A quality reel like Shimanos' Calcutta will actually get smoother the more you use it. A garbage reel will wear gears fast and get rougher as it is used-no matter how much grease you glob on those gears. After I'm done reassembling the reel I like to give it a coat of WD-40 before I put the reels down for the winter. Don't soak it, just a light coat and wipe it off right away. This will remove all the goop I got on the case while cleaning it and give it a nice new, clean look.
Rods are next.
The handles are the first thing I tackle. Some of the guys in my club used to make fun of the way my cork grips would start out a nice tan color and end up black after a few tournaments. It's not as bad now that I switched jobs and my hands don't get as dirty as they used to. When I worked as an auto refinisher in a body shop, I used to have to keep my hands under the table when we went out to eat and save my family major embarrassment. A good detergent will work most of the time to remove all the crud your cork grips will accumulate in the course of a fishing season.