[Unleash The Beast]

Just like the title says, I never really cleaned a car the right way. I need help on some basic products that I need to wash my car. I don't want to get into clay or waxes yet since my car is still fairly new and clean so I don't think I need that.

Just need to know what is the best type of soap, how to clean the windows, wheels, and interior.I do have a few jean stains on my grey leather seats and I wanted to know what I could use to remove those. I would prefer things that I can just buy locally from Pepboys or Autozone. And stuff that's not too expensive. Thanks.

[Envious Eric]

you will need wax, but you might not need polishing

get a quality shampoo, good towels, etc - dont skimp out due to $$, it will cost you in the end if you buy junk stuff

get a quality routine down

wax your car every couple of months. It will protect the paint, increase the shine, and help make washing easier!

[scrufy]

Read everything you can on washing and waxing your car now while it looks good - or... Your going to be posting soon on how to get rid of hairline scratches and swirl marks.

Took me forever to finally read it all up and buy the right stuff.
For me it was a Porter Cable Random, Menzerna 3 different steps of cut and a decent assortment of foam pads, wax, 2 buckets for washing, micro fiber towels for drying, and a lot of people use a thing called a foam cannon. I just use a pesticide sprayer that hooks up to the hose and shoots mega foam when filled with car wash. Does the same thing cheaper.
I know that isn't your question as you sad specifically you don't want to deal with waxes etc.. but you need to know now, before you need it, how to wash your car.
So... get a car wash that doesn't have wax additive. Spray it down with water first. Then spray with wash foamed up as much as you can.
Let sit 5 minutes.
Rinse off.
If it's waxed good enough you don't need to do anything else as the dirt just slid off. If not, then carefully wash going in up/down motions.. never in circular pattern.
Dry the same way. In back and forth as lightly as possible, never in circular patterns. Change the towel often.
Oh, and do this in shade.

I'm sure the pros here can give better advise and correct me but I just wanted to throw out the basics in case no one else answers.
Oh and Wax as soon as you see the water sheet even a little. Could be even as soon as two weeks but if it stops beading, then wax it.

[Royal Flush]

Read this guide to familiarize yourself with the routines, Detailed Image - Auto Detailing Guide

As Eric said, don't skimp out on products, because you'll spend more money in the end fixing problems that stemmed from low-quality purchases.

I suggest you visit Detailed Image or Detailers Domain for high-quality products.

Since it seems you're only concerned with just the basic wash and maintenance, it shouldn't cost too much. Money becomes a huge factor when you go through all the steps of detailing.

[dday]

RoyalFlush is pretty spot on.

I don't understand the desire to buy stuff from autozone/pep boys. I think there's a misconception that buying stuff online costs way more but that's not the case.

If you go through the different guides on detailed image you'll learn a lot.

As a cliff notes version here's some of the "musts" you should pick up:

2 buckets with grit guards ($30-$40)
Good Car Wash ($10-$15)
Wash Mitt ($15-$30)
Drying Towel ($20)
Sealant ($20)(Sealant last longer than wax and is easier to work with generally which fits your purpose well) you really need/want something to protect your paint so it stays looking new
A quick detail spray to use in between waxing ($15)
A few nice microfiber towels for buffing ($15)
Leather Cleaner $15-20
Leather Conditioner $15-20
A few all Purpose MF for interior $15
Interior cleaner protectant $10

Total cost for those basics you're looking at $150-180 which given the cost of a BMW is really low, plus this stuff is going to last you a long time. I kept this list pretty bare bones, no wheel or tire products, no clay, no polish etc. This is what someone who just want to keep the car clean should pick up.

[335xi_zer0]

All of the above posts are on the dot. If you went ahead and shelled out enough money to buy a BMW, why not spend that much more on quality car care products?

I'm not saying the more expensive the better, but most of that OTC stuff won't even brush on the quality of the stuff you can get online from those websites.

Also, why not clay? If you've driven your car even 6 months, clay will do it good. I like to clay my car twice a year, between spring/summer and fall/winter. Maybe summer too if I've been driving a lot.

That being said, if you still want OTC products I would suggest the following:

2 5-gallon buckets (you can get these anywhere, super cheap)
grit guards if you can find them as dday said

Meguiar's Gold Class Wash ~$9 (Chemical Guys if you shop online)
A nice wash mitt, sheepskin or MF ~$7
Drying Towel NOT A CHAMOIS, waffle weave if you can find it OTC (DetailedImage has a special right now where you will get this free with purchases)

Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax 2.0 ~$20 easy on easy off great slickness and shine (TONS of different waxes online, read reviews and choose wisely)
If you don't have a polisher (PC), get some FOAM applicator pads, as the terry ones and MF ones will absorb too much product. (PC is $115)

Wheel Wax/Sealant. We get a lot of brake dust, this will help you with cleaning it.
Simple Green spray cleaner. good all-purpose cleaner for wheels and generally anything (NOT THE CAR). (Sonax if you're getting online)

Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Detailer ~$10 as dday said, great cleaning product for inbetween washes/waxes (Poorboy's or Chemical Guys online)

ArmorAll sucks, but find an interior cleaner and protectant, I know Meguiar's makes one but I haven't used it (Aerospace 303 if you look online)
Leather/Upholstery cleaner/conditioner
Exterior Trim protectant

TONS OF MICROFIBER TOWELS. You can never have enough, just make sure they are quality. And keep them sealed. Don't forget to rip the tags off them if they have them on. Every time DetailedImage puts on a MF sale, I spend quite a bit of money on the various products.

Tide Free detergent for the MF Towels if you aren't going to buy a MF Wash. IMO, the CG MF Wash is cheap ($8), lasts a while, and does a great shop with MF towels.

Good luck with everything. If you get more into detailing I would strongly advise the online products. There's just more variety and quality (ie Dodo Supernatural Wax at $250).

[Unleash The Beast]

Thanks for all the info guys, I really appreciate it.

The only reason I don't want to clay or wax yet is because my car is still fairly clean. I know I will have to soon though so thanks for the info on that already, it will help me in the future.

I just wanted to buy stuff from a local store because I planed toto wash the car on the last weekend so I didn't want to wait for shipping. But, that didn't happen so I guess I can order stuff online now and just wait to wash until they arrive.

Again, thanks for the help.

[Royal Flush]

Originally Posted by Unleash The Beast

Thanks for all the info guys, I really appreciate it.

The only reason I don't want to clay or wax yet is because my car is still fairly clean. I know I will have to soon though so thanks for the info on that already, it will help me in the future.

I just wanted to buy stuff from a local store because I planed toto wash the car on the last weekend so I didn't want to wait for shipping. But, that didn't happen so I guess I can order stuff online now and just wait to wash until they arrive.

Again, thanks for the help.

Did you do the plastic hand-bag test do see how "clean" your car is? That's an easy way of knowing if you need to clay it. If it doesn't need claying, and it's fairly clean, that's actually a good reason to go ahead and apply wax or sealant on it after a proper wipe down or quick wash.

Don't fall into the local-store-is-just-as-good allure, you'll probably be paying for it down the road. There are some things that you can get at the local store though that you don't really need to order online, but that's maybe only a handful of products.

[dday]

Originally Posted by Unleash The Beast

Thanks for all the info guys, I really appreciate it.

The only reason I don't want to clay or wax yet is because my car is still fairly clean. I know I will have to soon though so thanks for the info on that already, it will help me in the future.

I just wanted to buy stuff from a local store because I planed toto wash the car on the last weekend so I didn't want to wait for shipping. But, that didn't happen so I guess I can order stuff online now and just wait to wash until they arrive.

Again, thanks for the help.

You're not getting it. You want to wax your car when it's clean. It will protect your paint so that it stays clean longer. The whole point is to wax the car now to help keep your paint in the condition it's in. I don't know how to make this any clearer.

[Envious Eric]

Originally Posted by dday

You're not getting it. You want to wax your car when it's clean. It will protect your paint so that it stays clean longer. The whole point is to wax the car now to help keep your paint in the condition it's in. I don't know how to make this any clearer.

exactly...you dont wax it because its dirty. Its a preventative thing, not a fix thing!