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ABOUT DETAILING
About Detailing
About Detailing
The term detailing originated in the United States and began to pop up in the UK in the 90’s. Most people in the UK tend to have their car cleaned in some way or another, this either consists of a roadside car wash which entails a simple Wash & Vac or a step up from this is a Valet which normally includes shampooing the interior carpets and a single stage wax followed by some tyre/trim dressing.
Detailing takes everything to a whole new level and can be broken down into the stages which are detailed below:
Paint Contamination
Your cars paintwork is constantly subject to external influences from the environment in the form of the weather, tree sap or bird droppings to name a few, all of which attack the paint removing any protection that may have been applied in the past and actually eating into the paint causing damage. You also have industrial contamination which can include metal particles from factories or train lines, as well as tar and road salt during the winter months.
So to conduct a deep clean of the exterior and remove contamination a detailer will first use Snow Foam to soften and loosen dirt before a 3 bucket method using various cleaners depending on which area of the vehicle that is being cleaned. The car will then be treated with an Iron Out remover which dissolves contamination that’s embedded in the paint and depending on the level of contamination a separate Tar Remover may also be used. Special automotive clay is used as a final part of the decontamination stage to remove any deeply embedded contamination that has been left behind following the above stages.
Paint Correction
The next major stage is removing paint defects through correction; these can include swirls inflicted through an incorrect washing process, etching where bird droppings or acid rain have eaten into the paint, hologramming caused by an incorrect polishing process and random scratches due to human error.
These are removed using various grades of compound depending on how severe the damage is, compounds contain micro abrasives which remove a very small layer of the vehicles old paint revealing a fresh layer of paint below.
Paint compounds are normally applied via an electric polisher, the most popular of which is a Dual Action Polisher which spins in an orbit that reduces heat build-up and thereby minimizes any potential damage to the paint. Detailers will use a paint thickness gauge, inspection lamps and special masking tape/paper to eliminate the risk of any damage during the paint correction process.
Paint Polishing
Once the majority of defects have been removed a polish is applied which acts like a moisturizer on the paint improving gloss, clarity and the richness of the paint. There are a huge number of different products on the market which all suit different colour and manufacturer paints, detailers therefore try a huge number of available products and use the most appropriate for your vehicle.
Paint Protection
This stage is when a protective layer is put on the paint to ensure the finish is maintained and to minimize future paint damage. Again a huge choice is available but they can be divided into three categories; natural carnauba wax, synthetic sealants/wax and ceramic protection. Again a detailer can advise the most appropriate depending on the customer’s requirements in terms of appearance, durability and future care.
Interior
A detailer will conduct a deep clean of the interior using various cleaners and tools focusing on areas including; carpets, upholstery, dashboard and roof lining. Once the interior is clean all surfaces will be treated to protect them and maintain their appearance in the future.
Engine Bay
During a detail the engine bay will normally be cleaned using all purpose cleaner/degrease, pressure washed if appropriate and treated to improve and protect the appearance of various surfaces.
The Details
You could say it is in the name but detailing is about looking at a vehicle and seeing what is letting down its appearance: for example if the brake calipers/hubs are dirty, the exhaust needs polishing or a piece of trim is faded and needs treating, it all affects the overall goal of making it look better than when it rolled of the production line.
