A full detail at home, in the right order

A full detail is not more products, it is the right products in the right order. Work dirtiest to cleanest so you never splash wheel grime onto finished paint, decontaminate before you protect so the sealant bonds to bare clear coat, and do the cabin and glass last so nothing gets tracked back in. Set aside a morning and start early — by 11:00 a Highveld panel is too hot to work on.

1. 1

   Wheels and tyres first

   On cool wheels, spray Wheel Rescue on rims and tyre walls, agitate with the barrel, spoke and lug-nut brushes, and rinse. Doing them first means any spray-back lands on paint you have not washed yet.

2. 2

   Snow foam pre-wash

   Foam bottom up, dwell three to five minutes in the shade, rinse top down. This removes most of the loose grit before you touch the paint.

3. 3

   Two-bucket contact wash

   Pure Wash in one bucket, clean water in the other, grit guards in both. One panel at a time, top down, rinsing the mitt after every panel.

4. 4

   Iron decontamination

   While the car is still wet, mist Iron Out on paint and wheels, wait for the purple bleed (two to four minutes, never let it dry) and rinse thoroughly. Gloves on.

   Bay tip · Run your fingertips over the bonnet inside a sandwich bag. If it still feels gritty after Iron Out, the paint needs a clay (see our clay bar guide).

5. 5

   Dry and protect

   Dry with the plush towel, then apply Ceramic Shield one panel at a time: two light mists, spread with one towel, buff immediately with a second. Do the glass too.

6. 6

   Tyres, cabin and glass

   Dress the dry tyres thinly with Tyre Gloss. Vacuum the cabin top down, wipe plastics with Pure Cabin on a towel, and finish the glass inside and out with Clear View using a two-towel method.

Safety: Wear nitrile gloves for Iron Out and Wheel Rescue, keep chemicals out of eyes and rinse any overspray off glass and trim. Work on cool surfaces only.