Cleaning your car is one thing, but getting it detailed is a completely different approach to preserving it in its original state. Although detailing still involves cleaning your car it does so much more than just remove crumbs, dirt and dust.
In fact, car detailing in Kuala Lumpur is the most cost-effective way to keep your car clean and ensure that both its exterior and interior last the longest. That's because detailing is essentially deep cleaning that keeps your vehicle clean for longer. By having your car detailed on a regular basis you also help keep driving safety at a high level since lights and brakes work properly when they're clean too.
Detailing Stages
Wheels
1. Car detailing in Kuala Lumpur starts with the wheels. That's because whatever gunk hits the paint and underside can be cleaned after by going over the whole car which is what most KL based car detailing shops do.
2. The wheels are first pre-soaked with a wheel cleaner and then brushes are used to get to those hard-to-reach areas. People also use wash mitts and a bucket too but that's just if you want to get that extra shine afterwards.
Pre-Cleaner
1. Once the wheels are done, the body is next in line and detailers start by applying some pre-cleaner on it. This type of cleaner helps take care of bugs and stubborn grime by being sprayed on the lower parts of a car where bugs and grime get stuck the most.
Snow Foam
1. After the pre-cleaner has stayed on the bodywork for a bit, snow foam is what covers the whole vehicle. This foam is used to break down and remove stubborn dirt and loose particles. It's also left for about 2 minutes on the paint in order to do its thing and help reduce the amount of swirl marks on the paint when the contact wash step comes in.
Two-Bucket Method
1. The contact wash stage involves the well-known two-bucket method. This method requires using one bucket for the car shampoo and another for rinsing the wash mitt.
2. The mitt is dipped into the bucket with the shampoo and the shampoo is applied over the vehicle without too much force being used during the process. The paint is not treated like a piece of laminated wood as this way particles can damage the paint which is visible in the coming steps.
Decontamination
1. Once the mitt has been used all over the car, the decontamination stage comes. This is where an iron dissolver is sprayed and after it sits for a while a tar and glue remover is applied to soften any tar that may have stuck to the paint.
2. At this point the vehicle is rewashed in order to help get rid of residue from both solutions since the clay bar is what follows. A detailing clay bar is what helps remove all the contamination that has been loosened up. The block of clay is used to go over the vehicle so that all the particles stick to it but not without the use of clay lubricant which makes the process easier and smoother.
Drying
1. When the clay bar has been used over every surface the vehicle is dried with a microfibre towel. The towel is used in the same way the mitt is used. It essentially slides over the wet surface be it metal or plastic with no pressure applied to it. Streaks are avoided this way and the metal surfaces are well prepared for the following step.
Polishing
1. For the polishing part either a hand or machine car polish in Kuala Lumpur is used with the latter being more common with KL based car detailing shops. The paste or compound is applied on the pad and some of it is put on the paint by tapping the pad on the metal.
2. Only then is the polishing tool used to spread the paste in an even layer across a panel. This is done gradually and smoothly so no streaks are found and all the crystals in the paint come out giving the vehicle that ”new car” shine.
Glazing
1. Any fine swirls that may appear during the polishing process are sorted with paint glaze which also enhances the appearance of the paintwork furthermore. Glaze is especially good on darker colour vehicles.
Wax
1. With the glaze applied, the paint is covered in wax or sealant so that all the work done thus far hasn't been done for nothing. Sealant helps keep the paint protected from the elements and fine scratches too.
Tyre & Trim Dressing
1. When all the above is done the tyres are back for some tyre shine or trim dressing. This depends on the detailer but dressing is more common as it's easier to work with and has a uniform look.
Glass
Finally, the last step is cleaning the windows both inside and out to remove the haze visible mostly at night. A regular glass cleaner and dry microfibre towels get the job done here, of course, and some elbow grease.
