I worked in several different carwashes, so I'll lead you guys out of some common mistakes.
Mistake #1 - Automatic carwash
Never. Ever. It damages your paint, and your car isn't detailed the way it should be.
Mistake #2 - Wax
No gains there. It damages the paint, and is hard to wash off next time you wash your car, meaning - you won't wash it good. Wax tries to match the effect of polishing, but it's just pretending to be a polisher without the real deal. Better polish it. Don't use wax. Although, many carwash shampoos already have wax in them. It's just a trick so they can say "we make your car more shiny than that other company product". Try to find a shampoo without any wax. Clean, polished paint is the perfect way to go. That's how the big boys do it. Wax is for suckers, and carwash workers will laugh behind your back if you request "a lot of wax".
Mistake #3 - C o ckpit
I don't use any of those c ockpit shiners. Why? Well, they make it slippery and it's all they do. Like, dust will not stay if the surface is slippery? Yeah, right. Clean the c ockpit and that's it. If you can find anti-static cleaner which doesn't make the surface slippery, use that one from here to eternity. And, for God's sake, don't use c ockpit shiner on the steering wheel. I've seen people do it. I have also seen some "hot shots" spray tons of c ockpit shiner directly on the plastic. OK, look. You pick up a hot girl. She puts her mobile phone or her purse on the c ockpit. It slips down because your c ockpit is slippery. No sex.
The right way to go
You need pressured water to clean all that grease and dust. Use it yourself if you have it, or if you can find some carwash that lets you use compressors (here we put in coins). Or even better, go to a hand carwash, and BEFORE the guys start, tell them you're paying 50% extra but want your car done perfectly. Hand carwashes are owned by ordinary people. They want to keep you as a customer. Therefore, they pay most attention. Go there.
Don't sponge bath your car before you make it wet. You'll damage the paint by rubbing particles of dust in it.
As I said, shampoo without any wax in it will give the best results. Put A LOT of it. For wheels and very dirty places, use some more abrasive thing. I used DF and Mafra, but that Aloe Vera shampoo works great also.
Wash it all off throroughly.
For
drying I use deer skin, which actually does nothing except it splits the water drops into miniature drops, so there's no water stains. For perfect results, additionally wipe off the entire car with a soft cloth. Those microfiber cloths work best. If your car is black, your'e doomed, and you'll have to use a soft cloth every time (on a completely dry car) to make the water stains go away.
For
tyres, use glycerine. You know, any of those products which makes the tyres black. It works on wet tyres best. So be fast, I personally put glycerine on the tyres before I start drying the car with deer skin or microfiber cloth. Be careful, don't get even close to the tyre surface which touches the road. Glycerine is slippery and it's almost impossible to wash off. The correct way to apply glycerine is to pour it in a cut-off plastic bottle, and use a brush to apply it to the tyres.
About the
windows...I worked in several different hand carwashes, and each one had their own trick. All I know is - don't use newspapers. Yes, it makes your windows shiny and all, but that's because you spread led on them, and when the sun strikes your window you won't see a thing.
So I have come up with my own way for washing windows. I apply a LOT of some window cleaner, spread it with a sponge, wipe it off with that rubber thing, and additionaly clean the entire window with a soft cloth, using big pressure. Of course, it only works when your car is washed with pressured water, or else you'll just smear the grease on the window no matter how many times you wash it. They're not house windows. These ones are tricky.
Polishing
Just do it.
Two times per year is perfectly OK, you'll never polish away the paint job. Auri was the best one I ever used, but others are all good also. Polishing is especially good for red colored cars. When the sun eats away your paint, just polish it and have a new car. There's also a trick...buy a car with ooooold red paint. You'll get it for few $. Polish it, you'll sell it for a lot of $.
Best weather
Direct sunlight is the worst. Any warm weather, actually. Room temperature is the best, and any cold weather, except the freezing temperatures. And, it's actually not such a bad idea to wash the car before the rain. Because, after the rain, all other cars will look like crap (and will need a wash), and yours will still be relatively shiny, and not affected by acid rain.
Later I'll post pics of my 17 year old car, after I wash it and polish it. So you'll see how does a professional wash his car and how does that look like.
