Automotive:

You may not realise it, but cleaning your car, is the single most damaging thing you can do to the paint finish. Most of the fine scratches & swirl marks you can see on your paint are simply caused by improper washing techniques. I'm sure it's very tempting to get your car cleaned at the local supermarket, and on the surface, the car looks clean when you get back, but it's almost certain that the whole car is now covered in fine (or not so fine in some cases) scratches that ruin the reflective properties of the paint. I can almost guarantee that the sponge/chamois used to clean your car has been dropped on the ground numerous times during the day, and receives no more than a quick dip in a bucket of dirty water to rinse it off before it's being dragged across the rest of your car. As well as poor technique, there’s a good chance they also used harsh chemicals to help loosen the dirt and traffic film from the paint, and strong acid to clean the wheels. At best, these products will strip any wax protection from your paint, but the risk of more serious damage is a possibility. It simply isn’t possible to clean a car properly (without causing damage), in the time allowed by supermarket / car park valeting firms.

I offer a range of professional cleaning services from a basic valet, to a full detail, which can remove swirl marks, fine scratches and various other paint defects, that can't be removed by washing alone. As well as the exterior, I’m fully equipped to deep clean interior fabrics, leather, vinyl and plastics. I only use the best quality products available, and take immense pride in the work I do. I'm also completely mobile, and carry power and water with me, so can come to your home or place of work (as long as there's enough space to get around the car). A typical exterior detail would include the following:

1. Foam pre-wash to gently loosen and remove larger dirt particles, followed by a high pressure rinse.

2. Hand wash using quality shampoo, lamb’s wool wash mitt and the two bucket method (separate buckets for rinse & wash water). This ensures the car is cleaned with the least risk of scratching the paint finish.

3. Bonded contaminants removed using a clay bar. This typically removes tar spots, tree sap, industrial fallout and any other contaminants that are not removed by washing alone. It really is quite amazing how much better the finish looks and feels after the clay bar treatment.

4. Second wash, rinse and dry using micro fibre drying towels.

5. At this stage, it's possible to do a detailed visual inspection of the paint finish to see exactly what's required to get a perfect finish. I would also do a paint thickness survey using an electronic thickness gauge. This gives a good idea of how much paint is on the car, and how much can safely be removed during the next polishing stages. If the survey shows up any areas of thinner paint, these can be treated with extra care to ensure the finish is not damaged.

6. Once the inspection is completed, I can get to work correcting any defects that were found during the inspection. This will typically remove swirl marks, minor scratches, bird lime etching and paint oxidation etc. All this is done using either a random orbit or rotary buffer and various grades of abrasive polishing compound. All trim and bright work is carefully masked to protect it from possible damage and polish residue.

7. After the vehicle has been thoroughly polished, and all defects removed, it's time to add some protection. I can use either carnauba wax products, or synthetic sealants depending on your personal preference. Both give a superb (albeit different) finish, and offer protection from the elements. I carry quite a wide range of different products to suit most budgets and tastes. You can be assured that whatever you choose, the finish will be superb and the protection is second to none.

If you have any questions about the services I can provide, please do contact me to discuss your options.

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