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The Detailing Plan
one car, one hood at a time — the wash-day runbook.
Already owned
- Mother's Ceramic Wash & Wax (50 oz)
- Griot's Foaming Sprayer + garden hose
- Gentle pressure washer (rinse + future foam cannon)
- ProElite twisted loop drying towel
- Assorted microfiber (demote to wheels/interior)
- Chemical Guys Black Light glaze (shelf, special occasions)
- Wheel/tire degreaser
AutoZone — 7400 Glenwood (~$95)
| Item | Part | Price |
|---|---|---|
| ProElite microfiber mitt | — | ~$10 |
| Grit guard ×2 | — | ~$20 |
| Mothers California Gold clay bar kit | — | ~$20 |
| Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray (16 oz) | — | ~$20 |
| ProElite Microfiber Cloths 6-pk | 887500 | $10.99 |
| ProElite Microfiber Applicator Pads 2-pk | 918100 | $4.99 |
| ProElite Contoured Tire Applicators 2-pk | 900100 | $2.99 |
| Mothers Back-to-Black Satin Tire Dressing | 06816 | ~$10 |
| Soft detail brush set (door handles, emblems, badges) | — | ~$8 |
If the grit guards are out of stock at Glenwood, use “check nearby stores” — or just grab the Chemical Guys Cyclone ($10.99) or skip and see below.
Lowe's or Home Depot (~$10)
- Round 5-gallon bucket ×2 (~$3–5 each)
(Your square bucket becomes the wheel/tire bucket. If you buy buckets with lids, they stack for storage.)
Around the house
- Rubber/nitrile gloves (ceramic spray day)
- Plastic sandwich baggie (clay baggie test)
- Old toothbrush or the new detail brush for the handle cavities + a spray bottle of diluted Simple Green (10:1) for the drip marks
Total tonight: ~$105
Later — optional upgrades, in priority order
- Griot's Brilliant Finish Foam Cannon (~$70) — mounts on your pressure washer, real shaving-cream foam. Biggest wash-day upgrade.
- EGO 615 CFM blower kit ($179) or Greenworks matching your mower battery — touchless drying.
- Carnauba paste wax (Mothers Brazilian Yellow, ~$20) — if you ever do the Black Light special-occasion stack.
The schedule
- Tonight: hood beta test — foam → mitt → clay → ceramic → water test
- Tomorrow (if it passes): full car, same five steps
- After the final rinse: clean the handle cavities (brush + APC, wipe, re-lube pivots with white lithium), then matte tire dressing with the contoured applicator
- Ongoing: wash with the Mother's ceramic soap whenever dirty; reapply CMX every 3–6 months; clay again in ~6 months
You're equipped. Go get the hood done.