The Car Valeting Guide
Taking pride in your car is something that many of us have turned into a hobby. As soon as the sun comes out, you can’t walk far without spotting an avid car lover brandishing their buckets and soapy water, ready to wash away grime and dirt from their beloved vehicle. Cleaning your car not only makes it look great, but it can also help reduce the impact of scratches and minimise the chance of more permanent (and expensive) damage in the future. And, car valeting is the creme de la creme of car washing. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about valeting your car here today.
What Is Car Valeting?
Car valeting is the process of cleaning, polishing and waxing a car. It is an intense level of car washing, helping to bring a car to its ultimate shine and is largely used when selling or presenting a car for sale to new buyers. You may also have heard of car detailing. This is where you aim to make sure every single surface in the car, from top-to-bottom, is pristine. However, the two terms interlinked on many occasions.
Car valeting normally includes:
- Washing the car bodywork.
- Polishing and waxing the car bodywork.
- Cleaning the wheels.
- Dressing or bringing back to black the wheel trim and other plastics.
- Cleaning and polishing up the glass.
- Fully vacuuming the interior of the car.
- Shampooing the interior carpet of the car.
- Cleaning all leather surfaces inside the car.
- Cleaning the headlining (material used in the roof of your car).
This full-level clean is designed to remove all of the dirt that you find. It is such a detailed job that many people choose to visit a professional car valeting service. This way, you can achieve the sparkling clean you’re looking for without any of the labour. However, for many people, washing a car can be an enjoyable experience and one that allows you to take control when it comes to your vehicle.
And, with the right products and the right instructions, it’s not hard to valet your car either.
How to Valet Your Car - Step-By-Step
So, how do you valet your car? The exact process can differ from person to person, depending on personal preference or how in-depth of a job they wish to do. However, if you’re looking for a step-by-step process to follow, here it is.
- Wash the Car All Over With a High-Quality and Specially Designed Soap
As you may guess, the first step to washing your car is to wash the car. We recommend opting for a high-quality and well-tested professional car shampoo. For example, the Simoniz Car Wash Shampoo has a super-strong blend that breaks down stubborn dirt and grime. It leaves behind a streak-free shine with added protection against weather and UV sun damage. Take two buckets outside with you - one for the soap and one with clean water. Use the soapy mixture to wash the car and the clean water to rinse your sponge in between each wipe. This way, you’ll keep the sponge clean from dirt and help to speed up the process of the clean.
- Remove Ingrained Dirt
Even if you choose to wash your vehicle twice, you may still find some dirt clings on. This is especially true if you do a lot of motorway driving where contaminants can become embedded in the paintwork. Professional valeters and detailers use a clay bar, which is essentially a chunk of clay that pulls out dirt without impacting the paintwork.
- Rinse the Car Surface
Now is the time to rinse off all the soap and loosened dirt. You may wish to do this with a pressure washer, such as the Karcher K2.850 or simply by pouring clean water over the top of the vehicle. Either way, make sure you work from the top of the car down and remove all soap residue quickly. Once you have completed the rinse, use a chamois drying cloth to prevent drips and watermarks while also helping to dry the surface.
- Polish the Bodywork
If you’re doing a full car clean, you’ll want to section out some time to polish the surface of the car. Using a microfibre cloth and a generous amount of suitable car polish, buff until you get a good shine. You may wish to work with an electric polisher, such as the Triton Eccentric Orbital Polisher and a very soft polishing head like a Lambs Wool Bonnet Head or a Contoured Ultra Soft Sponge Pad Head. Start on the lowest setting and work up to a high setting to get that admirable high shine.
- Hoover Inside
Now that the outside of the car is looking its best, it’s time to move inside and vacuum out all of the first. Use the brush attachment to get into the fibres of the carpets and lift as much dirt as possible. You may also wish to hoover down unexpected areas, such as the roof, dashboard and door panels. Make sure to get into all the little corners and hidden areas to remove stubborn dirt.
- Shampoo the Carpet
After a good hoover, consider shampooing the carpet and upholstery inside your vehicle. Formulations such as the Fabric Magic Concentrated Carpet Cleaning Shampoo breaks down stubborn stains and trodden in dirt. It also cleans quickly and deodorises at the same time, making the inside of your car smell and look amazing too.
- Clean Your Leather
Your seats and leather features in the car need to stay hydrated and supple to prevent cracks. The Car Pride Leather Cleaning Spray can be used on seats and the interior trim of the vehicle. After spraying and wiping clean, it can also be vacuumed off when dry too to give the cleanest finish possible.
- Wash Your Windows
Don’t forget about your windows. No matter how clean a car is, if the windows look dirty, it will look dirty. Use a specialist product such as the Car Pride Window, Glass and Mirror Spray which will remove both bugs and grime while leaving a smear-free surface after use too.
Car valeting is all about the finer details so it pays to do a full inspection of the car after you’re finished. Are there any pockets of dirt that you haven’t spotted? Do you need to work into those smaller areas to make sure every nook and crevice is clean? Here at Sealant & Tools Direct, we have a wide range of specialist car valeting products and tools to ensure you achieve the best result. If you have any questions or would like to speak to a member of the team, please do get in contact with us here today.