The Daily Driver - Spring Clean

The Ultimate Spring Clean In 7 Simple Steps

Winter can be tough on any vehicle, which is just one of the reasons we, as detailers, eagerly await Spring. With all the grime, salt, and other contaminants on the roads, your vehicle takes a real beating. And let's be honest—the weather often makes it hard to do anything more than basic maintenance!

However, we always say that starting Spring with a full detail puts you in a great position for the months ahead. Spring represents change, and there's no change quite as satisfying as getting rid of the remnants of the harsh winter season.

That's exactly what a thorough Spring Clean is all about—deep cleaning and removing all the winter grime. Whether you're preparing your daily driver for show season or haven't been keeping up with your maintenance washes, we've got you covered. Here are our seven simple steps to a Spring Clean and the best detailing products to use for fast, effective, cleaning that will leave your car looking its best in under two hours.

Step 1 - The Engine Bay

It's a step that many overlook, which is unfortunate because transforming your engine bay, especially on a modern car, is surprisingly simple.

During Autumn and Winter, engine bays accumulate significantly more salt, road grime, and organic debris like dead leaves, mud, and mulch. This often makes its way through the scuttle panels, sometimes even blocking factory drain holes.

The areas that suffer most from this excess dirt are engine covers, trims, and the underside of the bonnet. Cleaning off heavy contamination isn’t just about aesthetics; it can actually extend the life of key components by preventing contaminants from damaging sensitive parts in your engine bay.

Luckily, these areas are easy to clean, and you have a range of great products to choose from. A strong 1:2 dilution of Verso All Purpose Cleaner or Eradicate Engine Degreaser works wonders for removing stubborn soil and oil-based contamination.

Start with a cool engine and begin by pre-rinsing the entire engine bay, starting with the underside of the bonnet. Make sure to flush out the scuttles and shuts, but be cautious not to spray directly at sensitive areas like the alternator and exposed electrics. Instead, use a misting motion with your pressure washer to gently remove loose contamination.

After the pre-rinse, apply a generous amount of your chosen cleaning solution and agitate it into surfaces using a soft Detailing Brush or Hog Hair Brush. This quick process ensures your cleaner reaches every nook and cranny, keeping the solution refreshed as you work. For areas with heavy contamination, feel free to reapply your Eradicate or Verso, but be careful not to let it dry completely.

Once you've agitated the cleaner into all areas, including shuts, pillars, plastic covers, and scuttle panels, rinse off the grime by misting over it with your pressure washer.

One great thing about engine bays is that you can complete them before moving on to the rest of your detail. Simply apply Dressle All Purpose Trim Dressing generously over the entire engine bay, close the bonnet, and let it cure for a few hours. Once you’re done with the rest of your detail, you can go back and wipe off any excess with a Microfibre Work Cloth. It’s really that easy!

Step 2 - Wheels, Arches & Tyres

Next, we move on to the core of the detail, starting with the wheels, tyres, and arches—typically the dirtiest parts of the vehicle. These areas should be tackled one corner at a time.

For a Spring Clean on a daily driver, the focus is on a thorough deep-clean and decontamination rather than just regular maintenance. This is why we use a powerful wheel cleaner like Revolution Wheel Soap, combined with a potent decontamination product like Iron Out Contaminant Remover, which chemically dissolves embedded ferrous particles.

These sharp metal particles, primarily from brake dust, need to be removed to prevent damage to the wheel finish and avoid corrosion. If left untreated, they can even compromise the wheel’s structure over time.

After a thorough rinse to clear any loose grime, apply Iron Out directly to the wheel faces and barrels. Agitate it with Revolution shampoo, mixing 2-3 capfuls in a bucket of water, to act as a powerful cleaner and lubricant.

Start by using a Barrel Brush to agitate the product inside the wheel, then switch to a Detailing Brush for the spokes and faces. Use a dedicated wash mitt to clean the rest of the wheel. Focus on agitating the solution into every part of the wheel, paying attention to tricky dirt traps like behind the spokes, around the lips, and in the nut recesses.

Finally, rinse away the cleaning solution and grime residue for a spotless finish.

After cleaning the wheels, we can move on to the tyres and inner arches. The goal here is to eliminate any road salt, leftover dressings, or heavy contaminants that may have accumulated during the winter months. This step not only improves the appearance of your tyres, but also ensures that any tyre dressings applied later will have a clean surface to properly bond to. Clean tyres make your dressings look better and help them last longer.

To remove all the soiling, use our Tread Tyre Cleaner or a 1:2 dilution of Verso All Purpose Cleaner. Spray the solution generously over the tyre sidewalls and inner arch liners, then scrub with a Rubber Scrubber Tyre Brush. After rinsing the tyres and re-flushing the arches, give the wheels a final rinse to complete the cleaning process.

Step 3 - Pre-Wash & Contact Wash

Starting with a thorough pre-wash is essential for removing heavy soiling without causing swirl marks. No matter the level of grime on the vehicle, we always perform a pre-wash to ensure that potentially sensitive surfaces are free of harmful particles. This step ensures that we’re not dragging large grit or grime across surfaces during the later contact wash.

The first stage involves tackling tricky areas like door jambs and boot shuts. These spots are often overlooked during routine maintenance and can accumulate surprising amounts of grime. We begin by generously applying a suitable pre-cleaner, such as Citrus Power Bug & Grime Remover or Dynamite Traffic Film Remover. Light agitation with a soft detailing brush will do wonders without causing harm. Afterward, rinse away the grime, and move on to rinsing down the rest of the vehicle from top to bottom. The purpose of pre-rinsing the entire vehicle is simple: it removes loose dirt and allows the cleaning agents to work more effectively on the stubborn, stuck-on grime.

Next, we apply more of our pre-cleaner to the rest of the vehicle to break down and encapsulate remaining heavy dirt. Both Citrus Power and Dynamite are safe for use on wax, sealants, and coatings, and they can be applied to trim, glass, and paintwork. We recommend spraying the most contaminated areas—such as the lower halves, front bumper, and rear end—first, to maximize dwell time. Once the grime has been rinsed away, we can proceed to the second re-wash stage using Avalanche Snow Foam.

Using Avalanche Snow Foam, our citrus-infused cleaning agent, is a crucial step in the pre-wash process. The purpose of snow foam is to create a thick, clingy layer that stays on the surface for as long as possible. This gives the powerful cleaning agents in the foam time to break down and lift away any bonded grime, making it easier to rinse off.

Avalanche also reaches into tricky panel gaps, helping to clean areas that may otherwise be missed. This ensures that any dust or debris is removed, preventing it from interfering with the rest of your detail.

We apply the snow foam from the top of the car down (which helps avoid spreading grime to the typically cleaner areas) using a snow Foam Lance or Foaming Pressure Sprayer.

One of the great things about Avalanche is that, once you've completed your initial pre-wash, it can be agitated with a soft Detailing Brush or Feather Tip Detailing Brush to target intricate areas like grills, badges, window rubbers, and inside fuel flaps, providing extra cleaning power.

The key here is to ensure that Avalanche doesn’t dry on the vehicle while you’re working. It needs to stay wet to be effective. A useful pro tip is to keep an eye on the windows, as they tend to dry out first. Once this happens, it's time to rinse away the Avalanche, along with all the grime it has lifted, starting from the top of the car and working your way down.

Once the Avalanche is rinsed off, we can proceed with the contact wash.

To avoid inflicting swirl marks, we use the two-bucket wash method. One Detailing Bucket holds our shampoo solution, while the other is filled with plain water for rinsing out the wash mitt after each pass on the vehicle. It's crucial to note that these buckets should not be the same ones used for cleaning the wheels—always keep that separate.

For the cleaning agent, we rely on a powerful yet gentle solution like our Lather Car Shampoo. This formula lifts and lubricates any remaining grime, allowing it to slide off the vehicle without risking any damage to the paint. The goal here is to ensure a safe, swirl-free contact wash.

When performing the contact wash, the route you take around the car is just as important. We begin with the least contaminated areas, starting with the roof and upper sides, and finish with the lower sides and rear end. This approach helps prevent transferring grime to cleaner areas.

Using a professional wash mitt is essential for the job. While the choice of mitt may vary based on personal preference, whether it's lambswool or microfibre, all are designed to glide smoothly over the surface, lifting dirt and trapping it deep within the fibers. The key is to lift contaminants rather than pushing them around, and most importantly, to keep them locked in the mitt until they are rinsed out in the bucket.

Once you've covered every inch of the exterior, thoroughly rinse away any remaining shampoo solution.

Step 4 - Decontamination Stages

A full 3-stage paintwork decontamination is a crucial part of any Spring Clean, addressing embedded and bonded contaminants that washing alone can't remove. These contaminants include ferrous metal particles, sticky tar and glue residues, as well as organic and inorganic substances like bird droppings and tree sap. These are the kinds of contaminants that could interfere with your polishing later, so it's important to remove them properly. We have a specialized detailing product for each type of contamination.

First, we'll focus on metal contamination, which consists of tiny particles, often from brake dust, that become embedded in the paintwork. These particles can create rust-like spots on the surface if left untreated.

The only safe and effective way to remove these metal contaminants is by using Iron Out Contaminant Remover. This product works by chemically dissolving the metal particles, allowing them to be rinsed away.

Spray Iron Out liberally over all painted surfaces, and let it dwell for 1-2 minutes (without allowing it to dry). You'll see it react by turning a blood-red color. For heavily contaminated vehicles, you can gently agitate the solution with a wet Polish Pad or Microfibre Work Cloth to help refresh the solution on more stubborn particles. Afterwards, simply rinse it away, taking the metal particles with it.

The second decontamination stage targets sticky contaminants, such as road tar and glue residues. For this, we use ObliTARate Tar & Glue Remover.

This potent solvent-based formula is perfect for treating the lower halves of your vehicle, where such contaminants are most commonly found. A few spritzes are all it takes, and you'll watch the sticky residues dissolve, ready to be wiped off with a clean Microfibre Work Cloth. For tighter spots or more precision, you can apply ObliTARate directly to a microfibre cloth and gently wipe the affected areas.

After removing the sticky contaminants, it’s essential to rinse off the solution thoroughly and then rewash the area with Lather Car Shampoo. This step ensures any remaining solvent is neutralized, preventing any reactions with the clay bar during the next decontamination stage.

The final decontamination stage involves using detailing clay to physically lift and remove any remaining bonded contaminants from the paintwork. This leaves the surface smooth and glass-like, providing the ideal base for further polishing or enhancement.

For this, we use our Clay Bar along with Glide Clay Lube. It’s a quick and easy process that makes a noticeable difference.

Start by tearing off a small piece of the clay bar and flattening it to form a pad. Apply Glide Clay Lube to both the surface and the clay, then gently work the clay back and forth across the surface. As you move the clay, you'll feel the resistance lessen as the contaminants are lifted.

Once the entire vehicle has been clayed, give it a final wash with Lather Car Shampoo followed by a rinse to ensure all traces of Glide are removed, leaving a perfectly clean, smooth surface.

As always, we can’t stress this enough: it’s essential to dry your vehicle thoroughly after washing. Tap water, which is what comes out of your pressure washer, contains high levels of mineral impurities. If left to air dry, these minerals will be left behind on the surface, resulting in marks and hard water spots.

Unlike filtered or rainwater, tap water isn’t pure, so it’s crucial to safely soak it up using a high-quality drying towel like the Aqua Deluxe or Silk Drying Towel. For drying door jambs and wheels, a super-soft Primo Plush or Ultra Plush Microfibre cloth works wonderfully. These cloths are more manageable and perfect for those tricky areas, ensuring a spotless finish.

Step 5 - Paint Enhancement

At this point, you have the option to fully machine polish your vehicle using our range of specialist paint correction polishes and compounds, paired with one of our dual-action machine polishers. While this method will effectively remove all paint defects, it’s more suited to a full correction detail rather than a quick Spring Clean. For simplicity, we’ll be opting for a fast and easy hand polishing process.

For this, we recommend our versatile Tripple All-in-One Polish. This advanced formula not only enhances the appearance of any gloss paintwork but also cleans away oxidation and leaves behind a rich, warm glow thanks to the T1 Grade carnauba wax infusion. This means you’re not just polishing – you’re also adding a protective layer of wax!

What makes Tripple even better is its ease of use. Simply apply a few drops to a Polish Pad or Microfibre Applicator and work it into the paintwork, one panel at a time. After allowing it to haze for a moment, buff off the residue with a fresh microfibre cloth – you’ll immediately notice the improvement.

In short, Tripple provides a quick, effective way to clean, enhance, and protect your vehicle in one simple step.

Step 6 - The Interior

Now is the perfect time to focus on your vehicle's interior, especially if you tackle it before applying your final paint protection layers. This way, if you accidentally touch the exterior paintwork while cleaning the cabin, you can easily fix any marks.

For Spring Cleaning, the goal is to remove mud, grime, dust, body oils, and fingerprints that have been brought in on your shoes. The areas most affected will likely be the carpets, pedals, seats, and steering wheel, but dashboards, door cards, and plastic trim also take a hit during the Winter months. Fortunately, all of these surfaces can be cleaned with Total Interior Cleaner.

Start by vacuuming the seats and carpets to remove the loose dirt, then spray Total Interior Cleaner generously on the fabrics. Use an Upholstery Brush to agitate and lift away stains and grime. Finally, give everything a wipe with a clean microfibre cloth, leaving your cabin looking fresh and spotless, just like the day it left the factory.

For dashboards, door cards, and plastic trim, Total Interior Cleaner is a fast and efficient 'spray-and-wipe' solution. Simply spray it directly onto the surfaces and wipe, or apply it to a microfibre cloth before cleaning. For more detailed or hard-to-reach spots, you can use a soft detailing brush to agitate the product, then wipe away any excess. Total leaves behind a subtle, non-sticky finish on all these areas.

Step 7 - Adding Protection Layers

We know that adding protection is a personal choice for every detailer. Whether you prefer applying your go-to hard wax, a sealant, or even a ceramic coating, it ultimately comes down to your preference. However, for a quick and effective Spring Clean, Radiance Carnauba Crème is highly recommended.

This product is designed for effortless application, delivering visual results comparable to the hard waxes in our Signature Hard Wax Collection—but in a fraction of the time. Radiance also provides up to three months of protection against the elements and is applied similarly to Tripple.

Just apply a few pea-sized drops to a Microfibre Applicator or Polish Pad to cover an entire panel, enhancing and protecting the surface. The residue is remarkably easy to buff away, making it possible to achieve stunning results across the entire vehicle in just minutes.

The Results

And that's it, all done in seven simple steps. Easy, eh?

Why not adapt this routine to your own car for an upcoming spring clean?

In the meantime though, check out more top how-tos in the Guides Section Of Our Blog.