Professional Detailing Brush Selection and Technique Guide

In Australian summer, panel temperatures can exceed 70°C. Use an infrared thermometer or the back of your hand to ensure the surface is cool to the touch. Never use detailing brushes with chemicals on hot surfaces, as the cleaners will flash-dry, causing chemical etching that requires machine polishing to fix.

Blast the vehicle with a high-pressure rinse to remove loose red dust and grit. This is a critical safety step; using a brush on dry, dusty surfaces acts like sandpaper. Focus on window seals, badges, and fuel filler flaps where salt and sand congregate.

Prepare your APC or dedicated cleaners in spray bottles. In high heat, use a slightly weaker dilution than usual (e.g., 12:1 instead of 10:1) to compensate for faster evaporation rates, which increases chemical potency.

Submerge your selected brushes in a bucket of clean water for 5 minutes. For natural boar's hair, this softens the fibres and makes them less prone to snapping. For synthetic brushes, it ensures the filaments are lubricated before they touch the paintwork.

Start with the wheels as they are the filthiest. Apply a dedicated wheel cleaner and use your long-reach barrel brush. Use a 'shoving' motion rather than a 'scrubbing' motion to prevent splatter. Ensure the brush reaches the back of the rim where salt corrosion often begins.

Switch to a medium-stiff boar's hair brush (Size 12). Using a circular 'stippling' motion, work the cleaner into the lug nut holes. This is where red dust packs in tightly and becomes a concrete-like substance if ignored. Rinse the brush in your clean bucket every two nuts.

Apply APC to a soft synthetic brush rather than the car itself to control overspray. Run the brush along the rubber window seals and weatherstripping. Use light pressure; the tips of the bristles should do the work, not the sides. You will see a brown 'sludge'—this is oxidized rubber and trapped dust.

Use an ultra-soft synthetic brush for intricate badges. Work in small, tight circles to lift dirt from the 'valleys' of the lettering. This prevents the 'ghosting' effect often seen around badges on older Australian cars where dirt has permanently stained the clear coat.

Modern Australian SUVs often have complex plastic grilles. Use a larger boar's hair brush (Size 16) with a high-foaming soap. Use a 'poking' motion to ensure the bristles reach through the mesh to clean the edges of the plastic where bugs usually accumulate.

Open the fuel flap—this area is often neglected and collects significant amounts of dust and fuel residue. Use a medium boar's hair brush with APC. Be careful not to agitate near the actual fuel neck to prevent debris from entering the fuel system.

Work one door at a time. Use a medium-stiff brush to agitate the grease and dust around the door hinges. This area is prone to coastal salt ingress, which can lead to structural rust if the drain holes are blocked by sludge. Use a damp microfibre to wipe clean immediately.

On 4x4s, the roof rail channels are traps for organic matter. Use a stiff synthetic brush to clear out leaves and dirt. This is vital before the tropical storm season to ensure water drains correctly and doesn't leak into the cabin.

Apply a metal polish or heavy degreaser to a dedicated (old) boar's hair brush. Agitate the soot on the inside and outside of the tips. Do not use this brush on any other surface of the car again to avoid cross-contamination of metal particles.

Using a low-pressure setting on your hose, rinse all areas where you used a brush. Use your fingers to pull back seals slightly to ensure no soap or suspended grit remains trapped, which could cause 'streaking' as the car dries.