Pro Exterior Detailing Tips For The Aussie Driveway

I learned this the hard way when I swirled the living daylights out of a black Commodore back in the day. Use one bucket for your soapy suds and one with plain water to rinse your mitt. Every time you wipe the car, rinse the dirt off in the plain water first. It stops you from rubbing the grit back onto the paint. Simple, but it'll save you a fortune in paint correction later.

If you've parked under a gum tree and come back to a bat dropping that's baked hard in 40-degree heat, don't scrub it! You'll scratch the clear coat instantly. I always tell my customers to soak a microfiber towel in warm water, lay it over the 'deposit' for five minutes, and let it soften. It'll slide right off. My go-to for the stubborn bits is Bowden's Own Bug & Tar, stuff works wonders on those kamikaze locusts you get out west too.

After you wash and dry the car, put your hand inside a plastic sandwich bag and run it over the bonnet. If it feels like sandpaper, you've got bonded contaminants like fallout or red dust. Honestly, I wouldn't bother with a heavy compound yet. Just use a clay bar or a clay mitt with plenty of lubricant. It'll make the paint feel smooth as glass (your partner will thank you when they see the shine).

In our UV conditions, a basic wax lasts about three weeks before the sun kills it. I reckon for most people, a ceramic spray sealant like Gtechniq C2 or Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic is the way to go. It's dead easy, spray on, wipe off. It'll actually stand up to the salt spray if you're living near the coast, and it makes the next wash ten times easier because the dirt won't stick.