Keeping Your White Paint From Turning Yellow: The Pro Detailing Routine

Never, ever wash a white car in direct Aussie sun if you can help it. The water dries too fast and leaves spots. If you have to do it outside, wait until late arvo or early morning.

I always do the wheels first. Why? Because you're using harsh chemicals and spraying grime everywhere. You don't want that hitting your nice clean paint later.

Give the whole car a massive spray down. You want to get that loose red dust and grit off before you even touch the paint with a mitt.

If you've got a foam cannon, use it. Let it dwell for 5 minutes (don't let it dry!) to lift the surface grit. It saves you from those fine swirl marks that show up in the sun.

Using the two-bucket method, start from the roof and work down. Do one panel at a time and rinse your mitt in the clean water bucket after every panel. (Trust me on this one, it prevents cross-contamination).

This is the secret for white cars. Spray an iron remover over the dry-ish paint. On a white car, you'll see it turn purple as it reacts with metal particles. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes, but keep it out of the sun.

Blast all that purple liquid off. You'll be amazed at how much cleaner the paint looks already. If it's been a while, you might need a second go on the lower doors and tailgate.

Use a clay bar and plenty of lubricant (soapy water works in a pinch). If the paint feels like sandpaper, it needs this. I once did a white Commodore that sounded like I was rubbing it with actual sandpaper until the clay smoothed it out.

Rinse off any clay residue and dry the car using your big microfiber towel. Pat it dry rather than dragging it to avoid any marring.

White cars are magnets for little black tar dots. Use a dedicated tar remover on a microfiber cloth to gently wipe these away. Don't scrub them with your fingernail, you'll regret it.

Apply your sealant. I'm a big fan of ceramic-based sprays these days because they're dead easy. Wipe on, wipe off, and they give that slickness that makes red dust just slide off next time it rains.

Open the doors and wipe the jams. This is where the red dust hides. A bit of APC on a rag here makes the car feel brand new every time you get in.

Clean your windows with a dedicated glass cleaner. For the black plastic trim, use a UV protectant like Aerospace 303. It stops the trim from turning grey in the sun, which makes white paint look even better by contrast.