| |
| 1. INTRODUCTION TO CAR VALETING |
| Car Valeting is not just washing, vacuuming and a bit of polishing every few weeks. Valeting a Car is a highly specialised job that could take a whole day using a wide range of chemicals and implements.
This page will help you gain a better understanding of the work that goes into car valeting. It will also show you the way the professionals clean cars, and how you may achieve a similar result. |
| 2. ENGINE |
| Before you start washing the engine make sure you cover any electrics. If you don't you risk getting sensitive parts of the engine wet resulting in being unable to start the engine or electric failure. If you d It is not recommended to wash a car engine if it has an electronic management system, because if water is allowed to get into the sensors around the engine it will give false readings to the onboard computer. |
| 3. WHEELS |
| Removing brake dust is often the biggest problem when cleaning wheels. This can be overcome with an acidic wheel cleaner and hard brushing, then rinsed off with water. This process may need to be done a few times. Never brush the wheel without dampening it first, as it may contain asbestos. |
| 4. WASHING THE BODYWORK |
| Before you apply any polishes or dressings the car must be washed and dried thoroughly. A properly washed car will make polishing a lot easier, and the polish will also last longer. If you have a pressure washer you will be able to wash under the wheel arches and underbody with ease. Some pressure washers will allow you to add a detergent (i.e. T.F.R.) to remove dirt quicker. If you do not have a pressure washer a good car shampoo and hose pipe with a spray attachment will usually do. When you wash the car it is important to wash the door shuts, boot and bonnet rims as well as the bodywork and wheel arches. After ensuring the car has been thoroughly washed it is recommended to apply a rinse aid to help the car to dry. This is particularly helpful on cars that have no polish on and are holding the water as it gives the car the effect of having been polished. Simply spray it over the paintwork (not on the windows). Then spray another coat of water over the car to allow the rinse aid to activate. The water will now run off the car more easily. Then use a clean damp chamois to dry the car. A synthetic chamois is cheaper than a leather one, but will not perform as well as the leather alternative. |
| 5. POLISHING THE BODYWORK |
| There are many types of polishes available but the most effective and professional are the cream type that pour onto a cloth. Before you apply a polish you need to consider which type of polish will best suit your particular car. If your car is relatively new a high shine, low cut polish will suffice. But if your car has begun to oxide (showing whitish patches, especially on the bonnet) then you might prefer to use a cutting polish. The best cutting polishes will remove only the dead paintwork and not good paintwork. If the car has extremely stubborn particles (i.e. from bodyshop work) then a cutting compound will need to be applied first. Be sure to only use the cutting compound on the damaged areas as it will only make your polishing harder if used elsewhere. |
| Never apply the polish on hot bodywork that has been left in the sun. |
| The best results are obtained by applying the polish on a damp cloth. This stops the cloth soaking up the polish before it reaches the car, and will make applying the polish a lot easier. Never pour the polish directly on the vehicle as it may mark the paintwork. Always apply a thin coat, allow to dry and buff.th a clean dry cloth. |
| Avoid plastic bumpers and trims when applying the polish as it may be difficult to remove. |
| It is good practice to polish the door shuts, boot shuts, the petrol cap area and the underside of the bonnet as this is where rust can often start, without being noticed. |
| 6. WINDOWS |
| To make the windows gleam you must use a cream glass polish. After ensuring the windows are completely dry use a small cloth and place some glass polish on it and then rub hard onto the windows. You then must allow the polish to dry completely before removing with a clean, dry cloth. Ensure you polish both the inside and outside of the windows. You must do the same to the front and rear windscreens, both external door mirrors, the rear view mirror, any mirrors that can be found in the sun visors and you can even polish the clear plastic which protects the speedometer. To complete the job you must wind all the windows down a couple of inches and polish the now exposed tops as described above. As with the polishing of the bodywork, it helps to avoid putting the polish onto the trims and bumpers. |
| 7. TYRES |
| If your wheels look clean then the whole car looks good. Make sure the tyres have been washed and are free from mud (wheels). |
| When the wheels are clean all that needs to be done is to cover the tyres with a tyre dressing. This comes in three forms:- Firstly, you can use an aerosol which contains a foam mixture which you simply spray and leave for a few minutes, giving excellent results. Secondly, you can use a liquid cleaner which you can either brush on or rub on with a cloth, which also gives excellent results. Thirdly, you can use a tyre paint which is a bitumen based solution you can paint onto the tyre, but we do not recommend use of this as it makes a mess of your tyres and it is very difficult to remove. |
| Be sure to remember to spray the spare wheel also, but only after you have cleaned the surrounding area (Cleaning the Upholstery). |
| 8. BUMPERS AND TRIMS |
| There are two basic types of chemicals you can use to restore the bumpers and trims. Most of them will only last a short time, meaning you will need to keep re-applying in order to prevent the bumpers/trims from fading beyond repair. The first alternative is to use a thin spirit based sheen. To apply use a small clean cloth with a small amount of the chemical, allow to dry and buff. An alternative to the sheen is a plastic gel. This is applied the same way as the sheen, but is easier to apply onto bumpy plastics. Both types of chemicals will remove polish stains on plastics with a little effort. |
| 9. CLEANING THE UPHOLSTERY |
| Cleaning Car upholstery can be a very time consuming job, even if you have the right equipment for the job. Often the easiest way to vacuum the upholstery is to use a water extraction unit (wet vacuum) which systematically washes and vacuums the seats, carpet and boot. To do this you must fill up your wet vac with a liquid upholstery cleaner and then spray the upholstery with the liquid. You must then agitate the liquid by scrubbing all areas covered with a soft brush to bring out the dirt. You then vacuum the fluid off applying more liquid if the area being vacuumed is particularly dirty. Going over the upholstery with a firm, slow motion with the vacuum will remove most of the dirt gathered on the fabrics. |
| If you have dog hairs then it is recommended to scrub the infected areas with a brush before you use the vacuum. You can also remove dog hairs with a suitable stipple brush or, as a last resort, you can simply gather the hairs together with your hands. |
| TIP:- tains must be cleaned within a week otherwise it will be near impossible to successfully remove both the stain and the accompanying odour. |
| If the vacuuming fails to remove all the stains it is possible to remove the remainder with a specialized dry cleaner which attracts the dirt on contact which can then be wiped off with a cloth. Dry cleaners normally come in foam form in a pressurised can. |
| If you cannot obtain a wet vac or do not wish to spend the time required vacuuming the dirt off it is possible to spray all upholstery with a special foam cleaner which agitates all dirt and brings it to the surface, ready to be wiped off with a few clean cloths. |
| The bonus with the foam cleaner is that you can also spray it on door panels and the centre console and dashboard area without soaking them. After spraying the foam and leaving for a few minutes to settle and do its work you simply wipe it off with a dry cloth. Unfortunately it will not be able to remove ground in stains fully and you will have to resort to other means of cleaning. |
| 10. DASHBOARD AND INTERNAL PLASTICS |
| All internal plastics and the dashboard must at first be cleaned, usually with a cloth. But if there are any stubborn dirt stains you must use an interior cleaner and a brush to remove the dirt before ensuring all the dashboard and plastics are dry and free of dust. You can also use a similar process to clean out the side pockets and ashtrays, aided by a standard vacuum cleaner. You might need to use a very soft brush to clean out the air vents and ashtrays. You can also use the interior cleaner to clean the head linings by applying to a cloth, wiping over the car ceiling, and then allowing to dry. Although not all head linings can be easily cleaned. |
| You then have a number of options available to you as to which way you would like to coat the dashboard and plastics. The most popular way to provide a high sheen is to spray the dashboard with a silicone spray. You can also use a trim sheen which you must apply to a cloth and then wipe over the dashboard with. If you do not like the dashboard shining quite as much you can use the silicone spray and then wipe it down with a cloth to provide a non- glossy finish. However, some people find it hard to drive a car with shiny dashboards as the sun can reflect through the windscreen onto the dashboard. If this is the case with you then just leave the dashboard uncoated. |
| 11. ATTENTION TO DETAIL |
| After valeting the car it is likely you have missed a few areas that can easily be forgotten about. The internal mirrors and sun visors are easy to forget so all you need to do is wipe them clean and then apply the same coating you chose in the 'Internal Plastics and Dashboard' section. For the internal mirrors you just apply glass cleaner as described in the 'Windows and Door Mirrors' section. |
| The other area easily forgotten is under the back seats. If the back seats can be pulled up you can clean the underside of them. First clear out any large bits of rubbish you see. You might be surprised what you might find lurking under the rear seats. Then all you do is vacuum out the remaining dust before putting the seats back in their original positions. |
| Another area to check when cleaning are the lamps (on the front, back or side of the car) which, if needing to be cleaned further after being washed (Bodywork), can be polish with the window polish. |
| It is also easy to forget the area underneath the front and rear bumpers. Depending on the coating which they have, you can either polish them with the body polish or treat them as you would the bumpers. By tapping them lightly with your fist you can judge which option to take. If they make a sound similar to banging on the bonnet then polish, otherwise treat like bumpers. |
| The final areas which are easily forgotten are the shiny metallic trims (usually chrome) which can coat windows or around the car manufacturers logo. To treat these areas you can obtain a specialist chrome/silver polish to treat these areas with. However you generally just need to wipe them with a clean cloth to make them shine.
But of course if all this is too much simply call Karz2Go 01903 746264 and speak to Marcus Ulderigo our Italian stallion who heads the valeting team, he will be happy to help to bring back that shine and lustre to your pride and joy. |
