Detailing guide - what's needed & what to do.

Nova2k7

Senior member
Halifax - West Yorkshire
Now this I just the basics please feel free to ask spasific questions

Ok this may be long so im sorry ha!

Ive been detailing my own vehicles to a decent level for some years. You have two options really, you can pay someone £100-£150+ to do it for you which tbh you would get excellent results. Ooorrr you can do it yourself and use the £150 for products you can use time and time again?

Now if you’re doing it by hand there are a few things you are going to need.

2 x Buckets (Halfords ones are fine)
1 x Wash mitt, they range from about £8 all the way to £25+ it needs to be wool or at least micro fibre!

[size=2]http://www.cleanyourcar.co....ars-microfibre-wash-mitt/prod_305.html[/size]
This would be fine

1 x Shampoo - Although i think you already have this and what you have is an excellent product.

1 x Clay bar, this is used to lift bonded contaminants from the paintwork and is essential for a perfect finish.

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/detai...ltra-fine-detailing-clay-sampler/prod_83.html
something like this will be ok.

1 x Drying Towel – now this believe it or not is where most imperfections are inflicted onto the paint so it’s very important to get a good product

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/micro...-huge-39-fluffy-39-drying-towel/prod_634.html
something like this is an excellent towel.

1 x Polish - This is where things get more complicated! There is hundreds of polish all of which have different properties. Now i assume any polishing you wish to do will be by hand rather than a machine?? Keeping this in mind i would use the following polishes.
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/sealants/autoglym-ultra-deep-shine/prod_754.html
This is an excellent polish for hand although this is a non abrasive polish and won’t actually remove scratches this simply "fills" them for a period of time. For actually "correcting" the paint a machine polish is the only route really.

1 x Wax - Again as with the polish there are many many different options and these are only my personal preferences

now this wax although expensive should last a long long time and is excellent
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wax/dodo-juice/dodo-juice-blue-velvet/prod_404.html

Several Clothes and pads will be required, say 2 for applying and removing polish and 2 for applying and removing wax.

These foam pads are excellent for applying products
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/zaino/zaino-6-tri-foam-oval-applicator/prod_462.html
so two of these

and two of these for buffing the polish and wax off
http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/micro...ic-fur-microfibre-buffing-cloth/prod_948.html


Process

Rinse
First is to rinse the vehicle down either just with some soapy water or with a jet wash, the idea or pre rinsing the vehicle is to loosen up any dirt so it can be safely washed of

Washing

Take one of the buckets and fill with warm soapy water, fill the second with just clean warm water.

Take the wash mitt and start with the first soapy bucket and clean 1 panel. Once this one panel has been cleaned rinse the mitt in the non soapy fresh water.
Then do this for ever panel on the car. This should mean that once all the car is done you have your first soapy bucket which still has clean water in an a second bucket with dirty water in. by doing this you are never take any contaminants from one panel to the next.

Clay Bar

While the vehicle is still soapy this is a good time to clay the vehicle. I will cover claying in a little more detail

Using detailing clay to clay your car's paint will,

1: Claying safely removes Above Surface Bonded Contaminants

2: Claying paint enable your choice of wax or paint sealant to better bond or adhere to the paint.

3: Claying paint restores a silky, smooth, clean surface.

4: Claying paint makes polishing easier, more effective and safer.

Let’s take a little deeper look at these benefits...



1: Claying safely removes Above Surface Bonded Contaminants

Over time, if your car is parked outside for any length of time during each day then any dirt or air-borne contaminants that land on the paint will tend to bond to the paint if they are not removed in a timely manner. Once they bond to the paint some of them won't come off just from normal washing. This is where detailing clay comes into the picture.

Detailing clay uses special abrasives that have the ability to basically sand-off any contaminants sitting on top of the surface without installing scratches into your car's paint at the same time. In the old days, people would use coarse rubbing compounds to remove above surface bonded contaminants and while these types of products would work they would also,
• Instil scratches into the paint
• Remove perfectly good paint

That's two negative things you don't want to do your car's precious clear layer of paint.

2: Claying paint enables your choice of wax or paint sealant to better bond or adhere to the paint.

Claying paint restores a clean surface so a coating of wax or paint sealant can maximize the bond between the paint and the protection ingredients. This helps to insure the wax or paint sealant coating will last a long time and thus protect a long time, and this is something all people want out of their choice of car wax or paint sealant.

3: Claying paint restores a silky, smooth, clean surface
I think we can all agree that a great looking paint job is a glossy looking paint job and gloss comes from a smooth surface.

When air-borne contaminants build-up on your car's finish they create an irregular surface or texture that feels rough or bumpy to the touch. This un-even, bumpy surface due to above surface bonded contaminants reduces gloss. Claying your car's paint will remove the contaminants, this restores a smooth surface and this in return restores a high gloss finish




4: Claying paint makes polishing easier, more effective and safer

In the context of this section, when we say polishing, we mean abrading the paint to remove below surface defects and/or refine the existing finish to a higher level.
• By removing any above surface bonded contaminants first, you enable your polish and pad to immediately go to work on the paint with nothing on the surface in the way.
• You make the polishing action smoother as your polish and pad will move over the surface easier with less potential for hopping or grabbing.
• You reduce the potential for accidental marring of the paint during the buffing process since there are not contaminants that can come loose and become trapped between the pad and the paint.
Now using the clay bar and the lubricant that is supplied with it you gently go over each panel with the bar, remembering to re mould the bar once dirty.

Once the vehicle has been clayed then it needs to be rinsed down again ensuring all soap is removed.

Drying

This is self explanatory really, using the drying towel ensure that the top panels facing the sun are done first to prevent any drying spots.

Polishing

Now there any many ways of doing this but I will assume this is going to be done by hand.

Taking an applicator pad, apply 2 small pea size blobs of polish and using a circular motion begin to work the selected panel. Once the polish begins to “haze” then stop. Continue to do this over the entire vehicle until every panel has been done.

Once you have done the last panel move back to the first with a buffing cloth and begin to remove the hazed polish.

Waxing

This is really the exact same process as polishing except most waxes require that once they have been applied they are left to “cure” for 20-30 mins before being buffed off.

Remember with wax however that less is more and waxing a vehicle on a very hot day is not a good idea, as once the wax has been applied the hot sun stops the wax curing and becomes a nightmare to remove.


If you want to know about machine polishing I can help you with this as well!

If you do this then you get this

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38d76d00.jpg

abecaed9.jpg


Please Also Like My Facebook Page!

https://www.facebook.com/RoDetailingWestYorkshire
 
Brilliant Nova..

Just a quick question from me and no doubt a dum one.. How do you use the clay bar do you rotate it in circles like when you polish, run it in straight lines or dab it..

Sorry if this is a basic question but i would rather ask than make a mess
 
Does anyone still use a chamois to dry their car or is it just me?
I've tried microfibre cloths but don't find them as good, unless I've been using cheap ones?
 
deka said:
Brilliant Nova..

Just a quick question from me and no doubt a dum one.. How do you use the clay bar do you rotate it in circles like when you polish, run it in straight lines or dab it..

Sorry if this is a basic question but i would rather ask than make a mess

tbh i think in straight lines is best although this is just me, always make sure to keep the panel lubricated and to get the bottom of doors!

Dav the wheel nut said:
Does anyone still use a chamois to dry their car or is it just me?
I've tried microfibre cloths but don't find them as good, unless I've been using cheap ones?

Personally i would never use these, the microfiber takes the dirt deep into the pile and keeps it away from the paint surface preventing swirls, have you tried to dedicated drying towel like the one listed above? in the past i paid for drying towels (Halfords) and its been absolutely terrible! so sometimes you have to try different ones.


Hope this helps
 
Dav the wheel nut said:
Does anyone still use a chamois to dry their car or is it just me?
I've tried microfibre cloths but don't find them as good, unless I've been using cheap ones?

In the past i used to SWEAR by using Chamois! I would insist on buying the best i could get once every 12 months. There is no denying there absorbents. As mentioned above though any fine grit or contaminate left on the cars surface after washing (or already on the Chamois) will just be GROUND into the surface of the car as you dye it (creating fine swirly scratches).

But a friend of mine was a Car Detailer by trade and would use a Terry-Towel (basically a soft cotton bath towel), these are very similar to Mirco fiber cloths but over time they lose their softness. The same guy then introduced me to micro-fibre cloths long before i had ever seen them on the market, he would get them online from America.

Someone correct me if im wrong, but i think Micro-fibre cloths are made from a yarn that is 3 or4 times finer than that of a cotton Yarn (Hence Micro fibre), there for being loads softer, more dense and virtually non-abrasive. These days you can get really great ones for a matter of pounds instead of £10-£20 as 8-10 years ago.

I use 2 to dry my car, one to start, and the second to go over again as the first one will become soaked. TIP Shake them before being used, then I throw them straight into our washing basket at home after each use and get them washed along with the everyday laundry just to eliminate drit contamination and store them in the airing cupboard. Try to avoid dropping them on the floor.
:thumbsup:
 
ESP said:
Dav the wheel nut said:
Does anyone still use a chamois to dry their car or is it just me?
I've tried microfibre cloths but don't find them as good, unless I've been using cheap ones?

In the past i used to SWEAR by using Chamois! I would insist on buying the best i could get once every 12 months. There is no denying there absorbents. As mentioned above though any fine grit or contaminate left on the cars surface after washing (or already on the Chamois) will just be GROUND into the surface of the car as you dye it (creating fine swirly scratches).

But a friend of mine was a Car Detailer by trade and would use a Terry-Towel (basically a soft cotton bath towel), these are very similar to Mirco fiber cloths but over time they lose their softness. The same guy then introduced me to micro-fibre cloths long before i had ever seen them on the market, he would get them online from America.

Someone correct me if im wrong, but i think Micro-fibre cloths are made from a yarn that is 3 or4 times finer than that of a cotton Yarn (Hence Micro fibre), there for being loads softer, more dense and virtually non-abrasive. These days you can get really great ones for a matter of pounds instead of £10-£20 as 8-10 years ago.

I use 2 to dry my car, one to start, and the second to go over again as the first one will become soaked. TIP Shake them before being used, then I throw them straight into our washing basket at home after each use and get them washed along with the everyday laundry just to eliminate drit contamination and store them in the airing cupboard. Try to avoid dropping them on the floor.
:thumbsup:

+1
 
+1

Being a novice car cleaner, this guide looks perfick for me and my Brabby (I'm still looking for the right zed).

One questions though, would the Autoglym polised linked in the guide be suitable for all paint colours? I notice the description says it's ideal for darker paint.
 
johnnynocash said:
+1

Being a novice car cleaner, this guide looks perfick for me and my Brabby (I'm still looking for the right zed).

One questions though, would the Autoglym polised linked in the guide be suitable for all paint colours? I notice the description says it's ideal for darker paint.

Hey,

Yes it can work for all colours ;-) although just the normal Autoglym Super Resin Polish would be perfect as well!
 
You can use water with a small amount of fairy liquid this will help strip the old wax off & prep the surface for new polish & wax. Iam sure you will get some expert that will tell you different but it works fine.
 
domsz4 said:
if youve run out of the clay lube what else can you use?

This......

http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/dodo-juice/born-slippy-refill-250ml.aspx

Make claying a breeze, it lasts and lasts and it smells good enough to drink (not advised).

Sent from my phone using Tapatalk
 
KERMIT1970 said:
You can use water with a small amount of fairy liquid this will help strip the old wax off & prep the surface for new polish & wax. Iam sure you will get some expert that will tell you different but it works fine.

stay away from washing up liquid! it contains salt, which is an abrasive!
 
150+ pounds of products wont get you near to dealing a car.

You need quite a bit more.

I would not go near a car without my paint meter.

Thereafter, I would learn the right techniques most commonly the Zenith Technique for a rotary.

Learning the combination of which polishes work best with which pads on which cars takes time, frustration and experience.

Lastly Detailing World offers a wealth of detail however you can easily attend a detailing/paint correction class held by one of the experienced detailers in your area.

For car nuts like us its worth every penny.

Shawn
 
Darren Slone said:
Fantastic Nova! :thumbsup:

I love cleaning my car inside, out and underneath so your guide will come in very handy!!

glad to be of service!! did a machines polish on mine this afternoon! although not having a good week! now have a radiator leak along with other problems!
 
shawna said:
150+ pounds of products wont get you near to dealing a car.

You need quite a bit more.

I would not go near a car without my paint meter.

Thereafter, I would learn the right techniques most commonly the Zenith Technique for a rotary.

Learning the combination of which polishes work best with which pads on which cars takes time, frustration and experience.

Lastly Detailing World offers a wealth of detail however you can easily attend a detailing/paint correction class held by one of the experienced detailers in your area.

For car nuts like us its worth every penny.

Shawn

like ive said before this is a very basic guide more focused on hand polishing for the beginner!
 
Nova2k7 said:
shawna said:
150+ pounds of products wont get you near to dealing a car.

You need quite a bit more.

I would not go near a car without my paint meter.

Thereafter, I would learn the right techniques most commonly the Zenith Technique for a rotary.

Learning the combination of which polishes work best with which pads on which cars takes time, frustration and experience.

Lastly Detailing World offers a wealth of detail however you can easily attend a detailing/paint correction class held by one of the experienced detailers in your area.

For car nuts like us its worth every penny.

Shawn

like ive said before this is a very basic guide more focused on hand polishing for the beginner!

Hi Nova I see fair enough but in reality you wont achieve anything by hand polishing, just maybe garnishing it or sprucing it up a bit.

I would invest those 150 in a short course and start from there.
 
Great write-up. I have a few questions...

How often do you clay bar? Do you also wax on the days the car is cleaned but you haven't used the clay bar??

Presume you only polish after using the clay bar?

Do you recommend any products for cleaning exhaust tips and maintaining the leather, and what tools/materials do you use?

Any tips on removing tar spots? I have tar remover, turtle wax I think, but some require severe rubbing, which I don't like.

Thanks

Neil
 
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