A beautiful car tends to be a more valuable car, and getting a detailing is great way to keep your car both beautiful and valuable. There are many companies out there that perform these detailings and knowing which companies to choose is important. Car detailing isn’t just a simple cleanup of your car, it’s far more than that.

What is car detailing?

According to Angie’s List, it is an extremely thorough and deep cleaning of your car. It’s not like a spring cleaning that you might do to get rid of some clutter, a car detailing does it all.

The goal is to clean the car so that it looks almost brand-new. This will not only make the car beautiful, but it’ll also make it more valuable.

Cobblestone says that a car detailing can also extend the life of your car, as well as slightly improve your engine’s performance. The result of these benefits is that drivers will ultimately save money.

Angie’s List says that the average price for a car detailing is about $170. That’s actually quite affordable given the benefits mentioned above. Car detailing companies will usually offer to do an interior detailing, an exterior detailing, or both. Here’s what those two types of car detailing will entail. 

Interior detailing

First, the cleaners will take out any garbage that isn’t part of the car. Then, they’ll vacuum every area of your car and get the rest of the garbage that was too small to be removed. 

Then, they’ll wash your carpets or mats. They’ll remove any stains that are on those carpets or mats and then they’ll hang your carpets and mats to ensure that they’re totally cleaned. 

The cleaners will then move on to your glass and windows and they’ll give them a thorough cleaning. If your car has leather components, at this point, the cleaners will clean those too.

Then they’ll dust and wipe everything down again to make sure it’s all clean. Next, they’ll re-vacuum your car to ensure that they didn’t miss anything. Finally, they’ll spray some deodorant to make the car smell fresh. 

Angie’s List also mentions that many car detailers have options for environmentally friendly or low-odor cleaning products if that’s what you want to use on your car.

Exterior detailing

Unlike a car wash, an exterior car detailing will hand wash your car to make sure that every part of your car’s exterior is cleaned. This hand wash will cover and clean all the nooks and crannies of your car.

Then, they’ll use a clay bar to clean up anything that can’t be cleaned with detergent. After that, they’ll polish your car and most car detailing companies will also touch up your car’s paint.

Finally, the car detailers will apply a sealant to your car and that’ll give your car a glossy shine. Some may even use wax at this stage of the car detailing process. 

Do your research 

Like Angie’s List and Cobblestone said, this was just a general look at how an average car detailing might go. Many companies may do something different. 

That’s why car owners who are looking to get their car detailed must do their research before getting one. Some companies may offer less than what’s usual and they’ll try to get you to pay more for what should be a standard.

Angie’s List also mentions that you should ask the car detailing company about its policies on lost or missing items. The best car detailing companies should have insurance to cover that. 

It’s also advisable to take pictures of your car so that there’s proof that something had gone missing. And of course, like Angie’s List said, be sure to remove any valuables from your car beforehand.