With the approaching holiday season, purchasing a car detailing for your loved one is the perfect gift. Many companies are now offering gift cards as well. Do not hesitate to give them a call.
Difference between Car Washing and Car Detailing
Unlike car washing, which only cleans the exterior of the vehicle, car detailing involves a thorough top-to-bottom cleaning. Car detailers work efficiently to clean and recondition both the interior and exterior of a vehicle. Keep in mind; car detailing does not include any repairs or bodywork.
Importance of Car Detailing
Car detailing is an important aspect of owning a vehicle that is often overlooked by many people. Often times, it is disregarded as an unnecessary expense. After all, an oil change is more pressing. However, a clean and detailed car increases its resale value, protects the vehicle against natural elements, such as snow, reflects positively in a professional setting on the owner, and promotes good health, as germs and allergens accumulate over time.
Car Detailing Services
Car detailing services can include vacuuming, dusting, polishing, washing, waxing, and hair and stain removal.
Detailing services can be broken down into two main categories, namely interior and exterior services.
- Interior services include vacuuming, including the truck and glove compartment; brushing, scrubbing, shampooing mats and carpet upholstery; wiping dashboards and door panels; and deodorizing the entire vehicle.
- Exterior Services include a high-powered washing and drying process; clay work, in which a clay bar removes signs of overspray and remaining residue and particles; polishing and shining; and wax sealant application, for extra gloss and shine.
- Additional Services – Certain car detailing companies may offer a third step of cleaning the vehicle’s engine bay, which can identify any potential engine problems.
Cost of Car Detailing
The cost of car detailing depends of a variety of factors. These include vehicle size, the type of package selected, applied discounts or coupons, loyal customer status, long-term contracts, or multi-car detail services.
- Basic Detailing – Basic detailing costs approximately $50-$125 USD for most vehicles, with the price increasing to $75-$150 USD for larger vehicles, such as minivans and SUVs. Basic detailing includes interior vacuum and polish, exterior wash and polish, window washing, and tire and trim cleaning.
In Canada, basic detailing costs approximately $100 CAD and includes interior and exterior, vacuuming, tires, rims, floor mats, doorjambs, trunk, and windows and glass polishing.
- Mid-Range Detailing – Mid-range detailing is often about $50 USD more than basic services, and on top of basic services includes fabric and leather treatment, spray wax, salt stain removal, and basic pet hair removal.
- Complete Detailing – The complete vehicle detail includes all the services of the basic and mid-range packages and adds extreme pet hair removal, steam disinfection, and machine shampoo and stain removal. Prices are approximately $50 more than mid-range costs.
- Upgraded Detailing – Upgrades cost approximately $150 USD for most vehicles up to $175 USD and include more attention to detail. For example, carpet shampoos average $75. Steam disinfection is approximately $50 USD. Spray wax is approximately $40 USD.
- Special Services – Special services include the use of higher quality cleaning products and special equipment. Costs range from $50 and up. These can also include headlight restoration for approximately $60, exterior plastic restoration for $30, and minor scratch and swirl removal for an extra $60. In addition, many companies also offer clay bar treatment for an additional fee as well.
- Extra Large Vehicles – Many car-detailing locations now offer packages from extra-large vehicles, such as semi-trucks and sleeper trucks as well. Prices often start at $220 USD for interior vacuum and dusting, interior shampoo and steam cleaning, trunk vacuum and shampoo, as well as windows and mirrors.
Average Time Needed for car Detailing
On average, customers should expect to wait approximately 1.5-3 hours for a full detail of their vehicle.
How to Choose the Perfect Car Detailing Company
Choosing the perfect car detailing company is now easier than ever.
Customers can check customer reviews on sites such as Yelp and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Many websites now also offer testimonials from clients as well.
Another option is to ask car detailers directly for a list of references, who can vouch for their professionalism.
In addition, do not hesitate to ask your coworkers, neighbours, and friends to recommend their favourite local car detailer.
Environmentally Friendly Car Detailing
The newest trend in car detailing is the growth of environmentally friendly services. Companies use environmentally friendly products as opposed to simply wasting vast amounts of water. These products will better protect and maintain your car in the long run, than traditional car detailing methods.
Car detailing is the perfect holiday gift for your loved ones. Many car detailing companies offer free quotes and gift certificates, so do not hesitate to shop around.
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