New Carbon Black Metallic owner

I am looking for guidance in cleaning and detailing at home in between the professional detailings. I assume people have products and cleaning suggests. My last car didn't receive much attention other than the drive thru wash and wax. Basically what can I do at home and what should I leave to professionals?

Thanks....

is the car brand new? What condition is the paint in right now? Any swirls?

The X5 is brand new. It was detailed before the 3M clear bra was put on the car.

You can do a little, or a lot to your car. Depends on your budget and the amount of time you can regularly dedicate to maintenance.

For a Phase I obsession with detailing, you may wish to consider the following:

Start with quality basic products. A kit from P21S would be an easy way to to jump in.

Sealants are great alternative to wax.

If you choose to use a sealant, it can be preceded if you wish, by a good glaze. Kind of an optional thing for a Phase I detailing obsession. But some folks, myself included, swear by the marvelous effects of glazing before sealing.

Two buckets, two grit guards.

Towels, wash mit, quick detailer.

Clay is essential for prep before waxing.

Spray wax, is handy for those instances where you don't have time to perform a regular wax job, or as a shine booster betwen regular waxings.

For a Phase II obsession with detailing, the following items will be useful:

A dual action (DA) orbital polisher with pads. This is a solid kit, which took me very far. Still use it regularly.

Polishes, there's lots on the market. A proven and reputable combo is Meguiars 105 and 205. M105 is compound for heavy swirls/corrections, M205 is a medium polish. Each finish down very nicely. If I only had access to two products, it would definitely be these two.You can accomplish a lot with these two, including removal of foggy oxidation on headlights.

Check out the "Detailing Guide" at Detailed Image, it's comprehenisve and very useful.

Good luck!

I just paid to get my car coated with OptiClear after prep and polish by a professional detailer immediately upon delivery. I've read great things about this product and the car looks fantastic. In fact it rained on my first commute to work but by the time I pulled into my work garage the water had beaded off and the car looked pristine.

I have nothing useful to add, I just wanted to say hello from a fellow Carbon Black x5 owner in your part of the woods.

Any thoughts on Hose free washing?

"Matte or Satin Finish Paint and Body Wraps" - http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-d...ody-wraps.html

I hope the information in this article is of some help to you. If you have any further questions please let me know

I have swirls..what to do?