Car detailing is a huge industry and with thousands of products out there, it can be overwhelming for beginners looking to learn how to clean their car at home. Whilst some petrolheads might prefer to go to a professional for a deep clean, some find the act of car cleaning therapeutic and even decide to take it up as a hobby. Plus, the act of cleaning your car at home can mean that you save money. If you’re not sure where to start, our step-by-step guide will take you through the basics, including product recommendations and how to use them. Of course, this may be a bit of trial and error until you find your preferred products but our advice will set you on the right path to keeping a pristine and well-maintained car.
What is the first step in car detailing?
The answer to this question depends on who you ask. Some people will say you need to do the interior before the exterior, and some people say you should start from the top down. However, we’re firm believers in starting with your exterior and cleaning your wheels first. This is because the wheels are the dirtiest area of the car, and they’ll need soaking with a high-performance wheel cleaner. We suggest using the Carbon Collective React Fallout Remover, and leaving this to soak on the wheels for 3 minutes - just make sure that your wheels are cool to the touch before applying. If your wheels are heavily soiled, you may need an extended soaking time. For problematic and hard to reach areas, agitate the solution with a wheel brush during the soaking period but do not brush or wash it off.
To get the solution off, you’ll need a bucket of clean water and a wash mitt. Both of these need to be separate from the ones that you use on your paintwork, this is to avoid putting dirt and debris from the wheels back onto the car and to avoid leaving residue from the fallout remover on your paintwork. We advise using the Gtechniq wash mitt for your wheels. As you get more experienced, there are extra steps that you can take to ensure your wheels look their best, for example, you can invest in wheel sealants and tyre dressings, but for total beginners, we advise just getting to grips with the cleaning process first and foremost. Alternatively, if you’re comfortable and want to start doing this, follow the steps below for cleaning the rest of the exterior first before applying sealants and dressings.
How to detail the exterior of your car
After cleaning your wheels, the next step is to move onto the body of your car. This is a bit of a lengthy process, but you don’t need to do each step every time. The step-by-step guide below breaks down each stage of clearing the exterior and how to tackle your paintwork without damaging it.
1. Use prewash to eliminate tough grime and dirt
You need to apply a pre-wash or pre-cleaner solution to your car, one that is designed to remove grime, dirt, and bugs. For beginners, we recommend the Auto Finesse Citrus Power which is easy on wax and sealant layers. Typically it is the lower areas of the car that attract grime and bugs, such as your licence plate, grill, and the sills. So you’ll want to use the pre-cleaner specifically on these areas - spray it onto the surface and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing off with a pressure washer or garden hose.
2. Use snow foam to soften and remove the rest of the dirt
Snow foam is a detergent that is used to help remove grease and grime from your car, it takes its name from the fact that your car looks like it’s been covered in a blanket of snow, and has little to do with the season itself. For an in-depth guide on how to use snow foam effectively, read our dedicated blog which takes you through each step. But for a quick breakdown, you’ll want to apply the snow foam all over your car using a lance, and let it sit for a few minutes before washing it off from top to bottom using a pressure washer.
3. Deep clean with car shampoo
Now we’re getting into the finer elements of car detailing. Whilst the pre-wash and snow foam will have gotten rid of most of the dirt and grime, there’ll be some leftover parts that need a bit of elbow grease. In this step, you’ll need two buckets, some car shampoo, and a cleaning mitt such as the Gyeon Q2M.
To apply the car shampoo correctly, you’ll need one bucket filled with water and the car shampoo (make sure to dilute as per the instructions on your chosen product) and one bucket with clean water to rinse the mitt. Work top to bottom by cleaning the car with the mitt, and rinse it in between sections. Once complete, rinse off the car with clean water once again.
4. Decontamination
Just like in the snow foam stage, we’ve created a more in-depth guide for decontamination if this isn’t your area of expertise and you can view this guide here. However, you do not need to do this every time you detail your car at home. You should only need to do the decontamination process every 6 months or so.
In this stage, you’ll need to spray iron remover onto your wheels and wait a couple of minutes for the solution to turn red or purple. Once you see this colour you can choose to either rinse it off with a hose or pressure washer, or aggravate it with a brush before washing it away. You should also use this spray on your paintwork, but be careful to avoid the windows. Carefully rinse off any purple bits, as these are contaminants that can damage your paintwork down the line. During this stage, you should also spray on a tar remover to get rid of any pieces that are stuck.
For more extensive decontamination, use a clay bar and applicator to bring out any heavier contaminants from the paintwork. For your iron fallout, we recommend Gyeon Q2m Iron Wheel Cleaner. For your tar remover Sam’s Detailing Tar & Glue Remover and Sam’s Detailing Clay Bar Set with Clay Lubricant.
5.The drying stage
After all that hard work, this stage is straightforward, you just need a microfibre drying towel and you should drag it across the car in a line. Start at the top of the car and move down panel by panel. It is important to work quickly as if your car is left for too long you’ll likely get water spots that you’ll need to remove with a quick detailer.
6. Polishing your car
Before we get any further into this stage, we do not recommend that total beginners use a machine polisher. If you don’t know what you’re doing you can damage your paintwork, resulting in needing a respray. If this is the route you want to go down, practise on a separate panel first until you know what to do.
Otherwise, we would advise doing a hand polish which will still provide a good, professional-standard result. For a strong all-rounder, we recommend the Stjarnagloss Skära Gloss Enhancing Polish which can be applied with a Gnugga applicator or hand polishing pad.
7. Applying sealants
It’s important not to miss out this step, as applying a layer of wax or sealant will protect all your previous hard work. One of our bestsellers is Gyeon’s Q2m Wet Coat which can simply be sprayed onto your car as one of the last steps. A sealant will protect your paintwork against the elements and provide a glossy finish for a pristine look.
8. Tyres and trims
Tyre dressings aren’t an essential step, but they will help to maintain that clean, brand-new car look as they’ll keep your tyres jet black and prevent them from turning brown. To do this we recommend applying Meguiars Endurance High Gloss Tyre Gel and applying wheel sealant such as the Chemical Guys Max Wheel Guard to repel dirt, dust, and debris.
9. Cleaning your glass
One of the final stages, we recommend using the Auto Finesse Crystal Glass Cleaner to remove any fingerprints or marks on your windshield and mirrors. To use the spray, apply a fine mist over the target area and wipe off with a microfibre towel. Turn the towel to a clean side and then give one final buff for a streak-free finish.
10. Use a quick detailing spray for finishing touches
Finally, you are done cleaning the car exterior. All you need to do now is give your car a once over with a quick detailing spray to spot-clean any missed bits, remove any leftover residue from the other products, and water spots. This finishing touch will give you a professional look, and shouldn’t be overlooked!
How often should I detail my car?
After doing all that, you might not be in a hurry to do it again any time soon. The good news is that these products are long lasting, and you only need to do the complete process 2-3 times a year, with some quick washes in between if your car gets dirty. However, if you take pride in your car or plan to attend car shows and therefore want a pristine look all year round, you can complement this process with a full wash and dry every two weeks. It’s not necessary to do the full detailing process more often than 3 times a year.
Complete your car detailing kit with My Car Cleaning
Now that you’ve got to grips with the theory of cleaning the exterior of your car with precision and professionalism, it’s time to get started by purchasing your essential components to your detailing kit. At My Car Cleaning, we’ve got everything you need to complete the whole process, to view our comprehensive range of products, why not browse through our full range of car exterior cleaning products? This includes everything from pressure washers and snow lances to car detailing brushes to get into every nook. Take pride in your car with a whole range of high-quality products that can leave your car looking like it’s come straight from the showroom.
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Now grab your mitts, your buckets, and your favourite products, and get ready to turn heads on the road! 🚘✨
