Here is what I think. Good write up, but just wanna add a few things. Not trying to trash your thread ChinaBoy, just giving my 0.02 cents.
Try not to use dishwasher liquid. It will damage your clearcoat. Eventhough you're not using it all the time, but each time you use it, damage will be done. Minor, but still. Try to use soap that is made for car which would remove previously waxed coat. Read the labels.
When washing your tires, using mitts ain't enough. Use a bristle scrub u can buy at Walgreens or something. It gets more dirt out of the tires than using a mitt. Tires get brown from brake dust, using mitts to wash tires won't remove alot of it. As a scrub, it will. Tried and done it before.
As for the washing with mitts, I prefer using sponges. Not your 0.99 cents for two. But Natural Sea Sponges. They don't hold dirt like normal sponges or washing mitt do. When I use natural sponges or washing mitts, they get dirty after I wash the body of the car. As for a natural sea sponges, it stays clean. The uneven surface of the sea sponge doesn't hold dust/sand when you are washing. Washing mitts and normal sponges do. They are flat, therefore if the car still has dirt on it, you're basiclly sanding/scratching your clearcoat when washing. I got my sea sponge from a paint store, retails at 20 bucks a peice, but I got it for free. Just for reference, I used washing mitts before and they get dirty after a few car washes. Dirty mitt = bad. After I dry my sponge, I place it into a zip lock bag.
Bring your car to the garage to clay bar? Good idea. I've been doing that also. I might have missed it, or ChinaBoy forgot to mention. After you clay bar the car, rinse it, drive back to the garage, THEN dry it. When the car is wet, there is a higher chance of dirt sticking to the body. When waxing, I would leave the car in the garage. Before taking out the wax, I use a static dust remover, made by Swifer, and sweep the area I am going to remove. Reason is because your garage ain't free of dirty paticles. If you don't do so, you're buffing swirl marks on your car when removing the wax.
Is your plastic looking dull after your car is shiny? Well, I use the product to make your tire shine on the black plastic also. I spray some on body shop towels (blue color) and wipe it on. I don't put alot, but enough to make things shine. I use Tire Shine and it doesn't attact to much dust.
My car looks like shit, cuz I'm lazy to wash it. But when I do, I do it correctly. Good write up ChinaBoy.
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