Step One - The Pre-wash

In Detailing your car the 1st stage is the perish
Depending on whether you are starting a full detail or just doing a maintenance wash will determine which products you start with

Degreasers like our citrus based R222 Total Auto wash will help remove heavy grime and traffic film but will also strip the wax and are used generally at the start of a full polish and re-wax process.
If you are just maintaining your car then rinsing off the heavy dirt with a hose or pressure washer is the first step. Specialised snow foams used in conjunction with lance attachments that fit your pressure washer or hose can assist in dirt removal without having to rub the wax surface and are normally wax safe

Step Two - The Main Wash

After the initial pre-wash comes the main wash using a mild shampoo to avoid wax removal and wash mitts or soft sponges to gently remove the remaining dirt. An important part of the washing system is to ensure that you do not carry any grit onto the car's paintwork. To ensure this the optimum system uses a two bucket wash method and Grit Guard buckets. The first bucket holds clean water and the second your shampoo. You rinse the mitt in the clean water and then transfer it to the shampoo before applying to the car surface always making sure that you wash from the top of the car down.

This system ensures that any dirt removed is left in the "rinse" bucket and falls to the bottom below the grit guard insert. You will thus always be putting clean fresh shampoo onto the wax surface See our wash movie for more details

And- if you really can't be bothered
- The DRY Wash- we can't belive it either!

It goes against all the detailing principles and every instinct but despite what anyone says this product does actually work. Being a detailer keeping my car clean all the time can be a real pain so in the interests of science I took a freshly waxed car let it get dirty and took the plunge. In the words of the inimitable Victor Meldrew I couldn't believe it either! The OneDrywash system really does work.

Ok so it isn't for everyone and plenty of you will remain unconvinced but even die hardened detailers and show car owners who I have given the product to have concluded that the product works.

After the Dry wash I inspected the waxed finish under our metal halide lighing rig and there were no scratches or paint defects as a result and I would even go as far as saying that I bet that frequent dry washing may even do less damage than the equivalent amount of normal washing. There are a number of products about but the OneDrywash system is by far the best one I have tried.

For full details and more info see our drywash section

NOTE: page under development as part of our new series on how to Wash , Polish Wax and maintain tour car. keep coming back for more updates

R222 Total Auto Wash
A safe degreaser for removing traffic film and used before a major detail

Note: will remove wax

Meguiars Hyperwash
A great car wash system ideal for use with the HD lance and your pressure washer. Floats away surface dirt and grit to avoid wash marks when shampooing £29.95

The Shampoo system- click on an image for more info and to purchase.

Use A two bucket GritGuard wash system to minimise wash marks
Use soft wash mitts like our Lambswool and Microfibre Screaming Green products which won't scratch your paintwork and mild p[H neutral shampoos from R222 and Dodo Juice