SgtLip

If you get into excessive bugs, not that it would happen around the horse farms on 301 just before Ocala, don't use the gas station cleaners.  You should pull out your Adam's Glass cleaner from your travel kit and do the windshield properly.  I have also found that by using Glass Boost about every two weeks, that I don't need to release the windshield for 2-3 months according to how much it has rained and whether or not the vehicle is kept under cover.

Love the Don't Do's posted. I just hope I can remember them all when the time comes. 
 
One thing I've learned after reading this complete thread is I've finally found a positive to being colorblind. I definitely read the labels and don't go by color.
Not too sure about the smell thing though. I personally don't like putting so many different smells in one single location. 

The only thing I can add is understand the Terms and Conditions when ordering supplies online. I wasn't aware the discount didn't apply to Mystery Boxes. Boy was that an added cost I had to explain to the wife. Not only the Mystery Boxes (2) but why the discount doesn't apply.
 
Thanks for sharing all the corporate knowledge

heres a good resource 

Love the Don't Do's posted. I just hope I can remember them all when the time comes. 
 
One thing I've learned after reading this complete thread is I've finally found a positive to being colorblind. I definitely read the labels and don't go by color.
Not too sure about the smell thing though. I personally don't like putting so many different smells in one single location. 

The only thing I can add is understand the Terms and Conditions when ordering supplies online. I wasn't aware the discount didn't apply to Mystery Boxes. Boy was that an added cost I had to explain to the wife. Not only the Mystery Boxes (2) but why the discount doesn't apply.
 
Thanks for sharing all the corporate knowledge

Admit it. Despite how easy Adam's makes it, whether you've been detailing for days or years, we've all made a mistake or two along the way. It comes with the territory. So I figured, while many threads on here contain solid advice of "How To's" and "To Do's," I thought it'd be fun to have a thread dedicated to our "Don't Do's." A catalog of lessons learned, if you will. Those things we did that we still scratch our heads over. Those little golden nuggets you want to share a laugh with over a "virtual" beverage of choice with fellow detailers.
 
Now, this sort of thread is liable to stall after my post, or go on for a while, so I'll start and we'll see what happens.......
 
 
I love my Sidekick, as I proclaimed here and other threads across the forum. Awesome tool, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. When I first got it, though, I was a little apprehensive about its performance. Sure, the air was blowing like crazy, as advertised, but I had to get pretty close to the car for it to be effective. I was also very deliberate, even careful, while doing so. Still, I wasn't getting good results, and I even nicked one of my rims. That is, until I came across and actually "studied" the picture of it on the Adam's site...

 
Pretty straightforward tool, right? The Sidekick itself, all 1.3hp of warm, filtered air. The long 12' extension cord. The comfort grip handle. The Adam's logo. The 2 nozzles...wait, what? See those black things? The rubberized cone and fan shaped nozzles, meant to focus the air stream and protect your car? Yeah, I forgot to install them. For...let's just say, a while...I was using the Sidekick with a small, sharp metal nub as my blower. There's a reason they're in the box.
 
Don't forget the nozzle!

Best thing I ever saw was the guy who used rain gutter to make a shelf. Genius.  
Like this:

I havent tried, but my tried and true AMAAZING WS solution is clay,  glass cleaner, glass sealant, glass cleaner, and glass boost. 
no wipers 50+ MPH (with caution). 
incredible!
 
=V=

Recently while helping a client select a polisher for their needs, it got me thinking that it's not an uncommon question of "what size polisher do I need or want?" I figured since I have some time today, I'd try to write a little bit about the different polishers and their pros and cons since we are fortunate enough to have some experience with various sizes.  We've worked through what we thought versus what it really is...sometimes these were the same.  Other times...we were way off the mark.  So without more intro and babbling, let's get into it.  Hopefully the folks at Adam's and the admins don't mind a post like this...If you do, feel free to take it down!
 
There's quite a few options out there for polishers.  Rotary, dual action (DA), 12mm, 15mm, 21mm, micro...the list goes on and on.  As you're considering making the leap into polishing it can be a bit overwhelming.  Everyone who's picked up a polisher for the first time has had multiple thoughts of "can I do this?" or "am I going to ruin my paint?" The good news is that the DA polishers are safer for paint than the rotary polishers.  Rotary polishers have unparalleled power, but getting them to finish without noticeable trails is difficult or next to impossible without vast experience.  Add in the sizes, and you can't help but question if you're giving yourself a recipe for disaster.
 
We use Rupes polishers in our business with the exception of a single Cyclo we have set up as a powered carpet brush.  Actually, Cyclo is now part of Rupes, so you could say we are Rupes exclusive seemingly.  The Adam's Polishers are great and VERY similar to the Rupes.  For most users, they're a great way to save a few dollars or to even get a second polisher to really round out your abilities.  Let's take our polishers (sizes) in the order we use them from most to least...
 
So which polisher do we actually use the most?  Our absolute "go-to" polisher when we start a project.  It's actually not out biggest and most powerful polisher.  Both of us will grab the Rupes 15mkII as our initial tool.  The 15mm throw has the absolute best blend of correcting power and maneuverability.  The 5.5" pads cover good surface area while not having such a large rigid spot due to the backing plate that we can still work curves and edges with them.  The 15 is generally more then enough polisher in terms of power and is very versatile with the types of pads and polishes/compounds.  Use a compound on a wool pad and you have some serious cutting horsepower at your fingertips.  We constantly play with pad/polish/speed combos based on our goals and what's going to work in terms of time/effort/budget for our clients.  If we could have only one single polisher, without a doubt we would pick the 15 every single time.  It really is that good.  We aren't going to get into speed recommendations as it's largely variable based on the polish/compound/pad/polisher.  The variables are endless and an entirely different conversation.
 
Does the next polisher we grab go up or down in size?  Surprisingly, it goes down.  We grab our Rupes Mini with a 4" pad.  This little guy has considerable power for a little machine.  You can work the polisher with one hand if you need to, and the small size makes it the great bumper getter.  Swirly A-post?  No problem.  The mini will tackle it with it's correcting power without having a pad that's significantly oversize for the work area.  Mirrors are another great spot for the mini, and even inside door sills for those who need to get everything perfect!  The smaller machine is more maneuverable and has far better than pushing a bigger polisher with a longer throw and a larger backing plate around where it can find body parts to bang off of potentially causing damage to the vehicle.
 
We have a Rupes Nano in our selection, which brings us to number three.  We LOVE our nano since it can be configured a million ways.  Soft boars hair brush as a rotary to clean embroidery?  Got ya covered.  Small DA to a quick spot correction?  Say no more.  It supports a 1-2" pad.  When configured on the 3mm throw with a 1" pad, it's VERY easy to stall the action of the polisher.  It's almost not powerful enough to correct in that situation.  We do use it for light spot corrections on a scratch removal or similar though with the longer throw and it has adequate power.  It won't correct like a full size machine, but we've managed to take out wet sanding marks with ours.  Which is another useful component, We will configure it with the 3mm throw and have little 2000/3000 grit sanding disks that stick to a backing plate and we will use to spot wet sand.  The DA pattern makes the marks easy to remove, but it's easy to take significant clear coat off.  I wouldn't suggest this without a paint thickness gauge.  Actually, I'd be hesitant to take sandpaper to any vehicle without it.  The Rupes Nano also has a stiff bristle brush for the quick stubborn spot you're trying to scrub.  Couple the brush with some cleaners and/or steam, and you'll be surprised at what you can pull out.
 
So how does our Rupes 21mkII end up at the bottom of the list?  Well, it's powerful which is great.  But it's large.  So large it doesn't work curves that well.  It's fantastic for larger doors without body lines, hoods, roofs.  But bumpers?  Might as well put it down and swap your equipment out.  It has it's place for correcting large flatter surfaces quickly...but after using it, it's not an ideal polisher by itself.  The 21mm throw with a 6.5" pad means you're generating some real power in the correcting area of the polisher.  It also means you have a huge backing plate to bump off of body panels and lines and the way it rolls over edges isn't ideal.  It's a great tool, but we'd consider this an additional tool rather than primary.  We will commonly use it when we are correcting together.  One of us on the 21 doing the big flat areas, the other on the 15/Mini hitting the details.  It has a place though.
 
So the last polisher...the Cyclo.  The Cyclo was actually where I got my start right here through Adam's.  I still have that polisher and it's since been converted to a powered carpet brush for floor mats and such.  It works great as a correcting tool.  You can change the orientation to change the covered surface area and make it versatile.  Unfortunately, the body of the tool is still large and you have two pads to maintain and keep up with.  It's a great tool, but in favor of some other offerings available now...it's become used less and less as a correcting tool.
 
So what's the ideal setup?  A pick two?  It really is the 15/mini combo.  Between those two polishers you can really do a lot and achieve fantastic results.  I'm a firm believer that the weekend detailer can achieve the same results as the pro.  The biggest difference between the two is that the pro is usually trying to meet a time deadline (for a client and/or profitability), so the pro generally has more tools at their disposal that would be less likely for a weekend detailer to invest in.  Our garage is setup with multiple polishers, a car lift, MBR, sidekick, air compressor, shop-vac, hot water extractor, steamer, etc.  The other difference is that a pro does enough work generally to have a pretty set process and order of events for how things go.  
 
I'm consistently blown away by the work represented on this forum.  Hopefully this thread will help someone make some decisions and take the leap into polishing themselves.  If this thread is well received, I'll consider continuing to write about different topics as they strike me or people ask.  
 
Enjoy and happy detailing!

To add, it also depends on what you have planned. If you're wanting to start over and make sure that you have any other coatings removed (aside from ceramic) then go with the strip wash. 
 
Maintenance wash on a traditionally coated vehicle, Wash and Wax is my go-to.
 
Maintenance wash for a vehicle getting a fresh coat of existing top coat (e.g. reapplying wax) then you can't go wrong with Car Shampoo, Ultra Foam, or Mega.
 
Having tried them all, Mega is my favorite. Less because of it foaming more than the others but more because it clings much better. You'll really see the difference on a coated vehicle. The others will slide off pretty quickly while Mega tends to stay in place.

I would have NEVER guessed any of this. 
Okay, maybe I'll rethink the gallon jugs!
I want to see what I get in the Mystery Boxes tomorrow before buying anything else.
 
Even more good ideas.
Thanks

Good list @RayS!
 
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner is good for furniture and clothing
Detail Spray is great on anything. I like it for screens like the TV, computer, phone, etc.
I’ve seen people love to use ceramic wax on phones and tablets and that helps with the fingerprints

I see we have more that we can teach you about Adam's products, they aren't just for cars.   Here are a few examples:
 
Brilliant Glaze will clean a mirror and reduce the fogging
Brilliant Glaze will leave your stainless steel appliances looking sharp and you can touch them up with Detail Spray
Glass Cleaner on windows is so much better than than the blue stuff you get in wally world
If you are going to wash anything with vinyl, aluminum or fiberglass, Adam's Shampoo works like a charm
Have anything that needs to be cleaned but you don't want it to get wet, Waterless Wash is the answer
APC will clean stains in your sink and work on any product
Wax on the shower walls or better yet, Ceramic Spray Coating will keep them soap free, just don't do the floor
Glass Sealant on the Show Door
Ceramic Boost on your Shovel and underside of the lawnmower to keep the grass from sticking
 
The list goes on and on about alternate uses for Adam's products.

I have a question.  I had my 2019 Dodge Challenger professionally ceramic coated with Gtechniq 5yr coating with EXO top coating. I want to keep the shine and hydrophobic properties. They have something similar to Ceramic Boost called c2v3 spray. My question is can I use Adam's Ceramic Boost in place of their c2vs? I do not want to hurt, or dull the ceramic coating that's on there. So I want to make sure that Adam's Ceramic Boost is NOT going to have a negative effect on the Gtechniq coating.

One of the things that I look for on the specials is the Gallon refill kits.  It is an inexpensive way to get an extra 16 oz bottle for your travel kit, an applicator and/or add to your microfiber collection.   

Thanks, good info here. I've booked marked this one.
I wasn't looking for the Adam's tape specifically, I saw the link and wanted to check it out. That was when I noticed the pictures were gone and NONE of the links work in the body of the learning paper.
You would think they could update the FAQ by removing the place holders for the pictures and either update or remove the links since they  no longer work.
 
I used the 3m blue painters tape for headlights as well when I sanded and polished them back to brilliance. It worked pretty good for the most part.
 
The only reason I even looked at this FAQ thread was I have chrome (plastic) embedded in my black trim moldings. I hate chrome! I was at a detailer supply store (prior to learning about Adam's Polishes) and purchased a can of black trim spray paint. I am planning on trying to tape it all up and give it a shot of the trim paint and see how it covers the chrome. It's not plasti-dip paint so I'm hoping it works long term. 
 
Thanks again for the info.

The 3M #03131(3/4") Performance Masking tape is a great all around detailing tape, and is available in most auto parts stores.  Most high quality tapes can be re-used during a detail, saving a little money - e.g. tape window trim on one side, polish, move tape to other side. 
If you want something more like the old Adam's tape check out Fine Line tape or the 3M #06526/06529 Precision Masking tape.
 
I keep 1/4", 1/2", 3/4", and 1 1/2" tape on hand., but use mostly 3/4".     

For headlights I use 3M blue painters.  It's a little cheaper, and I go thru a lot when I wetsand.   

Careful, Rich. I now have permissions to ban members... 😉😂
 
*****
 
And a very special thanks to all for the kind words above! This is such a great community to be a part of. 💯👍🏼

They've had them off and on a couple times. Not sure if they'll be offered again or not, but as big of a hit as they were, I wouldn't be surprised to see them again. 🤞🏼

This is a sunset shot from when we were 'down the shore' in July.

One thing that seems to get forgotten is you can develop a haze when you really start to layer products. This is even more true when laying products with different bases (sealant is not silica based like “ceramic” products are).
 
Many enthusiasts like to touch their cars and apply product to “make it shine.” The truth is that sometimes less really is more. 
 
Before adding more product, what protection is left?  What layers are still there?  Wax will disappear before a sealant as an example. Frequent use of some products allows them to build up and become more difficult to work with. 
 
It’s often brought up about streaking when using too much of a product in application. Frequent application creates the same effect. 
 
My daily driver and the wife’s daily drivers are both ceramic coated (with another product, not Adam’s for full disclosure) and admittedly don’t get washed as often as they should or could. I’ve applied a spray top coat to our vehicles once or twice since application and that’s in New England winter. They were coated in August and September of last year. A wash, clay and reapplication and they looked like we had just done them. 
 
The garage queen gets washed more often, but boosted less since it’s not driven often. It gets a top coat once a year. 
 
With waxes/sealants you need to do more frequent applications, but this should be measured in months. Not days. 
 
Don’t over complicate or overthink your processes. Make it easy on yourself and pick a set of products that work for you and stick with them. If you’re “ceramic based,” stick with them. If your traditional, stick with them. Don’t cross them over looking for a magic formula of shine. The real truth is that the gloss comes from how you finish your paint before ever applying protection. The other layers merely lock it in to with varying degree. Pick the products that fit with your style of maintaining your finish. If you’re hands on, go with products that will allow you to satisfy yourself. If you’re the “I just want to drive it” type, go with products that lend themselves to that goal. 
 
In the end you can spend a lot of money on products you don’t need or don’t fit your style and then drive yourself crazy trying to make them work for you. It’s needless stress.

Hi Mark,
Given that I have a Z71 Colorado and get similar hot and humid weather in South Carolina that you get in Texas, I can relate to the sun conflicting with detailing.  I generally do two vehicles at a time when I'm washing them, generally my truck and a SUV, and it took me a bit to get the routine down.  I also usually start between 6:30 and 7:00 AM during the summer to get out of the sun as quickly as possible.  I do have the advantage that once the truck is washed, I can put it in the garage to continue working on it, but only one at a time.
 
I do the wheels/tires first and then move onto the rest of the vehicles.  Eco Wheel Cleaner works great on the wheels for the Colorado and then I go over the wheels about once a month with Ceramic Boost to keep them looking sharp, spray a towel and then wipe the wheels.  Fortunately, the brakes don't put out too much dust, so the rinse off easily.  The Goodyears that came on the truck clean up pretty good with Tire & Rubber Cleaner and then according to how much shine you like, 2 or 3 sprays per tire with Tire Shine and a soft bristle brush with make then look good.
 
I start on the grill and hood, then go around the shadow side, back, sunny side and then the grill and hood again.   Doing the grill and hood twice and early allows the shampoo to dwell and makes it easier to get the bugs off.  Once I've hit the grill and hood a second time, I start washing with the microfiber mitt starting on the sunny side.  I know it didn't soak as long as the other parts, but once you have a base on the truck, it should clean up easily.  Once the sunny side is done, I go in the direction the sun is hitting the truck, either toward the back or the front and I try to get away from the sun as quickly as possible.   If you haven't already done so, get one of the Adam's Standard Step Stools, they are the perfectly size for the Colorado to get the top and windshield.
 
For rinsing the vehicle, use a soaker method since you want the volume of water, not a hard spray.  The water should run push the remaining soap and crud off the truck and again, once you have a good base it should be pretty dry using that method.   The hood and underside of the mirrors are the places where the water hangs the most,  and with the thin hood, I suggest getting your wife a AeroSkin II and it will also help reduce the chips and embedded bugs.   I use a borderless grey for get the bottom of the mirrors and usually have to do them a few times since they like to drip so much, I really need a blower.
 
Once I have dried the truck with the Great White drying towel or Ultra Plush drying towel, then I use detail spray or Ceramic Boost if it has been a month or so since it was gone over.  For the Detail Spray, I pretty much the path that @Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin stated, doing one panel at a time.  I doubt that I've ever used a 1/4 of a bottle of of Detail Spray on the Colorado or the SUV, again a little product goes a long way.  The hard water is a separate challenge and if you have calcium in the water that makes it even worse.  You can get a charcoal filter for the hose when you are rinsing the truck and that will help.  If Detail Spray won't get a spot off, then a small amount of Brilliant Glaze will usually work. 
 
If you get the truck stripped, unless there are a lot of swirl marks, you can use Revive Hand Polish and it will really bring out the luster of the paint. If you get it cleaned up, don't hesitate to put Ceramic Paste or Liquid Wax on it, it looks great and lasts a long a time and does not require the truck to be Ceramic Coated.  As with most of the Adam's products, a little goes a long ways, so I always recommend using a small amount since you can always add more if needed.
 
For the front air dam and the steps on the back bumper, use a small amount of VRT on a microfiber pad and then smooth it out with a junk towel.   The surfaces are just rough enough that they'll snag a good microfiber.   The VRT is known to run if you put too much on, so again thin is the name usage pattern.  
 
The tonneau cover can be cleaned with regular shampoo and according to the which brand of cover you have use either Leather Conditioner.   I really like the way Leather Condition looks on my Truxedo, but it comes down to do the material used by the producer.  The Tonneau covers are like convertible tops on a car, one of the three products is perfect and the other two not so much.  The only way to know for certain is to do a test spot and since you are getting Leather Conditioner for the interior, start with that.  If you have not conditioned the tonneau cover yet, don't be surprised to see some streaking as it dries. That just means the material is real dry and you'll need to go it a couple of times, again staying with thin coats.
 
For the interior of the Colorado, I recommend hitting the dash and center console with a thin coat of Leather Conditioner, not only does it make them look good, it cuts down on the glare from the dash onto the windshield.
 
Before we get to the Red truck, I'm going to recommend you check out some of my posts and pick out which Red vehicle you like the best for the outcome and then I'll go over how I got it there.   The only one that probably doesn't qualify is the 20+ year old Mustang thread, but all others do and there should be plenty of Red vehicles to choose from.
 
 

Yes, same way. It's the same formula just a different bottle.

Hey Cheryl, Ultra Foam is a really cool product. I'm not sure what the process is that you use, but I'll share my process with you.
 
I load up the foam cannon with 4ish ounces of Ultra Foam and water (warm if possible). and just have it ready for when its time to use it. I also have my buckets and wash mitts prepared with ultra foam shampoo or the regular car shampoo.
I start by rinsing the paint with my pressure washer. Then I immediately plug in the foam cannon to my pressure washer and foam the car (the time sensitivity is to prevent water spots which occur by allowing water to sit on the paint until it dries). like you said let it sit for a few minutes. THis is supposed to help lift some of that dirt off of the paint. Some of it will need to be gently agitated with a wash mitt. Normally, I follow up the foam with a 2 bucket wash or another safe bucket wash method and with my wash mitt to lift the dirt off the surface. Then finish with a rinse and dry with a microfiber towel and H20 Guard and Gloss or Detail Spray (Depends on what my goal is for the wash) Ultra Foam has a bit of protection built into it, so that's a nice perk.
 
For the Tires, I'll start off by saying its a good idea to do your wheel and tire cleaning prior to the rest of the car. This way you don't have to get water on the paint (for the same reason of preventing water spots). I absolutely love the Tire and Rubber Cleaner. Use it with the Tire Brush to agitate it. It turns orangey-brown as it cleans. I normally get the tires wet, then spray the Tire and Rubber cleaner onto the tire and onto the brush. Then agitate all around the tire. Then rinse. I normally repeat until the suds no longer orangey-brown, but turn white. That means the tire is clean!
 
For an extra pop,  after I've dried the vehicle, I'll apply Tire Shine or Tire Armor. These products will add some protection to the tire as well as make it look like it's new!
 

Im on board with Juan’s process.
 
If I have the time I will actually foam it down,  rinse that off,  then foam again, this time leaving the foam on as a cushion while I hand wash utilizing the 2 bucket method.  Its an extra step, but one I take very OCD seriously 😬😂

That means the START of car show season here!
 
My client/friend called recently and asked if I wanted to help him take the Old No. 2 1913 Race Car to the Classic Daytona 24 event in November.  I am IN!