Car Detailing  – Your Vehicle’s Best Friend

The planet of car detailing is fascinating and highly detailed. It’s not like a car wash that any car lover can start to put up. Unlike car washing, auto detailing doesn’t use an automated system to do the cleaning.

Instead, it involves hand cleaning performed by experienced detailers. Professionals usually call this line of work as a mix of art and science.

Art means you need to know what’s best for the vehicle, what color, what to put in or out from its accessories, as well as a science since you need knowledge on how to put things together by combining the right amount of paints and chemicals.



As a car owner, you always want your baby to look sparkling and new. A great way to accomplish this is through occasional car detailing, which includes thorough cleaning and reconditioning of your car.

What is Car Detailing?

The proper definition for the term auto detailing is to meticulously clean, polish, and guard all components of a car from top to bottom, inside and out, utilizing specialized products and tools that wouldn’t be used by your typical car cleaner.

It doesn’t, however, involve paintwork and body repairs even though sometimes light cosmetic, restorative work will be undertaken, for instance, stone chip touch ups and clear coat wet sanding, relying on the vehicle’s condition and the detailer in question.



The main area and point of detailing are to improve and restore the vehicle’s paintwork by removing swirl marks, and light scratches inflicted over time, and that reflects the light in such a way that they give an unwanted cob webbing effect on the paint surface or clear coat.

What Does Car Detailing Include?

Auto detailing is classified into two categories: interior detailing and exterior detailing.

• Interior detailing includes cleaning the inner parts of a car. Some of the components found in the interior cabin are leather, plastics, vinyl, carbon fiber plastics, and natural fibers. To clean the interior cabinet, different methods like vacuuming and steam-cleaning are used.
• Exterior detailing covers vacuuming, restoring, and surpassing the original condition of the exterior components of a vehicle, such as tires, wheels, and windows, and among other visible parts. Products include but aren’t limited to waxes, polishes, degreasers, and detergents.

Interior Car Detailing

It’s no surprise that interior car detailing needs more effort and time than exterior cleaning. A dirty interior cabin not only has an unpleasant odor but also leads to operational complications.

Filthy air exhaust spreads allergens about the cabin; grit and stain cause switches to fail, and hazy windows can obscure the driver’s view. In these situations, cleaning a car’s interior is more than just washing with soap and water.

The standard car interior detailing process involves.

• Vacuuming – The first step includes vacuuming seats, trunks, headliners, shelf, and rear cargo area. As for the hard to reach areas that can’t be treated by a vacuum, an air compressor can be used.
• Brushing/steam cleaning – These methods are used to clean mats and carpets. A thorough scrubbing is done on the mats to eliminate any blemishes and stains accumulated over time. To be more efficient, a steam-cleaner should be utilized. Anyway, carpets should be left to dry completely to escape mildew.
• Glass cleaning – A glass cleaner is employed to clean the glass. It makes sure that the glass stays sparkling and ensures the driver’s view isn’t hindered.
• Leather trimming – A leather cleaner, leather soap, and saddle soap, are applied to clean all the leather components. As for the soapy areas, damp cloth is utilized to extract the excess soap. In case the leather is dry, a conditioner customized for leather can be employed to make cleaning more effective.
• Re-Vacuuming/wiping – Re-vacuuming is essential, like vacuuming. Any dirt left in the car’s cabin is removed by re-vacuuming. Windows and dashboards should be wiped with a clean cloth and cleaning detergent. After all this is done, a vehicle’s original shine is restored.
• Perfuming – Ultimately, to leave the ride with a pleasant scent, a deodorant is used in the vehicle.

Exterior Car Detailing

It isn’t just a quick cleaning of the car’s exterior parts. A good car detailer will make the vehicle gleam, reduces surface scratches, and should always use a protective paint sealant.

The typical exterior process includes:

• Washing/drying –The first step involves spraying the vehicle with a specialized spray that is high-powered, followed by complete hand washing on the car’s rims, door jambs, glass, and all exterior components that require cleaning.
• Claying – A clay bar is utilized to take away any impurities, traces of overspray, and other remains that can’t be removed with standard detergents.
• Polishing – After a ride has been used for a while, it’s common that it loses its shine or polish. So, in this operation, the original polish is restored.

Sealing – To give your baby a glossy shine, a sealant is used, and in some cases, wax can be applied.

How Long Does Detailing a Car Take?

An auto detailing service can take as little as 30 minutes and as much as a full day, depending on the condition of the car and the type of detailer you hire. The fastest detail services are mobile detailers who bring all of their tools to your office or home.

If you drive your ride to a private detail shop or car wash, you can expect a turnaround time of a few hours.

As many private detail shops are hired by dealerships to clean used vehicles, you may find that you must schedule an appointment to bring in your car. A detail shop may have multiple detailers who clean your machine as a team.

How Much Does Car Detailing Cost?

Car detailing prices vary depending on a couple of aspects, including the reputation of the service, professionalism, the type of detail, and the vehicle’s size. The higher the service quality, the higher the cost.

Various packages are offered for different prices. A basic package involves vacuuming, tire cleaning, trim cleaning, wash, wax, and wax. For this type of package, $50 to $75 is the average price for an average-sized vehicle, but for a luxury SUV or a van, $75 to $150 is the median cost.

For an upgraded package, more attention and detail are given when cleaning the vehicle. As a result, a higher price should be expected. In most cases, the price is usually above $175.

Why is Car Detailing Important?

Taking your ride to a car wash is very important. Still, it’s good to your vehicle once in three months. With time, that coat fades away thanks to exposure to sunlight. Without the coating, the machine looks old and undesirable.

Let’s look at the benefits of auto detailing.

Money saver – It allows you to save bucks in different ways in the long term. First, with the lifespan being increased, chances of repairing the vehicle now and then are minimized, and that way costs are saved. Second, less gas is used since the engine runs efficiently and smoothly. Third, headlight restoration boosts the intensity of the lights, which enhances the car’s performance.

Extends the car’s life span – Car detailing removes contaminations that may have damaged the ride’s leather, chrome, paint, and vinyl. In that case, detailing helps the vehicle depreciate at the lower rate;

Enhances the vehicle’s physical appearance – After purchasing your new vehicle, the sparkle stays for a while. Despite regularly taking your vehicle to the car wash, with time, your car will definitely lose its outer appeal. With professional car detailing, the vehicle’s original appearance can be restored. An experienced detailer or technician will ensure that all areas are checked for scratches, dirt, dust, odors, etc.;

Maintains the paint condition – Vehicle’s paint can be affected by debris, dust, dirt, and more. Regular detailing ascertains that a coat of wax is used over the paint to eliminate scratches. Wax restores that new-car gloss, and at the same time, creates a protective fence;

Allows the engine to run better – With detailing, your engine gets cleaned out of dirt, leaks, and dust. It ensures that the engine runs more smoothly;

Increases the resale value – Auto detailers give your vehicle its best look just before a sale. Experienced technicians are aware of market standards as well as client preferences, so they can improve your car’s condition. Therefore, with car detailing, your ride will fetch a higher resale value when you decide to sell it.

Delivers a healthy ride – Plenty of dust particles can get in the ventilation or carpet of a vehicle. With car detailing, your car stays clean and without allergies. Plus, detailing makes sure that long term effects of environmental exposure are reduced, and cases of ill health are minimized.

Reduces accidents – It ensures that all dirt and haze are eliminated to escape obscuring the view of the driver. Therefore, the chances of causing an accident are decreased to a great extent.

Fulfillment – Driving a glossy vehicle is much cooler than driving a dirty one. A clean car reflects your personality. It demonstrates that you care about the car, and it also makes you feel proud and confident while on the wheels. It’ll show you that you’re clean as well as a tidy person.

What is Mobile Car Detailing?

It’s a professional service that brings a top to bottom car detail directly to your location. Car detailing services have become more popular over the years as folks look to spend a little bit more bucks in exchange for time saved.

Some of the advantages of mobile car detailing are mentioned below.

• Saves time – A mobile detailer can visit your home or workplace at a convenient time. You’ll not have to drive the vehicle to the auto detailing service and won’t have to wait while it’s being serviced. The professional will arrive and the scheduled time and complete the task, enabling you to deal with more important things.
• Saves dollars – Mobile detailers compete with others on service quality and price. You can choose a provider who is known to deliver high-quality service at a reasonable price. If you’re happy with the results, you can hire the service provider to clean your ride regularly.
• Schedule regular mobile car detailing service in advance – Once you find a professional who performs excellent service at a reasonable price, you can schedule sessions at regular intervals. There is no need to record when the next session is due. The detailer will remind you about it and turn up at a convenient time.
• Improves your image – Your baby will always look superb if you get a mobile detailing professional to take care of it regularly. A clean vehicle will give a good impression to potential clients, employers, coworkers, friends, and neighbors. Plus, your “wheels” will retain its value over the years.
• Customized service – Mobile detailers can provide personalized services tailored just for you. A variety of car detailing packaged are offered, and your vehicle receives treatments that are tailor-made to fit your demands. You can get full interior detailing, washing or polishing of the exterior, vacuuming/cleaning of the interiors, scratch and dent removal, etc.
• Attention to detail – Since car detailing is an incredibly thorough operation, you can expect the mobile detailer to access every crevice of your vehicle. You won’t get this kind of personalized service at a car wash.

Verdict

Whether you do the job yourself or pay a professional to do the work for you, having your vehicle correctly detailed can prolong the life of your car and improve its gleam for years to come. If you care about your ride, regardless of the technique selected, it’ll be well-spent money.