[SIRLOIN]

Originally Posted by Gizmo

The first step is to keep a fresh coat of wax or sealant on the paint. After you've finished a wash, take the nozzle off the hose so that you have a light stream of water coming out. Let that run over the horizontal surfaces of the car and the water will remove itself in a sheeting action leaving mostly just water beads.

Use a nice, clean, soft microfiber waffle weave drying towel. Do not rub the paint dry. Drag the towel over the surface to remove the majority of the remaining water. Blot the rest dry. Never use pressure. That will add swirl marks in a heartbeat.

Also, use a separate towel for dirty areas such as fender wells, wheels, exhaust tips, rocker panels, etc. Relegate that towel for those duties.

When you wash your towels, use liquid detergent only, with no fabric softener.

Originally Posted by Gizmo

You do not need to wax every week. The real work is done in the polishing stage. Waxing is just done to protect your polishing and add a little protection from the elements. Most of your gloss comes from polishing. You need to make sure your professional detailer knows what they're doing. It's not hard to really mess up a paint job if you get in a hurry, use heavy cut compounds, and/or use rotary polishers.

Once your car has been clayed, polished, and sealed, the hard work is done. BUT, to keep your paint swirl free, you need to practice good wash techniques. Your method and tools that you use to wash can prolong a perfect paint job, and conversely, improper techniques or tools can ruin one in a hurry.

There are lots of resources available online. Check out www.autopia.org and www.autogeek.net and do an Internet search for the "two bucket wash method."

I'm not very familiar with carbon fiber parts, but I do know that they can be polished and waxed just like paint can (if those parts are clear coated). The carbon fiber's sensitivity to polishing may be different than clear coated paint, though.

Great posts with proper information...