Checklists4 min read
Full car detailing checklist: the professional workflow
The full professional detail from prep to quality control, with initials and paint depth readings. Free PDF download.
SOAPX JOURNAL
SoapX Journal
Straightforward car care guides for UK drivers and riders: washing, wheels, decontamination, protection, interiors and bikes. Every guide lists the kit you need and links to the products it uses.
Checklists3 min read
Car detailing job card template: free intake and handover sheet
A job card for professional detailers: condition check, services booked and customer signatures. Free PDF download.
Checklists3 min read
Car interior cleaning checklist: free printable PDF
The interior valet in the right order: prep, dry work, hard surfaces, upholstery and finish. Free PDF download.
Checklists4 min read
Car wash checklist for beginners: kit list and golden rules
Kit list, golden rules and the basic order for your first proper wash. Free PDF download.
Checklists4 min read
Weekly car wash checklist: the Sunday Service printable
The weekly maintenance wash on one sheet, from setting up to packing down. Free PDF download.
Decontamination4 min read
Track day car cleaning: before you go and after you get home
The prep that makes bugs and brake dust easier to shift, what organisers ask for, and the clean up when you get home.
Finishing5 min read
Classic car cleaning: how to wash and protect older paint
How to spot single stage paint, a gentle wash that keeps your wax on, careful polishing and keeping a classic right through show season.
Pre wash5 min read
Green laning and off road: how to clean the mud off properly
Clear the worst before the road, let a pre wash do the heavy lifting, then the arches, underside and the parts to keep water away from.
Interior4 min read
Taxi, private hire and delivery drivers: keeping a high mileage car clean
What licensing inspections expect, a quick daily interior reset and a weekly wash that fits around shifts.
Finishing5 min read
Selling your car? How to clean it for the best price
The clean buyers notice, photos that sell, and the documents to have ready before you list your car.
Finishing6 min read
Lease car return: how to clean and check your car before it goes back
What fair wear and tear allows, how to clean a lease car so you find damage before the inspector does, and the checks to do weeks before collection.
Wash basics8 min read
First car care for new drivers: how to look after your first car
Just passed and into cars? How to wash your first car safely, keep the inside right, the quick checks to know, and mods without upsetting your insurer.
Checklists4 min read
Car decontamination and protection checklist: free printable PDF
The seasonal deep clean in the right order: wash, iron and tar removal, clay, prep and protection. Free PDF download.
Checklists4 min read
Winter car care checklist: free printable PDF
Before winter, the winter wash, and frost and snow, on one printable A4 sheet. Free PDF download.
Two Bucket Gang6 min read
Sunday Service: the weekly two bucket wash routine
Rule 5 of the Two Bucket Gang code. The weekly wash in order, with rough timings, the mix for each step and what to add each month.
Two Bucket Gang5 min read
A dropped mitt is a dead mitt: what to do when your wash mitt hits the ground
Rule 3 of the Two Bucket Gang code. Why a rinse is not enough, what to do mid wash and how to bring a dropped mitt back.
Two Bucket Gang4 min read
The Two Bucket Gang code, rule by rule
Six rules, no sign up form. What each line of the Two Bucket Gang code means and the reasoning behind it.
Wash basics6 min read
How to wash a black car without swirl marks
Black paint is not softer. It just hides nothing. The strict version of the two bucket method that keeps a black car free of swirls.
Wash basics4 min read
The two bucket method: 20 questions answered
Twenty short answers on the two bucket method, from which bucket is which to winter, motorbikes and wrapped cars, each with a link to the full guide.
Wash basics5 min read
Two bucket wash kit: what you need and what you can skip
The six things a two bucket wash kit needs, the upgrades worth having in order and the kit you can leave on the shelf.
Two wheels5 min read
How to wash a motorbike with the two bucket method
The two bucket method adapted for bikes: the order to work in, which products suit a motorbike and what to keep water and cleaners away from.
Seasonal5 min read
The two bucket method in winter: washing a salty car safely
Winter dirt is grit and salt, which is when two buckets matter most. What to change in the routine for cold weather and gritted roads.
Wash basics5 min read
What size bucket do you need to wash a car?
Why 20 litres is the right size for the two bucket method, how much water and shampoo to put in and how much water a wash really uses.
Wash basics5 min read
Wash mitt or sponge: which is safer for car paint?
A sponge traps grit against the paint. A deep pile mitt lifts it away. How the two differ, when a wash pad is better and how to look after a...
Wash basics5 min read
The three bucket method: do you need a wheel bucket?
Two buckets protect your paint from its own dirt. A third protects it from your wheels. When you need it and how to set it up.
Wash basics5 min read
Do grit guards work? What they do and how to use one
A grit guard does a real job, but it is not a filter. What it adds to the two bucket method and how to use one properly.
Wash basics6 min read
One bucket or two? What the second bucket actually does
What the second bucket actually does, how to prove it on your own car and the two safe ways to wash with one bucket.
Seasonal7 min read
Road salt and your car: the facts and figures
What the published figures say about UK gritting: how much salt goes down, when, how it works, and what it does to steel, paint and wheels.
Decontamination4 min read
Bird droppings on car paint: what to do in the first ten minutes
Bird droppings can mark car paint fast in warm weather. Why it happens, how to lift a deposit without scratching, and what to do if a mark is left behind.
Wash basics6 min read
Car wash run off in the UK: the facts and figures
What regulators and Parliament have actually published on car wash run off: where it goes, what is in it, what biodegradable means in law and how much water a wash...
Finishing6 min read
Water spots and hard water: what your tap water leaves on the paint
Water spots are the minerals left behind when tap water dries on the car. How much your water leaves, how to check its hardness, and how to stop spots forming.
Pre wash5 min read
pH neutral or alkaline snow foam: which should you use?
pH neutral foam is gentle on wax and coatings. Alkaline foam cuts through traffic film and winter grime. How to choose, and when it matters.
Wash basics5 min read
How to wash your car without polluting drains and rivers
The drain outside your house probably runs straight to a river. Where wash water goes, what is in it, and how to wash at home without causing pollution.
Wash basics5 min read
Can you wash your car during a hosepipe ban? UK rules and a bucket routine
Yes, with buckets. What a hosepipe ban actually stops, who is exempt, and a wash routine that works without a hose or pressure washer.
Matt and wraps7 min read
How to wash a matt paint or wrapped car safely
Matt paint and vinyl wraps cannot be polished, so prevention is everything. The gentle products, the mixes and the wash routine that keep a matt finish even.
Interior2 min read
How to clean your car interior and glass without streaks
Dashboards, screens, Alcantara and glass all need a lighter touch than paint. A simple order of work for a clean, matt, streak free interior.
Protection2 min read
How to polish and protect car paint with an SiO2 spray sealant
Polish refines the paint, sealant protects it. Which polish to choose, how to work it by hand or machine, and how to apply an SiO2 spray sealant.
Decontamination2 min read
How to remove iron fallout and tar spots from car paint
Rough paint after washing usually means bonded contamination. How to dissolve iron fallout and lift tar spots safely before you polish or protect.
Two wheels2 min read
Motorbike and bicycle chain cleaning: a simple routine
A clean chain runs quieter and lasts longer. How to degrease a chain safely without damaging O ring or X ring seals.
Finishing6 min read
How to dry your car without swirls or water spots
How to dry a car without swirl marks or water spots: the right towel and size, the lay flat and pull technique, hard water and how to look after microfibre.
Wheels7 min read
How to clean alloy wheels without scratching them
How to clean alloy wheels safely: which wheel cleaner suits which finish, the three brushes that reach every part of the wheel, and how to shift baked on brake dust.
Seasonal6 min read
Winter car care in the UK: how to deal with road salt
Gritted roads leave salt on paint, wheels and underbodies. A simple winter routine that keeps your car protected until spring.
Pre wash8 min read
Snow foam explained: how to use a foam cannon properly
How to use a snow foam cannon: the right fitting, how much foam to mix, the dial and nozzle settings, and the bottom up method, with diagrams.
Wash basics8 min read
The two bucket method: how to wash your car without swirl marks
The two bucket method step by step: why it prevents swirl marks, how much shampoo to use, the order to wash the panels in and the mistakes to avoid.
Help & safety
Directions, dilutions and safety for every product
