I have routine that has taken a while (years) to perfect, has outstanding results, and allows me to skip most traditional forms of exercise...
Interior first. As mentioned, don't lather up your interior with a plethora of products. Use a cleaner (Zaino, Griots, Meguiars) once a month. In between cleanings, use a damp cloth. I found that old Polo/Hilfiger button down 100% cotton shirts work the best since they leave almost zero lint. Even microfiber towels leave a small amount of fibers behind. Unlike polishing, dark shirts work best with dark interiors. Use a Q-tip for around the various dash buttons and dials.
Exterior: Wash with Dawn to remove all old wax, use 3m tar remover for remaining stains. I remove the wheels and clean the wheel wells with dawn, and detail the wheel wells with Zaino tire treatment (2 coats). Next is Zaino's clay bar on the paint. I use a mix of water and Zaino car wash for lube for the clay. After clay, I use Griots medium machine polish with an orbital buffer and foam pad. Remove polish. Next is Griots light machine polish with a new foam pad. I remove the polish by hand with a microfiber towel.
At this point I ensure the paint is perfect, and go back over areas that may still show any fine scratches. When I'm satisfied, I then use 3 coats of Zaino's polish (Z5), then 2 coats of Z2. I use Z6 inbetween coats as Zaino recommends, and use the ZFx accelerator so I can put the coats on immediately after each other. Apply Zaino in strokes, from bumper to bumper on the top surfaces, and top to bottom on the doors and quarter panels.
While Zaino is drying, I clay, polish, and apply 3 coats of Zaino to the inside/outside of the wheels. The wheels look spectacular when the insides shine like the outside, and having the Zaino on there makes removing the brake dust easy. My wheels shine all the way to the inside rim, which makes the car look new. DO NOT USE WAX. Wax, when hot, gets sticky (hold a candle for a while). The brake dust then gets "trapped" in the wax making it harder to remove than if you had no wax on them at all. Personal experience. Additionally, I've seen great variation on the clear coat on the insides of the wheels. Some have 100% coverage, some do not. In this case, do your best. If I have "dry" areas on the insides of the rims then I have a shop spray just the inside with a clear coat.
Put wheels back on car.
Going to a show? If so, then after the above is complete, I use Griots carnuba wax. Put a light coat on over the Zaino, let it dry, remove it. Don't bother buffing it yet. Instead go back over the car with a thicker 2nd coat of wax. Do 1/4 of the car at a time. Wait until the wax dries to a haze, but don't wait too long or it gets tough to remove. Use a microfiber cloth or a 100% cotton terry towel to remove. Don't buff it out yet, just remove the excess wax. After you complete the entire car, let the wax dry for a couple hours, then grab some fresh microfiber towels and buff the wax until there are no smears and the finish is glossy. After buffing the car out, use a quick detail spray and re-buff. This will help smooth out the wax and remove any residue.
Lastly, Zaino glass polish works well on EXTERIOR glass, it will shine like the paint. Don't use it on the interior glass since it gets powdery when dry.
This is a concours detail job (arguably), but has worked for me and my circle of friends.
A couple more points about wax and maintenance. First of all, why would I use wax over Zaino? For street driving, I wouldn't. Wax does get soft and sticky with heat and does trap dust. If you don't believe me, do a side by side comparison on your car (trunk) and drive the car one day. You will see what I mean. The zaino side may have some dust on it, but you can blow it off. The dust on the wax side will need a wash to remove.
However, I have found that for shows, wax provides the traditional shine judges look for, as well as since wax isn't clear like Zaino, it can ever so slightly change the shade of the paint. The paint looks a bit darker with wax. Also, it doesn't shine as much as Zaino does. In some minds, too much shine is bad, makes the paint look plasticy (probably not a word, but you know what I mean). Ferrari red looks the best with a yellow carnuba wax - my opinion. Wax is also thick, compared to Zaino, and getting the depth out of the paint is a bit easier. The quick detailer does for wax what Z6 does for Zaino... it's smoothes out the wax and helps create an even coat. The more even the coat, the more uniform the coat thickness, the greater the shine, the less visible imperfections are. It's all about reflecting light.
Why Zaino and not just wax? Nothing can beat the protection of a polymer, like Zaino or the new Meguiars tech wax (which isn't a wax).
Engine detail: I only use Zaino tire gloss. It dries to a semi-gloss finish, making the hoses and valve covers look like brand new, not shiney beyond new.
Washing: I get chills when someone talks about a california car duster in-between washes. Never, ever dry wash a car. You are moving abrasive particles across your paint. The car duster doesn't magically remove the dust, it pushes it along and it clings to the duster fibers, which are being brushed acrossed the car, creating the spider-web type fine scratches. Water is a lubricant, soap is a lubricant. You don't need soap to remove dust, you need a very light detergent and excellent lubricant so the dirt doesn't scratch your paint while washing it. When washing, do not use a sponge or cotton rag, again they both trap dirt that gets rubbed on your paint, especially sponges. Use a 100% wool wash mit. Buy the one with the longest fibers to embed dirt away from the surface of the mitt. Do not wash in circles!!! Forget Mr. Miagi!!! Wash in lateral strokes, front to back sweeps for the hood/trunk, up and down for the side. Rinse the mitt in the car wash water after every stroke.
Drying: Again, you really don't want to touch your paint if possible. I use my leaf blower. Works outstanding on side view mirrors and around the trunk where water endlessly drips. If I have to dry it by hand (raining outside), then I use a chamois and 100% cotton towels with very little pressure. It's better to remove smears and water marks with detail sprays and microfiber towels than with drying towels.
Wheel wells (assuming your wheels are on): Mix a solution of 1 part liquid ERA or Tide laundry detergent to 6 parts water. I use a garden pump sprayer. Spray around the wheels, coating the wheel wells. Do NOT rinse. Let dry. You'll be amazed at how well this works. The soap has a bit of a shine to it that is evident on plastic. This is how we cleaned our dirt bikes and Quads after racing. Try it.
To clean the insides of the rims while they are on the car, use a small kitchen sponge and borrow your wife's hand for the tight area where the brake caliper is on the front wheels, or roll the car forward after you clean the rest of the rim.
Sorry for the long post, but I have read all kinds of opinions and experiences and thought I'd share mine. Best of luck...
