The products in my wash system, and why I chose them

I only use products I've picked myself, from Performance People, Labocosmetica, Garage Therapy, Mighty Fibre and The Rag Company. Each one has a job in how I wash, decon and dry a car.

People ask me what I use on their car. Fair question. It's your paint, and you should know what's going on it. So here's my kit, stage by stage.

Why I keep the list short

There are hundreds of detailing brands out there. I'd rather know a handful of products well, how they behave in the cold, how they rinse and what they leave behind, than keep swapping. When something works in my system, it stays.

Wheels first

Wheels get the worst of it, so they're done first, with their own buckets and brushes.

• RIP Wheel Cleaner (Performance People): an acid-free wheel cleaner that foams onto brake dust. This is my everyday choice.
• Toxic Acid Wheel Cleaner (Performance People): a professional-use acid wheel cleaner. I keep it for wheels that really need it, and I always use it with gloves on cool wheels.
• /ONE: Wheel Shampoo V2 (Garage Therapy): a concentrated wheel shampoo for brake dust and road grime, safe on all types of alloy.

Pre-wash

Before a mitt touches the paint, I want as much dirt off as possible. That's where most swirls are avoided.

• Prìmus 2.0 (Labocosmetica): a foam pre-wash that lifts bugs, resin and road dirt without scrubbing.
• Excalibur (Performance People): an all-purpose cleaner I can dilute for pre-wash, door shuts and degreasing.

Safe wash

A hand wash with clean mitts, working from the top down, using the right shampoo for the car.

• Sèmper (Labocosmetica): a pH-neutral maintenance shampoo with plenty of lubrication.
• Revìtax (Labocosmetica): a "wash coat" shampoo for cars that already have a coating. It cleans and helps the coating along.
• Purìfica (Labocosmetica): a shampoo that dissolves the limescale and rain residue that builds up on coated cars.

Decontamination

A wash takes off the dirt you can see. Decon deals with what's stuck to the paint, like iron fallout from brakes, tar and glue.

• Heavy Metal (Performance People): a pH-neutral iron remover that's safe on most exterior surfaces.
• Black Magic (Performance People): a solvent-based tar and glue remover, used one panel at a time.
• Garage Therapy /ZERO: range: their decon line, which includes /ZERO: Decon Shampoo, /ZERO: Iron Oxide V3, /ZERO: Tar & Glue and /ZERO: Clay.

These are strong products, so I use them with care and rinse them off properly. I only clay where the paint actually needs it.

Drying and towels

Drying is where plenty of good washes get undone. Drag a cheap towel across wet paint and you'll put marks in it. My microfibre is from Mighty Fibre and The Rag Company: soft drying towels for paint, and separate towels for glass, wheels and interiors. Nothing that's been on a wheel goes near the paint. Towels are washed on their own with no fabric softener, and once one gets stiff it's retired.

Trim and interiors

• Hydra (Labocosmetica): a dressing and sealant for interior and exterior plastics.
• Dùctile and Glico (Labocosmetica): they work as a pair on the interior. Dùctile is an all-purpose cleaner, and Glico is a glycolic acid fabric cleaner for seats and mats.

Protection, done at the unit

Some of what I use is protection rather than wash products. Reign (Performance People) is a nano ceramic coating, and HPC Pro (Labocosmetica) is a hydrophobic protective coating. Ceramic coating, polishing and Winter Protection are only done at my Glapwell unit, where I have the lighting and the space to do them properly.

Where this happens

The Exterior Safe Wash (£72), Mini Valet (from £88) and Full Valet (from £154) can be done at your home or at my unit in Glapwell. For mobile work, I'll just need you to provide a power socket.

Leave it to me

All these products cost me hundreds and hundreds of pounds, so to make life simple for you, all you have to do is call Washy Luxe.

Call or text +44 7985 215943, or book online here.

Josh
Washy Luxe Limited, 8 Blacksmiths Close, Glapwell, Chesterfield S44 5NS · Joshua@washyluxe.co.uk