Pre wash - a rinse with a hose or a citrus bases spray that will help break down dirt and traffic film, softens it all really for a.proper wash. Some use a pressure washer and snow foam for this.
Wash two bucket method - this is the safest way to wash a car and the method ans products gally has stickies at the top if the section.
Decontamination - iron and tar removers will break down safely all those black spots that stick to the car from brake dust to tar from road works. Rinse again after this stage. Look at ironx, iron out, Tardis, obliTARate
Clay - this is used with a lubricant to try and avoid inflicting more damage, to remove further bonded contaminants like sap and aphids droppings that stick to the paint.
Polishing - look at menzerna or 3m range for removing swirls and taking the edge off deeper marks, typically only really achieving decent results with a machine polisher like a dual action or rotary. Fair results can be achieved by hand with the like of p1 and others but is long hard work. This stage removes micron levels of the clear coat. His stage does not add any form of protection. Any water behaviour is down to the clean level surface.
Cleansing and glazing - the likes of amigo, blackmax, lime prime. These will have chemical cleansers to cleanse the paint, or have fillers to help hide any swirls. This stage isn't always needed if you've fully corrected when polishing. Whereas some would prefer not to polish and just use cleansers and fillers to give he look. These finishes are only temporary and will last as long as the protection you put on top.
Last stage product (LSP) - waxes and sealants. Two different types can be used here to seal in all your hard work and protect it against he weather. This will also help keep your car cleaner for longer, and make washing much easier as the contaminants can't bond as easily. There's a.huge choice that depends on budget, durability, look, water behaviour, etc etc the list is endless
All this is for your first major detail, after this you simply need to wash with two bucket method. You can top up with more wax or sealant provided the surface is still clean. Once your protection starts to fail after say 4 to 6months then look into starting again
Anyone else that asks these questions had better have searched first
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