Pre-soak
I don't do this step as I don't have the gear for it. A few good ideas put out but I probably won't do it for a while.
Just spray it down with the hose a few times to remove as much dirt as I can. Having good protection on the paint helps remove dirt with just water.
Wheels
AMMO Wheel Soap and a seperate bucket and cleaning cloths.
Chemical Guys Max Coat Wheel Guard wax for protecting them.
Green microfibre for cleaning them. As my wheels are new and have the Wheel Guard on them they just need a wipe. I do however take them off the car every few washes to get them fully clean inside the barrels and behind the spokes.
Tyres
CarPro PERL. Currently I am using it diluted at 3:1 Water to PERL but I think it is far more diluted than that because I didn't really measure it. This is a silicone oxide so dries hard and makes the tyres shed water. It makes them nicely black with a sheen to it which isn't tool glossy which I like. Dirt doesn't stick to it and no sling on the paint.
Shampoo
CarPro Reset. Goes a long way. Small amount in bucket 1 with water to create suds and fresh water in bucket 2 for cleaning the wash sponge.
Application
I think I have a Repco branded sponge with microfibre tassels on one side and a mesh on the other side for scrubbing off bugs.
Soap up the sponge in bucket 1 and run it over one panel then wash in bucket 2. Rinse and repeat.
If I am applying wax I will do this before drying the car.
For drying I use a long fibre microfibre cloth 600x450mm. Soaks up a lot of water and wring it out after almost each pass if the water hasn't run off the car.
Wax/ Sealant
CarPro Hydro2 Lite spray wax. Wet the panel after washing and spray on then high pressure washer it off. It does the windows too so you end up with a RainX like water shedding at speed. This is a great product because you don't have to touch your paint so no damage to the paint can occur. Lasts for up to 6 months.
Top-up wax
Same as above. Spray wax and wipe off. I also use Meguiras Carnauba Wax for the sections you can't really spray wax. Small round sponge for application or microfibre pad then Yellow microfibre cloths to remove and buff.
Quick detailer
Not something I have used so far.
Interior
An APC works well then on any leather I use the stuff I got with my lounge suit. Works really well.
Windows
I use a normal glass cleaner and blue microfibre towels for cleaning then paper towels to finish off. You have to go over them about 3 times on the interior to remove all the dirt and stop fogging.
Engine bay
An APC and a hose. Then an old green wheel cloth to wipe off dust and dirt.
Then CarPro PERL on the rubber and plastic parts. I have used some CarPro DLUX on some of the plastic bits so they just need spray with water to move the dust off them. DLUX is also on the exhaust tips so that just needs a wipe with a cloth to remove road grime and exhaust soot.
Extras to correct or Protect the paint and trim
Black trim has had CarPro DLUX to bring back any faded parts and protect from UV light and dirt. This can be used for paint but needs a professional to install it as it's not easy to get right on large surfaces.
Paint Correction
Meguiars Ultimate Compound for any deeper scratches or paint that has a lot of scratches. This is a semi aggressive compound at least on soft paint like the MR2. Works well on clear coats too but I only use it by hand so very difficult as clear coats are hard. Would work well with a DA polisher. Also good for polishing lights that are faded.
CarPro Fixer. This is perfect for minor scratches and works really well on the MR2 with soft paint because it is a light polish and not to aggressive. Fixes what I need to fix and no more so I like it for that. I have got the paint to a point where it only needs light correction now. Also now that I use the 2 bucket wash method I have found the fine scratches appear far less.
Techniques for paint correction. NEVER go in circles. ALWAYS straight lines when working by hand. This stops putting nasty swirls in the paint. Much harder to see straight fine scratches in the paint vs round ones.
As Larry from AMMO NYC says, residue control. Using clean or cleaning out the pad to remove lifted paint helps reduce/eliminate putting more scratches into the paint as you try to correct it.
Always check what each method and product is doing to your paint. It's the only way to learn what is best.
Thanks
@Mike Rotch for starting up this new topic and for the format.