Reference
Car wash & detailing glossary
Every term we use in our pricing, FAQs or pro briefings — defined in plain English.
- At-Home Wash
- Mobile, waterless car wash carried out at your London address. Uses encapsulation chemistry instead of a hose.
- Collect & Clean
- Door-to-door service — Valetly collects the car, washes it at a licensed bay with proper interceptors, and returns it.
- GPP-13
- UK Environment Agency Pollution Prevention Guidelines 13 — the rules on vehicle washing. Forbids detergent runoff to surface drains.
- Two-bucket method
- Hand-wash technique using a wash bucket and a separate rinse bucket to keep dirt out of the wash mitt — reduces swirl marks.
- Encapsulation chemistry
- A spray that surrounds dirt particles in a polymer shell so they lift away with a microfibre, not slide across the paint.
- IPA wipe
- Isopropyl alcohol wipe-down used to remove polishing oils so paint correction or ceramic coating bonds properly.
- Paint correction
- Mechanical polishing that removes swirls, holograms and light scratches from clearcoat — measured in stages (1-step, 2-step).
- Ceramic coating
- Semi-permanent SiO2 layer that adds gloss, hydrophobicity and chemical resistance — lasts 1 to 5+ years depending on grade.
- PPF
- Paint Protection Film — a clear urethane layer applied to high-impact panels (bumper, bonnet, mirrors) to absorb stone chips.
- Iron remover
- Acidic/neutral chemical that dissolves bonded iron particles (rail dust, brake dust) from paint and wheels — turns purple as it reacts.
- Tar remover
- Solvent that breaks down tar spots from road resurfacing without abrading paint.
- Snow foam
- High-foaming pre-wash applied through a lance to lift heavy dirt before contact washing. Requires a pressure washer (not used on waterless At-Home jobs).
- Clay bar / clay mitt
- Decontamination step that removes bonded contaminants the wash didn't lift — leaves paint glass-smooth.
- Microfibre GSM
- Grams per square metre — denser microfibres (400+ GSM) hold more product and are safer on paint.
- Trade-effluent consent
- Permit from the local water authority allowing a wash bay to discharge contaminated water to foul sewer — without it, the bay isn't legal.