Mastering Exterior Car Care in the Australian Summer

Never, ever wash a car in direct sunlight if it's over 25 degrees. The water and soap will dry before you can rinse them, leaving nasty spots. If you don't have a carport, do it at the crack of dawn or late in the arvo.

Touch the bonnet. If it's hot enough to fry an egg, it's too hot to wash. Hose the whole car down with cool water for 5 minutes to drop the surface temp.

Start with the wheels. They are the dirtiest part. If you wash the car first, then the wheels, the brake dust spray will just get back onto your clean paint.

Fill your buckets. Use about 50-100ml of soap in your wash bucket and fill the rinse bucket with straight water. (Your partner will thank you for not using the good measuring cups from the kitchen).

Lay out your towels and brushes. There's nothing worse than having a soapy car and realising your drying towel is still in the laundry.

Blast as much dirt off as possible. Focus on the wheel arches and the lower sills where the road grime sits. If you've just come back from the beach, spend extra time here to get the salt out.

Cover the car in a thick layer of foam. Let it dwell for 5 minutes. This softens the dirt so it slides off. Don't let it dry! Rinse it off thoroughly.

Spray your wheel cleaner on cool rims. Use your brushes to get into the barrels and around the lug nuts. Use a separate mitt for the tyres. Rinse well.

Dunk your mitt in the soapy water, wash a panel, then rinse the mitt in the plain water bucket before going back for more soap. This keeps your wash water clean.

Start with the roof, then the glass, then the bonnet. Save the bumpers and sills for last because they're the filthiest.

Once the car is clean but still wet, spray an iron remover on the paint. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes until you see purple streaks, then rinse. (Don't do this on a windy day or it'll dry too fast).

Using a clay lubricant (or soapy water), gently glide the clay bar over the paint. You'll hear it 'biting' at first, then it'll go silent and smooth. That's when you know the contaminants are gone.

Give it one last thorough rinse to make sure all the clay lube and iron remover is gone from the crevices.

Lay your large microfibre towel flat across the bonnet and pull it towards you. Don't scrub! Let the towel do the work. Use a cordless blower for the mirrors and badges if you've got one.

Apply your sealant or spray ceramic. If using a spray-and-wipe like Bowden's Bead Machine, work one panel at a time using two cloths, one to spread, one to buff.

Clean the outside glass. Pro tip: wipe vertically on the outside and horizontally on the inside. That way, if there's a streak, you know which side it's on.

Apply your tyre dressing using a foam applicator. Wipe off any excess so it doesn't flick up onto your freshly cleaned panels when you drive off.

Don't forget to wipe the water out of the door jams. It's the mark of a pro.

Apply a UV protectant to any black plastic trim. Aussie sun turns black plastic grey in about six months if you don't look after it.