FAQ's

What is a Car Valet?

A Car Valet is a comprehensive clean of your vehicle, both interior and exterior. Car Valeting is an essential part of maintaining your vehicles value.

Why Have Your Vehicle Valeted ?

Your car is most likely one of the main purchases you will ever make. It makes sense to look after your investment. Car price guides clearly illustrate the difference in price between a car in poor condition and a car in excellent condition. This variation can run in to thousands of pounds. Valet services, and regular valeting can help to keep your car in excellent condition. Valeting should not be viewed as an expense, but a long term investment.

Why should I avoid the car wash?

Even the latest, most advanced, automatic car wash may damage your vehicle’s paintwork. The chemicals and detergents used are very aggressive as they are designed to remove the dirt and road grime in the fastest possible time. This can leave your paintwork with scratches and swirls. We frequently see the damage inflicted to paintwork by car washes. Perhaps the next time you are tempted to take your car through a car wash, we recommend you feel the brushes in advance! We only use ultra soft sponges, 100% cotton cloths and special microfibre cloths since anything else has the potential to scratch the paintwork.

Why should I have my vehicle waxed?

Waxing your vehicle helps to prevent airborne contaminants from settling on the paint and starting a chemical reaction. Waxing also diffuses UV rays from the sun, thereby preventing the UV rays from being absorbed into the paint. Without the wax, the paintwork would end up dull and oxidized.

What`s the difference between a wax and a polish?

A polish is exactly that, a polish. It’s an abrasive substance that lightly removes the top surface which allows the vehicle to shine; a wax on the other hand has no cleaning agents in it. The Wax acts as a protective layer by sealing your paintwork and keeping the oxygen out.

Why don`t you clean the engine bay?

One of the only parts we do not clean is the engine compartment. The reason for this is that most of the newer vehicles have electrics under the bonnet. We do not want to be responsible for damaging these which will be extremely expensive to repair.

Can you remove tar spots from my vehicle?

It is impossible avoid getting tar spots on your vehicle as it is on most of the roads that we drive on. We do carry specialist chemicals to remove them safely.

Can bird droppings damage my car?

Bird droppings contain lime which can damage paintwork and plastics. They need to be removed as soon as possible. The best way to remove bird lime is to put a damp cloth over the droppings for a few minutes, then wipe off. We carry a chemical designed to safely and easily remove them.

Can I use washing up liquid to clean my vehicle?

Washing up liquid is designed to work in hot water to cut through grease. Using washing up liquid will strip the wax away from the paintwork leaving it unprotected andexposed to the elements, thus allowing oxidisation to occur.

What is Oxidisation?

Oxidisation is the combination of oxygen with another element. Paintwork can become oxidised due to paint starvation. This occurs when the paintwork becomes dry and has lost its natural oils.

What is regular valeting?

Some of our customers have their cars valeted every month, a few have it done every week. When we refer to regular valeting, we mean often enough for us manage the condition of your vehicle. It is important to keep on top of contamination build up and to prepare your car for the varying seasons. This means a minimum of 3-4 times a year. We strongly recommend a Monthly Valet, this eliminates any major build up.

How long will a Full Valet take for my car?

Any kind of valet will vary depending on the size of vehicle, the age, the condition and the level of soiling. A Full Valet is one of the most comprehensive services we offer. It can take between 4-6 hours to complete.

Why does a Full Valet take so long?

We are meticulous in what we do and this attention to detail is part of our work ethos. It takes time and a great deal of effort to produce a quality finish. We want you to be 100% satisfied with your investment in our services and the finished product

Do you need access to water or any electrical power points when you valet my car?

We carry our own water supply and use a powerful self sufficient pressure washer. All we require is a single mains point to power our Numatic Vacuum and Numatic Wet and Dry Machines.

Are you fully insured?

Yes, we are fully covered by Public and Service Liability Insurance.

What are the benefits of regular car valeting & what happens if I don`t valet my vehicle?

Our main aim is to maximise the value of your vehicle and maintain it in that condition. When you eventually sell your car, it will be in pristine condition and retain the highest price for a car of its age.

If you don`t have your car valeteted regularly the chances are you will devalue your car`s resale potential. Most people start off with good intentions upon purchasing a new vehicle. With the passage of time the washing and waxing regime dissolves into a quick wash! With the absence of regular waxing the paintwork becomes oxidized and possibly stained. With the paintwork dull and flat it becomes more difficult to clean . The majority of the time the vehicle is left dirty. The ongoing build up of traffic film, road salts and pollutants continue to attack your paintwork. This dirt contains pollutants and harmful compounds which destroy paintwork. It is inevitable that if not removed in time some of the harmful contaminants will eventually eat into your paintwork down to the metal where they cause rust spots. This is exacerbated especially where the paintwork has become broken by stone chips. Dirt causes damage and ages your car, this in turn will devalue it. When you eventually come to sell your car you discover it is worth hundreds or thousands less than similar cars of the same age which are in good condition.

Your vehicle will age predominantly during the winter. This is primarily due to salt and grit on the roads, both being extremely harmful to your car`s exterior. Even the interior can suffer as mud get`s into your car making it dirty and damp, and it stays damp for months. This can cause bacteria and fungus, especially mildew to flourish. This results in unsightly stains and unpleasant odours.

Unless you go to great lengths you will struggle get your car 100% clean both inside and out. With our knowledge, expertise, use of quality equipment and specialist chemicals we can keep your vehicle in first class condition.

What is TFR?

TFR is an abbreviation for “Traffic Film Remover”. It is designed for the safe removal of traffic film, oil, grease and copolymer coatings. Regular car wash shampoo alone does not entirely remove these stubborn deposits.

Where are your premises & how many vans do you have and how many staff do you employ?

We do not have premises for valeting cars as we are a mobile car valet service. Our van carries all the required equipment on board so we can come to you. We only have one van and operate as a family run partnership consisting of a team of two. This is how we prefer to run the business safe in the knowledge that the standard of work is maintained at the highest level at all times.

What brand of products do you use & have you been professionally trained?

We only use the finest Autoglym products. Yes, we have been trained by Autoglym and are both fully qualified attaining a Merit achievement just recently to prove our ability. We constantly maintain our product knowledge and will always strive to keep up with new Autoglym products on the market.

Do you work weekends & how much notice is needed to book a car valet?

Yes, we provide a Mobile Car Valet Service 7 days a week. We will valet a car the very next day depending on bookings. We would advise you to book well in advance if you would like a car valet completed at the weekend.

How long will it take for the seats and carpets to fully dry after they have been shampooed?

During the winter season it can take from half a day up to a full day. In the summer season, drying time can be around 3 to 4 hours. We provide temporary seat covers and mats to allow you to drive in the meantime.

If I call you to make a booking but I can`t get through will you call me back?

In the event of us being unable to take your call, please leave your name and contact number and we will call you back as soon as possible, no problem at all.

What happens if it rains?

In the event of adverse weather conditions we will always make arrangements to return as soon as possible.

Can you clean my car whilst I am at work?

Yes, we are a Mobile Car Valet Service. We can come to your place of work to valet your car, in fact we will valet your car a any local venue of your choice, all we require is a single power point.

What are the methods of payment?

We are happy to accept cash, cheques or standing order. We can now accept secure payments via our website providing you have a PayPal account.