The reality of properly cleaning polishing and sealing paint can be a very involved process....or not.

Depending on which car I am detailing, I use different techniques, and those techniques are worlds apart.

Your best bet on most things in life is educating yourself about the processes available to you by watching videos on detailing on you tube. Once you start to accumulate knowledge on the subject, you can better choose which path is best for your needs.

Depending on the car ie show car, daily driver, or your weekend cruiser; you can get as deep into it as you have the time, talent and money to spend, or not. I can spend 5, 10, 30 or 80 hours on my black car depending on what I'm trying to accomplish that time, or 30 minutes on my light yellow convertible and get great results. One is simply stunning to see, puts people right in shock and black, while the other looks great, is quick and easy to do and hides a lot of imperfections that only trained eyes notice. Define what you are trying to do first, then learn how to do it online or take a class, or course from professionals.

An alternative is to take the car to a reputable detailer, which takes a lot of footwork and research to find a good one. Many are worse than used car salesmen with their stories of greatness.

Just how far down the rabbit hole do you have the energy to go?

For example, I hardly ever wash my black car. Maybe once every 3 or 4 years. It gets carefully wiped down with micro fiber and spray detailer only.

On the other hand, my yellow car just got repainted for the first time a few years ago. I've always washed it with Comet in the green car and a terry cloth. I still do. It is not a scouring powder like Ajax or Bin Ami. It clear states right on the can that it will not scratch delicate surfaces. You have to do it in the shade and not let it dry before being fully rinsed. It works miracles on light color cars, but do not use it on dark color cars. I've been using the stuff for 30 years with amazing results. No need for a clay bar on this car.