There’s a big difference in cleaning your car and cleaning it well. If you take pride in the way your car looks, here are some awesome tips to get that showroom finish.

1. Do not clean in extreme heat or direct sunlight, it not only means you have to work faster as some parts of the car dry faster than normal but it also affects the strength of the chemicals within the products you are using.

2. Do a ‘pre-wash’ by getting as much dirt and grime off of the car before actually laying hands on it.

3. Use multiple buckets and a wash mitt. One bucket with water and washing solution and the other just with water for rinsing, also ensuring a grit guard is in the bottom of both buckets.

4. Do not use silicone-based sprays on the interior of your car as it can make surfaces too slippery or so shiny as to cause a glare.

5. Use a blow dryer or a specialist triple-layered microfiber cloth for drying. Driving the car, to dry it, can cause streaking and water to pool in seals and gaps.

6. Choose cleaning products based on a car’s use. Before detailing, consider if the car will be out in the elements every day, hidden in the garage for a while or paraded at a show the next day.

7. Pay close attention to wheels and wheel arches. After the prewash and hands-on wash, you can spray on an alloy cleaner and let it work for 3 min whilst spraying on an all-purpose cleaner and washing it again to really get all the brake dust and tough grime off.

8. Clean glass inside and out with a glass cleaner and two microfiber cloths, one for cleaning and one for buffing. (Last step in cleaning to avoid any other spraying residue)

9. To really fix any other imperfections consider getting a depth gauge and a clay bar for the finishing touches.