Originally Posted by MikeyC

The sealant and/or wax doesn't really protect the paint from mechanical abrasion only environmental hazards (bird poo, acid rain, etc.). Even if you don't wash your car right you can scratch it resulting in the need to polish. Most dealers have NO idea how to wash a car and most new cars are delivered with their finish scratched to heck. The dealer then uses a glaze loaded with fillers to temporarily hide the scratches.

Also, re: cotton towels. No one uses cotton anymore. Sometimes, I use my old cotton towels on my leather interior but that's about it. Microfiber towels are more effective and less abrasive.

Read this auto detailing guide I wrote a number of years back:

http://www.thedetailinghandbook.com