I plan on doing some detailing on my mini that I've never really tried before, and I'm unclear about what order I should do everything in. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Here's my plan:

1. Wash (Dawn dish soap. Just this one time to get rid of any remaining hydro seal)
2. Clay bar
3. Apply dr. Colorchip to a few small dings on my door and rear bumper.
4. Polish (prima swirl)
5. Wash again (prima hydro wash)
6. Prima hydro seal
7. Prima hydro

Is this correct? Thanks again for whatever help you can provide.

 

Not familiar with those products, I use Griot's but that is the correct step by step.

What about the interior, engine bay, wheels/tires, wheel wells and glass (inside and out)? It ain't detailed 'till the heater vents, springs/struts and radiator and everything in between are dust and bug free as well.

Have fun making it sparkle.

 

Thanks for confirming my plan.

The wheels, interior, and glass are all part of my normal routine. How would I go about cleaning the radiator, springs, and struts?

 

On bath day I jack up each corner, pull the wheels, clean them and dress the rubber then wipe down all the fiddly bits in the wheel well with a quick detailer. A little short stool helps. So it only looks good 'till the next rain, but it does look good.

For the radiator coils I bought a coil brush from an appliance repairman for 10 bucks. You can use it in the kitchen too for the fridge. Keeping those coils clean helps the compressor to run less.

 

You can combine 3/4 hydro seal with 1/4 hydro and save a step. Apply like you would hydro. That's a tip that was given to me by Octane Guy.

 

Don't forget to dress the undercarriage if your going all the way... Recommend Chemical Guys Bare Bones for that. A little goes a long way. For the interior be sure your using only lint free clothes. Fly'n Brick is on the money about pulling the wheels off to properly clean them. But if you don't have time to do that every time, pick up an E-Z clean brush. They have bristles that are designed to easily fit through wheel spokes and safely remove dirt from hard to reach areas.

 

[QUOTE=Sketch;3636568 For the interior be sure your using only lint free clothes. [/QUOTE]
I would strongly recommend Griot's interior cleaning kit. The spray can be used on all the surfaces (spray on rag then wipe the dash, no overspray on inside of windshield). The MF cloths that go with the kit are just what you need. You can also pick up a couple of small detailing brushes for dusting all the vents, guages switches and *****. I also periodically wipe down all the interior surfaces except the seats with Griot's 'Vinyl and Rubber Dressing', leaves no residue. People ask me if he's new, they are amazed when I tell them he's 6 years old.