February 3, 2008

1. Put aside sufficient time

Four hours should be more than enough time in most cases – and don't get distracted. We picked the worst car possible and it took us 10 hours to valet the car (but three days to film it. That's filming for you !). Avoid valeting your car on a really sunny, scorcher of a day – the car care products will dry too quickly and you may well have to repeat steps to get a great finish.

2.

Beg, borrow or hire a pressure washer (check beforehand that there isn't a hose-pipe ban in force in your area). It'll make your life a lot easier and used properly will give you a better finish. And, make sure you wear some form of eye protection – the last thing you want is to end up not being able to see the results of your hard work because you've blinded yourself !

3.

Whatever product you choose, make sure you follow the instructions to the letter. For instance, use an acid-based wheel cleaner on the wrong kind of alloy, or leave it on too long even on the correct kind of wheel, and you could cause permanent damage.

4.

Don't use domestic cleaning products on your car – according to the men in white coats, they're not formulated to cope with the kind of soiling suffered by cars and may cause or promote damage to some surfaces. No matter how stubborn unsightly marks may be, even on wheels, never attack them with the kind of nylon scouring pad that you use on your dishes – the results would be disastrous.

5.

Before hosing down the engine, make sure the car keys and alarm remote control are in your pocket (a “short” could lock the doors unexpectedly), all electrical “boxes” are covered in cling film (you want to be able to start the engine afterwards) and you have looked in the engine bay and owner's manual for any warning messages about pressure washing (you don't want to invalidate your warranty).

6.

A long handled paint brush is an incredibly useful tool to agitate cleaning products (notably Engine and Machine Cleaner) into heavily soiled areas that are difficult to get at. Wrap some tape around the metal part of the brush (the bit that secures the bristles) to ensure that you don't inadvertently scratch any painted surfaces.

7.

If you drop a cloth or sponge on the floor, don't use it again. Even if it looks clean, assume it is contaminated with tiny bits of grit that could cause scratches.

8.

When vacuuming the interior of your car avoid rubbing to and fro with the hard nozzle on the end of the vacuum against plastic or leather surfaces - you could easily cause permanent marks. Hold the nozzle just off the surface and dust towards it with a soft paint brush. To clean dash vents properly, suck and blow – suck with the vacuum with the ventilation fan at full blow.

9.

When using any product on upholstery start with a test-patch somewhere out of sight. Avoid being too aggressive when shampooing your headliner – if it's old it could be delicate and it won't matter how clean the headliner is if it's got a great big fist-sized hole in it!

10.

To tell if your car needs re-polishing, spray it with water (or wait until it rains). If the water immediately forms droplets (or beads) on the bodywork that “run off” straight away, you're OK. If not, you know what to do – or you will if you watch the DVD!

Leave a comment

Type into the box below