Spring is now upon us, a prime time for detailing your car. Here is a guide to how to wash your car Gtechniq style:
If you drive your car every day, the rule of thumb is that one wash a week should be enough to keep on top of road grime and other contaminants, and keep your car looking pristine. Some people may choose to wash their car more frequently, if this is you, remember the more you wash a car, the quicker you may introduce micro-scratching and paintwork defects.
Using Gtechniq aftercare products when washing your car once a week, will significantly reduce the chance of surface defects. All of our products have been designed to complement our coatings and will help keep your car looking newer for longer.
Before you begin, please note, try to wash your car in the shade, this will prevent soap suds from drying prematurely before you have a chance to rinse them off. When this is not possible and you are washing your car in the heat, soap suds should be rinsed panel by panel. Ideally any rinsing should be done with an open-ended hose, this allows the water to sheet, making drying an easier task.
Apply a thick layer of W4 Citrus Foam all over your dry car using a foam lance
If you do not have a foam lance then dilute and spray W5 Citrus All Purpose Cleaner onto your car – this will do the same job as the snow foam
Once applied leave the foam or all-purpose cleaner to dwell on the car for up to five minutes
Rinse the foam from the car a relatively high pressure to remove as much grime as possible prior to hand washing
Once you have conducted the initial decontamination you can work on areas that need more attention
W6 Iron and General Fallout Remover can be sprayed on your cars wheels or on any surface that brake dust may be present. Spray W6 directly onto the surface and allow it to dwell for 5-10 minutes. During this time any ferrous particles will dissolve forming a purple solution. After this rinse the residue away with water
If your wheels are particularly dirty you may want to scrub them with a soft tipped wheel cleaning brush and W5 Citrus All Purpose Cleaner
Even though Gtechniq coatings have a very strong anti-adhesion function, tar spots are an inevitable part of every-day driving. Spray W7 Tar and Glue Remover directly onto any tar spots, leave it to dwell 5-10 minutes and then rinse away
Bugs stuck to the paintwork are a common problem for all drivers. W8 Bug remover has been designed to make removing splatters much easier, simply spray onto the contaminated areas, leave to dwell for 5-10 minutes and rinse away with water
W6, W7 and W8 can be used as many times as required prior to washing. In extreme cases you may want to use an MF1 ZeroR Microfibre Buff Cloth to agitate the surface
After the second stage of decontamination, it is time to begin the hand washing process. Start with the wheels, wheel arches and lower sides around the exhaust
Fill one bucket of water with Gwash, and another with fresh water (use grit guards in the bottom if you have them), dunk the wash mitt into the suds wash a wheel and then rinse it in the clean water, before dipping it into the soapy bucket again
Throughout the wash process, make sure you use plenty of soap suds on your mitt and rinse it thoroughly. Keep an eye on the water becoming too dirty, and replace both buckets as and when necessary
Once you have finished cleaning the wheels DO NOT use the same WM2 Microfibre Wash Mitt or the same buckets of water to wash your car’s paintwork. Instead, use a new wash mitt and two fresh buckets of water (one with Gwash in), as brake dust is highly abrasive, and should be kept away from paintwork at all costs
Always begin washing the paintwork on the upper surfaces (roof, bonnet and boot), and work your way down
Again fill one bucket of water with Gwash, and another with fresh water (use grit guards in the bottom if you have them), dunk the wash mitt into the shampoo, wash a panel then rinse it in the clean water
Even though all steps are being taken to reduce marring and swirl marks, it is also important you try to follow the lines of the car, using a back and forth, or side to side motion. Circular motions when washing will pronounce any swirl marks
Rinse your car well all over with fresh water to remove all soap residues
Dry all of the exterior surfaces of your car with an MF2 Microfibre Drying Towel or MF4 Diamond Sandwich Microfibre Drying Towel, never use a real leather chamois for drying as they are too harsh for modern paints and can scratch the surface. Because of the coating on your car, drying the surface will require much less effort. Do not scrub or use any force when drying. Simply lay the drying cloth across the surface and pull it towards you. Do not leave your car to dry naturally as this will leave water spots, which may cause damage to the surface if not removed
For a streak and spot-free finish use Gtechniq Quick Detailer with a MF1 ZeroR MicroFibre Buff Cloth
Once you have dried your wheels and tyres, apply T2 Tyre Dressing to the tyres with an AP3 Foam Filled Applicator for a slick finish
