Most people grab a sponge, dip it in the bucket of water with the appropriate car cleaning products added and rub, scrub-a-dub over their cars. They do not realise that they may be causing damage to that lovely shiny exterior. Sponges pick up grit and hold it, so what is it doing as you rub down your car? That's right – being rubbed over the paintwork. Ouch!

The best thing to do is remove all that loose grit with a high pressure hose. Pay particular attention to the mud and dust that collects on the lower part of the car and under the mudguards. It is a good idea to allow time for the water to penetrate and loosen this mud; meanwhile you can clean out the inside of the car.

Once you've done that you can go back to the outside and hose it all over once again. This time you can use a very soft mitt to wipe off any grit that is left. Start from the top and work down to the grittiest areas such as the bumper bars and wheels. Tar and bug remover is good to use at this stage.

When you get to the pre-wash stage avoid those car cleaning products that also contain polish. Using wash and polish together may seem like it's saving you time, but will seal any dirt under the wax and your car will never look clean. It will also cause haze on the windows. You should do a pre-wash, main wash and then rinse before using any car polish products

After washing, the car should be dried with Chamois leather – this acts more like a windscreen wiper than a towel to thin the water out so that it evaporates more quickly. Once you get to the polish stage remember that two light coats of car polish products will give a far better result than one heavy coat.