tips and glossary
Washing Tips
- It is recommended to snow foam the vehicle prior to mitt washing, this helps agitate and remove any loose dirt before touching the vehicle and less risk of picking up dirt in the mitt and scratching the paint, there are options for hose attachment foam cannons and water blaster attachment cannons. We would recommend a water blaster setup as they are the most effective at removing dirt.
- When mitt washing the best process is to agitate top to bottom, flipping the mitt to the clean side after every panel and then cleaning in the rinse bucket every 2-3 panels.
- It is recommended to wash in straight lines only, not in circles, as washing in circles can collect dirt from lower parts of the car and by doing a circular motion you’re just rubbing the dirt in.
- Do not let any soap dry on the paint, as this can cause staining which may need to be polished out.
- To minimise waterspots when washing your vehicle, we’d recommend washing your car away from direct sunlight.
- The safest way to hand-shampoo your vehicle is to use the “two bucket” method (detailed above).
- This process involves having one bucket which contains your soap solution, the other with clean water. The wash mitt is rinsed in the clean water after every panel is cleaned, before being dipped in soap
- Using this method greatly reduces the amount of grit remaining on the mitt.
Drying Tips
- The most common ways to dry cars are compressed air blowers and microfiber towels.
- Using a compressed air blower is the safest method however cost is a barrier to entry.
- If using dedicated microfiber drying towels, the key is to ensure that this is clean and to use this in a safe manner by applying light pressure on the paintwork to avoid creating swirls/scratches when drying the vehicle.
- It is very important to ensure the towel does not touch the ground, as this can uplift grit and contaminants that can in turn damage paintwork.
glossary
Snow Foam
Snow foam is used as a pre-wash to loosen grit & dirt, and as a final rinse to remove dust particles generated from the polishing process in hard-to-reach places. This makes the hand-wash process safer as there is less grit on the vehicle to risk scratching the paintwork.
two bucket method
This is the safest way to hand-shampoo a vehicle. One bucket contains the soap solution, the other contains clean water. The wash mitt is rinsed in the clean water after every panel is cleaned, before being dipped in soap. This greatly reduces the amount of grit remaining on the mitt. We also use scratch shields to hold any loose dirt and grit at the base of each bucket, to further minimise the risk of damage.
spray wax
Spray wax can be organic or synthetic, and relates to any wax that is applied to paintwork through a spray nozzle (rather than by hand paste or machine). Spray wax is applied to each panel and spread with a clean microfibre, before the excess is removed. We use an organic carnauba spray wax for the highest shine possible.
carnauba wax
Carnauba wax produces the highest shine possible on your paintwork, and can be applied by palm, machine or hand pad. Our organic carnauba wax can be applied in conjunction with synthetic sealant for protection & shine.
synthetic sealant
Sealant relates to man-made synthetic wax, applied to paintwork - as opposed to our organic Carnauba. The benefits of synthetic wax are it's sealing and protective properties. Whilst the lustre and gloss may not be as deep as organic wax, on average our sealants will last two to three times the duration of our organic wax.
glass sealant
Whilst sharing a similar name to our paint sealant, glass sealant is a completely different compound. This liquid sets hard, and applies a slick, hydrophobic layer to all exterior glass to repel water and contamination. A must during the rainy months.
protectant
UV protection on interior & exterior trims is very important . Once the dashboard, door cards and interior plastics are cleaned, they requires protection from the sun to prevent from cracking and fading. This is especially prevalent in NZ with our hole in the ozone layer. We apply protectant to all interior and exterior plastic trims in all of our polishing packages, as well as our Stage 2 Protection Package.
contamination
Contamination can refer to all residue remaining on paintwork following the snow-foam and two bucket shampoo method. This can consist of tar, sap, iron and tree fallout, or stuck-on grime from the environment. Additional steps are required to remove contamination above-and-beyond a normal wash routine - these steps are mandatory for any polishing package to ensure the paint surface is smooth and contaminant-free.
clay bar
Automotive clay is a magic substance that makes removing contamination easy. This very sticky substance is lubricated and applied across all painted surfaces to loosen and remove contaminants. Application of clay will create swirls and scratches, so we only use clay prior to one of our polishing packages.
single stage polish
A single stage machine polish will remove many light swirls and scratches in the paintwork, however deeper marks will remain. The depth of paint will greatly increase; however not as deep as it could be with more steps taken; such as in a two stage compound and polish.
two stage compound and polish
Two stage compound and polish is also referred to as a 'cut and polish'. The first phase (the 'cut') employs a heavier compound and pad to remove deeper swirls & scratches than a polish can by itself. This stage is followed up by a refining polish to leave a deep lustre and swirl-free paint surface.
Wheel Refurbishment
Wheel refurbishment is a process undertaken on machined or painted wheels to remove curbing, marks and scratches, and return an as-new finish. Learn more about our refurbishment options here.
ceramic coating
Nano ceramic paint coatings protect your vehicle from a vast array of environmental impacts whilst providing ease of maintenance and superior gloss and shine. Coatings can be applied to paintwork, glass, leather and fabrics. A coating is semi permanent and far outlasts traditional waxes and sealants. Learn more about our coating options here.
PDR (paintless dent removal)
Paintless Dent Removal (PDR) is a process we employ to remove dents and dings in paintwork that have not broken the paint. Learn more about our PDR options here.
paint marring
Paint marring is simply another way of describing scratches and swirl marks in automotive paint.
orange peel
Orange peel is a certain kind of textured finish that on a vehicle's paintwork. The texture resembles the surface of the skin of orange. The majority of vehicles today have orange peel in the paintwork and while it is not a regular service we offer, removal of orange peel is possible to ensure a vehicles paintwork is as close to a mirror as possible.
swirl marks / spider webs
Swirls marks are thousands of fine scratches in a vehicle's paintwork, often caused by improper washing technique or wiping a dirty or dusty car. These are most obvious on darker coloured cars (as swirls reflect light) and are generally seen in the sunlight; not only looking unsightly but reducing overall depth and shine from automotive paint.
ptu (Paint touch ups)
PTU is our Paint Touch Up system. PTU are applied to stone chips and areas that have broken through the paint. Learn more about our world-leading Glasurit PTU system here.
PPF (paint protection film)
Paint Protection Films (PPF) are clear, near-invisible, resistant to light scratches and offer high levels of gloss, The biggest advantage is protection from stone chips and deeper scratches which waxes and coatings cannot provide.
Paint Correction
Paint correction is a term used to describe the restoration of paintwork. It often includes scratch & swirl removal, watermark etching and oxidisation repair.
