30 Mar What is Our Signature Car Detail?

Introduction into the DSJ Signature detail

Outlined below is the process behind what goes into our signature car detail and what makes our process uniquely different to that of other detailers!

This process is our signature deep clean and the preparation process for:

• Xpel PPF installation
• Ceramic Pro coatings
• Vehicles that need to look outstanding prior to re-sale or trade-in

The process includes many steps and can be adjusted depending on the condition of the vehicle when we receive it.

One of the key points to consider when detailing is to approach each car with a mindset of “do what SHOULD, as opposed to what COULD be done”.

This approach is always followed by an experienced and credible detailer and comes from understanding the following car industry truths:

• Each car off a production line is different from the one before or after it
• The quality, depth and finish of any car paint varies hugely from brand to brand.
• The depth of your car’s paint is limited and can only be polished so many times before a costly respray is required.
• Preparation can vary from dealership to dealership and is the difference between requiring a light polish costing £200 or a full correction between £800-£1000 to fix the damage they can inflict.

Using the combined knowledge of our detailers, we have devised a bespoke service to ensure your vehicle experiences zero damage and is left in the best possible condition for whatever is next. We highly recommend declining the dealerships offer to valet the car before you collect it, and let DSJ perform the steps outlined below.

Step 1 – Prewash and soft mitt wash of the vehicle’s exterior and wheels.

This process involves applying a ph. neutral foam to the vehicles bodywork and allowing it to dwell for 5 minutes before rinsing.

This is an essential step as it softens and removes the larger particles of dirt, prior to rinsing, which can be the major cause of scratches at this stage.

The next step is a careful cleanse of the bodywork using soft mitts and a specialist ph. neutral car shampoo and the 2-bucket method to remove any remaining organic dirt.

As a final step we perform a 3-part decontamination to remove any stubborn brake dust, tar or bonded material that remain.

This again is essential to prevent any rough particles left on the paint from inflicting scratches during the polishing stage.

The key reason we use only Ph. Neutral chemicals is because modern car paint is water-based and suffers greatly if harsh chemicals are used instead.

Dealerships, hand car washes and mobile valeters will use a product called TFR (traffic film remover) to clean your car thoroughly, cheaply and quickly, which all sounds great right?

WRONG! TFR is a Sodium Hydroxide based chemical (SALT) to anyone other than a chemistry buff.

Remembering that your car paint is water-based, then imagine that your car is a Slug in the sunshine (bear with me).

What happens to a slug if you pour salt on the poor creature? The answer is it will dry up and die.

Now apply this heavy salt-based chemical to your water-based car paint and you get the idea.

Dry paint will go dull, crack, stain and over time completely fail, leaving you with a hugely expensive problem to fix or live with.

This type of chemical is also extremely detrimental to your vehicle’s alloys and brakes and can lead to loss of braking capacity as well as destroying the look of diamond cut or high gloss finishes.

Step 2 – Thoroughly drying the car

One of the most overlooked stages but which can cause the most damage if not done correctly.

Using a dedicated ultra-soft drying towel for each part of the vehicle (upper, lower, glass & wheels) we remove most of the surface water from the car.

Next, we repeat the process using new towels and a warm air jet to remove all moisture trapped in the gaps.

Not only does this prevent those annoying wing mirror drips flying up the side of your car when you next drive it, but by removing all the trapped water you reduce the risk damp building up and chemical residues in the water from eating away at rubber seals and electrics.

Step 3 – Full interior cleanse and sanitise of the vehicle’s interior, engine bay and all other areas visible to the owner.

One of the additional steps we take at DSJ, over and above the usual hoover and surface wipe down, is the use of a 178 degree dry steam.

This enables us to sanitise every area of your car whilst also killing surface bacteria and viruses which can thrive in your cars heating and air conditioning systems.

The interior of your vehicle is where you will spend most of your time and as such should be an area that is given a great level of attention and care.

Another issue with cheap interior cleaning products is that they again contain chemicals which are not good for your health.

Imagine a cheap, harsh chemical used to wipe the plastics in your car.

On a hot summer day, these will evaporate, get sucked into the air-con system and be constantly recirculated for you to breathe in.

Bad news for the health of all the family.

Additional Links

More information on car detailing can be found here.

Do you want to meet our team and understand what services we offer in further detail if so visit our blog here.

If you would like to know more about how to protect your car’s paint, check out our previous blog here.

Alternatively, book your car in for the signature DSJ detail here.