Who is Lee Newell? I’m the founder of Valet Team! I have over 10 years experience in the car valeting industry, with a relentless passion for transforming the condition of cars. I am a judge at the national car cleaning show, waxstock. I have also regularly presented on the ideal world shopping channel, showcasing my expertise and passion.

Today I would like to give you some hints and tips on how to get the best out of your car cleaning. For any further assistance, help or advice, please feel free to get in touch via email, Facebook or Twitter details of which can be found at the

bottom of this guide.

1. Better results for wheel cleaning: Pre spray your wheels first with water to remove loose brake dust, and then apply a dedicated wheel cleaner. Work with soft brushes and then rinse again. This will give you a better finish than if you just applied cleaner to the wheel and rinsed. 2. To help minimalise scratching whilst washing. Always pre spray the car with water and rinse from the top down. This will ensure any loose dirt will be removed and wash downwards away from the vehicle, leaving a cleaner surface to begin with. For stubborn bug splats, rinse furthermore to soften the organic matter. 3. Correct use of shampoo. Use a PH neutral shampoo to gently remove grime without stripping your wax layer like a strong detergent would. Using strong soap formulas or washing up liquid will remove any wax protection you have as these chemicals are primarily designed to be as effective as possible in breaking down anything it touches.

4. Better wash technique Wash the car using 2 buckets. One filled with clean water and one with soapy water. After each panel, rinse in the clean bucket and start again. This will ensure your sponge is always clean for the next panel, this will also help minimalise scratching.

5. Correct tools for the job. Use a soft sponge or better still a wash mitt. Wash mitts will be safer and easier at getting in between tighter areas such as badges and grilles. This will ensure a more thorough clean all round. 6. Drying your car. Always dry your car with a microfiber drying towel as opposed to a shammy leather starting from the top down. Wipe gently. Using microfibers will save time, involve less ringing out and have a better ability to soak up water. 7. Window cleaning. Drop windows down a few centimetres to allow easy access to cleaning top ridge of glass, then raise window again and wipe remaining glass on both sides using a dedicated automotive window cleaner. Household window cleaners can streak, may cause misting and leave a film which can attract dust. 8. Streak free glass. Use 2 cloths for glass, one for applying cleaner to cloth first, then wipe, then use a second cloth to buff to a shine. 9. Getting more out of your cloths. Fold cloths into 4. This ensures you get more out of one cloth by folding and flipping to allow 8 sections of cloth to be used before it’s completely dirty. 10. Tyre care. Ensure tyres are completely dry and free from grime (this can be done at the wash stage by applying a small amount of wheel cleaner to the tyre also) before applying tyre dressing. This will ensure a good surface for the dressing to bond to increasing longevity

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