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A two day valet comes to an end!

R2D2

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 23, 2004
Messages
6,957
Car
C350
I've just finished a two day long valet of my car. I started with the interior and thoroughly cleaned everything, then I reconditioned some of the plastics and door sills. Then the car was washed and dried, then I did all of the car with Autoglym tar remover, then another rinse, then a light T cut and a polish all over. Now its done and its going to rain:eek: I guess I'll have to walk today!

PS. All this in preparation for a mega service tomorrow then it'll be as good as new!
 
Piccies?? Come on, lets all have a look!

+1

What did you do to the interior, going to give mine a good going over when I get it so any tips would be greatly appreciated!
 
I can't photograph it at the mo as its raining but if it gets brighter I'll try and get a couple of photos! My experience is if you present a mechanic with a beautifully prepared car it tends to get more attention to detail as they know you are fussy!

Magpie; First of all I did the interior glass with autoglymm glass polish to get rid of smears etc, then I took the mats out and hoovered the carpets and seats with an upholstery brush in order to get all the bits out. I did this properly if you know what I mean. I then dusted the interior with a lint free duster. I then used AG bumper colour restorer on the door sills and all trims near where feet go in order to freshen them up and get rid of scuffs. I then used the cloth I'd applied the bumper plastic restorer on to polish up around the seat plastics, seat knobs, rear ashtray and around the seat pockets. I don't like the shiny plastic look so I dont really put more on the cloth, I just let the residue clean without plastering the stuff everywhere.

Wheels were cleaned with Asda own brand wheel cleaner (I like it!), brushed with a wheel brush and then rinsed, dried with a non leather drying cloth, and then polished and tyres blacked. The exhaust trim is covered in T Cut and left to dry for 10 min and then buffed and polished until it gleams.

Washing and bodywork care was detailed (pun intended) above!
 
I've just finished a two day long valet of my car. I started with the interior and thoroughly cleaned everything, then I reconditioned some of the plastics and door sills. Then the car was washed and dried, then I did all of the car with Autoglym tar remover, then another rinse, then a light T cut and a polish all over. Now its done and its going to rain:eek: I guess I'll have to walk today!

PS. All this in preparation for a mega service tomorrow then it'll be as good as new!

Now all it needs is a nice coat of Wax...:thumb:
 
Re shiny interiors - agree with you. Small tip - use AG Leather Cleaner spray - the bottle job. Spray onto a cloth, quick wipe, has made all my leather look great - dashboard etc, but leaves no smears or shiny horrible crap.
 
You have obviously put a lot of effort into the valet, but I would have done the outside first. When we valet cars, we do it in this order.

1. Wash the outside (paintwork, wheels, doorchecks, arches, glass. Use your tar remover here)
2. Chamois the car (this will ensure that the car is completely dry when
you wax it at the end)
3. Vacuum the inside (take a bottle of mild detergent and a cloth to use on the plastics. Start from the highest point, ie dashboard and work your way down. No point vacuuming only to brush all the dust etc onto the floor. Use a nailbrush for the stubborn bits. Use a disposable rubber glove to brush up doghair.
4. Wax the car (as you will have opened and closed the doors, any hidden water will have dribbled out....hopefully. A microfibre cloth and a spray bottle of water will remove any wax/polish left on after waxing and will complete the process. MF cloth and water will remove any residue from plastics too)
5. Interior dressing (use your products on the plastics now)
6. Glass (any detergent, interior products that have made it onto the glass, can now be removed along with the smears etc)
7. Exterior dressing (use your bumper gel, tyre dressing now, giving extra care not to get any on the paintwork)
8. Step back and admire (enjoy your handywork and drag people from the other side of the road to share your joy. Take pictures and put them on here. Ensure all children/partners wipe their feet and wear white cotton gloves before entering)

Might not be of use to everyone, as we all do things our own ways. I have watched people valet their cars, only to clean something again due to carelssness with other poducts. GTG season is up and running, so no excuses:) Have fun!
 
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5 Dry minutes and some quick pics. Not bad for nearly 70,000 miles
 
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Good job, it looks fantastic. :thumb:
 
Full B Service now done, plus brake fluid, plus coolant, plus gearbox oil change, plus tracking adjustment....but at least its as good as it can be now.
 
but I did miss a bit-fortunately I kept a duster in the boot!
 

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