[chuckles1313]

Background

After picking up a new 2023 M550i a few weeks ago, I wanted to learn how to detail it properly without spending a ton of money or time on it. I quickly learned that with detailing you can go crazy and there are lots of options. I wanted to know, what is the minimal amount of money and work I could do that would still give me a good return of a shiny, glossy, new-looking car that popped like it did when I picked it up from the dealership’s show room. After a fair amount of research, I decided to make this post in hopes it can act as a consolidated, low effort DIY detailing guide. Basically the guide I wish I had a few weeks ago when I first picked up my new car. I decided to share this in case anybody would find this info helpful.

After watching several professional detailers talk about their detailing process, I stumbled upon Pan the Organizer. Pan is a professional detailer of 25+ years and has an active YouTube channel with tons of great video content. He posts a lot content and his content is very detailed. While that’s great, it takes awhile to sift through it all and figure which parts apply to your specific detailing needs and situation. I will provide links to specific videos that I found helpful in case people want to dive into more of the details at the end of this post. I also use Pan’s videos to demo the various stages I will discuss below so you can see how a specific step is performed. The other part of learning how to detail was knowing specifically which tools and products to buy and use. There are a million good tools and products that people rave about. I wanted to know which ones are tried and true and are a good value for their cost. For that reason I have shared links to the products and tools I use along with when they should be used.

This guide consists of two parts:

1. Applying a protective ceramic coating (either a full ceramic coat or a lite spray on version)
2. Performing proper maintenance washes

Step 1 Protective Ceramic Coating

Short history lesson. Back in the day we had waxes, then we had paint sealants, and most recently we have ceramic and graphene coatings. There is a lot of info out there explaining what these coatings do and why you would want one. This video does a good job of giving you an overview of the options and what each solution does. In a nutshell, these coatings protect the top layer of the car and most importantly to me, gives the vehicle hydrophobic properties. This means water (as well as dirt, grime, and dust) can’t easily stick to the car making it much easier to keep clean (often referred to in the detailing world as "self cleaning"). This means the car is going to stay glossy and clean looking much longer and the routine maintenance washes will be much easier. This is a crucial step for car detailing being low maintenance. While installing the ceramic coating will be some effort up front (really not too bad), it will pay off with making all exterior maintenance down the road much easier.

There are a bunch of awesome products in the ceramic and graphene coating space. I looked at several of them, but so many of the experts raved about the AvalonKing’s Armor Shield IX it was a no brainer for me. One of the biggest reasons it is so popular is because it is known to be one of, if not the most, user friendly to install correctly. This was a big deal to me because I didn’t want to have to invest in a lot of extra tools or products just to get the ceramic coating installed. It also is guaranteed to last at least 2 years.

This video goes over in detail how to install the AvalonKing’s Armor Shield IX ceramic coating. The install process goes as follows:

1. Wash car with special prep shampoo AvalonKings Ceramic Prep Shampoo preps the paint to bond with the ceramic coating by removing any contaminates or previous waxes or protectants. Video Demo

2. Light clay bar job to lift any contaminates This kit on amazon includes both the clay bar and the lubricant spray required when using the clay bar. Using a detailers mitt or clay mitt would also work here, but they are more expensive as they are meant to be used many times and would make sense if you plan on detailing many cars. Video Demo

3. Next apply the IPA prep spray AvalonKings IPA Prep Spray goes a step further than the prep shampoo in step one and really makes sure the clear coat on your car is squeaky clean and ready to bond with the ceramic coating. Video Demo

4. Finally apply the ceramic coating AvalonKing Shield IX DIY Kit. The kit comes with the tool and cloth needed to apply the coating. It goes on clear, and dries fairly fast. You then wipe it away. Watch the video to see exactly the technique needed to install the coating. Take your time to make sure you coat all the surfaces including glass, trim, headlights, wheels etc. Video Demo

All products for the prep and ceramic coating come to a total of $117.96 USD. AvalonKing runs a sale from time to time (currently running one where you get about 25% off). So at the time of this writing those three would cost around $75 dollars USD.

NOTE: You will need to apply the coating with temps 50 F or warmer.

Ceramic Coating Includes all prep products and Clay Bar kit $91.96 ~ 2 to 3 hours labor

Step 2 Maintenance Washes

Now that we have a protective coating (either the full ceramic coating or the Shield Lite), regular maintenance washes should be much easier to perform given the coating is going to give the car a hydrophobic shell. Water, dirt, grime, dust will all slide off giving it a "self-cleaning" effect. While a car with a ceramic coating will stay cleaner and shinier longer, it will eventually still get dirty and require a wash to maintain that "candy like" glossy finish. The rest of this guide will deal with how to perform the most effective wash possible while not going crazy with a million steps and products or requiring too many speciality tools or detailing expertise.

After studying several professional detailers perform washes, I came away with the following key lessons:

1. A wash is not just rinse, wash, and dry. A prep step is required before all contact steps. If prep steps are skipped, you are much more likely to end up scratching your clear coat and adding imperfections to your paint job as you smear the dirt and grime across your car while you clean it. A few slight modifications can easily mitigate this problem. For example before your wash stage, you will do a pre-wash. And during the towel dry, using a drying aid will lubricate the surface preventing a towel rubbing against the car’s clear coat from scratching. More details on this below.

2. Use the two bucket method. If you take your towel or shampoo mitt and start to clean your car, even if you dunk in back in a bucket of soapy water, there is still a lot of dirt on that towel or mitt that is going to get smeared all over your car on the next pass. By adding a second "rinse" bucket we can greatly increase how clean the towel / mitt is that we use to clean our car. This video goes into more details and even offers info on the one bucket method. The one bucket method does not appeal to me because it requires many additional cleaning mitts and or towels. Here are two buckets you can easily order from amazon.

3. Clean Top Down. Your car is dirtiest at the bottom. For this reason we want to clean starting at the top and working our way towards the bottom. This helps ensure our cleaning mitt or towel is as clean as possible. We want to finish our wash phase with the dirtiest part of the car, the bottom fenders.

The wash routine below is built using the key lessons above. I believe it gives you the biggest bang for your buck both in cost and effort while still delivering good results. In addition to the describing the step, I have included a link to the exact products and tools I use for each step along with a link to a video which will visually demo on that stage is performed with additional info on that step.

NOTE: The process below was developed for a car with its paint in decent shape. If your paint job is in bad shape and needing restoration, additional steps, like a machine polish might be needed for ideal results.

The Wash Routine

1. Prewash Foam Using a foam cannon with a pressure washer or foam gun with a garden hose, blanket the car with spray foam. This acts as both a lubricant for the pressure rinse as well as starts loosen up the dirt and grime sitting on your paint’s outer coat. Let the foam work its magic for a few minutes before moving on to the pressure rinse step. I am using Adam’s car foam along with this particular foam cannon. I am using an older model of this roybi pressure washer. Video Demo.

UPDATE: My Roybi pressure washer went out after 5 years of use and I replaced it with this one which comes with a foam / soap dispenser that works surpringsly well.

2. Pressure Rinse If you use a pressure washer make sure it’s not putting out more than 1500 psi and keep a safe distance. If no pressure washer is available, a jet nozzle from garden hose will also do. Make sure to give those wheels fenders and tire areas a good rinse down as they tend to accumulate the most grime, brake dust, and dirt. Between the prewash foam and pressure rinse a good chunk of dirt and grime should be removed. Video Demo.

3. Wheels and Tires Next we will tackle wheels and tires as they tend to be the dirtiest, and if we get any over spray working on them we want it cleaned up in the contact wash step. There are several good products for this but we want to use a 2 for 1 (something that cleans both wheels and tires). I am using Adam’s Tire and Wheel Cleaner. This brush and wheel wooleys kit make getting around the wheel spokes and cleaning brake calipers possible. Make sure to rinse the wheels down after this step is done. Video Demo

4. Shampoo Contact Wash Using the 2 bucket method and starting from top of car working your way down. Can use a car shampoo, but AvalonKings makes a maintenance shampoo specific for their ceramic coating, so I am going to use theirs for now. But any decent car shampoo will do here if you don’t have the AvalonKing’s shampoo. Video Demo

5. Blower Dry Drying the car is a common spot where marks and scratches can occur. Using a blower (like a leaf blower) allows you to get a lot of the water off in a "contactless" way. With the ceramic coat the water should fly off fairly quickly and easily. Just need to get it to about 90% dry in this stage as we will finish it off with a towel dry in the next step. Video Demo

6. Towel dry In addition to drying the car using my leaf blower, I like to make sure I get it completely dry while also using a drying aide. At this step we can get a 2 for 1 if we use a lubricant that also boost the shine and hydrophobic properties of the ceramic coating. Currently I am using Xtreme Solutions Topper as it helps with drying as well as adds gloss and shine. I also really like these Gauntlet Drying Microfiber Towels. Video Demo.
NOTE: Every 3-6 months instead of a normal drying aid, you could use the AvalonKing Shield Lite spray to help boost your ceramic coating if you wanted to.

7. Windows Now we take care of the windows. Don’t forget to roll down the windows a bit to get the top of the windows. We want to use an alcohol based cleaner that will not streak. I like impossible glass spray as well as an extension tool so I can get all the windshield glass. This works for both the front and back windshields which are impossible to fully get with just your hands. Video Demo

8. Wheel Dressing There are two categories of products here. Petroleum based and water based. Water based won’t last as long, but petroleum based ones can easily sling black spots and gunk around your wheel well as well as on the sides of your car. Petroleum based products are also difficult to remove. I recommend sticking with water based dressings, they still look good and give you 1-2 weeks protection. Two products I like here are Chemical Guys VRP and Adam's VRT. I also use the Adam’s VRT on certain trim pieces to give them a little extra shine and protection. Adam’s tire hex grip applicator is super handy for applying the tire dressing. Video demo.

If you had to buy all the routine wash products and tools it would cost you between $250 and $300 USD but you don't have to. You can start with the core basics and add to your collection as you go.

Conculsion

That wraps up the two stages of adding a protective coating and then performing proper maintenance washes. I hope this is useful to others. I am also building an interior cleaning guide for myself. If anybody else is interested in that leave a comment and if there is enough interest I'll organize it and post it on the forums as well.

I've included a list of additional info videos below for those who want to dive deeper. I've also included a full list of all the products and tools mentioned above for reference below.

Additional Videos

Here is a list of videos that you may find helpful that go into further details than what I shared above. This is not a complete list of videos, but more of a quick reference of the topics I think are most helpful to further dive into.

How to wash your car like a pro tutorial
Why You Shouldn’t Get A Ceramic Coating
Full detail (12 hour job) of an M340i
Should you detail a brand new car?
Detailing 101: Iron and Tar Removers
Wash and Talk
How to Clean Your Wheels and Tires
Full detail of M3
Regular Maintenance Wash
Is Pre-rinsing stupid?
Two Buckets vs One Bucket
Top 20 Questions About Ceramic Coatings Answered

Full Product List

Ceramic Coating Products

AvalonKings Ceramic Prep Shampoo
AvalonKings IPA Prep Spray
Clay bar kit
AvalonKing Shield IX DIY Kit
Armor Shield Lite spray

Routine Car Wash Products

Two wash buckets
Adam’s car foam - Prewash foam solution
Foam gun for garden hose - Prewash foam tool
Pressure washer with foam soap dispenser
Adam’s Tire and Wheel Cleaner - Wheel and Tire cleaner
AvalonKings makes a maintenance shampoo - Contact shampoo wash
Wheel brush and wooleys kit - Wheel, tire, brake cleaning tool
Dewalt leaf blower - Drying tool
Xtreme Solutions Topper - Drying aid Lubricant and Protection
Gauntlet Drying Microfiber Towels - Drying tool
impossible glass spray as well as an extension tool - Windows
Chemical Guys VRP - Wheel Dressing
Adam's VRT - Wheel Dressing
Adam’s tire hex grip applicator - Wheel Dressing tool


Here is a video showing the beading / hydrophobic properties of the ceramic coating.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2nFVGW8y48Q

[Filip Em]

perfect!!! thank you for this post and your effort .

[chuckles1313]

Originally Posted by Filip Em

perfect!!! thank you for this post and your effort .

👍🏻 hopefully others find useful. If nothing else it helped me organize my own research and plans .

[G30 B58]

Very nice.

Deep but not to deep, like adding a water softener and pressure washer etc.



Now, do another for the interior.

[chuckles1313]

Originally Posted by G30 B58

Very nice.

Deep but not to deep, like adding a water softener and pressure washer etc.



Now, do another for the interior.

You like adding a water softener to your wash stage? If so which one do you like?

[G30 B58]

Here's what I use. I bought it last year during a Black Friday sale along with the linked pressure washer.

https://clean-garage.com/spot-free-c...e-bypass-head/

https://clean-garage.com/ar-675-pro-...ckage-level-1/

I like the fact that with the water softener I don't have to rush to dry the so quickly and concern myself with spotting. I have a black 2500HD that can't always be washed inside or in the shade. The softened water gives me some extra time when drying a larger, darker vehicle.

[chuckles1313]

Originally Posted by G30 B58

Here's what I use. I bought it last year during a Black Friday sale along with the linked pressure washer.

https://clean-garage.com/spot-free-c...e-bypass-head/

https://clean-garage.com/ar-675-pro-...ckage-level-1/

I like the fact that with the water softener I don't have to rush to dry the so quickly and concern myself with spotting. I have a black 2500HD that can't always be washed inside or in the shade. The softened water gives me some extra time when drying a larger, darker vehicle.

Gotcha!

[T0RM3NT]

Thank you and I appreciate your time in putting this together.

[430Scud]

While his techniques are good, I would be wary of Pan the Organizers product endorsements. He is a PAID endorser, which will greatly influence his objectivity.

I enjoy ScottH, on youtube as he does not use paid endorsements. All his products are donated by viewers or he pays for them through donations. He does a lot of long term tests of products going on for over 1 year for durability. His tests can still be faulted for not actually driving the car on the road (road splash in rain can be hard on rocker panels), but about as good as it gets. He has ongoing tests of trim products, ceramic coatings, ceramic sprays, graphen sprays, paint protection films, etc...

https://www.youtube.com/@ScottHD/videos

[chuckles1313]

Originally Posted by 430Scud

While his techniques are good, I would be wary of Pan the Organizers product endorsements. He is a PAID endorser, which will greatly influence his objectivity.

I enjoy ScottH, on youtube as he does not use paid endorsements. All his products are donated by viewers or he pays for them through donations. He does a lot of long term tests of products going on for over 1 year for durability. His tests can still be faulted for not actually driving the car on the road (road splash in rain can be hard on rocker panels), but about as good as it gets. He has ongoing tests of trim products, ceramic coatings, ceramic sprays, graphen sprays, paint protection films, etc...

https://www.youtube.com/@ScottHD/videos

Glad you shared Scott's channel. Always good to have multiple view points. I am aware Pan often promotes products he gets paid for, but it's pretty easy to find out which products are also recommended by other sources and to me the real value is learning what type of product you need and when to use it. Selecting the actual brand of product seems much easier to figure out IMO.

[Edgar_FriendlyX3M]

Originally Posted by 430Scud

While his techniques are good, I would be wary of Pan the Organizers product endorsements. He is a PAID endorser, which will greatly influence his objectivity.

I enjoy ScottH, on youtube as he does not use paid endorsements. All his products are donated by viewers or he pays for them through donations. He does a lot of long term tests of products going on for over 1 year for durability. His tests can still be faulted for not actually driving the car on the road (road splash in rain can be hard on rocker panels), but about as good as it gets. He has ongoing tests of trim products, ceramic coatings, ceramic sprays, graphen sprays, paint protection films, etc...

https://www.youtube.com/@ScottHD/videos

Same. I got tired of Frying Pan after he started pushing products. To me, there is no value in watching a channel like this that reviews a product but won't be fully transparent on how bad or good it is since it's sponsored. I could just watch videos direct from the vendor if I want to see someone hype the shit out of a detailing product.

[chuckles1313]

Originally Posted by Edgar_FriendlyX3M

Same. I got tired of Frying Pan after he started pushing products. To me, there is no value in watching a channel like this that reviews a product but won't be fully transparent on how bad or good it is since it's sponsored. I could just watch videos direct from the vendor if I want to see someone hype the shit out of a detailing product.

In my opinion, the biggest value is learning what category of products exist, why you would use them, when to use them, and the technique when using them. Swapping products around is pretty easy once you have the mental model of what products are needed for what situations.

For example, let's say you're not a fan of his drying agent / lubricant. It's easy to find a replacement product you prefer. To me the real value of channel like Pan's is learning that drying agents / lubricants exist, when to use them, and why you should use one. I also think it's fairly easy to cross check any products he recommends with other sources (which I have done for all the products I use / recommended).

Just my 2 cents.

[chuckles1313]

I think a better way to say what I'm trying to say is I think process and technique is much more important than the specific products you use. Master the first and the second isn't as important IMO. Which specific products you will use will change and evolve and you learn your preferences and as products in the market change.

Knowing what products to even use, when, and how I think is the more important skill to gain here.

[chuckles1313]

With that said I think when you're new, just being told use products X, Y, and Z to get started is helpful (at least it was with me). I think this allows you to get started and you understand more after you have done some cycles with some products.

[Teletraan1]

Thanks for putting this together. Much appreciated!

[chuckles1313]

Updated original post but got a video of the hydrophobic properties of the ceramic coat in action the other day when it rained here. Reminds me of using Rain-x back in the day: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2nFVGW8y48Q

[chuckles1313]

I will do want to say the ceramic coating has been better than I expected to be honest. Makes routine washes WAY easier (especially drying phase) and even when the car needs to be washed it still glows and pop more than a car with no coating.

[jsf721]

Agree pan pushes what’s he’s paid to push and having tried many products in the detailing space I can tell you he’s about making money for him over helping you find the best products. I also find him annoying to listen to. Could be me in a bit impatient.

Originally Posted by 430Scud

While his techniques are good, I would be wary of Pan the Organizers product endorsements. He is a PAID endorser, which will greatly influence his objectivity.

I enjoy ScottH, on youtube as he does not use paid endorsements. All his products are donated by viewers or he pays for them through donations. He does a lot of long term tests of products going on for over 1 year for durability. His tests can still be faulted for not actually driving the car on the road (road splash in rain can be hard on rocker panels), but about as good as it gets. He has ongoing tests of trim products, ceramic coatings, ceramic sprays, graphen sprays, paint protection films, etc...

https://www.youtube.com/@ScottHD/videos

[742002tii]

I haven't read the entire post yet, so upfront apologies, but shouldn't we paint correct before applying a ceramic coating? I'll read the rest and again apologies if wasting your time if it is already addressed but wanted to get this question in.

[742002tii]

Originally Posted by jsf721

Agree pan pushes what’s he’s paid to push and having tried many products in the detailing space I can tell you he’s about making money for him over helping you find the best products. I also find him annoying to listen to. Could be me in a bit impatient.

I don't find him annoying to listen to with the exception of when he introduces himself as, "Paaaaaannnnnn, the organizer". That's something there.

Also, he did a vid addressing his sponsorship and how it affects his reviews. Not saying one way or the other on the ethical issue, but I am glad he has so many vids on so many topics. Even if promoted, sometimes you need a starting point from a confident-sounding professional. Even if from a salesperson. He's good to have as a resource, but it is correct that he gets paid.

[chuckles1313]

Originally Posted by Weeee!

I haven't read the entire post yet, so upfront apologies, but shouldn't we paint correct before applying a ceramic coating? I'll read the rest and again apologies if wasting your time if it is already addressed but wanted to get this question in.

Yes it is mentioned but not talked about in detail. But you should do any paint corrections before ceramic coating.

[jsf721]

He only came clean after he got busted and flamed

He’s a well know reviewer for hire. I’d rather not waste a
Second watching anything he’s spewing.

If he works for you go for it.

.

Originally Posted by Weeee!

I don't find him annoying to listen to with the exception of when he introduces himself as, "Paaaaaannnnnn, the organizer". That's something there.

Also, he did a vid addressing his sponsorship and how it affects his reviews. Not saying one way or the other on the ethical issue, but I am glad he has so many vids on so many topics. Even if promoted, sometimes you need a starting point from a confident-sounding professional. Even if from a salesperson. He's good to have as a resource, but it is correct that he gets paid.