A checklist keeps every detail consistent, whether it's your first car of the day or your sixth. Use this one as a base and adapt it to the services you sell. Before you start, photograph the vehicle all round — it's the only record of the condition you found it in.
Before you start
- Walk round with the customer and note existing scratches, chips, dents and stains.
- Photograph every panel, each wheel, the interior and the boot — with date and time visible.
- Record make, model, registration, colour and mileage.
- Confirm the service: full detail, exterior only, interior only, engine bay, extras.
- Remove personal items and keep them safe.
Exterior
- Pre-rinse and snow foam to lift loose dirt.
- Wheels, tyres and arches first, with dedicated brushes.
- Two-bucket hand wash, top down.
- Decontaminate: iron fallout remover and clay where needed.
- Dry with a clean microfibre towel or air.
- Polish or paint correction if booked.
- Protect: wax, sealant or ceramic coating.
- Glass inside and out, tyre dressing, trim restored.
Interior
- Remove mats; vacuum seats, carpets, seat rails and the boot.
- Clean door pockets, cup holders and the centre console.
- Wipe dashboard, vents, steering wheel and controls.
- Shampoo or steam fabric seats and carpets; clean and condition leather.
- Remove pet hair and treat stains and odours.
- Clean door shuts and seals.
- Refit mats and do a final inspection in good light.
Engine bay (if booked)
- Cover sensitive electrics; engine cool before you start.
- Degrease, agitate and rinse gently.
- Dry and dress plastics and hoses.
Finish and document
- Take after photos from the same angles as the before photos.
- Note anything you couldn't fix — deep scratches, permanent stains — so it isn't blamed on the valet.
- Send the customer a report with before next to after, and the invoice, before you leave.