In the past several years, detailing has become a much more popular service and even part of the common vocabulary. However, people can mean many different things when using the term detailing.
So what exactly is detailing?
According to Webster’s dictionary, detailing is the meticulous cleaning and refurbishing of an automobile. Pretty self-explanatory right? Well, let’s dive a bit deeper.
My personal answer would be that detailing is the act of cosmetically cleaning, restoring, and protecting a vehicle to as close to new condition as possible - short of any work by a bodyshop.
For example, many people see no difference in a tunnel car wash and an exterior detail.
So what is the difference?
A machine car wash is simply a cost-effective way to quickly remove the majority of dirt and debris from your vehicle. Little effort is put into cleaning the nooks and crannies of the exterior or removing any stubborn contaminants like tree sap, tar, bug guts, overspray, or water spots. This way of cleaning can also be too aggressive for the vehicle’s paint over time.
An exterior detail from a professional detailer will aim to remove any and all dirt and contaminants from the vehicle (door jambs, glass, wheel wells, wheel barrels, etc.) through the least aggressive method possible.
Detailing focuses not only on cleaning but also protection for the vehicle. Many car washes offer either no form of protection after a wash or very minimal protection - typically in the form of a spray wax that only lasts a couple days or weeks at best.
A professional detailer can offer you a wide range of exterior protection for your vehicle from a short-term traditional carnauba wax to ceramic coatings that can last for years!
Most people think of interior cleaning as just using the vacuum at the local car wash and wiping some dust off the seats. However, interior detailing is much more!
A professional detailer will not only vacuum, but deep clean any leather, vinyl, and plastic parts of the vehicle along with removing any soil and stains from the fabrics. Again, protection is an important part of detailing.
Protection can be applied to leather, vinyl, and fabrics to help prevent any future staining and make cleaning easier in the future.
An often overlooked area of detailing many consumers do not realize is their glass/windshield. Glass windows and windshields can also be deep cleaned similarly to car paint and be protected as well.
Ceramic coatings for glass are an excellent way to keep your glass easy to clean and provide great driving visibility in rainstorms.
These are just the basics of detailing and how they differ from your local car wash center.
Other services that can be offered in detailing include headlight restoration, paint polishing, metal polishing, PPF (paint protection film), window tinting, and many more.