No matter what kind of car you own, you want it to look its best and always be clean and ready to drive. Whether you care for your car’s appearance because of the investment you’ve made in it, or just because you want to show off your ride, one of the most important steps to maintaining its appearance is detailing. Car detailing goes beyond the simple wash and wax, instead referring to the meticulous care and maintenance of each individual aspect of a vehicle’s appearance, inside and out. Think of detailing your car like a day in the spa. Commonly, car detailing as a whole refers to cleaning and treatments to three different areas: exterior detailing, making the paint, trim, glass, wheels and tires look their best; interior detailing, which focuses on everything inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle; and engine detailing, which involves degreasing, cleaning, and sometimes coating or polishing the various engine parts under the hood. Each of these three areas requires its own long list of specific jobs and tools, which means that every car owner who wants their car detailed faces an important choice.
Almost anybody is capable of detailing their own car. All you need is the time, the determination, the knowledge, and the right tools. Unfortunately, some of those tools come with hefty price-tags. Special formula cleaning agents are necessary for nearly every specific part of the vehicle to begin with. Most of these require then require some additional investment for the right brush, cloth, buffer, or chamois to apply and remove the product. Factor in the value of the 4 to 6 hours it could take to get the job done right, and the overall investment can prove too much for many owners. Doing it yourself also comes with a certain risk to the appearance of your car; regardless of the best equipment, it’s very possible to make a mistake that could ruin part of your paintjob, your upholstery, or any other facet of your automobile and leave it looking worse than it did before you started. But, for those with the capital and the know-how, detailing your own vehicle can be a satisfying and gratifying experience, without the nerves some owners get from handing off a prized vehicle to the care of a complete stranger.
Professional detailers are the alternative to undertaking the process oneself. Thousands of businesses have cropped up around the US alone dedicated to the industry of detailing. Any reputable detailer will be able to provide you with a quote for your vehicle, and you will nearly always have the option of just how much attention you want your car to get; if you aren’t driving around a show-car, for instance, you can feel free to drop the engine detailing. These services, while not cheap, certainly come much less expensively than buying all your own products and equipment to do it yourself. Perhaps most important for many consumers, going to a professional means that you don’t have to worry about doing the job correctly yourself, or about dedicating half a work day to the task.
Whichever way you go, it’s impossible to keep your car looking its best without the proper detailing.