Tire/wheel cleaner: Eagle One A-Z Wheel and Tire Cleaner/Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds
Shampoo: Meguiar's Gold Class
Cleaner: Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay Bar/Meguiar's Utlimate Polish
Wax: Meguiar's NXT 2.0/P21S Concours Carnauba
Miscellaneous: Wash mitt, microfiber towels (the yellow ones from Costco work fine), Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds, wheel brush, 303 Aerospace Protectant, Stoner's Invisible Glass, California Water Blade (silicone-based squeegee)
I start with the vehicle dry and cool to the touch. Then clean the tires/wheels first. The Eagle One Wheel and Tire cleaner is great because I can use one product to get both my tires and wheels clean. Unfortunately, it doesn't clean as easy as the bottle suggests. I typically have to use a wheel brush to really get the dust brake, oil and dirt off the wheels and tires. I found that using a spray bottle with a mixture of water and Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds will clean the tires and wheels just as well, if not better. But I have an entire case of the Eagle One stuff, so I'll use that up before I go back to the Sal Suds in a spray bottle.
Next, I use the two bucket method of washing the car. One shampoo bucket with Meguiar's Gold Class and one rinse bucket with plain water. Actually, I add a few drops of Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds to the rinse bucket to aid in getting dirt off the wash mitt. Until you've tried to two bucket method, you won't realize how much dirt is left on the wash mitt or sponge while you're washing your car.
I use a two towel method for drying. One towel to get the water off and the car mostly dry, then a final wipe with a dry towel. I've also used a California Water Blade with success, but it scares me every time it scrapes along my car.
If a wax is needed, I start by claying the car. I haven't seen a need to polish my CT yet, but if I do, I have a bottle of Meguiar's Ultimate Polish at the ready. It's easy to apply, but a pain to take off if you let it dry. I picked up a bottle of Meguiar's NXT 2.0, but found that it left a slightly greasy/oily look to the car. After letting the NXT cure, a wipe with a damp towel followed by a dry towel takes care of the oily look problem. I topped it all off with a layer of P21S. This process takes a bit of time, so I only do a few panels at a time after each wash. My first wash involved cleaning/waxing the hood and roof of my car. The next time I wash, I'll do the front bumper/front fenders. The next time I wash, I'll do the sides/back. The combination of NXT and P21S gives a really nice glassy finish! I'm sure adding a sealant/glaze to the mix would result in even deeper reflections, but I've yet to try this on any of my vehicles. I'll go about 3 to 6 months before I feel the need to wax again.
I'll apply 303 Aerospace Protectant to my tires and black plastic trim. This protects from UV-related fade and deterioration. It contains no silicone, so it won't dry out your plastic/rubber trim as is the case of many high-gloss products. 303 Aerospace Protectant leaves a very slight shine. If you like a deeper shine, this isn't the product for you, although a second application does leave a higher shine. The shine doesn't last very long on tires though.
I use Stoner's Invisible Glass to clean the windows if they appear grimy after washing with the regular car shampoo.
I then wash all my towels and equipment using water and Sal Suds as my soap/detergent. Sal Suds is awesome because it's biodegradable, cleans very well and rinses clean. It works well enough that I can wash my towels by hand and get them really clean. It is a degreaser, so I wouldn't recommend using it as a regular car wash shampoo, for fear that it may strip wax off, unless you were going to polish/wax your car afterwards.
Sorry this post involves more than just a suggestion on shampoo and wax products. But to me, cleaning/protecting the other parts of the car are just as important when washing/waxing it. I often get asked whether my seven-year old car is brand new or not.
