The most underrated and arguably important part of the detailing process in our opinion.
Sud/foam is the layer of lubrication between the car and the wash mitt when we clean our vehicle. Hence it is critical that lubrication is always present as it is the key to the prevention of swirls and lovemarks.
However, the atmosphere around us works against us in this regard as heat/wind evaporates the layer of lubrication created by wash detergents on the surface of the paint.
Tips for washing your car
Here are a number of ways to mitigate this risk:
- Wash in the shade, out of direct sunlight.
- Wash your vehicle systematically from the roof (where typically there is less dirt) down to the bottom.
- Dip your sponge into the clean detergent bucket and squeeze the water onto the panels you will be cleaning to further lubricate the sections you are going to be washing if they start to dry.
Alternatively, our pre-wash soaker works extremely well in being able to provide an immediate hit of lubrication on any surface. - After washing, ensure that the panels are still wet when drying off your vehicle. Use a quick detail spray in conjunction with your drying microfibre to ensure that the surface is wet prior to contact with the microfibre towel. Unsurprisingly, a lot of scratches are installed in our paintwork inadvertently when we run over the dry surface with the microfibre towel (even after the car is cleaned, dust still settles on the surface before wipe down).
- Kick back and enjoy the view.