Washing your car every week can be a time-consuming proposition.  In this day and age of rushing about, 12-hour workdays and traffic jams, the last thing you have time for is washing the car.  Yet, if you're like me, you hate to have a dirty car.  So, what do you do?

Over the past few years, a number of innovative products have emerged to help us maintain the appearance and cleanliness of our cars.  The first such product was the car duster, which remains a popular, safe and effective tool for daily dusting.  Next came detailing sprays, which provide the lubrication necessary to remove dirt and dust safely.  Most recently, the car care industry has seen the emergence of lint-free microfiber fabrics as multipurpose cleaning and polishing tools.

Using my Quick Detailing™ techniques, I have reduced my soap-and-water washing to every other week on my commuter car, and once a month on my weekend toys.  Time is only one factor in considering quick detailing.  Water shortage is another.  Sooner or later, drought hits all of us.  It seems to run in seven-year cycles here in California.

Done properly, Quick Detailing™ can reduce the amount of time you spend cleaning your car.  It also reduces the effects of harmful elements (road grime, bird droppings, bugs, etc.) and keeps your car looking sharp.  Ten minutes every other day is all it takes to maintain a finely groomed car.  

Supplies
To apply my Quick Detailing™ technique, you'll need two or three good microfiber detailing towels, a bucket of water and a quick detailing spray.  A car duster also works well at removing the top layer of dust, but is not necessary.

Quick Detailing™ is not just for the exterior of your car.  There are detailing sprays for your car's interior, as well.  Einszett Cockpit Premium is an excellent interior detailer.  It removes dust, fingerprints and light soil from all nonfabric surfaces.  You will also find a number of handy products for dusting the dash, removing lint and keeping the interior smelling fresh.

Interior First
You can quick-detail your interior with a detailing spray or a bucket of fresh water.  To use an interior detailing spray, fold your microfiber detailing towel, spray it with a few shots of detailing spray, and wipe down the dashboard, console, seats (don't use a detailing spray on cloth seats), door panels and door jambs.  Use the interior detailing spray more for dusting than cleaning.  It's not necessary to wet the interior surfaces with the spray. 

If you're not using an interior detailing spray, fill your bucket with water.  Rinse your microfiber detailing towel thoroughly and wring out as much water as possible.  Fold the towel in half, then in half again.  Use your damp microfiber towel to wipe down the interior.  The microfiber towel will quickly remove all dust and fingerprints from your dash and console.

The interior windows will need a quick wipe-down every few days, too.  Rinse the microfiber towel, wring until damp, and wipe down the interior glass.  Follow immediately with a dry microfiber detailing towel.

Exterior Second
As before, rinse your microfiber towel thoroughly and wring out as much water as possible.  Fold the towel in half, then in half again.  Starting at the top, wipe down your car, wiping in a single direction only.  As the surface of the towel gets soiled, flip it to a clean side.  When all sides of the towel are dirty, rinse it out in the bucket, wring and keep wiping.  Don't forget the windows.

When the loose dirt is gone, rinse the towel again, wring out all excess water, refold, and spray the towel with a few shots of detailing spray.  Wipe the car down with the detailing spray, giving a couple of shots into the towel for each panel.  Buff immediately with a clean, dry towel.  I recommend a second microfiber detailing towel.  Spraying the towel instead of the car will ensure better distribution and will use less product.  A 16-ounce bottle of detailing spray should detail your car 10 to 12 times, depending on the size of your car.

Wheels Last
As the final step, do your wheels.  If your wheels are fairly clean, simply wipe them down with the damp microfiber towel.  Rinse the towel for each wheel.

If your wheels have heavy brake dust, give them a couple of shots of detailing spray to loosen.  Using the remaining water in your bucket and the damp microfiber towel, rinse each tire and wheel.  A quality microfiber towel can hold a lot of water, making it perfect for rinsing away brake dust.  Use the dry towel to dry and buff.