Lockdown Activities: Detailing!
Keep your spirits up and your wheels fresh during lockdown!
All the team at The Custom Shop are wishing everyone the best during this very challenging time. Hopefully you are all keeping safe and well, and haven’t yet run out of activities (or patience!) with whoever you are sharing the lockdown with. Rest assured, we are working on loads of exciting new ideas for when it is safe to emerge, and will be updating you on our blog of what we have coming up! While many of The Custom Shop team are working from home offices, kitchen tables and spare rooms, we are also making a daily trip outside for some exercise (and to give our families a break!) Why not break up the monotony of running, cycling or walking round the park and take the opportunity to detail your vehicle?
It’s always a good idea to start by checking out the task in front of you, take a bin bag and remove any rubbish or large detritus before getting to it! Some of the best detailers out there have an enviable rig including pressure washer, foam gun, industrial strength wet n’ dry vacuum, and a brush for every nook and cranny – but all this tech is really just a beefed up version of the classic two bucket method. I got my detailing products from The Custom Shop, and you can find all sorts of sponges, microfibre cloths and towels, and all you need at the local supermarket.
How to detail: keep it simple.
Firstly, it’s always worth giving the car a decent rinse to remove any dirt and grime that’s adhering to your surfaces. A bucket of warm water and a large sponge is all you need – just make sure to rinse out your dirty water in a separate rinse bucket (hence two bucket method!) before each pass.
Next you want to mix your exterior soap (I used Dub Suds) in a bucket of clean, warm water – it’s always satisfying to give your ride a decent covering, and one of the benefits of a small car like ours is it isn’t too time consuming! Use a stiff-bristled brush and make sure to get behind windscreen wipers, handles, petrol tank cover, and anywhere you might have dirt hidings. Don’t forget to clean your rims, and apply a tyre gloss if you want that brand-new sheen! Rinse with clean water before moving on to the next step.
I like to open all my doors and windows before vacuuming the interior, for ease of access and to get air circulating through the vehicle when applying some basic surface cleaner to all plastics. A special leather cleaner really brings out the best in these surfaces, and you’re best to check before using any cleaning product on wood or other natural materials.
Detailing is an incredibly satisfying (and productive) lockdown activity!
Kerb appeal
When you’re finished, the car should have drip-dried quite a bit, but you want to dry the entire exterior with an old (clean!) towel prior to waxing. Some professional detailers have buffing pads that can fit to cordless drills in order to provide a ridiculous level of shine, but you haven’t had a proper workout unless you’ve broken a sweat doing concentric circles with a microfibre cloth! Wax on, wax off etc.
Check everything is squared away, then step back and enjoy your work!
Satisfaction of a job well done