Just bought a brand new 2013 C350. Was wondering what your guys' preferences on the best products to use to clean your car?

 

Well, I am a college kid who is very very picky about how clean my car is (I have to make sure all of the girls looooove it ). I have 3 wash buckets. One for washing/cleaning, one for rinsing, and one left especially for the wheels. I usually wash every couple weeks (1-2 weeks) (I've only had my AMG a couple weeks, but I did the same on my C300). If you just use one bucket, you will get dirt in that bucket, so then you get all the disgusting swirls and crap, hence the 3 buckets. I use duragloss 902, and I LOVE it.

MB also makes some paint-care polishing kits, which one of my friends uses, and it looks awesome, but I am personally fine with mine, and you can only spot the difference between our two if you have them side by side and are looking specifically at the cleanliness.

Once again, I overkill when I clean my car, so you might not need to do it as often/as in depth as I do, so you can adjust accordingly. Just my 2 cents!

EDIT: I also have 3 wash cloths, one for each bucket.

 

I'm just like the guy above me but I'm the crazy high schooler. I use two buckets with grit guards at the bottom of both. I use Optimum Car Soap every weekend and it's phenomenal, I also use an APC on my wheels and wheel wells. Then once a month I use Sonax Full Effect. My choice of wax once I'm done is Meguiars Ultimate Liquid Wax.

 

Two-bucket method with Grit Guards and a decent mitt is absolutely the best decision and investment you can make regarding cleaning the exterior of your car. Most of your paint imperfections are going to come from using improper washing techniques with dirty, poor quality washing media. Even a high-quality mitt can mar the paint if you let dirt accumulate and continually be rubbed on the paint in your attempt to clean the car. If you care about how your car looks, 2-bucket method with Grit Guards is a must have.

As for cleaning products, I prefer Meguiars D110 Hyper-Wash. Chemical Guys Citrus Wash is very good too, although this wash will strip your wax unless you dilute it heavily. If you want to strip your wax to start fresh, Citrus Wash is a great way to go and then use D110 after you wax to clean without stripping.

Claying your car to decontaminate is very important to maintaining the finish as well. I prefer the Nanoskin Autoscrub Speedy Prep Sponge (Fine Grade) with Nanoskin Glide Instant Detail Spray Lubricant but I have used your classic Clay Bar (Mothers California Gold Clay Bar System) and have seen good results with that too. It really is a matter of preference, although I will say clay bars are particularly useful in tight spaces where the sponge cannot easily reach.

If you really want your car's paint to pop with the most wicked shine you've ever seen, use a DA polisher (Griots 6" is my preferred choice, although the Porter Cable 7424 XP polisher is a popular choice as well) with Menzerna SI1500 to polish, Menzerna SF-4000 as a finishing polish, and Menzerna Power Lock Polymer Paint Sealant. As you can tell, I really like Menz products. These products are designed to be used on the Mercedes-Benz ceramic clear coats but be careful if using to not go too aggressive; you definitely want to work your way up in terms of cutting on this type of clear coat.

A good APC (Meguiars D103 APC is my favorite) is useful on the wheels, wheel wells, and even in the engine bay. Diluted properly it can be used in the interior and followed up with 303 Aerospace Protectant.

Dressing your tires can complete the look, and for that I recommend Chemical Guys V.R.P. Super Shine Dressing. I really like this one because it's water-based. It won't last as long as an oil-based dressing but that's exactly why I like it; you can easily wash it off and all the road gunk with it and reapply each time you wash. There are a million tire dressings out there, each with their own shines and longevities, so it's really just a try-and-see type thing.

 

I use Junkman2000's two bucket wash method. The stuff he use is pretty much listed above. I found this method quick and easy and best of all the car is clean!

 

My single most important step in washing the car is to rinse, rinse and rinse some more before you ever start washing. I use grit guards, etc. but it is better to blast the grit and grime off your car before rubbing it around with a mitt.
Also, after many years and many $$$, I have found that many of the high end "boutique" products are more marketing than science. I won't say that many have been bad but I have been more than happy with the results of Mothers, Eagle One and even lowly old Turtle Wax...