Car detailing is essential to maintain your vehicle and keep it looking brand new. It’s no secret that a well-maintained car is also a valuable car. If you want to keep the value of your car high, then you need to invest in car detailing.
It should not be confused with car washing since detailing is far more comprehensive of a service. In fact, they can be categorized into two: interior and exterior detailing.
Exterior Car Detailing
The exterior of the vehicle is the first thing that people notice about your car. If you want to keep its market value high, you need to maintain the exterior with car detailing. It involves more than just washing the car’s exterior components. It is designed to eliminate surface scratches, improve the gleam, and reinforce the paint sealant.
Some of the most common steps involved with exterior car detailing are washing and drying the car by hand (such as doors jambs, glasses, windows, and car rims), claying (to remove any impurities or residues), polishing (to improve its shine), and sealing (to keep it looking glossy).
There may be additional services included as part of exterior detailing depending on what your car needs. These additional services include headlight polishing, engine pressure cleaning, glass chip repair, and paint touch ups, to name a few.
Interior Car Detailing
A beautiful exterior is good for a car but it should be paired with an equally impressive and well-kept interior. It might come as a surprise to many but interior detailing takes more time and steps. In particular, you want to disinfect the car interior and get rid of any odors.
Some of the processes involved with interior detailing are vacuuming the seats, cargo area, trunk, and shelf. The floor mats must be washed separately and then vacuumed later. In some cases, steam cleaning is needed to ensure that the car interior is free of allergens (which is important if you have kids or anyone who is prone to allergies riding the car).
Glass cleaning is another example of interior car detailing; this is important not just for aesthetic reasons but also to ensure an unobstructed view for the driver. Additional interior detailing services include leather trimming, perfuming, and re-vacuuming of the interior.
Car Detailing vs Car Wash
Those who are new to car detailing tend to assume that car detailing is similar to a car wash but they are actually different.
The cost is the first and primary difference. Car detailing is more expensive than a car wash because it is far more exhaustive. Most car washes can be completed in less than an hour and some even rely on machines to do it. On the other hand, a thorough car detailing (interior and exterior) can take anywhere from half a day to a whole day (depending on the extent of cleaning to be done).
Simply put, car washing is more of a superficial cleanse for your vehicle. Car detailing is designed to maintain the best overall condition for your vehicle so it looks as good as new.