From suds to shine: We put the best car cleaning products to the test

FAQs and things to remember with car cleaning

• How can I get the best out of car cleaning products?

  Firstly, understand the differences between various detailing products and their appropriate applications to achieve the best results. And remember, patience and attention to detail are essential qualities for a professional car detailer. Take your time, follow proper techniques, and use the right car cleaning products to get that showroom-quality finish.
  
  No one knows how to clean a car better than those who do it for a living. We've had a look around to get some of the top tips from the detailing professionals. Investing in high-quality microfibre towels, wash mitts, and foam applicators is a must. This is to ensure that your paintwork won't get scratched in any part of the process.

• What is the best way of cleaning and detailing a car?

  Use a two-bucket wash method - one bucket for soapy water and another for rinsing your wash mitt. This helps prevent dirt and contaminants from being reintroduced to the car's surface. It's always best to opt for car shampoo and other cleaning products that are pH-balanced. This will prevent damage to the car's paint and clear coat.
  
  When polishing, use a dual-action polisher with appropriate pads and polishes to remove swirls, scratches, and oxidation. Work in small sections and avoid excessive pressure. Afterwards, apply a high-quality wax or sealant to protect the paint from UV rays, water spots, and other environmental elements.

• How do I keep my car wheels clean?

  Your best bet for maintaining your hard work on your alloys is a coating of wheel sealant. You simply apply it to protect the wheels from brake dust and road grime build-up after cleaning with a good wheel cleaner.
  
  Moreover, the result of car cleaning is dependent on shade and sunlight. Try to work in shaded areas or indoors to prevent products from drying too quickly and leaving residues. Once you've finished all of that, ceramic coatings are an option too. They provide long-lasting protection and hydrophobic properties, making future cleaning easier.

• What products do I need to clean my car?

  You will learn that there is a whole host of different products for different stages when it comes to car cleaning. But we don't blame you if you don't want the full kit and slim down to only the essentials.
  
  Above all, prioritise shampoo as your absolute essential. It's the main stage of any car cleaning task, and will get your paintwork looking smart. Next is wheel cleaner; if your car has alloy wheels, this is an essential to getting all of the dirt off from the brakes (dust) and from the road and puddles. Pre-wash is highly recommended by us, though not absolutely essential to everyone, and snow foam only exists for a surprisingly niche reason.
  
  To clean and dry the car, invest in some good quality, soft wash mitts. These are far superior to any sponge and won't leave swirl marks or light scratches on your paintwork. To dry the vehicle, get yourself a big drying towel; leaving your car to dry naturally is only going to allow water spots and residue to show up later - and this is something you never like to see.
  
  The last thing we'd greatly recommend is glass cleaner - it works wonders on clearing the smears and grime from your windows and allows you to see better under direct sunlight or tricky conditions.

• How often should I wash my car?

  It always depends on your vehicle's circumstances. If it's regularly used and kept outside, washing it every week or two is good practice to maintaining its shine and condition. However, this principle won't apply to a car that's kept in the garage or under a cover and is only used occasionally.
  
  One trick to maintaining a vehicle's cleanliness is by giving it a layer of wax or ceramic coating. Elements like dirt, rain, and so on is repelled off the paintwork more easily - which you will notice due to the paintwork seemingly staying cleaner and shinier for longer periods of time. This can also be solved by using ceramic-based shampoo like the Autoglym option we included above. We've found that lasts for miles and even weeks at a time without needing to be washed again.

• Can frequent car washes damage the paint?

  Frequently washing your car can only damage paint if you're using the wrong type of equipment. Automatic car washes, sponges, and harsh chemicals can all damage paintwork, so it's incredibly important to use products that are safe for a car's paintwork.
  
  Dedicated car shampoo, wash mitts and soft drying towels are all designed to be soft on your paint and protect the finish. If you're using these, frequently washing your car - i.e. every week - will not be an issue.

• Should I wash my car in the sun?

  It's not ideal to wash your car in direct sunlight - because the heat and UV rays can cause water marks and shampoo stains to dry out if you don't rinse and dry it quick enough. You can get these stains out with some quick detailer, but you don't really want to give yourself the stress in the first place.
  
  If you can, you should always wash or detail your vehicle in some form of shade. That way, water spots or other stains aren't at as much risk of staining your freshly-cleaned paintwork.

• What's the difference between a car wash and car detailing?

  A car wash consists of a quicker clean. A bit of pre-wash, followed by a rinse, followed by shampoo, followed by perhaps a touch of quick detailer before drying. You can wash a car relatively quickly if you're not completely fastidious.
  
  A full detail however, takes much more time. This term refers to spending around 15-minutes on each wheel as you go to town with a number of products to make them immaculate - and that's before you begin the bodywork. Everything from pre-wash, snow foam, glass cleaner, shampoo and wax consists of a full car detail.
  
  Some professional detailers even like to throw in paint correction as part of their packages - and this consists of getting the polishing tools out to iron out any scratches or swirls. The process can vary in length and thoroughness, but detailing takes far more time and commitment than an average wash.

• Is waxing necessary?

  Applying wax to your car isn't necessary per-sae. But it is hugely beneficial if you want to protect your car's paintwork. It adds a hydrophobic layer and repels off water, dirt and most other elements which makes it slick and easy to clean when you next come around to it.
  
  If you want the condition of your paintwork to last longer and have more of a shine to it, applying a coat of car wax is a great way of ensuring just that.

• What's the best way to clean a car interior?

  When cleaning your interior, the first step is to always give it a good vacuum. Getting all the loose dust, crumbs and dirt is essential before you apply any products as you don't want to be mixing any existing dirt in any of your tasks.
  
  The dashboard is a nice place to start - after you've vacuumed up the dust, you can apply whichever interior cleaning product suits the materials at hand. Go carefully and remember to buff off anything with a soft microfibre cloth if required. This includes anything such as interior dressing, leather cleaner and so on.
  
  The seats are perhaps the main task; apply whichever product suits the materials at hand, whether it be fabric or leather cleaner. It's a good idea afterwards to protect your hard work with a coat of leather or fabric protector, but this isn't absolutely essential.
  
  Finally, give those carpets a good detail using a carpet cleaner. All the trapped dirt stuck in those floors can be cleaned up, giving your interior a fresh, welcoming atmosphere.
  
  If you're really thorough, you can finish it all off with a blast of air conditioning cleaner. These dig into the vents in your A/C system and remove any bits of mould or bacteria where you can't see it.

• Can I pressure wash my car?

  Yes, you can absolutely use a pressure washer to wash your car - that's what they're designed to do. Keep in mind, though, that you should always begin with a more gentle setting on each new machine. Sometimes, there are cases where bits of paint or top coating has been stripped off due to some pressure washers being on a too-powerful setting.
  
  But if you're gentle and your paint quality is tough enough, then there should be no issue whatsoever with using a pressure washer. The difference in dirt removal compared to a standard garden hose is night and day - especially around the wheel arches and on the underside of the vehicle.