# Ripsnorts Generic Detailing Schedule



## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

I decided to post my "schedule" for one year on my automobile finish. This schedule was decided on after speaking to a Griots rep, a professional car detailer, and gather opinions from many at Autopia. I basically went with the most consistent information.

Note: No products are mentioned (Except P21S Paint cleaner since its a magical potion that brings out the luster) below since its my opinion that its not necessarily the product, but the surface preparation, product application and removal that makes or breaks a good product.

*Twice a year*
_See washing method at bottom that I prefer to use._
~Wash with Dawn to strip old wax, rinse.
~Wash with quality car shampoo, rinse.
~Claybar using detail spray for lubricant (leftover rinse water acts as lube too)
~Rinse and dry
~Using Porter Cable (PC) I apply Griots Machine Polish (#1,2 or 3, whatever the finish calls for) in 2 ft. by 2 ft. section at a time.
~Remove polish after completing each section by hand with Microfiber towels.
~(Optional to polish if swirls are light) Using PC, apply P21S Paint Cleaner. Same method as polish.
~Remove P21S Paint Cleaner after completing each section by hand with microfiber towels.
~Using PC, apply quality wax, same method as polish.
~Remove wax after completing each section by hand with microfiber towels.
(I never use the polish Microfiber towels for removing the wax)
~Use a finish detail spray with 100% cotton towels.

Total time: 4-6 hours, depending on 'interuptions' from my kids!

*Every 3 months*
~Wash with Dawn to strip old wax, rinse.
~Wash with quality car shampoo, rinse.
~Rinse and dry
~Using Porter Cable (PC) I apply P21S paint cleaner on a 2 ft. by 2 ft. section at a time.
~Remove P21S paint cleaner after completing each section by hand.
~Using PC, apply quality wax, same method as polish.
~Remove wax after completing each section by hand .
~Use a finish detail spray with 100% cotton towels.

Total time: 2-3 hours.

*Once a week*
~Rinse the car to begin with. 
~Using a Chenille wash mitt, one linear motion, then flip the mitt, back across the same area, rinse in 2nd bucket, then back into the soapy bucket, repeat. I rinse off each section when finished. I use 3 Chenille mitts, 1 for the upper surfaces, 1 for the rockers and bumpers, and 1 for the wheels. Rotation new to old about every 6-8 weeks. 
~Use the straight hose to rinse entire car, which sheds 80% of the water if the car is waxed. 
~Use a california water blade on the flat surfaces, and synthetic chamois to clean up areas the the CWB doesn't get. 
~Griot speed shine (or any good detail finish spray) to complete the job.

Total time: 45 min.(Edit: Actually, with wheels included, actual time turns out to be 1 hour.

Works for me!


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## alee (Dec 19, 2001)

Oh the dedication you have! You make even me look like a slacker!  :thumb:

When you use the PC for polishing, are there specific places that you would recommend switching to a hand polish (ie. mirrors, trunk area around the Roundel, etc.)?

-Al


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

Yeah Alee, I use fine hand polish for mirrors, the back end where the badges, trunk lock is, the bumpers, the top of the car where the accessory tracking is.. ..just about anywhere that the pad won't fully apply to, otherwise you end up with polish spewed all over if that pad releases contact from the surface for a second. Or you end up with polish in cracks where its very hard to remove. Basically, the PC is used on the trunk top, the hood, the top of the car (not the accessory tracking) the quarter and front panels, the doors, the rockers, everything else is done by hand.


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## Mike 325xi (Dec 19, 2001)

U-N-C-L-E!!!!!!!!!!!!

We all give up!! You win...you even beat alee for cleanliness and effort although I still think his OCD is worse than yours!!

:thumb:


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

Actually, its not that hard. I've seen WORSE on Autopia!

Its just a Polish, Paint cleaning,Wax job twice a year. The rest of the schedule is simply maintainence.


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## ff (Dec 19, 2001)

Wow, you make me look like a lazy, good-for-nothing slob, that doesn't even deserve to own a car!  

Here's my schedule:

Once a week:
-Leave the car outside in the rain to wash off some of the dead bugs and road kill flesh
-Drive the car through a large puddle at high speed to wash the undercarriage
-(In winter) drive through lareg snow drifts to scrape the salt off of the side body panels
-(In winter) Drive right behind a semi on the highway, hoping that it will kick up enough tainted road slime to wet the windshied and break up the caked-on salt


OK, so I'm not that bad, but in comparision to your great efforts...


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## Mike 325xi (Dec 19, 2001)

Ripsnort said:


> *Actually, its not that hard. I've seen WORSE on Autopia!
> 
> Its just a Polish, Paint cleaning,Wax job twice a year. The rest of the schedule is simply maintainence. *


Keep telling yourself that...and up the Prozac dosage! :thumb:


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

I hate to say it but my schedule is worse than Rips. My "twice a year" takes a full weekend (14 hours last time)

My weekly is a full wash not just a rinse and shine. 

in the summer I also go over the car daily with a car duster.

THEN...there's the interior clean......


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

Ya, this is just a schedule for the exterior, doesn't include inside the hood, the engine, inside the trunk, or the interior.

Doug, get a PC, cuts down on that time!

Mines a full wash too once a week. Read the bottom weekly maintenance


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

*My schedule*

*Exterior cleaning schedule.*

*Daily: (summer/dry days)*
1)Wipe down with car duster

*Weekly:*

1)Pressure wash vehicle to remove large dirt.
2)Wash car with Griots car wash and Sheepskin mitt.
3)Dry with natural Chamois
4)Clean oil/tar/grease with goof off (as necessary)
5)Wipe car down with Griots speed shine.
6)Griots wheel cleaner for wheels
7)Speed shine applied to wheels.

*Engine is cleaned at this time, Griots engine cleaner and vinyl and rubber dressing.

*Quarterly:*

8)Pressure wash vehicle to remove large dirt.
9)Wash car with Griots car wash and Sheepskin mitt.
10)Dry with natural Chamois
11)Clean oil/tar/grease with goof off (as necessary)
12)Wipe car down with Griots speed shine.
13)Clay bar vehicle
14)Polish applied/removed
15)Wax applied/removed
16)Griots wheel cleaner for wheels
17)Wax applied to wheels.

*Engine is cleaned at this time too.

Twice a year wheels are removed, hand washed, polished and waxed.


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

I spritz on the Griots wheel cleaner when I begin to do the bumpers, that way it has time to work thru the dirt (bottle recommends at least 1 min to set), then the last thing I do it wash the wheels. I wax the wheels on my bi-annual schedule, so I don't bother to speed shine them.


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## Chipster (Dec 23, 2001)

Jeez, if I was in Seattle I'd have you guys over so we could all do our cars!

I guess the next best thing is using Griots! :thumb:


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## johnlew (Dec 25, 2001)

Rip,

If the paint is nice and smooth, no bumps or roughness what is the reason for the POLISH step. Wouldn't p21s cleaner take care of what's needed? My car is in a garage day and nite, I really never feel anything on the surface after a wash.

Thanks


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

The Polish step is to remove swirl marks, if you can't detect any swirls in florescent or sunlite, then I'd skip this step, but with Jet Black, your going to see swirls regardless, you can reduce the visible swirls with a polish step, but again, I personally wouldn't do this more than once or twice a year, since indeed you are removing a micro-thin layer of clear coat.


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

Chipster said:


> *Jeez, if I was in Seattle I'd have you guys over so we could all do our cars!
> 
> I guess the next best thing is using Griots! :thumb: *


I keep trying to get Doug over to detail with me, but our schedule conflict. If you ever do get up here, your welcome to stop in and clean your car!


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## Chipster (Dec 23, 2001)

Ripsnort said:


> *
> 
> I keep trying to get Doug over to detail with me, but our schedule conflict. If you ever do get up here, your welcome to stop in and clean your car!  *


Unfortunatly when I get up there it's on one of the products your company builds!

I think Doug was trying to set up a detailing session at Griot's...I may have to find "business" in Seattle that weekend, and in an effort to save the company money I should take advantage of the Saturday night stay over! :thumb:


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

April 6th!!!


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

"April Showers brings May flowers"....hope the weather holds out Haus!


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## blackdawg (Jan 4, 2002)

*RIP: try any different polishes?*

have you experimented at all with different polishes?

i've just used the machine polish #3, but am curious about imperial hand glaze.

just thought i'd see.

also: didn't know you could use p21s paint cleanser with the PC!

cool.


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

Ripsnort said:


> *"April Showers brings May flowers"....hope the weather holds out Haus! *


It's all indoors buddy!


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

*Re: RIP: try any different polishes?*



blackdawg said:


> *have you experimented at all with different polishes?
> 
> i've just used the machine polish #3, but am curious about imperial hand glaze.
> 
> ...


BD: I applied the P21S Paint cleaner by hand for fear of not knowing about it, I haven't tried the PC yet, but I'm going to, should be no problem, same consistency and drying time as wax.

I've tried the Fine hand polish (I use it where I cannot get the PC) and Mchine polish 3. Machine polish 2 and 1 are for more oxidized or severely swirled finishes so I don't need them with a new finish. Other than Griots, never used other polishes.


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## blackdawg (Jan 4, 2002)

*thanks, Rip.*

have a swirlmark emergency.

we had a huge nail in the 325xiT on a sunday. slow leak, and i was wavering on whether or not to wait until monday to take it to the dealer to patch the tire or to go to a local tire shop with a hunter machine.

summary: well, the wheels didn't get scratched up at all unmounting/remounting the tire, but someone either in the garage or a vicious mo-fo when the car was parked put something box-like and metallic on the hood, it slipped off and left nasty, nasty scratches on the hood.

i've managed to get most of the scratches out by polishing, but i'm desperate to see what my other options are before i get a quote to redo the damn hood. mind you, this orient blue metallic car has only 980 miles on it. can you imagine? a new paint job on the hood already?

what a joke. first the swirls left by the dealer "prep" fool and now some random stuff. bmw paint is pretty darn soft.

cheers,
coky


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

Jeez BD, that would devastate me! Sorry to hear that...if the scratches are deep enough, I doubt they make anything that will take them out, besides, these types of products are temporary anyway, the only way to get those kind of deep scratches out is a random orbital or maybe doing it by hand with fine hand polish, or possibly something with alittle more 'grit' to it.


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## BayDetailz (Jan 7, 2002)

Hey Rip,

You should come and work for me buddy. Glad that you know the stuff :thumb:


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

BayDetailz said:


> *Hey Rip,
> 
> You should come and work for me buddy. Glad that you know the stuff :thumb: *


Thanks Bays! I take that as a compliment coming from a guy like yourself that does it for a living! I'd prefer to keep it as a hobby though! 
:thumb:


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## BayDetailz (Jan 7, 2002)

Rip,

I work as a Network Admin for a company that is two blocks from my shop. Detailing is my hobby also, but turned it into a business. Couldn't stand others just not caring about your cars. I had my car scratched few times because they didn't know how to use a buffer. At my shop, I make sure when I hire someone, they know how to do it, if not, I make sure they are trained for months before they get to touch a high end car. So far, everything is going to the plan and happy with the turn out. But rip after reading your schedule. You have it down buddy. Best of Luck.

BayDetailz


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## Guest84 (Dec 21, 2001)

hey, thats cool Bays! Best of luck to you in your business venture! Someday, you'll just drop your Network job and have a crew do the work for you at your detail shop, hopefully!
:thumb:


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## BayDetailz (Jan 7, 2002)

Hey Rip, 

I already have a crew, we do mobile service also. Got about 20 bodies and always looking .


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## in_d_haus (Jan 2, 2002)

*Re: thanks, Rip.*



blackdawg said:


> *have a swirlmark emergency.
> 
> ...someone either in the garage or a vicious mo-fo when the car was parked put something box-like and metallic on the hood, it slipped off and left nasty, nasty scratches on the hood.
> 
> ...


Rule is if you can feel them with your fingernail...you're screwed. 
You may be able to fill them with wax, that's about all...


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