I have a 2015 GT Prem Vert. I noticed that if, after I wash and dry the outside of car body, it helps if I raise the hood (get hood struts!) and the trunk to let them drain. I can dry insides of the doors, do the wheels and by then the inside of the hood and trunk are ready to dry....

Are there any other tips out there?

 

Yes plenty.

1. Always use two separate buckets when you wash your car. One for the wheels / wheel wells and the other for the paint. Also use separate wash mitts in these two buckets. The reason for this is brake dust. Brake dust is just metal shavings. If you use the bucket for your wheels on your car you will transfer metal shaving to your paint and result in swirl marks or scratches in the paint. This is also why you use separate mitts and never mix the two.

2. Wash mitts should be either lambs wool or microfiber. Sponges will scratch your paint.

3. Never dry your car with a chamois. Use microfiber towels or get an air compressor and blow it dry. Chamois will scratch the paint.

4. When you dry the car, open the doors to let the water drain out.

5. Be sure to dry under the hood and under the trunk lid.

6. Never use any sort of dressing on your interior. Just wipe it clean with a good cleaner. I just use a microfiber glass cleaner that still damp from cleaning the windows.

7. Never clean your windows with paper towels, it leaves streaks. Use microfiber glass cleaner towels and a good glass cleaner. Cheap glass cleaner is cheap for a reason.

8. Always use water based dressing on your exterior black plastic and tires. Petroleum based dressing will dry it out. Armor All is actually water based.

9. Use good soap. Cheap soap is cheap for a reason. I personally use Meguiars.


I think that covers the major stuff.

 

I agree with most of what you said but I disagree with what I bolded.
6. I've never had a problem with using interior dressings. I use to use armor all but that was too greasy and shiny for my liking. Now I use a chemical guys interior dressing which is water based, dries to the touch and isn't that shiny than stock.
8. I've used both water based and oil based plastic dressing for the exterior. The water based will maybe last a week or two before you need to reapply it. Where as the oil based ones that I've used ( not armor all) have lasted at least a month, even when rained on.

 

You're free to do whatever you want with your car of course but everything I posted is based on information I learned from a professional auto detailer who gets paid to detail million dollar cars.

Using dressing on the interior, especially in the summer, is not good for the plastics. Using dressing on the dash usually results in bad glare on your windshield which is unsafe as well.

Petroleum based dressing will dry out rubber, that's just basic chemistry. I wash my car more than every week or two anyway so it doesn't bother me to reapply a good water based dressing.

 

I learned this the hard way on my first mustang. I used armor all in the dash and instantly regretted it. Now I don't even touch the dash with detailer.

 

Same here but with a different car. We all live and learn. I once bought a Dodge product so, you know, we all make mistakes. lol

 

Good Grief!!! What had you been smoking?

 

What can I say. I was 18, just back from war and I wanted a Dodge truck. You would think that would have taught me but 26 years later I bought a Jeep and it turned out to be a turd too.