A Guide To Detailing
Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2023 3:47 pm
I have spent a good 10+ years obsessing over keeping my cars as clean and cared for cosmetically as possible. I have spent...well lets not even try and think about that for now! I have done a little write up on the basics of looking after the exterior of the car. I am not claiming I am a guru, and I am sure there are bits I have missed but I wanted to put something together for someone who really wants to step up their game and go for the shine!
Generally a good process is something that goes along these lines:
General cleaning, remove most surface dirt and debris
Polishing, to correct paintwork blemishes and bring up a shine on the car
Sealant, to finish and protect the two stages above
There are a lot of other things that can be done before, between and after each stage which we will come on to, but ultimately you are looking to clean, polish and protect the car. So lets cover the basics and then talk about what else you can do.
Cleaning stage.
A good process is the two bucket method. You want if you can to have grit guards in the bottom of the buckets, failing that be careful not to swirl your wash mitt in the buckets as it will pick up debris. One bucket will contain your shampoo mixture and the other some warm water to rinse. A bit of a myth is that suds are important, they are not, at all. Dont get hung up on how many suds your bucket has, it is irrelevant! As mentioned use a good wash mitt, ideally you will have two, one for the car body work and one for the wheels. Do not use sponges! Sponges collect debris and when dragging it across your car will cause lots of micro scratches (generally referred to as swirl marks). If you have access to a jet wash or hose do rinse the car prior to a wash as best you can to remove any large bits of debris. When cleaning the car with the wash mitt start at the top of the car and work your way around, usually I do the top half then go around again doing the bottom half. Finish by cleaning the wheels ideally with a different mitt. Rinse with your hose/water source. To dry the car I usually have two large microfibre towels, just throw them flat over the car surface and drag them back, try to avoid excessive scrubbing, throw and pull them across the surface. You can use a drying aid to help with the process, spray it on and it will help lift the water
Products:
Two good sized bucket, with grit guards
Wash mitts either lambs wool or microfibre mitts, avoid sponges and noodle mitts
Gyeon Bathe+ or Mothers CMX Ceramic shampoo
A good towel are the Kent Brand yellow microfibres or any good GSM towel, large+ sized
Sonax BSD is a great drying aid
Polish stage.
There are two ways to polish, you can do it by hand of by using a dual action polisher machine. If doing it with a polishing machine I would really recommend the clay stage further down in this post to ensure the surface is silky smooth. By hand you will get a nice shine to the car, but paint correction will be an absolute minimum, Those swirl marks and some of the more tougher to remove marks like bird poo etching etc generally will only come out with a machine polish. There are millions of polishes to choose from, if you are doing the basics aim for a one step polish, but if you have a lot of swirling generally go for two steps and get a cutting and finishing polish. If working either by hand or machine you want to work the polish in using circular overlapping motions. Try to avoid doing it in direct sunlight, and also dont be tempted to throw lots of polish on, if in the application process you end up with easily visible polish on the car you have used too much, generally it should disappear to leave a dull look to the paint. You then want to buff it off with a good soft microfibre, make sure to have 2-3 of these to hand to do the whole car. Work panel by panel around the car, dont be tempted to load a lot of the car up in one go. Also in terms of product, read reviews on what you are using, fillers are used in many polishes but more so in some brands than others, Autoglym is loaded with it, so it might look shiny for a bit but its not going to do the job properly. Polishing is as it says on the tin, the polish stage, this is where the final shine comes from (not the wax) so make sure if you are going to put in the hard yards, it comes here.
Products:
Have some good clean applicators, these are relatively cheap you can usually get a pack of 5-10 for about £10
I usually periodically invest in a pack of 10 edgeless microfibre towels, usually around 40cm by 40cm
Scholl S20 or Menzerna 2-1 are good one step polishes
I've found Menzerna and Gyeon do good multi stage polishes, Scholl again is good but quite expensive
If you want to go machine polishing (the results are just so much better) then get a wired dual action (not rotary) machine, Kestrel are a good brand as an entry point
Sealant stage.
Often referred to as when you apply your 'LSP' which is the last stage protection. Before going on to seal the good work you want to wipe the car down with a panel wipe/IPA to remove residual polish you havent buffed off. There are a number of routes to go for here, you can use a traditional hard wax or you can go to a spray on sealant. If using a wax again avoid doing it in direct sunlight and go panel by panel. Use a clean applicator and rub in a circular overlapping motion. Dont use too much, if you see lumps of it on the paint you have used too much it should go pretty much invisible/dulled. Buff off as before with more of your clean microfibres. There are other ways to finish, you can use a spray on wax, similar in that you spray on and wipe off with a microfibre. Something I have tried recently is a spray on whilst the car is wet and rinse off product. All these methods will have differing results depending on the product you use, but ultimately this is what will seal the work. Some will last months others weeks. You can add wax to the wheels but Ive found I can keep them clean find with a regular wash.
Products:
Bilt Hamber Double Speed wax, a good easy to use hard wax with reasonable durability
I did once treat myself to some Victoria Concours wax, its absolutely brilliant, but very expensive
Gyeon WetCoat which is a spray on and rinse of sealant, initial results look good but havent tested durability - very easy to use
Then what?
You really want to keep on top of the car with a good maintenance wash around once every 1-2 weeks depending on storage and usage. Dont use any aggressive cleaners and try to avoid any 'quick detail' products as these affect the LSP durability. I tend to do the bigger process every 3-4 months depending on the condition of the car.
What if I want to go all out!
There are additional stages you can add, its more time and money but will give you incremental improvements to the condition of the paint.
Snow Foam. You can snow foam the car as a first stage before washing. You will need a shampoo style snow foam product, either a jet washer or hose, with the soap attachment. First up rinse the car with water, then snow foam the car starting at the top and cover the car. Let it drip down and clean up the surface of the car before rinsing off and getting to your washing stage. I've used both Auto Finesse and GTechniq snow foam products and both perform well. If using a hose, you can buy a snow foam lance for around £15 off amazon, it doesnt foam as well but does the job around 80% as good. Do not use a mitt on the snow foam, this only works as a pre wash soak. Spray and rinse off.
Claying. This is a technique designed to remove surface particles that wont come away with cleaning. And as they are stuck to the surface of the car, if you machine polish you will be effectively dragging them about, which can cause further problems. It sounds a terrifying idea to drag clay across your car! And done incorrectly indeed it does marr the paint, so you need to be careful, you need lots of lube! This stage sits between washing and polishing. You have two product routes, a clay bar or a clay mitt. The bar is very effective, but is harder and much slower to use. The mitt works about 80% as well but is much easier and faster. WIth either route, you need to clean the car fully and rinse, do not dry the water off though! Its a natural lubricant and can be used alongside a lube spray. With the bar you need to mould it into shape, get it soft, and with a lube spray do small parts of the car at a time, keep the paint very wet and dont push the bar too hard. You will see the particles of dirt on the bar, when you do, fold it and reveal a clean bit and repeat. The mitt is my preference, again same process, lots of lubrication and then wipe it across the paint. For both once you have wiped it across a panel, wipe dry with a microfibre. Its worth testing the difference once you have done part of a panel, just run your finger tips lightly across the surface, one bit will literally feel like silk the other you will feel lots of tiny bumps. Megeirs do a good clay bar option/pack, for the clay mitt I would actually recommend the G3 Clay Mitt from Halfords! A good quick detailer works well for the extra lube.
Cleaning the Shuts. Your hard work will result in some of the water and soap getting into the shuts. You just need to be armed with your Sonax BSD and some micrfibres for this bit. Open the doors and boot, spray on wipe off, it makes such a difference to open the car door and see the door shut panels clean.
Blacking the Plastics I would really advise doing the plastics. They go a very horrible grey shade in the sun. A very effective product I have used before is something called Solution Finish. You only need a small pot and it will last months. So colour the scuttle panel, the wing mirror mounts and even the window surrounds. It makes a huge difference to the look of the car
Spot Polisher. For around £50 you can get whats called a spot polisher, it looks like a little drill and would recommend a cordless one. The atttachment area is usuall sized for 3 inch sized polishing pads. You will invariably pick up little surface scratches/marks. Grab your polish and your spot polisher, wipe down the area affected, then use the spot polisher to work on the marks. This polisher will usually be an orbital, so you in effect have to do the dual action part yourself, so always keep it moving in circular motions do not just press it down onto one area.
Generally a good process is something that goes along these lines:
General cleaning, remove most surface dirt and debris
Polishing, to correct paintwork blemishes and bring up a shine on the car
Sealant, to finish and protect the two stages above
There are a lot of other things that can be done before, between and after each stage which we will come on to, but ultimately you are looking to clean, polish and protect the car. So lets cover the basics and then talk about what else you can do.
Cleaning stage.
A good process is the two bucket method. You want if you can to have grit guards in the bottom of the buckets, failing that be careful not to swirl your wash mitt in the buckets as it will pick up debris. One bucket will contain your shampoo mixture and the other some warm water to rinse. A bit of a myth is that suds are important, they are not, at all. Dont get hung up on how many suds your bucket has, it is irrelevant! As mentioned use a good wash mitt, ideally you will have two, one for the car body work and one for the wheels. Do not use sponges! Sponges collect debris and when dragging it across your car will cause lots of micro scratches (generally referred to as swirl marks). If you have access to a jet wash or hose do rinse the car prior to a wash as best you can to remove any large bits of debris. When cleaning the car with the wash mitt start at the top of the car and work your way around, usually I do the top half then go around again doing the bottom half. Finish by cleaning the wheels ideally with a different mitt. Rinse with your hose/water source. To dry the car I usually have two large microfibre towels, just throw them flat over the car surface and drag them back, try to avoid excessive scrubbing, throw and pull them across the surface. You can use a drying aid to help with the process, spray it on and it will help lift the water
Products:
Two good sized bucket, with grit guards
Wash mitts either lambs wool or microfibre mitts, avoid sponges and noodle mitts
Gyeon Bathe+ or Mothers CMX Ceramic shampoo
A good towel are the Kent Brand yellow microfibres or any good GSM towel, large+ sized
Sonax BSD is a great drying aid
Polish stage.
There are two ways to polish, you can do it by hand of by using a dual action polisher machine. If doing it with a polishing machine I would really recommend the clay stage further down in this post to ensure the surface is silky smooth. By hand you will get a nice shine to the car, but paint correction will be an absolute minimum, Those swirl marks and some of the more tougher to remove marks like bird poo etching etc generally will only come out with a machine polish. There are millions of polishes to choose from, if you are doing the basics aim for a one step polish, but if you have a lot of swirling generally go for two steps and get a cutting and finishing polish. If working either by hand or machine you want to work the polish in using circular overlapping motions. Try to avoid doing it in direct sunlight, and also dont be tempted to throw lots of polish on, if in the application process you end up with easily visible polish on the car you have used too much, generally it should disappear to leave a dull look to the paint. You then want to buff it off with a good soft microfibre, make sure to have 2-3 of these to hand to do the whole car. Work panel by panel around the car, dont be tempted to load a lot of the car up in one go. Also in terms of product, read reviews on what you are using, fillers are used in many polishes but more so in some brands than others, Autoglym is loaded with it, so it might look shiny for a bit but its not going to do the job properly. Polishing is as it says on the tin, the polish stage, this is where the final shine comes from (not the wax) so make sure if you are going to put in the hard yards, it comes here.
Products:
Have some good clean applicators, these are relatively cheap you can usually get a pack of 5-10 for about £10
I usually periodically invest in a pack of 10 edgeless microfibre towels, usually around 40cm by 40cm
Scholl S20 or Menzerna 2-1 are good one step polishes
I've found Menzerna and Gyeon do good multi stage polishes, Scholl again is good but quite expensive
If you want to go machine polishing (the results are just so much better) then get a wired dual action (not rotary) machine, Kestrel are a good brand as an entry point
Sealant stage.
Often referred to as when you apply your 'LSP' which is the last stage protection. Before going on to seal the good work you want to wipe the car down with a panel wipe/IPA to remove residual polish you havent buffed off. There are a number of routes to go for here, you can use a traditional hard wax or you can go to a spray on sealant. If using a wax again avoid doing it in direct sunlight and go panel by panel. Use a clean applicator and rub in a circular overlapping motion. Dont use too much, if you see lumps of it on the paint you have used too much it should go pretty much invisible/dulled. Buff off as before with more of your clean microfibres. There are other ways to finish, you can use a spray on wax, similar in that you spray on and wipe off with a microfibre. Something I have tried recently is a spray on whilst the car is wet and rinse off product. All these methods will have differing results depending on the product you use, but ultimately this is what will seal the work. Some will last months others weeks. You can add wax to the wheels but Ive found I can keep them clean find with a regular wash.
Products:
Bilt Hamber Double Speed wax, a good easy to use hard wax with reasonable durability
I did once treat myself to some Victoria Concours wax, its absolutely brilliant, but very expensive
Gyeon WetCoat which is a spray on and rinse of sealant, initial results look good but havent tested durability - very easy to use
Then what?
You really want to keep on top of the car with a good maintenance wash around once every 1-2 weeks depending on storage and usage. Dont use any aggressive cleaners and try to avoid any 'quick detail' products as these affect the LSP durability. I tend to do the bigger process every 3-4 months depending on the condition of the car.
What if I want to go all out!
There are additional stages you can add, its more time and money but will give you incremental improvements to the condition of the paint.
Snow Foam. You can snow foam the car as a first stage before washing. You will need a shampoo style snow foam product, either a jet washer or hose, with the soap attachment. First up rinse the car with water, then snow foam the car starting at the top and cover the car. Let it drip down and clean up the surface of the car before rinsing off and getting to your washing stage. I've used both Auto Finesse and GTechniq snow foam products and both perform well. If using a hose, you can buy a snow foam lance for around £15 off amazon, it doesnt foam as well but does the job around 80% as good. Do not use a mitt on the snow foam, this only works as a pre wash soak. Spray and rinse off.
Claying. This is a technique designed to remove surface particles that wont come away with cleaning. And as they are stuck to the surface of the car, if you machine polish you will be effectively dragging them about, which can cause further problems. It sounds a terrifying idea to drag clay across your car! And done incorrectly indeed it does marr the paint, so you need to be careful, you need lots of lube! This stage sits between washing and polishing. You have two product routes, a clay bar or a clay mitt. The bar is very effective, but is harder and much slower to use. The mitt works about 80% as well but is much easier and faster. WIth either route, you need to clean the car fully and rinse, do not dry the water off though! Its a natural lubricant and can be used alongside a lube spray. With the bar you need to mould it into shape, get it soft, and with a lube spray do small parts of the car at a time, keep the paint very wet and dont push the bar too hard. You will see the particles of dirt on the bar, when you do, fold it and reveal a clean bit and repeat. The mitt is my preference, again same process, lots of lubrication and then wipe it across the paint. For both once you have wiped it across a panel, wipe dry with a microfibre. Its worth testing the difference once you have done part of a panel, just run your finger tips lightly across the surface, one bit will literally feel like silk the other you will feel lots of tiny bumps. Megeirs do a good clay bar option/pack, for the clay mitt I would actually recommend the G3 Clay Mitt from Halfords! A good quick detailer works well for the extra lube.
Cleaning the Shuts. Your hard work will result in some of the water and soap getting into the shuts. You just need to be armed with your Sonax BSD and some micrfibres for this bit. Open the doors and boot, spray on wipe off, it makes such a difference to open the car door and see the door shut panels clean.
Blacking the Plastics I would really advise doing the plastics. They go a very horrible grey shade in the sun. A very effective product I have used before is something called Solution Finish. You only need a small pot and it will last months. So colour the scuttle panel, the wing mirror mounts and even the window surrounds. It makes a huge difference to the look of the car
Spot Polisher. For around £50 you can get whats called a spot polisher, it looks like a little drill and would recommend a cordless one. The atttachment area is usuall sized for 3 inch sized polishing pads. You will invariably pick up little surface scratches/marks. Grab your polish and your spot polisher, wipe down the area affected, then use the spot polisher to work on the marks. This polisher will usually be an orbital, so you in effect have to do the dual action part yourself, so always keep it moving in circular motions do not just press it down onto one area.