With over 30 million licensed road vehicles in the UK the majority of us will need to valet a car at some point in our lifetime. It may seem like a lot of effort but it is important to keep your car clean as this can reduce maintenance costs. Failing to do so can also devalue your car when you come to sell it on. Foam gun is necessary if your car is full of dirt but remind you be careful of using it.

Cars are exposed to a variety of hazards including bird droppings, road salt and pollutants. These elements can have a negative effect on a car’s exterior. Rust can develop when paintwork deteriorates revealing the metal underneath, this can be expensive to repair. Knowing how to valet a car properly will keep it looking new and will reduce these maintenance expenses.

What you will need:

A pressure hose
Soft sponge or soft wool mitt
Pre wash car shampoo
Two buckets of water
Quality car shampoo
Medium hardness sponge or cleaning pad
Brush
Hard scrub pad or sponge
Chamois leather cloth
Car glass cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
Car polish
Two soft cloths

Instructions for how to valet a car

The first thing you need to do when you valet a car is rinse and wet the car all over with a pressure hose. This will remove any loose grit and as the water soaks the rest of the dirt will loosen. Avoid using a sponge at this point as you will just end up rubbing the loose grit over the surface of your car. Leave the car for a minute to give the water a chance to dissolve some of the dirt.

Prepare your car for the pre wash by using a soft wool mitt or soft sponge to gently wipe away all the particles of grit. Start at the top and work your way around and down so that the bumpers, which are the dirtiest parts, are tackled last. This way you are not spreading the dirt around the car.

Pre wash with a bucket of clean water and a quality pre wash car shampoo that doesn’t have a lot of bubbles. Avoid products with polish incorporated as this basically seals the dirt under a layer of wax which makes it much harder to clean.

For the main wash use a quality shampoo with a harder sponge or cleaning pad. Work in same way as before starting at the top and working around and down as you clean. A tip for effective washing is to use two separate buckets, one with clean water and one with the car shampoo. This way you avoid grit contamination as you rinse your sponge in the clean water bucket.

When cleaning your wheels and tyres you should firstly use a brush to clean off the main bits of dirt. After most of the grit is removed with a brush use a hard scrub pad or sponge to wash the rest of the wheel. Next time you wash your car you should avoid using this brush and sponge on the bodywork as you will probably scratch the paintwork from any grit left over.

Rinse off all the car shampoo with clean water. Then slightly dampen a chamois leather cloth to dry off the car. This cloth will not soak up water like a towel; it buffs the water into small droplets that evaporate off.

Use car glass cleaner to make your windows sparkling and clear. Work in circular motions on the window not forgetting to do the inside of the windows as well as out.

When you want to valet the inside of your car you should start by taking out all interior mats. Hoover up any dirt on the mats and then continue to vacuum the rest of the car interior. Don’t forget the boot and under the seats. Use a damp cloth to wipe the dashboard and all other plastic areas. Don’t use polish as this can catch a glare on particularly sunny days. Lastly you should open all the doors and use a damp sponge to wipe the areas around the sides and bottom of each door including the boot.

If you want a really clean finish you can polish your car using two soft cloths. Put a small amount of polish on one cloth and apply to the car in straight lines. Use the other cloth to buff the polish. Two thin coats works much better than having too much polish on your cloth.

These tips explaining how to valet a car should help you keep your car in a good condition and reduce your maintenance costs. However, if your car is at the stage where no amount of cleaning is going make a difference then you may be considering buying something a bit newer. Ron Skinner Car Supermarket has a huge variety of quality used cars in South Wales. A family-run business with 40 years of experience, customer service comes first.

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