to some street walkers I see every morning, but they are not free. from the amount of business they attract, they can polish and blow anything asked.