Lesson For All Window Cleaners From A Car Washer

World's most expensive car wash: £7,200: Gurcharn Sahota, 30, takes up to 250 hours to clean each vehicle with an array of 100 cleaning fluids and wax that costs £8,200 per tub. His premier wash includes polishing and buffing every inch of the car inside and out five times. He even uses a computerised microscope – normally used by forensic scientists – to examine the bodywork for the minutest scratch not even visible to the naked eye. Mr Sahota, who drives a clapped-out VW Golf himself, started the business five years ago by washing his neighbour's cars with a bucket and sponge. Pictured - Gurchan Sahota, using the electronic meter to measure the depth of the paintwork on the car.

But he has since cleaned hundreds of supercars and now boasts a string of celebrity clients. He said: ''When I was younger I washed neighbours' cars and my dad's car whenever I could. ''They never paid me, I loved it so much I did it for free. ''Things have built up from there and now I'm cleaning some of the fastest, most powerful sports cars in the world. ''People come to me and they want the best treatment going for their car.



''If you've got a £500,000 car then a few grand for cleaning is worth it. ''Sometimes I'll work through the night to get a car looking absolutely pristine. ''They're world class motors that deserve a world class wash.'' Mr Sahota, who lives with his parents in Derbyshire, has converted their double garage into a hi-tech workshop.

He built a Formula 1-style pit for scrubbing the underneath of cars and layered the entire workshop floor and walls with specialist tiles imported from Italy which help reflect flecks of dirt on the cars. He begins every clean in the same way – washing it with a lambwool mitten and soapy water. He said: ''I treat every car like an individual project, I want them to leave my workshop looking better than they have ever done.



''I have my processes which I go through and I am meticulous about each one. ''If you're paying £150,000 for a car then you're going to want it to be perfect. ''The first time I cleaned a Ferrari Enzo it took a week and when I tried to sleep all I could see was Ferrari red. ''The car has to be free from all contaminants like dust and dirt before you start otherwise it's going to get scratched. ''I just want perfection. Finishing is the best part because you know what it was like when you started. That gives me great satisfaction.''

After spending hundreds of hours cleaning by hand he uses a £5,000 computerised microscope which examines the car for blotches and scratches. A buffer is linked to a highly sensitive paint gauge which scans the car to prevent patching on the bodywork. Finally, he uses a specialist clay which he rubs over the bodywork to remove any imperfections. Mr Sahota, who works alone, started cleaning cars while he studied for a degree in accountancy at Birmingham University.



After graduating he begged a local Aston Martin dealer to let him clean a DB9 for free. The dealer, who reluctantly agreed, was so impressed with the results he passed on his details to clients and began using him on a regular basis. He then established his own firm – Elite Detailing – and has opened a second workshop in Worcester. He said: ''The work just started flying in. My reputation was great and word just spread.''

His parents Gurbinder, 55, and Amarjit, 53, were so impressed with their son's work they converted their double garage into a hi-tech workshop for his business. Since then he has washed hundreds of supercars including Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Porsches. His proudest moment cleaning the world's most expensive car – the McLaren F1 GTR worth up to £3 million. He said: ''The McLaren F1 GTR is without doubt my favourite car. It is so exclusive you hardly see any of them on the roads. ''They are a very attractive car and every inch of them is perfect – they are a work of art.''

He does not disclose the identities of his celebrity clients identities but one of his customers is the lawyer Nick Freeman – known as Mr Loophole – who regularly sends his Aston Martin DBS Volante to him for a clean. His other customers include Premiership footballers, rock stars, actors and stockbrokers.



Mr Sahota's car washing tips:

1. Use warm soapy water.
2. Add warm water mixed with a PH neutral shampoo in one and plain water in the other.
3. Use a lamb's wool wash mitt which only costs £8 and is better than a sponge.
4. Always wash from the top down.
5. Use different cloths on the bodywork and wheels.
6. Avoid acidic and high-alkaline wheel cleaners and any silicone-based products because they stain.
7. Use a towel instead of a chamois leather to dry the car.
8. Always check the cleaning materials regularly to make sure there's no dirt in them.
9. Always dry the bodywork in small circles to prevent streaking.
10. Take your time and enjoy washing the car.

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