So you've got the mods on the exterior now you definitelyneed your car in tip top condition. Here's some tips from the professionals:

Before you start you should protect your hands with rubber gloves or barrier cream.

Remove all rubbish that has collected in the interior (check all side pockets etc.). Take out the mats and bang them out to get rid of larger pieces of dirt. Remove the ash tray (and clean it out), parcel shelf and the spare wheel and tools. Remove any other bits and pieces that you can. Make sure the car has completely cooled down before you start.

Under the bonnet vacuum up all leaves and debris and wrap up all electrical connections and components in cling film or an alternative film. Now squirt engine cleaner all over the engine bay and use a brush (decorator's radiator brush is good) to clean the engine and rinse off with clean water. Dry with a cloth or kitchen roll and remove the cling film. Spray all over the area with Vinyl cleaner.

Next spray cleaner on all door/boot shuts and frames and hose clean. Clean the gaps between the boot and the body with the boot shut. Lubricate the hinges and locks.

Start on the interior, vacuum out the car and remove dust and dirt in small crevises with a paintbrush. Use Tar Remover on scuffs, chewing/bubble gum and old window stickers. Clean the headlining with shampoo using a coarse sponge. Wipe clean with a cloth keeping it well rinsed.

Clean the dash, steering wheel and controls. Use the shampoo to clean the carpet and the door trims and wipe clean. Clean the mats whilst they are outside of the car and clean the parcel shelf. Clean the seats with shampoo and a soft brush.

Now for the exterior, clean the wheels with wheel cleaner (including the spare), and leave for 30 seconds before scrubing with a suitable brush. Clean each wheel before moving on to the next. Hose down the wheels with clean warm water and take this opportunity to clean inside the wheel arches. Spray the tyre with gloss finish blackener making sure you keep to the tire wall only.

Lift up the wipers and hose spray the car to clean off all larger particles of dirt. Using a sponge or soft cloth clean the car with shampoo. Work your way down from the roof one side of the car at a time and use a paintbrush to clean all crevices. Remove smears and droplets of water with a leather.

Blow down any crevices with a vacuum cleaner and use Tar Remover where necessary. Apply a small amount of polish to a cloth and spread evenly over the body, a small stage at a time. Do not apply polish directly to the body or in hot sunshine. Leave to dry.

Whilst the polish is drying treat exterior plastic and rubber using a suitable conditioner. Clean the windows and use a window cleaning agent inside and out to remove smears. Open the windows to reach the top of the glass. Now buff off the polish from the car body using a clean dry cloth. Replace the wipers to their original position and replace the spare wheel and tools.

Next treat any stone chips and scratches by removing the dirt first and use a toothpick to touch up the paint into the chips. Rub Paint Renovator into the surface scratches and polish off. If you do need to paint them use a fine artists brush from an art shop rather than the brush supplied with the paint.

Take this opportunity to check the tyre pressures and inflate where necessary. Also check the tire tread depth.

Well now it should look a million dollars - just one thing left to do - take your car out for a drive and get it dirty again. Such is life.....

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