Refresh Car Valeting Portfolio in Salisbury, Wiltshire

Ever hired a car and thought, this doesn’t feel as clean as it should be?

We recently had to use a hire car and the vehicle we received was the Citroën C4 pictured below. Now, most people don’t clean hire cars — but I couldn’t resist giving it an AM Auto Aesthetic Refresh. I considered going full Revive, but decided that might be a bit much.

What stood out during the clean was how contaminated the car’s paintwork was, despite it only being about a year old. The rear panel, shown below, is a good example. Even after a thorough pre-wash and contact wash, the surface was still covered in iron and other embedded contaminants.

The white paintwork made them particularly visible — and this is exactly why iron remover is such an important part of the decontamination process. A proper clean goes far beyond just soap and water.

This vehicle was the first to go through our new pricing scheme, and while the work took slightly longer than anticipated—due to heavily embedded dirt in the carpets—we kept the customer informed throughout the process.

While the car now looks fresh and presentable, a closer inspection of the paintwork reveals a different story. Although fully decontaminated, the surface was still covered in fine scratches and swirl marks. In this case, the customer wasn’t looking for a full paint correction, as they planned to sell the vehicle shortly after and simply wanted it looking cleaner and more appealing for photos.

Take a look at the results below! Even without machine polishing, a proper clean can make a huge difference when preparing a car for sale.

This was the very first wash for a brand-new vehicle, with the owner choosing to avoid the risks of typical "scratch and shine" car washes by bringing it straight to us. Even with just 3,000 miles on the clock and six months of ownership, it was remarkable how much tar and road film had already bonded to the paintwork. As part of our Refresh—just like with our Revive packages—we carried out a full decontamination process to remove every last bit of contamination, ensuring the vehicle left us looking its absolute best.

Although we couldn’t apply the ceramic coating this time due to the shorter winter days, the car will be returning soon for that finishing touch.

One of our regular customers brought us their fourth car this time, a nearly-new vehicle just a year old, purchased from a local dealership. While you might think a dealership would deliver a spotless car, there’s clean, and then there’s AM Auto Aesthetics clean!

Dealerships often overlook proper paintwork decontamination, and this car was no exception. The paintwork was covered in tar spots—those pesky black marks that stand out, especially on grey vehicles, and don’t wash off easily. Some can even smear if picked at! We meticulously removed all the tar spots and other contaminants, which had been dulling the finish, to reveal a smooth, flawless surface.

The wheels were another area needing attention. The inner barrels had never been properly cleaned, and with this car’s striking wheel design, the difference after a thorough clean was truly remarkable.

Black cars seem to be the style of summer 2025, and they remain one of our favourite colours to detail. In the sunshine they come alive, revealing a deep gloss and mirror finish that always turns heads.

This vehicle had already been protected with Gtechniq’s Crystal Serum Light by another detailing company. The owner, visiting from Scotland, wanted a local clean that would restore the gloss and vibrancy of the paintwork without risking any damage to the coating. Our Refresh cleans use pH neutral products that are safe for coatings and protection layers while still delivering a thorough finish.

The request came in last minute on a weekend when we are usually closed. The customer hoped for a quick rinse before the return journey, but we explained that even an exterior only Refresh takes a minimum of two hours. Cutting corners is not how we work, so we arranged a proper booking the following week instead, leaving the car restored to the deep gloss finish it deserved.

This job also marked the first use of our new laminated number plate covers, designed to display our recently refreshed logo. They make every photo look sharper and more professional, helping our work stand out exactly as it should.