Critique my process?

[SpoonyLove]

Hi all,

New to the forum. New to Optimum's products but have been using them for about a month so far with great results.

Here is my process:

1) mix 1 gallon of distilled water in a 5 gallon bucket with 1 capfuls of ONR (0.5 oz) (i was initially use double ONR in 2 gallons, but found i was wasting a lot of water this way; my car is not large and it's been pretty clean lately. i'm sure as winter comes and it gets dirty i will have to do it twice or use double)

2) drop in 5-6 clean microfiber towels 

3) apply ONR with the wet rag to one panel at a time, discarding the dirty towel after use (dirty pile)

4) apply optiseal and a clean, dry microfiber cloth to wipe off the ONR solution

5) after about 30 minutes of drying time, apply instant detailer & gloss enhancer

Initially i was using the big red sponge but i didn't like the idea of using a single bucket and putting dirt from the car into the bucket, then using the sponge again on the car. I know the dirt is supposed to fall to the bottom of the bucket and you can get a grit guard, but it makes me feel better to not do that.

6) when i'm done, i take all the microfiber towels (i use about 10) and use the chemical guys microfiber wash in my HE washer/dryer (not sure if this stuff is snake oil or not, but seems to get them clean)

Any critiques are welcome. I am new, and am trying to get my detailing process down pat before my new car comes in.

thank you!

[Setec Astronomy]

I'm not a big QD user, and I rarely use a drying aid (relying on the rinseless polymers for drying lubrication).  If you like using Opti-Seal as a drying aid, going over the car again with a QD a half hour later doesn't make much sense to me.  I don't see what you're gaining with that (I have IDGE, although I can't remember if I've ever used it, and it does have that fluoropolymer additive that maybe gives it a slightly different characteristic than the Opti-Seal and most other QD's).

I might be more inclined to do it the other way around but I'm just talking off the top of my head.  You might also consider washing with ONRWW, which gives you some "wax" for drying lubricity, it's what I usually use these days.  Then you could go over the car right after that with the Opti-Seal, and skip the "30 minutes later" part.  But if what you are doing is working for you, there's nothing wrong with what you're doing, I'm just pointing out things that might be redundant or could save you some time.

[Ron@Optimum]

Instant Detailer does have a "different" look and can add gloss/slickness, but it's pretty short term. Using over Opti-Seal is redundant in my opinion, but it's your call.

[SpoonyLove]

Yeah, it wasn't sure about using both OptiSeal and ID together. I did see on the Optimum site that they said you can use ID 30 min after OptiSeal has dried. 

As far as 'safety' and preventing swirl marks -- does this process look ok there?

My next car will have PPF and Pro 3 -- once that's in, should i use the same process? Should i be using different products since it will have a ceramic coating (is this what the Opticoat line is for?)

[Ron@Optimum]

Your methodology is as thorough and safe as any.  The Opti-Coat line is formulated for superior performance on ceramic...PPF isn't particular.