CAR WASH VS PROFESSIONAL DETAILING: THE REAL DIFFERENCE

On the face of it, using a Professional Detailer to just 'clean you car' may seem expensive to that of a local hand car wash, especially when they can do it for a tenner in just a matter of minutes! But ultimately there are so many reasons as to why... and below are just some high level examples:


Firstly, if you’re not sure how your local automatic/hand car wash and Professional Detailer businesses are different, you’re not alone. Both of course have to do with washing your vehicle, but only one truly focuses on expert maintenance as a key priority in how the vehicle is regularly cleaned/treated.

A car wash generally removes most of the visible dirt, dust and general grit accumulation. These are often conducted as quickly as possible using recycled cloths, sponges and the dreaded chamois leather! The applicators they use are being recycled on car after car, many of which have picked up dirt and grime and are then thrown over the next car in line.  Car washes often use cheap and potentially harmful products/chemicals, which do not only limit the extent in how well the vehicle is actually cleaned, but there are also many that can damage your vehicle over time, especially when they are used incorrectly. Over the short and long term, this is hugely damaging to your vehicle and its value, and is the number one cause for all of those horrible swirl marks, paintwork blemishes and small scratches - These are the main causes of poor quality finishes to paintwork, so if this resinates with you, it may just be the reason why your car never looks like the way it used to, or how you'd imagine after a 'proper wash'. 

With a Professional Detailer, we don't just focus on getting your car clean, we take care in ensuring it's conducted with the upmost duty and care, as if it were our own. With every visit, we are improving all of the little details/minor imperfections, together with adding long lasting protection. We only use the best and most reliable products across the market and we treat each service with the highest level of precision, because it's our passion.
With a Professional Detailer it's QUALITY over QUANTITY. Not only do we want your vehicle to look its best day in day out, but we want to protect and increase its current value.

INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR

There are of course many hand car washes that include a quick vacuuming and window 'polish', ending with an installation of rather questionable smelling  air freshener, hanging from the rear view mirror. But ultimately the goal with most general car wash services, is the desire to meet a strict time limit for a quicker turnover. In their eyes, the faster a car is 'washed' and out the door, the better. 

Professional Detailing focuses equally on the interior and exterior of the vehicle. For the interior, carpets and seats are treated so they are refreshed, they smell and look new again, and are even protected over the longer term. Any leather is treated with a specialised leather cleaner and conditioner, once again, using tailored products most suited to the type of leather within your vehicle. Dashboard surfaces are buffed and polished so that they shine with the perfect dust-resistant finish - all of which is again is conducted using premium and quality products, not cheap, bad smelling and potentially harmful/greasy substances that make things look shiny for the first 10 minutes!  

VACUUMING VS LIKE-NEW FLOORS

Some car washes include a quick round with the vacuum. Detailing, however, focuses on returning the vehicle to a like-new state. Every piece of grit and speck of dust is removed, Floor mats are removed, shampooed, dried, and returned in pristine condition. The nooks and channels along the footwells are not just vacuumed, they are cleared and polished clean.

It’s often the floors that give away a car that is in constant use. But with auto detailing, you can restore your floorboards, mats, and lower grooves to pristine condition once or twice a year, helping eliminate long-term buildup of grit/grime. This not only keeps your car looking great, but helps preserve the quality and finish over the longer term. 

IMPROVING WITH EVERY PASS

The key to Professional Detailing is that it’s not just cleaning, it’s improving and enhancing. Detailing doesn’t just wipe the dash, it finds the dust in every groove. Every surface is cleaned is polished and/or buffed. Every stretch of fabric that is vacuumed is also washed and refreshed and given a new lease of life.

On the exterior, detailing a car involves healing minor scratches and dents within the paintwork, smoothing those blemishes so that a protective layer can be added to ensure your vehicle stays pristine for a number of years to come. We aim to bring a car back to life, and in many cases, back to better than showroom standards, thus increasing the value upon any re-sale or handing back after a lease.  

INSTALLING SURFACE PROTECTION

A car wash will rarely offer any sort of protection after the dirt is washed away. Some automatic car washes will spray on a lightweight layer of cheap and cheerful  'wax' (most of which offer little to no protection and wear off after a matter of days). On the other hand, some hand car washes do offer wax treatments – but getting your car waxed can quickly cross over into car detailing territory prices, and you can almost guarantee that it won't be conducted as throughly and/or with the same amount of care as a professional detailer.  You also have to remember that the quality of products used by a car wash and a professional detailer are lightyears way from one another. 

With Professional Detailing, surface protection is one of the best reasons to get your vehicle detailed properly, aside from that new look and new-car smell all over again! You can choose from one of several protective options for the exterior of your vehicle. From exterior wax and polish treatments, all the way down to the hugely beneficial and long lasting ceramic coatings. 

IN SUMMARY...

The major difference between a car wash and Professional Detailing business is largely dependent on how much your vehicle means to you, and how you are planning for the future. With Professional Detailing, every action is undertaken with the next year of the car’s life in mind, whereas many generic car wash services are just cheap, quick fire solutions with all too many risks involved. Yes, it may look OK in the first instance, but ultimately over time, the quality of your paintwork and interior will almost certainly diminish. This of course will have a huge impact on the value of your vehicle. 

We're not here to just wash and valet your vehicle, we're here to prepare the vehicle to thrive and shine in the months/years to follow. Professional Detailing will increase the longevity, beauty and overall value of your vehicle for as long as you own it. If you care about your car, saving money in the longer term and ultimately love having something that looks great to use day in day out, then we strongly recommend taking this route. 

We want this experience to be personal, enjoyable and of course hugely beneficial to all of our clients, so if you'd like more information on any of our services then please feel free to contact us.