Generally, you should wash your car (or get it cleaned) every two weeks—year in, year out. Of course, this is a baseline.
It doesn’t consider seasonal weather conditions, location, whether you drive your vehicle on or off-road… There’s a myriad of other factors that might affect the cleanliness of your car. And if you’re car is filthy or has an expensive finish, you might want to go a step further and get it detailed.
But with so many types of car detailing, how do you decide which option is best for your vehicle? Read on to find out.
Basic Car Wash
There are quite a few different types of car detailing, so it helps to start at the most simplistic option: the basic or waterless car wash.
Choose a basic car wash package if you’ve never had your car detailed, are a first-time customer, or have moved to a new service provider. This allows you to test the company’s level of care and experience before you commit to heavier detailing.
The packages differ from provider to provider, but in most cases, a complete car wash would include:
- Interior vacuum
- Wipe-down
- Rims and window cleaning
- Exterior wash and dry
- Tire dressing
Full Car Detailing: Inside and Out
One of the most common types of car detailing services that people invest in is full car detailing. Like a car wash, the detailing options on offer vary across providers.
This combination of exterior and interior car detailing could include:
- Glass chip repair
- Clay bar treatment
- Shampooing
- Exterior waxing
- Leather car seat conditioning
- Regular wash
- Stain removal
- Pet hair cleaning
- Headlight restoration
- Paint touch-ups
- Water spot removal
If the package you’re offered doesn’t include a service you want, don’t be afraid to ask. You may be able to have it as an add-on. You can often purchase only an exterior or interior detail if you wish.
Of course, that will lower both the time to detail your car and the car detailing price.
Restoration or Show Car Detailing
The final car detailing process we’ll talk about today is high level detailing for restoration or show purposes.
In the former, you can expect a standard full car detail (inside and out) with the addition of paint correction, window tinting, and paint sealant application. This service can cost well into the thousands of dollars. Expect your vehicle to be in the shop for several days, too.
Show car detailing is a luxury service reserved for only the finest cars, such as vintage vehicles destined for a museum showroom or collector cars.
Types of Car Detailing Explained
When it comes to types of car detailing, you likely won’t need to fork out for a full service every week. However, depending on where you live, where you drive, and what kind of vehicle you have, booking a detail once a month would be considered normal by most car enthusiasts. If you have a vintage or show car, you’ll definitely want to book in for a detail before any event.
For more constructive tips for car enthusiasts, browse the other articles in our blog.