Whatever they use at the Bikini car wash, honestly it could be sandpaper I have not noticed.

 

I use to be a detail freak, bought all the 3M polishing products, buffers, soaps, cleaners, etc. when I had my vette. Tons of money and time.

I've had 2) new Ford trucks since 2002 and not as energetic to detail them often at all. Each sat out on the driveway or on the road, 24/7/365 baking in the AZ sun. Never garaged. Of all the fancy products, ceramic coatings, graphene, etc., there is one wax that I used on each of the trucks just once a year in the Spring and made the paint look brand new for the next 12 years or so when I owned them. No clear coat deterioration, no fading. That product is Collinite 476s. Goes on and comes off easy, decent shine, long lasting, durable finish. Lasts about 10 months. I wipe it down with a Meguires detailer a couple times a year. But overall, a great once or twice a year wax IMO.

I'll wait 4-5 months after I get my new F250 and will wax it with the Collinite 476S!.

 

I’ve stocked up on bulk cleaners and paper goods through this url, and it’s been handy that orders over £150+VAT get free delivery. The fast shipping and solid packaging saved me a lot of hassle, especially for heavier items. If you’re trying to keep costs down while still getting brands like Clover or Evans, it’s worth a look.

 

A RO filter and Griots.

 

I've used a ton of different products over the decades. They can vary slightly, but have found most are pretty close to each other in terms of any matter of comparison.

I will say that purchasing a 10 inch de-ionizing tank was the best purchase I ever made. I no longer dry anything and neither does my son... truck, wife's car, son's truck, boat, toy hauler, fun black and chrome weekend car. Between the two of us, we wash everything and relatively frequently. Most of the stuff is well-waxed, but not everything. We use good soap and good cloths. A pressure washer used at an appropriate distance for safety greatly reduces volume of water necessary. When done, we leave whatever we washed dripping wet and pull it into the garage. It will dry absolutely spot free (if you leave anything out to dry, dust can settle in the water creating spots). About twice a year, we have to exchange the tank ($70). We wash a lot of stuff and use the good water for the entire wash, not just the rinse for convenience.

I've used smaller versions of de-ionizers like Griot's, but found they still leave at least some spots, need to be recharged too often, and are WAY more expensive per gallon of filtered water.

The system I use now is from an industrial water company, and truly creates a spot free car, truck, boat, rv at a reasonable price. Cuts the time to wash anything by more than half. Another positive side-effect is the reduction of micro scratching that occurs from even the softest of towels used for drying. A final note, my use is in the desert southwest where the water is VERY hard.

 

The local touchless car wash.

I used to buy all sorts of stuff and spend hours cleaning, polishing, etc... Now it’s 5 minutes at the wash and then vacuum at home. I do the interior stuff but nothing crazy.

Just don’t have the time anymore.

I think the latest thing I did was remove some brake dust iron from the painted wheels.

I think the stuff I use is from chemical guys.