I happen to be fond of Meguiars car care products. What I like is the consistency of quality across their line and especially the fact that they have knowledgeable technical support that is an easy phone call away.

Washing:

I like a clean car but wash it infrequently. I get away from a full washing by using a quick detailer product to remove light grime before it gets so thick I need to get out the hose. You can buy a quick detailer at just about any store with an auto care department. Until recently I bought my quick detailer from Target, but now get it by the gallon to save money and for convenience. When the car is dirty enough to merit an actual soap and water wash, I use a standard car wash that you mix in a bucket with water. I have yet to find any particular car wash product that works better than another, so I will buy whatever I find in the store. Usually, all things being equal, this will be a Meguiars car-wash product. I love the synthetic quick detailer #135 from Meguiar’s. The #135 is a companion product to the #21 glaze or NXT 2.0 wax and is the equivalent to the Meguiar’s Ultimate Quick Detailer

Waxing:

I have found that if you keep your car clean, you seldom need to wax. True car lover’s might disagree with this, but while I love a clean car, I am not eager to wax more often than I have to. Before I wax , I will clay the car. If the paint is clean the clay job will go quick. Using a clay bar removes paint contaminants and smooths the surface. If you wash, then run your hand over the paint and it is smooth, there is no reason to clay. If your hand drags on the paint or the paint is dirty… clay! I don’t clay too often and have used 3 or 4 different types of clay. I have not developed a preference for a particular clay and can’t recommend one over the other. One reminder about clay bars, if you drop or otherwise dirty them, throw them away.
I recently bought a Porter Cable orbital polisher model 7424. I have wanted to get one of these for a long time, but honestly was afraid I would ruin the paint. I was wrong about worrying and had great results the first time I used it. Of course your experience may vary, but I used light pressure, a good wax ( glaze ) and a new 6 inch soft buff foam pad and waxed my car in record time with the best results I have ever gotten. The wax I used was Meguiars #21. It is listed as a glaze, but I was told by the people at Meguiars that it is the equivalent to their Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0
The M #21 is apparently different only in that it is formulated to be applied with a powered polisher like the Porter Cable 7424.

Interior:

No great tips or ideas here except for this one. I use microfiber cloths to wash and dry the car’s exterior and have found out accidentally that if you use a slightly damp microfiber towel and run it over the carpet, it picks up a lot of the lint and light dirt off the carpet. Seems that the dirt likes to stick to the microfiber better than the carpet. I wouldn’t bother doing this with sand, but have had great success in my car. As an added bonus, the cloth in the hand is easier to maneuver around the irregular surfaces of a car floor than the head of my vacuum!

Wheels:

I have tried just about every wheel cleaner at one time or another and my current favorite is Simple Green. I dilute about 1:1 with water and spray it on cool wheels and let it sit for about a minute. I then hose off then use a damp rag to get off the persistent brake dust. Don’t let the cleaner dry on the wheel!

I like to buy locally and have found a favorite location for car detailing goodies: Detailing.Com I like buying there because while they have an internet “storefront,” they also have a physical location and I can browse or and buy from a place near my home. The people there are nice and friendly and they feature Meguiars products as well as other lines.

The products I list above are one’s that I use. I link to Amazon because of the reviews and information at Amazon, but would encourage you to checkout Detailing.Com.