Keeping Your Paint Mint: A Proper Guide to Car Care for Aussie Owners

I cannot stress this enough. Never wash a car in direct sunlight if you can avoid it. The water dries too fast and leaves nasty mineral spots. If you've got no shade, do it first thing in the morning or late arvo.

Fill one bucket with water and your soap, and the second with just plain water. This is the 'rinse' bucket.

Always do your wheels first. They're the filthiest part. If you do them last, you'll splash black grime all over your clean car.

Blast the car down with a hose. You want to get as much loose dirt, red dust, and salt off as possible before you even touch the paint. If you've just come back from the beach or the bush, spend five minutes just on the underbody.

If you've got a pressure washer, chuck some foam on. It dwells on the paint and breaks down the grease. Leave it for 5 minutes (don't let it dry!) then rinse again.

Dip your mitt in the soapy bucket, wash a panel, then rinse the mitt in the plain water bucket. Start at the roof and work your way down. The bottom of the doors are always the dirtiest, so do them last.

While the car is soapy, use your detailing brush to gently agitate the dirt around badges, window seals, and the fuel cap. It makes a massive difference to the finished look.

Get all that soap off. Pay attention to the mirrors and door handles where soap likes to hide and drip out later.

Run your hand over the clean, wet paint. If it feels like sandpaper, you've got bonded contaminants. Use a clay mitt with plenty of soapy water as lubricant. This pulls out the 'industrial fallout' and old tree sap.

Give it one last hose down to get rid of any bits the clay bar pulled up.

Lay your large microfibre towel across the bonnet and just pull it towards you. Don't scrub. Let the towel soak up the water. This prevents those tiny 'spiderweb' scratches.

Now the paint is naked. It needs a shield against the UV. A spray sealant is easiest for beginners. Spray it on a microfibre applicator, wipe it over a panel, then buff it off immediately with a clean, dry cloth. I reckon Gtechniq C2V3 is brilliant because it lasts 6 months and handles our heat well.

Clean the windows last. For tyres, use a water-based dressing. Avoid the cheap, greasy 'tyre shine' from the servo, it flicks off onto your paint the moment you drive away (I call it 'sling', and it's a nightmare to clean).