Since I don't have a Lamborghini I keep my car cleaning simple and cheap.
1. Don't use Dawn. Have you ever wondered why girls put their fingernails in this stuff? (Well ask)
-Dawn dish soap contains petroleum products that are used as solvents to help the water clean the dishes. They also contain 'wetting agents' that help the soap adhere to the dishes in order to clean them better.
-Dawn Dish soap also contains chemicals that will wick the natural oils from rubber and plastic, leaving the stuff dried out - this will give the appearance of a Shiny Clean, but the Rubber will be much more brittle.
2. There are many brands of Car soap at Wal-Mart. Pick one and use it! It does not really matter what you get. Soap is soap and anything else is smelly good stuff and conditioners with a Bling Bling package. I use Armor All Soap.
3. Okay.. after washing your car the next step is to hand dry the car. You can buy a water filter so that there are no watermarks on the car. However those filters cost money and towels are cheaper and quick! So anytime you add water make sure to dry the car off to avoid watermarks.
-For drying use a damp chamois or soft terry cloth towel.
4. If your Top Clear Coat is scratched, old and faded then you really need to use a polish before waxing. I don't have a brand I'd say works better. But you should stick with the same brand of Wax and Polish so that the Wax finish does not cancel out the polish. There probably is a science behind this, I don�t know what chemicals do this, but I�ve seen it happen many times.
5. After the polish, or not, it's time to Wax the car. Most people will swear by any brand of carnauba wax. The problem I find with carnauba wax is that it's prone to cause yellowing on clear plastic. It also shows up really bad on black rubber trim. However, it does give the best glossy shine and dries rock hard! Carnauba wax does cost more so it's not for the average Joe. I've noticed that it makes more a difference on darker painted colors when using carnauba waxes. However, I favor lighter colored cars. So what I use is just plain old cheap Turtle Wax. It has UV protection and makes your plastic headlights look Shiny without any yellowing problems. Like any brand they say their wax will last a whole year, but it's more like 6 months.
-Wax only one panel of the car at a time. After a few minutes, the wax will have dried to a dull haze. Wiping in one direction, use a clean terrycloth to remove the film of wax. Use a polishing cloth (preferably a clean cloth diaper) buff in the opposite direction to a high shine. After you've done one panel, turn both towels to an unused section and start on the next panel. Repeat until you've completed the entire vehicle.
