Paint Protection Film (PPF)

Detail Driven are trained and approved PPF Installers situated just outside Tonbridge in Kent.

What is PPF?

Paint protection film is clear plastic wrap usually self healing which is applied to interior and exterior surfaces of a new or used car in order to protect the paint from stone chips, swirls, scratches and minor abrasions.

There is still confusion and many misconceptions around what PPF (Paint Protection Film) can and can’t do, what it looks like, how it fits and more importantly is it worth the investment? Like anything there are pros and cons to PPF and this blog post will educate you to help you make the decision. 

When it comes to protecting a car’s paint, there are a multitude of choices you can take, the most common being a Ceramic coating or PPF. We all know what ceramic coatings do now (follow this link if you don’t!) but how does PPF compare, is it better and why is it three to four times as expensive to have installed?  

While your clear coat is engineered as the first line of defence against the elements, it itself is still extremely vulnerable and is often far weaker than we expect. Suffering from stone chips and scratches almost immediately, car paint year on year gets thinner, cheaper and scratches far easier. I’ve met many clients over the last ten years who are prepared to spend thousands on paint correction and ceramic coatings with their best intentions being to protect their pride and joy from the elements and day to day life but the sad reality is all our hard work can be undone in the blink of an eye in the wrong hands, simply because ceramic coatings and clear coat are not resistant to physical damage and are fundamentally designed to make maintaining and cleaning the car easier. 

BMW M5 Competition Full Coverage during the install.

Can I see it on my car?

One of the most common conversations I have with clients about PPF is “I remember PPF, it’s that thick plastic stuff that goes yellow”. PPF in its early form had a reputation for being too thick, yellowed quickly, stained easily and to be frank was pretty unsightly. Thankfully the manufacturing processes and technology advanced very quickly and over a short period of time and when installed by a trained professional, in the correct environment can be almost invisible to the untrained eye. 

Can you see it? Essentially yes, If you go looking for it! PPF is not engineered to be invisible, it is however designed to fit in the most seamless discrete way and in the correct hands with an experienced installer can often be fitted to a level where it is near invisible. If you know it’s there you will look for it, however in most cases a good install will be un noticeable at first glance. Most paint protection film installs now are templated patterns cut through a plotter via a library of patterns supplied by the film manufacturers. This library of patterns is often comprehensive and includes most modern vehicles from the early 2000’s onwards. This allows us to fit pre cut templated shapes to the vehicle rather than bulk rolls of material which is the old school method. Bulk fitting is more costly and creates much more wastage too. 

So now you know what it is and what it does, the next question is, how much does it cost and is it worth it? 

Toyota Yaris GR Front end protected with Premium Shield Elite Self Healing PPF

What does it cost?

Cost will vary dramatically subject to brand of film, make and model of car and intricacy level. On average a front end install which covers the most exposed front end of a vehicle usually falls in the region of £1200 - £1500. For full coverage pricing can range anywhere from £3500 to £7000 even more in some cases. We often build bespoke packages for clients too protecting small areas such as gloss black pillars or cargo loading areas in the boot. Areas that suffer the most from day to day life. Answering the question is it worth it is completely subjective. Ultimately it depends what value the vehicle has to you but a lot of the time the advice we give is based upon the clients individual scenario. We often consider things like how is the car looked after and will the client be frustrated by swirls and stone chips? PPF is a large investment and we take the time to discuss our clients expectations and make sure they understand what to expect and how to take care of it to make sure it’s the right decision for them. The decision between basic front end kits and full coverage ultimately comes down to what is your reason behind having PPF? If it’s for piece of mind knowing you can take the car anywhere and not live in fear it’ll get damaged, it has to be full coverage. If it’s to protect against stone chips and day to day driving more often than not front end or extended kits are more than sufficient. 

Is it easy to look after?

Looking after paint protection film couldn’t be easier. Giving physical protection against day to day life means essentially you no longer have to live in fear of dealerships washing your car while it’s in for a service or stones and rocks being flicked up chipping your new pride and joy. It’s piece of mind and stress free motoring knowing that nobody can physically damage your paintwork. If your anything like us, that’s a big weight off the mind! Washing and cleaning PPF is easy, we recommend you don’t use a pressure washer or automated car washes however, If you are very careful and gentle a pressure washer can be used. Most PPF now is hydrophobic meaning it offers the same properties as a ceramic coating. It has self cleaning abilities and beads to help keep the car cleaner for longer meaning PPF is even easier to look after than a ceramic coated car. Wash as you normally would but without the fear that you could be causing swirls and scratches. In time on lighter coloured cars you may notice edges start to hold on to dirt. This is super easy to clean off and isn’t detrimental to the install. It’s a basic step of looking after the film. 

Premium Shield Warranty Card and Aftercare information.

There are so many brands, which is best?

There are many different types and brands of PPF on the market now so which ones the best? The industry leading brands such as Premium Shield, XPEL, Suntek, Llumar and STEK all now offer a range of different films in different finishes, gloss, matte, carbon and even glitter! Generally speaking gloss and matte at the most popular offering OEM finish on factory painted surfaces protecting them but maintaining their original appearance. Picking which brand is best for you comes down to your expectations of the product and what you want to spend. Like most things these days you get what you pay for, it’s no different with PPF. The cheaper the install the lesser the grade of film and quality of install. Our recommendation is pay your installer a visit. Check out their work and the film they use and make sure your happy with how it looks on the car as some brands can vary in their appearance. We chose premium shield as it offers the highest levels of gloss we’ve seen from paint protection film supported by a comprehensive library of patterns offering the best possible fitment. 

Preparing the pre-cut patterns by removing the waste material ready for install.

How long does it last?

Arguably the key benefit of PPF is its longevity and lifespan. Most brands offer a 5-10 year warranty based upon the assumption it’s fitted correctly by a trained and accredited installer. A poor install could lead to a shorter lifespan. Doing your homework is essential when it comes to PPF and will pay dividends If you chose wisely. 

With all that said, we have drawn up a list of the pros and cons of Paint Protection film to help you make the final decision. 

Pros:

• No more stone chips or scratches.

• Permanent finish which won’t age or weather like paintwork.

• Easy to clean and look after.

• No need to polish or wax the car.

• Can be removed at any time.

• Often glossier and sharper in appearance than paint.

Cons:

• Research your installer, check their work and experience in the industry.

• Most expensive way of protecting a vehicle.

• If damaged it has to be replaced.

• Bad installs can lift and not have longevity.

Lamborghini Huracan EVO full coverage in Premium Shield Elite Self Healing PPF

Every product in every industry has its pro’s and con’s. Speak to any professional in this industry and PPF will come highly recommended. Do your research, find a good, experienced installer and see their work before investing in the best protection you can ever have applied to your vehicle. PPF is a rapidly growing industry and we are proud of the work we do, working with one of the best brands on the market who supply a high quality product and some of the best templates available. If your still not convinced, please hit the contact us button below or pick up the phone, we would be happy to talk through your questions with you. Or if you have decided PPF is the right choice for your pride and joy, we would be happy to provide you with a tailored quotation, just hit the enquire button below!

Modesta Ceramic Coatings - Certified

The ceramic coating market is quickly becoming one of the most saturated sectors of this industry. Many claiming long durabilities with no top ups and simple aftercare but with no evidence to back up their ridiculous claims.

The UK market is currently dominated by several main brands who invest heavily in marketing and sales. Both have failed in front of my eyes after very little testing yet on a regular basis I am approached by clients and asked if I use any of these brands and if not why not. Modesta uses none of these techniques, it focusses on developing the best physical product and training the best Detailers to use the product who in return preach about the reliability and quality of the brand. This is also clear from the simple packaging and limited knowledge of the brand in the retail market.

Modesta may be a new brand to you but don’t be fooled, Modesta is a long established Japanese brand which dominates the European and US markets with well over 100 installers worldwide. Distribution in the UK has been limited and only recently the opportunity arose for me to join the Modesta Family!

THE MODESTA RANGE
I’ve spent years using a wide variety of coatings both professional and amateur use. There are some fantastic coatings available on the market currently, however I wanted something more exclusive, something that’s been tested, tested and tested again and that can cope with the harsh UK Climate. The below comparison chart shows the full range Modesta offer, their strengths and benefits.

As you can see from the range of coatings above its ceramic coatings are not just for your paint, Modesta offers a wide range of coatings to ensure your vehicle is protected for any eventuality. You can choose to have just your paint coated as part of a basic package, right up to paint, wheels, glass, trim, convertible top. leather and fabrics!

COST
Any ceramic coating is an investment but choosing the right one will be the difference between success and failure in terms of your expectations. Modesta certainly isn’t the cheapest coating available on the market and is pitched at the upper end of the pricing bracket. Modesta offer a coating to suit most requirements, from one of the hardest coatings on the market (BC04) to one of the most hydrophobic and repellent coatings I’ve ever worked with (BC05). As the cost increases up the range the benefits and properties of each coating improve and offer more advantages. If you base your selection of coating upon price but have expectations of a coating that will offer the best you will always be disappointed. Like most things you get what you pay for, Pay less and expect less. The key is to identify which coating suits your requirements best and invest in it.

AFTERCARE
The initial investment of the coating application is step one of the two key steps to ensuring the success of your coating. Aftercare is just as important. Many brands that produce coatings produce a range of aftercare products so this is hardly something new. However, a lot of the “aftercare” products often recommended by the coating manufacturer are often sub standard or re-bottled products and are often just a money making exercise. Modesta offer a narrow range of aftercare products specifically developed to maintain the coating and are not just for general cleaning of the car. Products that make logical sense when maintaining a coating such as a coating cleaner designed to decontaminate a clogged coating or deep clean a coating which appears to be underperforming due to poor maintenance. A post wash maintenance spray specifically designed to maintain the coating after each was to ensure maximum durability. All products are specifically manufactured for the benefit of the coating, simple and easy to use and cost effective too.

TESTING EXAMPLE FROM MODESTA
In this industry the proof really is in the pudding. There are so many brands on the UK market which make vast claims about product performance and its features yet provide no evidence to back their claims. Quite often when confronted by professional most of these companies try and defend their claims with science they clearly don’t understand. Modesta however since the start have happily provided test examples available to all installers to show their clients. The below example shows how the application of Modesta BC-05 has protected the piece of acrylic material from fading promoting its UV protection. This feature has prevented discolouration and deterioration and the material from weathering in the natural environment. This is a key example what role a coating plays on your paintwork and isn’t just about water behaviour and beading. Image supplied by MODESTA Co.

MODESTA BC-05 DURABILITY TEST IN A NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

THE TEST: Matt black acrylic paint uncovered with clear coat, naturally has poor weather resistance, much less than common car exterior paints. Washed with a neutral ph detergent before taking the picture.

APPLIED 18/07/2014

IMAGE TAKEN 10/02/2020

It has been outdoors for the past 5 years and 7 months regardless of climate or temperature.

WHY MODESTA?
Having experienced first hand the failure of coatings I truly believed in, I know personally how disappointing it is to have invested all that time and money to see no benefit.

Since the start I’ve followed many other detailers across the world, from the US to OZ opening my eyes to the international detailing market. After a period of time I noticed that detailers I had followed for some time had been preaching Modesta for as long as I could remember and this immediately caught my eye. For a professional in the industry to stick with one brand for such a period of time tells me its reliable and there is good trust in the brand. It was at this point I began researching Modesta. I offer my clients a reliable and honest service, in order to do so I needed a coating brand I could rely on. I began speaking with fellow detailers across the pond and it quickly became clear Modesta was the real deal and was exactly what I had been searching for. No fancy packaging, no cliche marketing schemes, no false claims, just a extremely well developed self contained brand which cares about ensuring the promise of a coating that will last, is delivered.

Modesta coatings are so different to all coatings I’ve used before in terms of application. The application process is key to the success in the performance of the coating and its clear Modesta have developed the application process to ensure the performance of the product not only enhances the paintwork beneath but provides the all important protection you are looking for. Pair that with an aftercare range specifically designed to enhance and improve the performance of the coating Modesta for me is the pinnacle of the current ceramic coating market.

Protecting your new Investment

2016 was a record year for new car sales, with new cars come dealership protection packages. When buying a new car we are all suckers for falling for the Jargon of these new car protection packages but do you really know what your getting for your money and how much your actually spending? I am writing this article to explain why Protecting your new car is so important, why not to pay for dealership packages and crucially how you can save yourself money!

Buying a new car is one of the largest investments you will make in your life time so it baffles me why people either chose not to protect their new investment at all or worse than that, let the dealership make a hash of it! Protection isn't just about protecting your paintwork in order to improve its appearance, it does actually have an important role to play in prolonging the life of the materials that your car is made up of. Every car is made up of a wide variety of materials and composites. Each one needs a specific type of product in order to protect it, for example the Ceramic coating applied to wheels is not the same as the coating applied to the paint. The reason being is that wheels require a heat resistant coating due to the temperatures produced under braking the coating applied to the paint simply wouldn't achieve its optimum durability under these temperatures, as such a heat resistant coating is required. Protecting all surfaces is essential, I will demonstrate during the article the difference between the protection package that a Detailer will offer against the basic protection the dealership offers you sometimes at twice the cost.

Why does your brand new car need protection? Its new, its from the Factory surely it'll be protected then? No, not in the slightest! Essentially all that is coming out the factory is raw materials painted and pruned to produce your car. None of those raw materials have any protection, so essentially are open to the elements. Take the seats for example, without protection after a matter of weeks a recent client of mine saw dye transfer from his jeans building up on the bolsters of his Ivory Leather seats. The reason being is that there was no barrier between the dye of his jeans and the pores of the leather resulting in the absorption of the dye into the surface of the leather. This can be prevented by simple application of a leather guard. Another great example is wheels, the heat resistant coatings applied to the wheels prevent the build up of bonded contaminants (those unsightly pesky black spots most of you will find in your wheels once you've had it cleaned), preventing the build up of these bonded contaminants will prolong the appearance of your wheel and maintain its surface appearance. Without a coating most wheels after a matter of months will have large deposits of bonded contaminants built up in the dish of the wheel degrading the surface and appearance of your alloy.

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50/50 Shot of the drivers seat from a 1 Week old BMW. The left shows the dye transfer and staining after one weeks use. This car has received dealer protection and allegedly has leather guard applied. The right is after a very light clean using Leather cleaner showing the natural colour of the leather and that the dealership applied protection (Gaurd X) Is not offering protection against die transfer and soiling. Proof that dealership protection is not offering as marketed.

Most dealership protection packages offer the basics of Paint, Glass and Wheels but very few extend beyond that. Detail Driven's New Car Protection Detail protects everything, literally everything. Paint, Glass, Wheels, Engine Bay Plastics and Rubbers, Exterior Plastics and Rubbers, Leather, Cloth, Matts... I could go on. I hear time and time again people who have bought new cars six months in complaining that its lost its new car look, or shine even after they have paid for the protection packages but the one thing that frustrates me is rarely will anyone pick up the phone to the dealership and complain that the protection applied is no longer performing. This is down to lack of knowledge and education as people don't really know what they are dealing with. General rule of thumb here is in the way the water behaves when it comes into contact with your car, be it the paint, glass or wheels. If it beads or sheets from the surface you know that there is some form of product creating a repellent barrier between the paint surface and the extremities, this is protected. If however the water does not bead, sheet or run off the car instead it just hangs around or drags down the bodywork leaving what can sometimes look like an oily finish then your protection may well be worn away. 

At the point of explaining to my clients that their protection has worn away the question I am often asked is why? At this point it's very easy for the Detailer to point the finger at the product applied by the dealership and simply state that it was never fit for purpose, However I do feel its unlikely that companies such as Auto Glym who produce Life Shine which has seen a fair bit of bad press from many detailers would be allowed to produce a product that simply isn't fit for purpose. The product its self would most likely perform for some period of time offering the protection described as long as the product is maintained as described and this is what the dealerships always neglect to tell you. Whether it be Life Shine or any other brand of dealership protection for that matter it will never ever come close to the claimed lifespan if the product is not maintained correctly, but what does maintenance mean,  does it mean you have to clean and top up the product weekly, monthly, or even reapply it in six months? That's down to you as the consumer to find out but it certainly should be made much much clearer by the dealership that the "lifetime guarantee" product they are selling you will require your personal maintenance on a regular basis and will require topping up in the near future as any detailer will tell you there is no product out there that will last more than a number of years on one single application and without top up.

The product and its maintenance are not the only issue , its the application process is too and the complete lack of preparation your vehicle receives prior to application. The easiest way to explain this is to offer a comparable. So for example, when applying Gyeon's Q2 MOHS Ceramic Quartz Coating on a new car I will spend approximately a day preparing the paint before application, The vehicle will arrive at my unit still in its wrap as I always instruct the dealership under no circumstances are they to prepare or unwrap the vehicle. The vehicle then undergoes full decontamination removing surface dirt and transportation contaminants, during this process if required and once safely washed various chemicals are used to remove bonded contaminants such as tar, fallout or any other rogue contaminants. Once decontaminated the car is safely dried, and pressurised air is then used to blow all the water from the door shuts, handles, below the door mirrors and where all the water lies in the cracks and crevices. this stage is incredibly important as its essential when applying the coating that no other form of liquids or products are present as they could have a reaction with the coating meaning it will not bond properly. Before application of any coating the car requires some level of machine polishing to refine the surface and enhance the gloss as even new cars are not finished to the highest level from factory. This stage is possibly the most important stage of your new car preparation and unfortunately is the stage that dealerships skip. The machine polishing stages require technique, skill and knowledge and are required due to defects left behind at the factory stage which is very common and the damage inflicted by the preparation completed by the fleet valeters at the dealership. The poor processes and wash methods used by the dealerships mentioned in my "The truth about hand car washes" article result in light swirling, scratches and marring being inflicted to your brand new paintwork. The dealership will then proceed to apply the coating and seal any defects inflicted by them or at the factory into your new paint for the duration of the coatings life, the only chance you have of identifying this is if you pick the car up in direct sunlight which is a rarity. I very recently collected a brand new car from a dealership and the car was put into a fancy collection room which had NO bright or direct lighting, soft lighting panels and strips were used to illuminate the room giving you no chance at all of seeing any defects in the paint so do not be afraid to get a torch out or better than that take the car outside before taking the keys!

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Marring Caused By Dealer

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Light Swirls From Dealer Prep

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After New Car Preperation

At point of booking I request that the client either allows me to liaise with the dealership or that the client strictly instructs the dealership not to touch or prepare the vehicle in any way, leaving the vehicle in its wrap, dirty. This really does make a big difference, when a vehicle has received any level of preparation from the dealer its a given that the car will require more machine polishing to remove damage caused by the preparation stages at the dealer. I ensure that every new vehicle prior to any level of protection is corrected, refined and perfected to ensure that the finish that is being sealed in is a finish worth protecting. All swirling, marring, sanding marks or light scratches will be removed and the client consulted with to ensure they are aware. After spending hours and hours sometimes days decontaminating, preparing and polishing the paint a Ceramic Quartz coating is then applied in controlled conditions ensuring the work area is well heated, ventilated, dry and extremely well lit. Having personally witnessed the application of the product at dealerships despite some form of training the coatings applied by the dealership are rarely applied in the correct conditions. All coatings will have a minimum application temperature, they will all have a cure time and most will require a top coat or further wipe down before hand over. These are not adhered to by most dealerships, cars are rushed into a bay, rushed around by one valeter who is under pressure to do as many as possible in a set time applying all coatings in any conditions at whatever the room temperature is before moving the car straight back outside into rain or shine before the next one comes in! This not only could result in the coating being immediately stripped by precipitation but its also not allowing sufficient curing or bonding time, its not allowing for any potential reactions from the coating which can happen and require removal and reapplication. It certainly does not allow for the correct environment such as temperature control to ensure the coating cures for the correct amount of time at the correct temperature, which will ultimately give you maximum durability from the coating. By contrast once I have completed the machine polishing stages and wiped down temperatures are checked and the application process begins applying Ceramic Qaurtz coatings to the Glass, Paint, Wheels and Trim. One applied and layered these are left to cure, often overnight at a stable temperature for a minimum of 12 Hours dependent on the coating and its requirements. 

At this point other than a quick hoover the dealership will have completed the protection of your new vehicle, spending in the region of 2-3 hours per car before preparing the paperwork for handover. In contrast I will often be 18 Hours into a 24 Hour detail across two or three days ensuring that every surface of your new car is protected.

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CQuartz Ceramic Coating

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Nano Fabric Coating

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Alloy Wheel Ceramic Coating

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Leather Guard

This is the stage that the detailer really excels against the dealer going into much higher levels of detail applying coatings to surfaces that the dealer wouldn't even contemplate. Lets take the wheels for example, i'm unaware if the dealer remove the wheels to apply their protection but given the time constraints involved its extremely unlikely. Every time a new vehicle comes through my doors, wheels are removed. The reason being is to ensure when applying the coating its applied to the face of the wheel, the barrel of the wheel and the rear of the face. Removing the wheels also allows for better access to wheel hubs and brake calipers, another step skipped by the dealer. The heat resistant coating applied to the wheel can also be applied to the brake calipers and wheel hubs often rejuvenating the already diminished appearance of the unsightly wheel hubs. Most wheel hubs often very quickly begin to rust and deteriorate, applying coatings wont necessarily stop this if the process has already begun but it will certainly prevent further deterioration or discolouration prolonging its appearance. Once wheels, calipers and hubs have all been coated the wheels are refitted and correctly torqued.

I could go on with a list of areas where any detailer will spend hours preparing, refining and coating from paint to leather, wheels to engine bay everything is correctly prepared and professionally coated. 

Next up is the cost, ultimately this is what it comes down to for most people. After doing some research the average cost of a protection package from a dealer is £600, some coming in at £400, a lot where in the region of £550 and some even pricing theirs at £700-£800 when they are no different from the rest. Some of the products currently being marketed at those prices are Auto Glym Life Shine, Gaurd X, Supagaurd and so on. If it wasn't bad enough that the product your paying for isn't applied correctly your also being massively overcharged for it. On average each dealer is buying the product in at £50-100 and selling it on anywhere from £400 up. I appreciate that markup is a fact of retail however that level of markup is outrageous given that in six months time i would guarantee that your coating is either not performing as marketed or completely worn away due to improper application. To compare, my New Car Protection Detail is £450 which includes the price of all the coating and approximately two days preparing your new pride and joy and not two hours. So think of it more as value for money and guaranteed satisfaction.

The last point of discussion is maintenance. Spending hundreds of pounds protecting your new investment is without question one of the best decisions you will make, however take short cuts on maintaining it and the appearance of your car will quickly deteriorate and in a matter of months without the correct care your car could look years old rather than months...

Hypothetically lets say the dealer applies your protection correctly and adheres to all the points raised above and they hand the vehicle over in perfect condition. Before compiling this article I spoke with several friends and family and clients who have all paid for such protection packages from the dealer and have all been handed the care pack that you often get with these protection packages from the dealer. They all explained how little advice they were given of what the products are, how to use them and how often they should be used. They also explained that the performance of most of the products in the pack is very poor. The second issue is regardless of how good the product is, lack of education and improper use will lead to inflicting damage to your freshly prepared and protected paintwork essentially wasting the hundreds of pounds you've just invested in protecting it. In contrast following your car receiving my New Car Protection Detail I offer two options, The first is to provide additional training and supply the required products needed at additional cost to safely maintain your vehicle and its coatings to ensure the coatings achieve their maximum durability and that the vehicle is safely washed preventing infliction of swirls and marring. The second option which is the most popular is to sign up to my Maintenance Plan. Detail Driven offers a completely mobile maintenance service, Carrying water on board all that is required is a power supply so work or home, I can come to you as often or as little as you like to maintain your vehicle and its appearance. 

Investing in professional automotive care is not just piece of mind for you. It provides your vehicle with the best possible start in life and the highest level of automotive protection. It will maintain that "like new" finish for years to come and also ensure maximum resale value when you decide its time for a change. 

The Finished Article, This Brand New M5 recent received my New Car Protection Package, For an insight into what it received click here to read the article.

For too long now dealerships have been taking advantage of the large markup they make on these new car protection packages especially when once applied the product is barely fit for purpose. I wrote this article to educate people on what they are actually getting for their money and the advantages of choosing a detailer over the dealer protection packages. Chose wisely when deciding how to protect your investment as ultimately its always going to hit you in the pocket and not the dealer. Book your New Car Protection detail today and quote NEWCAR17 to receive 10% off your booking if booked before 01/04/2017.

Hand Car Washes, The Truth.

I wish everyone saw what I see when I drive past a hand car wash. It's time to educate people about what your actually getting for your £10, 10 minute wash and the damage they are really doing to your car. Where do I start...

Lets look at the comparables first of all. Most hand car washes charge on average £15 for in and out and your kept waiting at most 20-30 minutes. I charge at most dependent on vehicle size £60 for a Maintenance Detail which essentially is their 'in and out' and take roughly 2.5 hours. If you do the math’s your actually paying the equivalent just I take 5x longer, so why spend more?

The first key point is when I perform a Maintenance Detail my goal is to offer the highest level of clean, as safely as possible using high quality products protecting and maintaining your car and its protection.  Their aim is to clean your car in the quickest way possible by any means, meaning they use cheap, highly aggressive chemicals to break down the dirt and rush around your car in order to free up space for the next car to come In. They need to operate on the lowest possible overheads, this means the more aggressive the chemical to clean your car the less of it they need and the more often than not the cheaper it is.

These days nearly all cars are manufactured and finished in different ways. Wheels for example, you could have polished, painted, diamond cut or satin finishes thus meaning that different products are required to ensure these finished are cleaned safely without diminishing or blemishing the appearance of the wheel. Hand car washes do not consider this and use wheel ACID to clean any type of wheel. I have seen first hand what wheel acid does to polished wheels and satin finishes wheels and its not pretty! I even had a customer recently with a black Range Rover with black wheels, he took it to the local hand car wash where they sprayed on wheel acid, it was a hot day and his wheels were hot from driving as a result the acid had dried and baked on by the time they came to rinse it off, consequently it had streaked all over the wheel and would not come off. That's a wheel refurb on every wheel! Any detailer will carry various products suitable for various finishes to ensure when cleaning all surfaces and coatings on the car are safely cleaned looking after the finish and protection. 

Acid Damaged Wheel (Image Source: Meguiars Online)

Anyone who's takes an avid interest in detailing or just an enthusiast knows one of the fundamentals of the process is using two buckets, one clean water and one soapy to wash the car with.  The reason for this is to wash off your grubby wash mitt that you've just taken off the paint into the plain bucket to rinse off the dirt then put it into nice clean soapy water to put back onto the car. However this appears to be a myth at any hand car wash. Next time you visit a wash and scratch take a look inside the drum they pull their mitts out of, it will most likely be full of black soapy water which has washed anywhere from 50- 100 cars in a day. If you turn up at the end of the day they are essentially washing your car with the dirt off 75 other cars adding a nice swirly finish for free! But that's not the main issue for me, the main issue is that they don't actually use the nice dirty water all that much, instead they grab a dripping wet wash mitt and use it to wash near enough half a car before rinsing it off again and taking it back to your paint. So they are dragging half a cars worth of dirt across the car adding more to your stunning swirl effect! 

Heavy swirling and marring caused by weekly hand car washes.

The next issue with their wash process is the shampoo they use and how it diminishes and degrades any protection on your car. pH Neutral shampoo is essential when cleaning you're car to ensure any wax or coating currently protecting the paintwork is left behind after washing. I only use pH neutral shampoos which do exactly what they say, contain no harsh or aggressive chemicals and most importantly, no acids. The shampoo they use will have a wide variety of aggressive chemicals in it which will break down and lift all kinds of dirt quickly and effectively including sap and bird mess with little agitation, which is great but not so great for your wax or coatings. After only a couple of hand car washes you can wave goodbye to any protection you or the dealership applied meaning your paintwork is left bare and open to a wide variety of foreign bodies which damage your paint such as bird mess, acid rain, bugs, tar and salt! 

To me it's common sense and I really can't see how people cannot see what they are doing to their paintwork. The amount of damage that can be caused in one wash is mind blowing. Don't get me wrong some are much worse than others and you wouldn't believe me but the dealerships are by far the worse. Audi for example, they employ fleet valeters who arrive each morning. I've had the joy of working alongside these cowboys and what I witnessed is not for the faint hearted! In the time it took me to deep clean, decontaminate and dry an Audi A1 (2.5 Hours), they "cleaned" 9 cars! While cleaning these 9 cars the leather which they dry the cars off with was jet washed off, on the floor twice! On concrete with grit and dirt being pressure washed into the fibers of the leather. I nearly passed out when I saw it! 

Trails left behind by Fleet Valeters at Audi Main Dealer when they attempted to remove a mark on the bonnet.

So back to your local hand car wash, after they have stripped all the dirt with harsh aggressive chemicals, given the dirt on your car a good wash around with dirt off other cars too, they then rinse it all off in preparation to dry the car with the dreaded Chamois leather. Although these can be very effective at absorbing water and drying your car, unfortunately they can also easily inflict a lot of damage onto the surface of your paintwork in the form of light scratches, swirl marks and marring. A chamois leather is an animal rawhide which means it has obviously not been ‘designed’ for the sole purpose of drying a car, which means that you are compromising the safety of your paintwork if you use one. The make up of a chamois leather means that any small stray particles of dirt on the surface of your car become trapped between the paintwork and the chamois during the drying phase and are therefore drawn across it which results in the fine scratches and swirl marks. Chamois leathers also dry hard so even if just a small part of it is not sufficiently dampened and softened before you begin drying, marring could be inflicted onto the surface of your paintwork. There are synthetic chamois also available but these too suffer from the same disadvantages that a natural chamois leather does. 

If all of that hasn't deterred you yet, then getting home to see the really poor level of clean should! Wheel dishes are always left heavily soiled, arches still caked, grills still with a film of dirt and the corners of alloys still baked up. Even better than that is when they leave dirt lying in your drainage channels and you drive off down the road and the water lying in the drainage wells runs out down the door taking the dirt with it leaving a lovely dirty streak down side of the car. 

I appreciate that most people to be honest don't care and love the convenience of a hand car wash but more and more I'm being asked why is my car so dull, what is causing all those marks in the paint and why does it get dirty so quick and people are bemused when I tell them it's actually how they are cleaning their car which is making their car so technically dirty! 

Im not tarring everyone with the same brush, I know some people do look after their own cars but those that currently use hand car washes please take note, it's not too late. Book your car in to have some level of machine work either an Enhancement Detail or Correction Detail to remove the damage inflicted by hand car washes and then either have it maintained by me here at Detail Driven or book yourself in on my one course designed to teach you how to safely maintain your car in and out, at the end you'll be given a hamper of products to safely maintain your car with safe products. 

On the left are swirl marks caused by poor maintenance and washing, the right hand side received a correction detail to remove heavy swirling and deep scratches caused during washing and years of poor maintenance.

You really are not getting anything different by paying £5, £7 or £15. They all use the same chemicals, same poor processes and same terrible results. Rather than spending £10 a week at a hand car wash, why not save your £10 up and once a month have it maintained properly by myself for most likely the same price you would have paid over the past four weeks but a much higher level of clean using products designed to safely clean your car with a 10x better result. An absolute no brainer!  Book yours in now here! 

Auto Finesse Authorised Detailer

I’m very pleased to announce that Detail Driven recently became an Auto Finesse Authorised Detailer. Auto Finesse was founded to take automotive care to new levels and they have a wonderful range of quality products available to both the trade and the enthusiast. Auto Finesse make the finest range of car care products developed through 15 years worth of professional detailing experience. Their products offer the highest quality for professional detailers, and they are all hand-made in the UK.

Auto Finesse offer a variety of detailing services from Paintwork Protection, to Complete paint restoration. Full details of the services available can be found either directly via Auto Finesse or here on the Detail Driven website.

If your interested in booking an Auto Finesse detail or wish to know more about what is involved and the cost then please get in touch via email or call and I’ll be happy to help and advise.

or more information on Auto Finesse, their story and their products feel free to visit their site www.autofinesse.co.uk and see the vast range of great products they offer. 

Auto Finesse aftercare packs are now available for all clients whose vehicles have received paintwork enhancement or correction. If your interested in an aftercare pack please get in contact for a quote. 

The first goal of 2016 achieved for me here at Detail Driven, keep a look out for further news over the coming year!