guide

BRIEF GUIDE

CAR PREPARATION

1. PRE-WASH

Removing the loose dirt, debris, and silt that sits on your car is an essential step before washing your car to stop heavy swirl marks forming that ruin your car's finish and make it dull over time. A decent pressure wash at the start (work top to bottom on the car) goes a long way to making sure that dirt doesn’t get trapped in your mitt later and scratch your paintwork. If you have the option of using citrus pre-wash and snow foam, they make a considerable difference to the wash process

2. WASHING

The safest way to wash a car is the two bucket method using a lambswool wash mitt or wash pad depending on what you prefer.  Wash the wheels separately first to make sure that you aren’t dragging the tough dirt from your wheels to your paintwork. The two bucket method is very simple - one bucket needs a nice foamy shampoo in it, the other bucket just needs to be water (warm always helps!).

The idea is to go into the clean water after you finish washing areas of your car, rinsing the dirt off your mitt before placing the mitt into the soapy water and then back onto your car.

Always start at the top of the car and work down, the grimy lower area will start to soak before you get to them and make them easier to clean. If you have the option of using snow foam, a good tip is to spray it all over the car before you wash the car as the foam acts as a great lubricant to aid the wash mitt over the paintwork

3. CONTAMINANTS

Car paintwork can pick up all sorts of contamination that sits on the surface and makes it rough to the touch. Tar, tree sap, and metal particles are the usual contamination that you can see and feel. To remove these we use a variety of specialist chemicals or removal media:

  • Tar and Glue Remover: this acts fast to remove tar spots.


  • Iron Fallout Remover: Chemically removes iron particles and reduces marring during the claying process.


  • Clay Bar: Removes the contaminants that chemicals can’t

4. DRYING

Once the car is washed and rinsed off, dry the car with nice soft drying towels - starting with the windows first. Try and pat dry the car paintwork where you can too, and try to resist dragging the towel over panels with pressure as even this can cause swirls on modern car paint finishes.

If you suffer from water spots due to hard water, invest in some Quick Detailer and a soft buffing towel, as this will help to remove them from your paintwork and improve the finish of the car. Want to take your car drying to the next level? Invest in an air dryer!

5. POLISHING

This is where the magic happens!

Polishing by hand brightens the paintwork and acts like ‘car make-up’! However, to remove swirls we use different grades of polishing compounds with a machine polisher. The polishing compounds have microscopic particles in them that help to burnish the paint clear coat removing swirls and scratches.