The term ‘car detailing’ has only recently been adopted in the car valeting industry and is used to describe the most thorough of car cleans, and a step up from a standard car wash or valet.
Generally, the correct definition for the term ‘car detailing’ is to meticulously clean, polish and protect all parts of a vehicle from top to bottom, inside and out, using specialist tools and products that would not normally be used by your typical car cleaner. The aim is to restore the paintwork and interior to showroom condition. To achieve this result a full detail would be required. Below is the process I use.
Interior
The interior will be given a thorough hoover and clean, removing day to day dirt and dust and if required remove any stubborn stains. If you have a leather interior, this can also be cleaned rejuvenated and protected to maintain that supple smooth feel. Windows and door shuts will be cleaned and interior trims dressed.
Exterior
Particular attention is directed to the exterior and paint, as this would have been subjected to the outside elements and needs to be restored by eliminating any light scratches and swirl marks than have been inflicted over time. You can notice these marks by closely looking at the paint work in direct sunlight. When the car is clean you can see a cob wedding effect on the paint. These marks are very fine scratches in the clear coat of your paint, which allow light to reflect in different ways, presenting this haze or cob webbed effect.
Before starting this process the exterior has to be thoroughly cleaned removing as much dirt and contaminants as possible. These contaminants can include road grit & tar, tree sap, industrial fallout & iron filings from train tracks.
1st Stage (Approx 20 mins)
The first step to prepare the exterior would be to apply a snow foam, allowing it to soak and help soften the dirt and grime. Gravity will play a part here by dragging the dirt away from the exterior. A soft brush may be used to help agitate areas like the badges, window surrounds and grills. Once soaked the foam is then rinsed off.
2nd Stage (Approx 40 mins)
The second stage is to concentrate on the wheels and arches, as these are generally the most grubby areas, and need to be completed before the body worked is cleaned. Specialist tools and products are used to clean and protect the paint of the alloy and in some instances painted calipers. A PH balanced wheel cleaner will be used to remove baked on brake dust and dirt from the road, and a long soft brush to clean behind the spokes. A harder brush will also be used to remove mud or dirt from the tyre walls and wheel arches.
3rd Stage (Approx 60 mins)
The third stage, will be to clean the body work using a plush wash mitt instead of a sponge, and drying using a soft micro fibre towel instead of a chamois in conjunction with the two bucket method and grit guards. These tools and techniques will help prevent adding any further fine scratches to the paint.
4th Stage (Approx 60 mins)
After the car is washed and dried, it’s time to use the clay bar. A specialist automotive clay bar and lubricant is used to gently remove any final contaminants that were not removed from the washing process. A way to tell if your car needs a clay bar is If your paint still feels rough when your gently rub your hands over it, the clay bar will remove these fine particles and return the paint to a smooth finish. This is an important step in the process, as these contaminants can hinder the polishing process and prevent a smooth quality finish.
5th Stage (Approx 4 hrs - 1 day)
The body work is now ready to receive a polish to remove any fine scratches and swirls. One thing to note is that if you can feel the scratch with your fingernail then this is generally a scratch that has gone through the clear coat lacquer, and would require a body shop to repair. The polish process is usually done with a dual action polishing machine as these allow the product to be thoroughly worked into the surface, however a hand polish can achieve similar results if the paint work does not have any swirls or fine scratches from the offset. The polishing process is normally a multi stage process, as different manufacturer paints require different levels of abrasive grades to correct and refine the paint.
6th Stage (Approx 60 mins)
This process is to seal and protect the paint using either a natural carnauba or synthetic polymer wax. This will provide months of tough, long lasting protection and create an incredible shine. It also makes it easier to maintain this level of finish as a simple maintenance wash will be all that’s needed to restore this look.
7th Stage (Approx 40 mins)
This final process includes polishing the exterior windows, dressing any rubber trims and applying a gel to the tyres, giving that new car look. A Cotton Fresh Yankee Candle air freshener completes the full detail.