Cours de formation : Retour aux fondamentaux

The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide To Mastering A Full Detail

Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned professional, this training course is designed to help you gain the essential skills and knowledge to not only get started in detailing but to excel. By the end, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the art of vehicle detailing with the right detailing products and techniques, all taught by our in-house professional detailers.

Our comprehensive Going Back To Basics Training Course is perfect for anyone looking to take their detailing skills to the next level. It serves as an excellent introduction for beginners detailing their personal vehicles, as well as a valuable refresher for professionals who valet and detail multiple cars each week. The type of vehicle doesn’t matter—whether it's a daily driver or a high-end show car, this course covers the pro-level tips and tricks needed to achieve a flawless finish with safe, effective maintenance.

We’ll walk you through the entire detailing process, step-by-step, covering all essential stages. This includes key practices like safe grime removal during the washing phase, thorough 3-stage paintwork decontamination, hand polishing techniques, protection applications, and how to maximize that signature shine at the end of your detail.

You'll also learn how to use a range of detailing products, including:

Protection Products: Get familiar with high-performance options like our Signature Hard Waxes, designed to provide durable protection.

Abrasive Polishing Products: Understand how products like Tripple All-in-One Polish enhance surfaces while removing oxidation and leaving behind a layer of protective wax.

Powerful Cleaning Agents: Learn how to safely use products like Iron Out Contaminant Remover and ObliTARate Tar & Glue Remover to prepare the surface for any paint correction work.

We’ll also tackle some of the most common questions, such as:

What exactly is a decon-wash?

How often can I safely polish my paint?

What chemicals and methods are best for removing ferrous metal contaminants?

What are the must-have tools and products in any detailing kit?

Whether you’re aiming to elevate your personal car care routine or improve your professional detailing service, the Back To Basics Course provides you with the essential techniques and knowledge needed to clean, decontaminate, enhance, protect, and finish any vehicle to the highest possible standard.

This Training Course Includes:

Wheels, Tyres & Arches: This is where the process begins—deep-cleaning the dirtiest, most exposed parts of your vehicle. In this section, you’ll learn the best techniques for tackling the wheels, tyres, and arches, ensuring they’re spotless and ready for the rest of your detailing work.

Pre-Wash & Snow Foam: Discover the proper way to remove the toughest grime and harmful particulates from your vehicle without ever touching the surface. This stage is essential to avoid scratching the paint, and we’ll show you the most important steps for applying snow foam and prepping the vehicle for the next stages.

Contact Wash: Learn how to properly perform a contact wash with the right tools and techniques. We’ll guide you on how many buckets you’ll need, the best cleaners and lubricants to use, and the ideal wash method to minimize the risk of swirl marks and other imperfections.

Hand Polishing & Protection: In this section, you’ll master the art of hand polishing—using abrasives to remove imperfections and enhance your vehicle’s paintwork. We’ll also teach you how to apply the right protection to maintain that smooth, glossy finish and ensure your work lasts.

Interior Deep Cleaning: Transform the dirtiest car interiors back to factory-fresh condition with these simple, effective cleaning methods. We’ll walk you through each step of an interior valet, from cleaning upholstery to conditioning surfaces, and show you how to add protective treatments to keep the interior looking pristine.

Finishing Touches: A truly professional detail is all in the details. This final section covers those critical finishing touches—everything from dressings for tyres and trims to final wipe-downs that add that extra level of gloss and refinement. Learn how these small steps can elevate the overall quality of your work and leave your vehicle looking flawless.

The Pre-inspection

Before we jump into the step-by-step process, let's take a moment to introduce our vehicle for this detail— a 503bhp, V8 twin-turbo Mercedes-Benz GTS.

Upon inspection, it's clear that this 2015 model has seen better days in terms of cleanliness, but that's actually a good thing. We love seeing owners of high-end, prestige vehicles who aren't afraid to use them for their intended purpose. After all, this is where the detailing magic happens.

This particular GTS comes equipped with a range of genuine Mercedes-Benz carbon fibre upgrades, including side scuttles, mirrors, a front splitter, and a massive rear diffuser. Inside, the cabin features a stunning tan leather interior. All of these elements will play a role in the full detailing process, and they’re important factors to consider as we work to bring this beauty back to its best.

Kit Bag Essentials

Detailing Products:

Revolution Wheel Soap - Breaks down brake dust and road grime, while being gentle on specialist finishes. Can be used as a stand-alone cleaning agent on the most sensitive wheels, or as a supplementary cleaner and lubricant when agitating/brushing-in other wheel cleaners.

Tread Tyre Cleaner - Heavy duty, tyre cleaner designed to break down and lift the most ground-in contamination.

Citrus Power Bug & Grime Remover - Wax, coating and sealant-safe, pre-cleaner that uses special surfactants to lift and encapsulate heavy particulates, allowing them to be safely rinsed away.

Avalanche Snow Foam - Thick, citrus-infused foam which lingers on surfaces and works its way into panel gaps to safely remove bonded contamination without degrading protection layers.

Lather Car Shampoo - Protection-layer-safe shampoo containing an advanced blend of surfactants and lubricants specially formulated to lift and encapsulate grime for a safe contact wash.

Iron Out Contaminant Remover - Chemically dissolves harmful ferrous metal contamination, particularly iron shrapnel and sharp particles found in brake dust. Safe on paintwork, glass and rubber trim.

ObliTARate Tar & Glue Remover - Solvent-based formula used to dissolve sticky contamination including tar and glue residues.

Clay Bar - Fine grade detailing clay used to remove bonded contamination.

Glide Clay Lube - Advanced lubricant designed to make the claying process safer.

Tripple All-In-One Polish - Paintwork cleaner polish designed to remove oxidation, lightly refine and leave behind a layer of wax protection.

Rejuvenate Paintwork Cleanser - Light abrasive paintwork cleanser used to remove oxidation and prepare paintwork for the wax bonding.

Spirit Hard Wax - A blend of natural waxes, oils and 50% T1 Carnauba developed to enhance metallic paint finishes. Offers up to 6-months of protection.

Total Interior Cleaner - Powerful interior cleaner capable of removing stains, spills and ground-in grime. Safe for use on all materials including plastics, carpets, upholstery, leather and rubber.

Hide Leather Cleanser - A mildly balanced glycerin-based cleaner that targets deeply ingrained dirt.

Verso All Purpose Cleaner - A concentrated, dilute to suit all purpose cleaner and degreaser for cleaning a vehicles interior and exterior surfaces.

Hide Leather Conditioner - Conditions the hide by reintroducing essential oils, softening it, and restoring its original colour. Also acts as a protective barrier cream.

Crystal Glass Cleaner - Finely balanced, distilled solvent that's safe to use on all glass surfaces and designed to cut through grime, sticky contamination and greasy films.

Satin Tyre Crème - Progressive tyre dressing allowing you to decide on the level of shine. One application gives a subtle, satin sheen and multiple applications give a wet-look gloss. Also contains UV inhibitors that protect against fading and browning.

Preparation

As we begin detailing this car, we’ll carefully inspect the paintwork for any defects or areas that may need additional attention before we move on to the wash, protection, and finishing stages. The first priority is always to get the car completely clean—free from dirt, grit, and contaminants—so we can fully assess its condition. This is where the wash stages come in, and they’re crucial. After all, when it comes to routine maintenance, the wash is often the bulk of the work.

Performing these wash stages effectively and, most importantly, safely is key to avoiding damage. The "wet work" phase is when paint defects, such as swirl marks and scratches, are most commonly inflicted, so care must be taken throughout this process.

In addition to getting the car clean, the wash stages also provide an opportunity to identify areas that may require enhancement, correction, or restoration. You’ll often notice more paint imperfections while cleaning than you would during a quick visual inspection, so it’s essential to be thorough.

Having all your detailing products and accessories within easy reach is a simple but vital practice. The last thing you want is to be constantly running back and forth to grab tools or products, interrupting your workflow.

Additionally, accessories like microfibre cloths, brushes, and wash mitts should never be placed on the floor or any contaminated surface where they could pick up harmful grit. These tools are designed to lift and trap particulates to safely remove them from the vehicle's surface, so it’s crucial to protect them from contaminants until they’re actually in use on the vehicle. Keeping your equipment clean is just as important as the cleaning process itself!

At this stage, we also recommend removing any jewelry to avoid the risk of hard accessories coming into contact with the paintwork and causing scratches.

To further protect yourself, it's a good idea to wear gloves throughout the pre-wash, wash, and decontamination stages. Not only will gloves help keep your hands clean, but they also shield you from harmful chemicals and contaminants. Many of the substances you’ll encounter on a vehicle, such as road salt, oily fluids, and brake dust, can be corrosive to your skin and even carcinogenic over time. Wearing gloves is a simple yet important precaution to ensure your safety while detailing.

For the safest possible contact wash, we always use three Detailing Buckets - one for our car shampoo solution, one containing plain water for rinsing out our wash media between passes and one for cleaning our wheels. This safety measure is to help avoid cross contamination and the chance of potentially harmful contaminants being transferred back to the vehicle during the contact wash stage.

To avoid confusion when identical buckets are used, we always recommend labelling your buckets for ease of identification. A great solution here is to use our durable vinyl Bucket Stickers.

Once you are ready with all your products, accessories and equipment to hand, you can fill all three buckets up to three-quarters with water in preparation for your wet work....

Alloy Wheels

We recommend that all professional trainees begin their detailing process with the wheels of the vehicle. Why? Simply put, washing the bodywork first increases the likelihood of watermarks forming on the paintwork when you clean the wheels. This issue is especially common in areas with hard water, where tap water contains higher levels of impurities that can leave behind spots if allowed to dry naturally. Additionally, cleaning the bodywork first can lead to heavier contamination from the wheels and arches being accidentally transferred back onto your freshly cleaned paint when you rinse the vehicle.

The only exception to this rule is when you’re tackling more specialized tasks, like deep-cleaning the engine bay or under-vehicle chassis. These areas tend to have heavy, oil-based contamination that needs to be removed first to avoid transferring grime to other parts of the vehicle.

When cleaning wheels, we recommend starting with the shaded side of the vehicle. This helps prevent the side you’ve already cleaned from drying too quickly under direct sunlight, which could leave water spots. Trust us—you’ll be glad you followed this advice!

For wheels with more intricate designs, our wash mitt of choice is either the Ultra Plush Wheel Mitt or the Ultra Soft Wash Mitt—like the one we’re using here. This mitt features a thumb insert, making it perfect for reaching behind the spokes of the wheel to ensure you’re cleaning every part of the surface. Remember, it’s not just the outer face of the wheel that needs attention—the inside of the spokes and the barrel are just as vulnerable to contamination, which can eventually lead to surface corrosion.

Depending on the type of wheel finish, you can use a variety of products to safely remove grime and brake dust. We highly recommend Revolution Wheel Soap, which is safe for all wheel finishes. This product can be used on its own for more delicate finishes or as an additional lubricant to help lift heavy grime when paired with other specialist wheel cleaners. Revolution is a dilute-to-suit shampoo, and for standard soiling, we suggest adding 2-3 capfuls to your detailing bucket for optimal results.

After pouring your Revolution concentrate into your Detailing Bucket place the jet wash nozzle 1-2cm above the water line ready to fill.

Maintain the gap as the soapy water rises, by the time you reach the top of the bucket you'll have the perfect amount of suds ready to start cleaning your wheels.

Now we can take on those wheels. Many pro detailers wash two wheels at a time (unless of course, the vehicle is in direct sunlight). If there's a risk of premature drying, it's always clean just one wheel at a time. Furthermore always ensure that wheels are cool to the touch, and never clean them immediately after driving while they're still hot.

First rinse your wheels and inner arches with your pressure washer, and back to the wheels for one more rinse. We always rinse the wheel faces twice as any debris that may be removed from the inner arches that has ended up on the wheels will be cleaned away by the second rinse. The reason we pre-rinse before applying any wheel cleaners is that, through water pressure alone, loose grit and grime will be removed relatively easily. This means that, once applied, your cleaning agents will get to work where they're most needed. In this way the pre-rinse simply helps you avoid wasting your products.

One of the most corrosive types of contamination commonly found on wheels is brake dust. Essentially this substance is made up of tiny, sharp metal particles which are able to embed themselves into the top layer of your wheels. These penetrate protective layers and allow the early onset of corrosion.

This ingrained ferrous metal shrapnel requires a specialist chemical cleaner to remove safely. These cleaners work by reacting with particles and dissolving them into the solution. This allows them to be rinsed away without inflicting surface damage. All our wheel cleaning products, such as Imperial Wheel Cleaner and Revolution Wheel Soap intensive brake dust removal during larger details or routine maintenance but it's also a good idea to to deep-clean and decontaminate wheels periodically using a product specifically formulated for use on ferrous metal fallout. Here we're using Iron Out Contaminant Remover.

While Iron Out isn't as a wheel cleaner for use on every maintenance wash, the combination of reactive chemicals capable of dissolving metal particles and powerful degreasers is ideal for full decontamination after extended periods. Around once a month will help rid your wheels from ingrained brake dust and help prevent against corrosion.

For the most sensitive wheel finishes, on vehicles that use carbon ceramic brakes, and routine maintenance Iron Out can be substituted for Imperial Wheel Cleaner, or Revolution alone.

Before you apply your cleaning agent, be sure to have all your cleaning products and accessories to hand. Tread Tyre Cleaner, Iron Out, Imperial, a selection of dedicated brushes, and your Revolution solution are the best for effective wheel cleaning. Plenty of professionals will also use a Kneeling Pad.

Liberally apply the Iron Out over the entire wheel face, between the spokes and into the barrels. You can then leave the solution for 2-5 minutes to get to work. Don't let the product dry out. You can see the reaction take place as the solution turns blood red. This is referred to as bleeding.

The bleeding is the actual chemical reaction taking place between the solution and any iron contamination. The colour of the solution temporarily highlights the contamination while it is being dissolved.

Never let the solution dry completely on the wheel surface and always adjust your dwell times accordingly during warmer weather.

Now you can rinse the wheel down thoroughly to safely remove the solute of Iron Out solution and dissolved metal particles.

Next we re-apply Iron Out liberally over the faces and barrels. This time we also agitate the solution, starting on the inner wheel barrels using a long-reach, non-scratch Barrel Brush. We also use our Revolution solution as an extra cleaning agent and lubricant to brush-in the Iron Out.

Agitation here isn't chiefly about mechanically scrubbing away the contaminants. Instead we're giving the solution the maximum bite by constantly refreshing our cleaning agent. All cleaners can only dissolve so much contamination by volume. Agitation is how we move away 'spent' solution, or solution that's already encapsulating the maximum amount of contaminants, and refresh the area with fresh solution to work on any remaining contamination. This increases product contact and the effectiveness of your cleaning agent.

Pro Tip: Start from the valve cap and work your way around the wheel. This helps you know where you started and will makes sure you don't miss any of the barrel.

Next use a suitable wash mitt and the Revolution solution to clean the wheel faces and behind the spokes. Here you can also clean the brake caliper.

To finish use a soft, scratch-free Detailing Brush or Hog Hair Brush to each lug nut and other awkward recesses such as around the valve cap, wheel lips and around tyre beads.

Tyres And Inner Arches

Removing the heavy grime and ingrained contamination found on your tyres and inside the arches will usually require a combination of mechanical cleaning and a powerful cleaning agent designed to lift and encapsulate any heavy soiling. Cleaning your tyres is an essential part of your wash not just for a pro finish but also to avoid spreading grime to cleaner areas. It also helps at the end of your detail when you come to the finishing stages. Tyre dressings will look better and bond more effectively, enabling them to last longer.

For this heavy cleaning stage we utilise Tread Tyre Cleaner or a 1:5 dilution of Verso All Purpose Cleaner. These products are designed to be effective on the harshest grit and grime. Agitating your cleaning agent into the sidewall using a stiff bristle accessory such as our Rubber Scrubber Tyre Brush is the perfect way to draw out any grime from under the surface. Here agitation is as much about mechanical scrubbing as it is refreshing the cleaning solution along the way. This physical action helps lift and remove the most ingrained dirt but, unlike on paintwork and other sensitive surfaces, tyres won't be damaged by this mechanical cleaning.

The next stage is apply our cleaning agent liberally to the inner arches and agitate using an Arch Blaster Arch Brush. For easier access, you can turn the wheels left or right (or jacking the car up) to get the best arch clearance. Once agitated we rinse the wheel, tyre and inner arches down being sure to remove any trace of grime and solution residue.

Before moving on to your pre-wash fully inspect your wheels, tyres and inner arches. Make sure they are completely clean and no dirt remains. Be your own biggest critic here.

If necessary clean any areas that have been missed or need re-addressing.

Exterior Pre-wash

The pre-wash stage is often cited as the most important part of any detail. The idea here is to remove as much contamination as possible before making any physical contact with the vehicle. This is the best way to reduce the risk of inflicting swirls and other defects on sensitive surfaces like paintwork and gloss plastic trim.

The first stage is to pre-rinse the vehicle with your pressure washer to remove as much heavy soiling as possible. Again, this cleaning process uses water pressure to address any loose contaminants that can be removed easily. This leaves your cleaning products work on breaking down the bonded grime.

Begin at the top and work your way down, rinsing loose grime onto the floor. Don't forget to flush out any shuts, panel gaps and fuel filler caps - these are common dirt traps and you want to avoid any grime coming out later and interfering with the rest of your detail.

Now we can work on the bonded grime with our pre-cleaning agent. This type of detailing product is used to break the bonds and encapsulate harmful contamination without you having to agitate or make any physical contact. This is carried out by special surfactants within the solution which allow contamination to be rinsed away without abrading the surface.

We offer two spray-on pre-cleaners - our ready-to-use Citrus Power Bug & Grime Remover, or Dynamite Traffic Film Remover, which can be diluted to suit any cleaning task. Both products extremely powerful, but are also kind to previously-applied protection layers. This means they won't strip away your waxes, sealants and ceramic coatings.

Apply your pre-cleaner while the car is still wet. A top pro tip is to start at the bottom because this is usually the dirtiest part. This allows the maximum time for the product to dwell and break down the heavier soiling.

Apply your pre cleaner to all panels, the glass and in the a shuts. Don't forget common dirt traps such as the roof rails, filler cap and wing mirrors.

Now we want the pre-wash to dwell for as long as possible, without letting it dry out. Always keep the car wet and if it is starting to dry out before you're finished application, use your pressure washer to spray a fine mist over the entire vehicle.

While we don't agitate our pre-cleaner on exterior panels (it's designed to be a contactless cleaner), it can be beneficial on the most contaminated, non-sensitive areas (inside fuel flaps and door shuts, window rubbers, headlights and mirrors). Here we make sure the solution makes full contact with the most awkward areas and dirt traps and is refreshed as needed.

Once your pre-cleaner has been allowed to dwell rinse the car from top to bottom to eradicate all residues and the grime trapped in the solution.

Pre-wash Stage Snow Foam

The pre-cleaner is designed to remove the largest particles but, for the safest possible cleaning, a suitable snow foam the next step. Our Avalanche Snow Foam is a citrus-infused solution designed to break down and lift the bonded contamination. It works by lingering on surfaces for the maximum possible time giving the special surfactants time to break the bonds of the contaminants, and encapsulate the potentially harmful particles.

Snow foam is also able to work its way into panel gaps and other awkward areas, cleaning those, too.

Like all snow foams, Avalanche is applied using a Snow Foam Lance attached to your pressure washer or a specialist tool such as our Foaming Pressure Sprayer. These are designed to dilute the solution and force it through a special metal gauze or specially designed nozzle which activates the cleaning agent and whips up the solution into a thick foam that lingers for longer than any spray-on pre-cleaner.

So, first we need to fill our lance or Foaming Pressure Sprayer. Add around an inch of solution to the bottle and top up with fresh water.

Pro Tip: To help the snow foam concentrate from bubbling up prematurely dip it into a bucket of fresh water rather than filling from a tap or hose.

Apply your snow foam over the whole vehicle, including the wheels, from the top down. As we said, snow foam should be left to dwell for as long as possible, but (like any cleaning product) without being allowed to dry out. Always consider the weather conditions here, and a great pro tip is to keep an eye on the glass this is where it will start to dry out first. In most cases 3-5 mins or so is a typical dwell time.

Snow Foam can be safely worked into the most common dirt traps using a soft, scratch-free Detailing Brush or FeatherTip Brush. Here we ensure that the foam has full contact with all areas and that the solution is constantly refreshed to work on the heaviest concentrations of grime. Dip your brush into your clean water bucket and gently work the foam into areas such as vents, grilles, window rubbers and around emblems.

When the snow foam starts to dry out rinse the vehicle from the top down. Be thorough here - double check that all traces of product are removed. Now your pre-wash stages are complete you can move on to ensuring the safest possible contact wash.

Contact Wash

When you contact wash always use two Detailing Buckets - one containing your shampoo solution and the other with plain water for rinsing out your wash mitt in between passes - this will always be one of the most important ways of ensuring the safest car wash.

Using two wash mitts is also a good idea for safety - one for sensitive areas and one for dirtier or more awkward recesses. Although there is plenty of personal preference on design of the mitt you choose, we recommend using our Plush Wash Mitt or Soft Lambswool Wash Mitt on bodywork and a Noodle Mitt for more contaminated and intricate areas such as grills, sills and the rear end.

Microfibre and lambswool wash mitts are designed to glide over surfaces, agitating your shampoo and picking up particulates trapped in spent cleaning solution. In this way they're not about physical scrubbing. A good mitt will pick up and trap potentially harmful particles and hold them deep within the material, away from the most sensitive surfaces until they're physically rinsed out in your bucket.

The cleaning agent you choose is also important, as this is what lifts and encapsulates the harmful grime. Lather Car Shampoo is our wax, sealant and coating-safe cleaner and lubricant. Lather contains no shining agents or waxes that may interfere with the rest of your detail, and is also a dilute-to-suit solution allowing you to add a little more for heavier soiling and a little less for lighter grime. This powerful surfactant-based pure cleaner and lubricant designed to safely remove grime. Nothing more.

For normal soiling add two to four capfuls of into a Detailing Bucket that's three-quarters full with clean water. Top up the rest of your bucket with your pressure washer to create the perfect suds.

We always begin our contact wash with the cleaner portions of the vehicle. This helps to cut down on the risk of transferring heavier grime to cleaner areas as we move around the car.

Most commonly we'll start with the roof and upper sides, before moving on to the bonnet, lowers sides, front bumper and the rear end.

As we pass our mitt across surfaces we also wash in straight lines rather than circular motions to help cut down on the chance of inflicting swirls.

Pro Tip: Wash from top to bottom, targeting the least contaminated areas first. Most cars have a design line which will can help differentiate the upper sides to the more grimy lower sides.

Is vital to remember to rinse your wash mitt thoroughly in your rinse bucket after every contact with the vehicle, before dipping back into the wash bucket to load up with fresh wash solution. This will prevent transferring grime into your clean shampoo solution.

Don't forget the utilise both sides of your mitt when cleaning any vehicle panel by panel. This also helps to ensure that you don't miss any. Most of all work small areas at a time rinsing out your mitt after every pass.

For dirtier areas such as the lower sides and rear end, along with intricate areas such as grilles and bumpers, our Noodle Mitt is the ideal pro detailing tool. This soft mitt uses long microfibre fingers with a huge surface area that are designed to work their way into recesses. The deep pile media is also great for trapping heavier grime, keeping it away from your paintwork. This makes the Noodle Mitt ideal for use on the grubbier areas, and helps to keep your other mitts in the best condition for longer. For the safest results on grubby panels make sure you keep your wash mitt well lubricated at all times as you wash.

Once the contact wash is complete, rinse thoroughly from the top down. For routine maintenance details on protected vehicles, this is the last piece of wet work before drying, finishing and possibly topping up protection. For full details however, especially where polishing or defect removal is involved, we move on to a full 3-stage paintwork decontamination.

Paintwork Decontamination

Full paintwork decontamination fully prepares the vehicle for polishing. This crucial stage is where we remove the types of ingrained, bonded and sticky contamination that can't be removed by washing alone. Common contaminants here include embedded iron deposits which are chiefly derived from brake dust. Tar, glue and other sticky residues, and protein/mineral deposits from organic sources such as bug splatter and bird droppings, along with inorganic sources like corrosive fallout.

These potentially harmful contaminants are removed so they are not able to inflict more defects during the polishing process.

Full paintwork decontamination is a 3-stage process using specialist products such as Iron Out Contaminant Remover, ObliTARate Tar & Glue Remover, a Clay Bar and Glide Clay Lube.

First we apply Iron Out directly to the vehicle while it's still wet. We spray the solution liberally onto all paintwork and glass, allowing it to dwell while it chemically reacts with any ferrous metal deposits. As the Iron Out reacts it bleeds (turning blood red) as it dissolves the iron contamination.

Iron Out can also be used one panel at a time if there's any risk of premature drying.

To ensure maximum contact and bite you can also use a damp Microfibre Wash Mitt or Microfibre Work Cloth to work the Iron Out into the paintwork with light agitation.

After using Iron Out fully rinse the vehicle from the top down, removing any residue. Your solution will be encapsulating dissolved metal contamination, so never let it dry on the vehicle.

To tackle any tar and other sticky residues we ObliTARate Tar & Glue Remover. This is a powerful solvent capable of lifting and dissolving sticky oil-based contamination that you'll commonly find on the lower half of your vehicle. In most cases these contaminants can be seen and targeted directly.

Spray on to the lower areas of paintwork, leave to dwell for 10 seconds or so, and then spray a little ObliTARate onto a clean microfibre cloth before lightly agitating the solution. Agitate straight lines, letting the solvent do all the work of breaking away the contamination. This action should remove the sticky residues, depositing them on your cloth.

After using this type of powerful solvent on paintwork, it's important to neutralise any left-over residues to stop them interfering with the Clay Bar in the next decontamination stage. First re-rinse the vehicle and then contact wash the areas that have been treated with ObliTARate using Lather Car Shampoo solution.

In the final decontamination stage we use clay to remove bonded organic and inorganic contaminants. Clay is perfect for the job because it's capable of physically pulling out hardy contaminants leaving behind nothing but a smooth glass-like surface.

First make sure your clay bar is free of dirt and grit. We use approximately one quarter to one half of a clay bar on each vehicle. On a car of this size we're using half a clay bar.

Warm the clay with your hands folding it into itself several times. Then flatten into a pad and liberally lubricate with Glide Clay Lube. The best pro tip for clay bars is to make sure both the panel and the clay itself are fully lubricated.

Use three or four fingers to lightly pass the clay over each panel. We're not trying to create any friction here and you shouldn't, provided it's fully lubricated. Instead the clay should glide across painted surfaces picking up any contamination along the way. Periodically inspect the condition of your clay. When it has picked up any dirt or gritty particles, fold the clay inwards on itself to reveal a fresh, clean portion before going back to the paintwork.

Carry out the process over the entire vehicle, again, making sure that each panel is sufficiently lubricated along the way. Along with all your paintwork (cover every inch) glass, headlights and gloss plastics can also be fully decontaminated using clay.

After rinsing the vehicle thoroughly to remove the majority of the Clay Lube residue, re-wash and rinse the paintwork using your Lather Car Shampoo solution. This will ensure that any left over lube or clay residue won't interfere with the polishing stages. As the car will be clean and decontaminated now, the two bucket wash method shouldn't be necessary.

Drying

Before we we can begin polishing we have to make sure the car is completely dry. This will stop water diluting, or at least affecting the action of, your abrasive polishing products.

Drying safely is important after every wash, even during routine maintenance. The safest way is to use an utra-absorbent, plush microfibre towel to soak up the water, rather than products like a chamois or drying blade that merely push the water around, often inflicting defects as they go.

The main reason we always dry is that tap water often contains many types of harsh mineral impurities that will be left on your vehicle should the water molecules be allowed to evaporate off naturally. This process helps to avoid water marks, and the risk of any impurities causing defects when polishing. To do the job we use a highly absorbent microfibre towel - such as our Aqua Deluxe, Aqua deluxe XL or Silk Drying Towel - to soak up the water and the impurities together.

Here we're using Our Silk Drying Towel and, as always, working from the top to the bottom of the car.

After drying the bodywork, a small, absorbent microfibre towel (such as our Ultra Plush Microfibre) can be used to dry your wheels. A smaller size towel is great because it's less likely to catch the ground and pick up any dirt or debris. Once the wheels are dry, we then use the same Ultra Plush to dry the door shuts, door returns and inside the fuel filler cap.

Polishing

There are plenty of different options for paintwork correction and enhancement, including a full correction using a machine polisher.

There are also many polishing products and, coupled with different applicators or machine polishing pads, these will dictate how aggressive the polishing process cuts away paint or clear coat layers.

Polishing and paint correction is, by definition, the process of removing a microscopic amount paint to cut through surface defects. A coarse restoring compound for example will remove more of the top layer than a light refining compound, and the products you choose should depend on a number of factors, including the time you have available, what type of protection you'll be using later stages, and the level of defects that your looking to remove.

Polishing can range from light swirl mark removal to full paint restoration it all depends on how far you need to go. As for machine polishing, it can be a in-depth part of the art of detailing, not a subject to cover in a course about going back to basics.

Hand polishing, however, is a significantly easier way to enhance your paintwork. As with any polishing process we use abrasives to remove imperfections and to optically level the finish, smoothing the surface to give the appearance of more gloss and depth. The only difference is that with a hand polish the abrasives that it contains should be easily broken down so they can be worked all-the way through by hand. Instead of relying on the mechanical force of a machine polisher.

Tripple All-in-One Polish is a great hand polishing product for paintwork enhancements. Capable of removing light swirls and oxidation, it's made up of special diminishing abrasives that break down easily. It can be applied with a machine polisher of course but it also ends itself particularly well to use by hand. Tripple is also denoted an 'all-in-one' product, so it has attributes that take it beyond that of a conventional polish. This product contains powerful deep-cleansing solvents to remove oxidation and staining, and it will also leave behind a layer of carnauba wax for around a month of protection. In other words Tripple cleans, polishes and protects in a one application.

As with any polish or compound, be cautious when working close to rubber or plastic trims. We don't need to mask off these these areas just avoid them. When working near to trims, we advise keeping 2-3cm away because Polish residue can cause staining on rubber and other trim. This can usually be cleaned away using a little Verso All Purpose Cleaner, but avoiding these areas in the first place takes away the need for any cleanup later.

Application is easy. Start by applying 3-4 pea-size drops onto a Microfibre Applicator or Microfibre Polish Pad. Working on one panel at a time, gently massage your Tripple into the paintwork using light to medium pressure. Do this in circular, overlapping motion because applying polish in a straight line may pick up dirt particles and drag them across your paintwork. There shouldn't be any now of course, but it's best to be safe. The circular motion also helps to break down the abrasives, working them through.

We let the residue haze and then buff it away with a fresh microfibre cloth. Tripple is designed for easy buffing but it's still best to tackle a single panel at a time, especially when working outside. After the first panel simply move onto the next until you've covered all the paintwork.

Another useful hand polishing product is Rejuvenate Paintwork Cleanser. Just like Tripple it contains advanced diminishing abrasives and deep-cleaning solvents that are particularly adapt at cleaning away oxidation and light defects to prepare paintwork for the application, and the most successful bonding, of car waxes.

Rejuvenate is also ideal for removing oxidation and staining on the painted 'black pack' trim you'll find on many modern cars. These are extremely prone to defects caused by the application of heavy duty Traffic Film Removers at hand car washes.

Removing these defects is easy with a Microfibre Work Cloth and a little Rejuvenate. For this car in particul, as we also have rubber trims running directly below the stained black pack trim we need to clean and polish, we apply a small amount of product onto the corner of a microfibre cloth and spread with our finger.

Then we can work the Rejuvenate into the area with firm pressure.

Then we can buff away the satins and the residue with a fresh part of the cloth.

Using a car wax for protection

It's true that Tripple All-in-One Polish adds a layer of T1 Grade Carnauba which lasts for around a month. But that doesn't mean that we can't enhance the gloss and durability of our protection by adding a layer of hard wax.

Our Signature Hard Wax Collection offers plenty of options, some for use on all cars and others geared towards more specialist paint types and show cars.

Car waxes create a durable barrier to the elements that lasts between 4-8-months, but they also level the optical finish of paintwork to make it appear deeper and glossier.

They work by smoothing out and filling any microscopic ruts and ridges in the surface. This makes light bounce back to the eye more uniformly, giving a higher level of gloss and the optical illusion of deeper paintwork. Natural waxes, such as carnauba, also slightly bend the light to give the warm wax glow associated with the best detailing products. For many no other type of protection layer will ever look as good as a wax.

For the best application of our Signature Hard Waxes, and to avoid wastage along the way, the key is to load up your applicator with just enough wax to do the job. Place a Waxmate XL or Wax Spot Pad directly into the wax pot, twist 90-degrees and that will coat your applicator with enough wax to complete each large panel.

The best results come from a very thin, even layer of wax. First we distribute the wax across the panel by applying in straight lines evenly spaced over the whole panel. We can then work the wax over the area in small circular motions. We're looking to spread the product as thinly and evenly as possible. A thin layer of wax bonds to the surface and cures, and the rest will be buffed away. With a thick layer of wax, you're just wasting your product because most of it will be removed when you buff.

First your wax will initially cure. This is when it hazes and can be buffed to a glossy finish before being left to cure fully, a process that takes at least a few hours.

For buffing a good quality plush microfibre - such as our Primo Plush or Ultra Plush towels - will get amazing results. However, for the safest residue removal we recommend using our Micro Tweed Microfibre Buffing Cloth which is specifically desiged for hard waxes. This super-soft microfibre weave has special pockets designed to catch excess wax, so it doesn't clog on the car or the cloth itself.

It's worth noting that all hard waxes have different curing times, both for the 'initial' cure when you can buff off the residue, and the 'final' cure where the wax has fully hardened.

During application a great tip to ensure your wax has initially cured is to 'leapfrog' panels. This gives sufficient time for the wax to bond, without leaving it to the point that the residue is difficult to remove.

Apply your wax to your first and second panel. When you've finished move back to the first to buff away the residue. Then apply your wax to the third panel before moving back to buffing the second. Follow this routine around the whole car until every panel has been completed.

Adding a second coat of wax is always great for even more protection and gloss, but always wait at least 3-hours for the first layer to fully cure before you apply to avoid the layers mixing. This will allow the next coat to bond on top of the fully hardened wax.

Detailing Interiors

Detailing your interior is one of the best ways to push your results to the next level. Here we'll cover the process in-depth with how it's done by the pros...

Before you begin a quick inspection is important. The interior cleaning required will always depend on the level of contamination and the materials used in the construction of the interior itself. These together will tell you the products you need and the best processes for the best finish.

First of all though, professional detailers will take a look through the interior removing any personal belongings and setting these aside.

Most professionals will start an interior detail at the back of the vehicle and work their way to the front. In most cases this will start with the boot, simply because it's the biggest, and potentially dirtiest, area.

The first step is using a vacuum to remove any loose dirt and debris. A brush attachment is ideal here, the firm bristles help to pick up any engrained dirt in carpets and recesses. Position the hose between your legs or over your shoulder to prevent it from scrubbing against the exterior paintwork and trim.

Vacuum the entire area to eradicate the loose dirt before moving on to using your cleaning products. This ensures that they get to work where they're most needed.

Interor cleaning products are desigend to safely application remove dust and bonded contamination from surfaces.

In this case we start on the boot trims and plastics with Total Interior Cleaner. This all-surface-safe cleaner is formulated using advanced surfactants designed to lift and encapsulate grime, allowing them to be safely wiped away.

With a little light agitation using a Microfibre Work Cloth - which will ensure contact with every recess and refresh any spent solution as you clean - Total breaks down bonded contaminants, and lifts them away from surfaces.

Unlike most heavy-duty cleaners Total is gentle enough for regular use on all materials used in interiors, including plastics, carpets and upholstery. Just spray, agitate and wipe.

With the trim areas clean we can move onto deep cleaning the carpeted areas with our Total. In extreme cases, the dirtiest, stained carpets can also be deep cleaned with a 1:10 dilution of Verso All Purpose Cleaner.

The process here is the same for both products. Simply spritz on your cleaner and agitate with an Upholstery Brush to help lift out any dirt or satins. Then you can simply wipe away the grime and any excess product with a clean microfibre cloth. This will quickly leave your carpets deep cleaned and sanitised.

Carpet 'striping' is also a finishing process that's popular with the pros. The best way to tackle a large area of carpet is to start in the middle and work your way outwards, and all that's needed for the effect is to brush the carpet pile in the opposite directions.

After your first line, continue each stripe in the opposite direction. This should give a finish similar to this…

Cleaning Your Cabin

When moving onto the cabin it's worth considering that this is where you, or your client, spend the most time. With this in mind it makes sense that we'll look to clean and finish every surface.

We also start high and work our way down - this way, if dirt or debris fall onto lower areas, we can pick them up along the way. Being methodical is the key to the best interior detail.

Typically we begin by spritzing Total onto headlining, upper trim and the dashboard. Wiping away any dust and grime for each area with our microfibre cloth. Just spray and wipe.

For the most intricate, hard-to-reach areas we'll use a soft FeatherTip Brush, Interior Detail Brush or Detailing Brush to work our Total in. This helps to ensure maximum contact.

As you can imagine there's plenty of dirt traps inside any car including air vents, multimedia screens, dials and switches. These all benefit from a little agitation to draw out any dust and dirt, and to break down oily fingerprints.

You can apply your Total directly here or spray it onto your brush for the most targeted cleaning.

After agitation your Total will be encapsulating particulates and sticky grime, and this can be wiped away with a clean, dry microfibre cloth.

Be thorough and methodical being careful not to leave any area untouched. Once you've mopped up any grime you can turn your cloth to a dry portion and buff to an immaculate, natural finish.

Pro Tip: If you're working around an adjustable steering wheel, move the column up and down so you can reach all the hidden areas with your microfibre cloth or detailing brush.

Cleaning Steering Wheels

Steering wheels see the most skin contact of any interior part, so it stands to reason that they will always benefit from a deep clean.

The process of removing prints, skin oils and makeup is straightforward, even on Alcantara finishes. The first step is to lay a microfibre cloth behind the wheel to protect from overspray and then lightly spritz Total Interior cleaner over the entire wheel.

Then we can spritz a light mist of Total on an Upholstery Brush or Interior Detail Brush and agitate our cleaner into the wheel. Applying firm pressure to the brush we work it around the entire wheel in small circular motions adding additional Total if needed.

After removing any excess Total with a clean microfibre cloth we hold the wheel and twist our cloth into rim to remove any ingrained dirt. What we're looking for here is a clean, natural satin finish. Remember that shiny leather and Alcantara usually means that it's dirty.

Commonly Missed Areas

When it comes to the rest of the interior trim, there's plenty to look out for.

Cup holders for example are prime areas for the collection of dirt and debris. In many cases we need to vacuum away any loose debris before applying any cleaning product.

Some cars also have an insert that should be removed for cleaning. In this case we're Total, along with a soft Detailing Brush to complete the job.

We can then apply our Total directly to the tray and agitate away any spills or residues, wiping away the grime with our microfibre. We'll then move onto the insert itself, being sure to complete the underside, too.

For other interior surfaces and hard plastics we carry out the same procedure - applying, agitateing and wiping away Total. It's worth considering that the more human contact any area receives, the dirtier it tends to be. So we make sure we cover every part of the interior.

There are other areas that may not be immediately obvious, but they will certainly benefit from cleaning to expel any lingering odours. Pulling out the seatbelts for a spritz of Total, cleaning plastic seat backs and sides, and cleaning out seatbelt buckles are all details that professionals target to ensure that they gone the extra mile.

One that is noticeable however is the centre console, a notorious dirt-trap for a range of contamination, including crumbs and grime. Again, a quick vacuum, followed by a little Total and your Detailing Brush, should clean this area up nicely.

Cleaning Interior Glass

Interior glass - chiefly your windows, mirrors and panoramic roofs - is another commonly forgotten area, but one that's extremely quick and simple to create an immaculate finish using Crystal Glass Cleaner.

This fast flashing solvent-based formula cuts through fingerprints, sticky residues, cleaning product overspray and grime to leave nothing but a crystal-clear finish.

To limit the amount of overspray when using Crystal inside your cabin we recommend spritzing this powerful cleaner directly onto a Superior Waffle Cloth, transferring the cleaner to the surfaces with a wipe, before turning the cloth to a clean portion and buffing to finish.

Upholstery And Leather

Your cleaning product of choice will depend on the materials used by your car manufacturer, especially when it comes to seats. Total Interior Cleaner is water-based that's ideal for use on cloth upholstery but, although it can also be used on leather, we always recommend using Hide Leather Cleanser, which is a mildly balanced glycerine-based cleaner that's suited to regular use without drying out the leather surfaces.

First we vacuum the seats starting with the rear. We're looking to not only remove loose dirt and debris, but to get in between the bolsters to clean out any trapped grime. A crevice tool is essential here and we always physically pull the cushions apart as we go.

Once any crumbs and loose dirt is removed, we can lightly mist our chosen cleaner over the seats working from the top to bottom.

We can then spray a little more of our cleaning agent onto an Upholstery Brush and agitate into the area. The agitation here helps our cleaners target and remove any ingrained grime, suspending it in the solution, ready to be wiped away.

Once agitated we finish off by buffing away the spent solution with a clean Microfibre Work Cloth.

When it comes to leather seats, along with leather-trimmed dashboards and door cards, adding a little protection and conditioning using Hide Leather Conditioner is always a good idea. This product also restores the original colour and reintroduces natural oils to help soften and maintain your leather over extended periods.

Apply directly onto a clean Microfibre Applicator and massage into the leather starting from the top and working to the bottom. It's important not to miss any here. After a couple of minutes the product will haze and can then be lightly buffed to a natural satin-matte finish with a fresh Microfibre Work Cloth.

Interior Mats and Carpets

The carpets are always the last part of the process because, once they're finished, there's no need to re-enter the car.

We begin by vacuuming away any loose dirt on floor mats and then removing them to get to the carpets themselves. We'll also be sure to tackle the other commonly forgotten dirt traps such as under the seats and down the sides of seats and consoles. It's also a good idea to start with the rear mats and carpets before working your way forward to the front.

After your vac, a spritz of Total, a little agitation with an Upholstery Brush, and finally a wipe with a microfibre cloth will clean your carpets in most cases. If there's any heavy staining or extra ground-in dirt though a 1:5 - 1:10 dilution of Verso is best for the most intensive deep cleaning.

It's best to tackle your floor mats outside the car. Professionals will also clean the undersides of these first.

Mats are cleaned in the same way as carpets, first with a vacuum to eradicate loose grime, then with a spritz of Total or Verso agitated with an Upholstery Brush.

Finally we wipe the surface dry with a microfibre cloth, and then vacuum once more to remove any remaining dirt that the cleaning agent may have drawn out. Once dry we can then return the mats to the car.

The Finishing Touches

The finishing touches are what makes your detail, many have said it. What these will entail depends on the car of course, but there are a few essential touches that work over most details.

Dressing tyres is one of the most common finishing touches, simply to ensure that faded, brown rubber doesn't detract from the rest of the detail. A small amount of Satin Tyre Crème will not only nourish and restore your rubber from within, but it also offers a protective barrier from the elements and the fading caused by UV radiation.

Satin is also an advanced formulation that allows you to choose the level of shine you require. A single application leaves a subtle satin-matte finish but, if you add more, you can also build up a slick, wet-look gloss.

One great pro tip is to ensure that the whole sidewall is completed, but without dragging your applicator along the ground and picking up any grit. You can either drive your car onto a raised platform or simply apply your dressing to three quarters of all four tyres, and then roll the vehicle forward slightly to complete the rest.

Stainless steel or chrome exhaust tips can nearly always benefit from a quick application of Mercury Metal Polish. Mercury is denoted as a cleaner polish which means that it contains both abrasives to strip away a small amount of the surface and restore the original lustre, and special deep-cleaning solvents to help it cut though harsh grime, oxidation and staining.

We apply a small pea sized amount to a microfibre cloth or applicator and then work it into the metal surface. We keep working the product through until the cloth goes black and then flip the cloth to a fresh portion to buff away the residue. It really is that easy.

Mercury can also be utilised on other bare metal brightwork and polished wheel lips.

Matte plastics and rubber trim can be prone to fading due to long-term exposure to UV radiation, along with the relatively easy impregnation of grime. These areas, commonly parts like scuttle panels, mirror bases and window rubbers, can often detract from any finished detail when they're faded.

Revive Trim Dressing is the answer. This water-resistant dressing is capable of darkening and restoring the original colour, leaving behind a subtle satin finish that protects from UV fading.

Apply sparingly with a Microfibre or Foam Applicator, allow 5-10 minutes for the product to cure, and then buff to an even finish with a microfibre towel.

Cleaning the exterior glass is always our penultimate finishing touch. This is left until near the end because it's almost inevitable that your glass will pick up a few smears, dust and fingerprints during the rest of the detail.

As with the inside, we use Crystal Glass Cleaner, in this case spraying the product directly onto the glass before spreading and buffing until crystal-clear. Crystal not only cleans but is also capable of filling and obscuring light scratches and defects, leaving behind a sparkling, smear-free finish.

For the best results, we recommend using a Superior Waffle cloth. This specifically designed glass cleaning towel safly lifts and locks away grime in the unique microfibre weave.

In some cases your windows may have tough, sticky glue residues from stickers or parking tickets. These are also extremely quick and easy to remove.

Use a few spritzes of Crystal and a razor blade to gently scrape the contamination away. The mild distilled solvents in the solution will soften any glue act as a lubricant to help prevent scratching.

To finish up the whole detail we'll always reach for the Finale Quick Detailer. This product offers the simple way to eradicate any of the dust or fingerprints that may have found their way onto your paint and trim while you've been working, and add a whole load of gloss along the way. Best of all, you only need a quick spritz and wipe to perfect your detail.

This advanced cleaner and finisher is designed to ensure that any light contamination is removed safely. This is not only important for enthusiasts working on their own car. For professionals this is the bit when you hand the car back, so it needs to be looking its best. Finale is also infused with carnauba wax, so it adds a little more protection, too.

Lightly mist Finale onto each panel and spread evenly using a soft, absorbent finishing cloth such as our Ultra Plush Microfibre or Primo Plush Microfibre. You only need a little, this product goes a long way. Once the solution is spread across the whole panel, fold your towel to a fresh, dry portion and lightly buff to a streak-free finish.

The Results

And that's our Back To Basics Detail Complete, lets look at the results...

What's Next?

Congratulations on completing our Getting Back To Basics course!

We hope you enjoyed the course, and don't forget to have look at a wealth of extra resources in the Guides Section Of Our Blog.