Start with a consistent order
Detailing gets easier when every session follows the same sequence. Work top to bottom, clean before you protect, and finish with the details that catch the eye first: glass, trim, and wheels.
A basic order that works for most vehicles: rinse, wash, decontaminate where needed, dry, protect the paint, then dress tires and polish any bare metal.
Wash in the shade
Direct sun dries soap and water before you can rinse them away, which leaves spots and streaks. A shaded spot, a cool panel, and early morning or evening timing all make the job cleaner.
Use two buckets where you can — one for your soap solution, one to rinse the mitt — so grit from the lower panels does not travel back onto the paint.
Decontaminate only when the paint asks for it
Run the back of your hand over clean, dry paint. If it feels gritty rather than smooth, bonded contaminants are still sitting on the surface and a dedicated decontamination step is worth the time.
Iron removers and similar products should be used exactly as their labels direct, on a cool surface, and rinsed thoroughly before moving on.
Protect last
Protection goes on clean, dry paint. Applying it over dust or residue traps whatever is underneath and shortens how long the finish looks its best.
Work one panel at a time so you can see what you have covered, and follow the directions on the product you are using for cure and buff times.