Pre Wash

For any true detailer the pre wash is arguably the most important wet work stage of all. This is because car care is always centred around ongoing maintenance (which is carried out far more often than other processes like polishing and paint correction) and washing your vehicle as safely as possible is crucial to avoid inflicting swirl marks and other paintwork defects. Poor wash techniques, and using the wrong detailing or valeting, products will inevitably mean dragging grit and grime across the most sensitive surfaces, scratching and swirling as you go, and this is why the pre wash stage should never be forgotten, and makes up a crucial part of every detail.

The concept of a pre wash is to remove the heaviest soiling without physically touching the most sensitive surfaces, like paintwork and gloss plastics. The harsher the contamination here, the more harmful it is so (after an initial rinse) it’s important to utilise a dedicated pre wash cleaner to break down the heaviest soiling like salt, mud and road grime.

Our specially-selected cleaning agents, Citrus Power Bug and Grime Remover and Dynamite Traffic Film Remover are both capable of safely removing the harshest soiling, lifting contaminants away from the surfaces and allowing them to be safely rinsed off of the vehicle.

Performing an effective pre wash is also essential to prevent damage to any previously applied protection layers. Luckily our powerful pre wash cleaning agents, Citrus Power Bug & Grime Remover and Dynamite Traffic Film Remover, along with our Avalanche Snow Foam are non-stripping, meaning they can be used on every wash without removing or degrading wax layers, sealants and ceramic coatings. Learn the differences between these professional level pre wash cleaners in our article - Dynamite and Citrus Power: The Differences. 

Snow Foam is also an important part of the pre wash stage. Our thick, luscious Avalanche Snow Foam is designed to linger on surfaces for as long as possible, breaking down any remaining soiling. Avalanche also works its way into panel gaps and shuts cleaning away any hidden soiling. For the best results Avalanche must be applied using a suitable Snow Foam Lance.

Only when a thorough pre wash and snow foam has cleansed surfaces of the riskiest particles is it safe to perform your contact wash using two Detailing Buckets, Lather Car Shampoo and a suitable wash mitt. Our pre wash products make up a vital part of our wider wash products range.