We have visited this topic before on the blog, but this week we celebrate officially becoming members of the prestigious “Made in Britain Campaign”. Added to our Olympic success, it seems like a good time to be patriotic.

Made in Britain is something we are very proud of, but, if we were to be totally honest, it happened more by chance (you can read about this in our previous post). Here in the UK we can be very resourceful, creative and competitive with the rest of the world. The Scratch Shield and seat Lid are 100% designed, manufactured and packaged in the UK! It may also be a surprise (until you think about it a little more) that the UK, despite being a small island, is a major player in the export industry.

Made in Britain” actually adds value to some export markets. Maybe they appreciate that we have high standards? Whatever the reasons for them wanting our products, we are proud that we contribute to the British manufacturing industry. We are also very proud of the quality of our products, which is why we offer a lifetime guarantee, but realise its no coincidence that Made in Britain and quality are so often used in the same sentence.

Although its off topic, we would also like to offer our congratulations to “TEAM GB”, its a fantastic achievement to make it to the Olympics, but to win so many medals, once again showing that we are “GREAT Britain”.

 

In the UK, we are currently experiencing a mini heatwave. Clear skies, beautiful sunshine and temperatures we normally expect on the continent. This change in the weather does increase the amount of people that venture outside, the appropriately named "fair weather" detailers/valeters. The question that comes up every heat wave is, IS it OK to wash my vehicle in the sun?

The answer isn't a straight forward one, but hopefully our explanation will help you make an informed decision and get the best from your washing experience.

 

In our free guide to Scratch Free washing, we recommend that you avoid washing in direct sunlight, but if you can not avoid it, wash small areas at a time, remove shampoo and excess water and dry the paint as quickly as possible. Hotter climates should take extra care.

Its not just the paintwork that you need to be careful of, glare from paint, glass, chrome etc. could damage your eyes and when there is water in the atmosphere, you can often feel a bit cooler, not realising the full impact of the sun, resulting in burnt skin, without realising.

Overall we would recommend that you don't wash your vehicle in direct sunlight, but if you cant avoid it, take care and follow our guidelines.

 

Love your paintwork

 

Valentines saw us launch our “Love your paintwork” campaign and just like “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas” Love your paintwork isn't just for valentines!

 

For fun we wrote a little poem,

 

Paintwork

 

My love for you is deeper than your gloss,

but pesky scratches can mean it's lost.

 

For hours I slave to protect your shine,

reflecting in the streets we drive.

 

A perfect finish is what we yield,

with every wash we use the Scratch Shield.

 

 

Love your paintwork ™

 

But on the serious side, it doesn't have to be hard work keeping your paintwork in good condition and if you care enough to wash your vehicle, why not make the modest investment and use a Scratch Shield? Its a tool that will help you. Have this helpful guide for free and enjoy your Scratch Free paintwork.

 

It is the season to be jolly and as a direct result post and courier services are restricted and overworked. The last day for processing orders will be Wednesday 23rd December 2015 and we can not guarantee delivery before Christmas. There will be email and telephone support for any technical questions until Thurday 24th 12pm. We will be back to normal Tuesday 29th, orders will be processed, but deliveries will be subject to the couriers. Normal service will resume January 4th 2016. We wish you a happy and healthy festive season and a prosperous New Year.

As December arrives, Christmas is now very real. We don't really do “Black Friday” in the UK (although, in time it will almost certainly get more popular), our main focus from around August is the two day festive period, which for many can last for weeks.

This year we using the build up to the main event as a chance to try out our very own “virtual advent calendar”. Using social media (twitter) we will have prizes/presents everyday. You wont have to subscribe to take part, its just for fun. Wish us luck as we haven't done anything like it before and hope you enjoy it!

What links Halloween with Detailing?

 

You could make a number of tenuous links between the two, scary finish, frightening prices, techniques or sometimes people, but the real link in our opinion is, “cobwebs, spiders webs”.

 Have you ever noticed how some vehicle paint finishes are mirror like, wet looking, sharp and crisp, yet others are quite ordinary or dull? Its not just old cars, but often fairly new vehicles can suffer with these paint defects? Think of your paintwork as a mirror, clean and free from cracks, you get a perfect reflection, now look at a cracked mirror, the reflection is distorted. Paintwork is very similar, if you have surface scratches, swirls, defects its just like a looking into a cracked mirror, the light/reflection doesn't bounce straight off it, giving a true reflection, it gets distorted. Potentially it is easier to repair your vehicles paint than it is a cracked mirror, but be warned, every time you polish, you are taking away layers of lacquer/clear coat.

 In our very biased opinion, prevention is better than cure, so careful wash practice is our first recommendation, it doesn't have to be a chore, but a few good habits will help you keep your paintwork free from Halloween horrors!

When the sun is shining there is little more satisfying than making your pride & joy gleam and sparkle, that is until it becomes too hot! Then there is the winter, do people stop washing their vehicles in the winter? If this was the case, there would only be a few days of the year that would be suitable to wash your pride and joy.

 

Like everything, there are the “hardcore” and the fair weather participants. If you are based in Europe, winter can be wet, cold and unpleasant, the roads throw up all kinds, attacking the paint finish on your pride and joy, so for many they consider it the most important time of the year to wash their vehicles, regularly and properly.

 

It may be coincidence, but the biggest aftermarket and accessory shows are always at the end of the season. SEMA (Specialist, Equipment, Manufacturers Association) billed as the biggest car show in the world, starts in Novemebr. OK this is held in Nevada, where it is either hot or really hot, but the USA has almost 52 different climates. Then here in Europe we have the Bi-annual “Automechanika” Frankfurt and “Equip Auto”, Paris, both late September/October.

 

So is car washing a fair weather activity? Our experience is, for a few yes, but for the majority keeping their vehicles clean is an all year round necessity. we do see seasonal fluctuations, but the reality is, the difference between the highs and lows, is not that significant. If you are passionate about your paint, very little will stop you from looking after it! For our free winter guide to paint care, click here.

If you have read any of our previous blogs, you will almost certainly be familiar with the fact that our products are made in the UK and we are naturally very proud of the fact. We are also proud to export to many different countries, but we under estimated the added value that "Made in Britain" brings to our range of products.

From the outset we assumed that manufacturing in the far east was the way forward, but we quickly discovered the UK was highly competitive. More by luck than judgement we found a toolmaker and injection moulder that were "on par" financially with other quotes from overseas (this was without disclosing any information), so when we reviewed everything, it became apparent very quickly, that there were added advantages to manufacturing in the UK. Language/communication was the most obvious advantage, but as we grew and started to expand, the importance of quality control and order lead times, really drove home the message, just imagine if...

Now another very obvious reason is in the news every day, China, one of the main sources for manufacturers is in major economic meltdown. Although these recessions are seen by a few as a way of eliminating weak businesses, for us it created another imagine if.. moment.

It also turns out that quite a lot of people like the fact that we contribute in a small to to the British manufacturing industry, another reason to be proud!

As most of the UK witnessed a months rainfall in just a few hours, the third Waxstock, detailing show took place. Second time at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, Waxstock has definitely secured its place on the show calendar and made it a must visit for professionals and enthusiasts alike.

If you are new to the industry or an experienced detailer, there was something for you. Maybe a new tool, wax brand or technique that will save you time. Lots of experts on hand to offer advice and guidance, as well as stunning vehicles on display.

At this stage we are unclear if the attendance was higher than previous years, or if the weather forced people inside for shelter and warmth? But having made several attempts to walk around the show to absorb some of the previously mentioned attractions and catch up with customers, we simply didn’t have time and for the first time ever, we actually sold out of the seat lid. This has always been a “sideline” product, but returning customers and new ones, seem to appreciate the benefits.

All in all, from our point of view, Waxstock was a success, thank you for your support see you at the next one? Or maybe SEMA?

Almost every disused petrol station, supermarket car park or lay by in every town has one, the “cheap” carwash, but what is the true cost? How does the average valeter compete?

They cant beat them on price, but when you find out what the true cost of a cheap car wash is, you might just reconsider how you get your pride and joy cleaned.

We have a guide to “Scratch Free washing” on this website,  you can download it for free, (you don’t have to put in “your details” either). We understand that not everyone has the time or the inclination to wash their own vehicle, but if you have someone else clean your vehicle, you could use the information from the guide to help you recruit a suitable valeter/detailer.

A professional valeter/detailer will charge hundreds, sometimes thousands of pounds, correcting your vehicles paintwork, but a lot of these paint defects, scratches and swirls can be avoided.

A few pounds for a Scratch Shield suddenly seems like a bargain, it is certainly an investment that will pay for itself almost instantly.

Do it yourself or get someone else to do it, a few simple steps will help keep your paintwork in top condition and should prevent the need for expensive paint correction work. So what is the true cost of a cheap car wash? Potentially quite a lot! But it doesn’t have to be that way.