You have come to the right place to learn detailing. Insha Allah detailer brothers here will guide you.
Dry dusting is a big no-no because it causes swirl marks and pushes the dust/dirt into paint. You should know that washing the car with detergents like surf will dull and eventually ruin the paint so the use of quality car wash is recommended. Also, if you wash with cheap cloths they will cause swirls, spider web marks so use a washing mitt along with the car wash for a proper wash. Use a drying towel or microfiber chamois for drying as they will suck up water without leaving water marks. Rely on the two bucket method for washing; one bucket has car wash solution and the other has clean water. When you're done washing one panel, rinse the mitt in the clean water bucket and move on to the next panel.
Next, if you feel you paint surface is shiny but has rough feel then you'll need a clay bar to remove the dirt and contaminants that are within the paint and not visible to the eye. If the paint is oxidized and swirled up then a polish will restore the look and condition for a better shine. But sometimes car paint is severely oxidized and overall look of car is dull so a compound followed by a polish is used to to revive the lost glamour the car once had.
The last step is waxing. A quality wax will give protection from factors like U.V rays, pollution, tree sap and other microscopical factors. At the same time it will add a temporary shine to your paint. After washing/claying/polishing this is an important step to ensure your efforts did not go to waste and to keep your car protected and shiny. The prep work matters too but this step has its own importance. Buy microfiber cloths for removing the wax residue.
If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Welcome to detailing! 
