Keeping your car in tip-top condition involves more than maintaining what’s under the hood. It’s important to have your vehicle regularly serviced by a competent mechanic, but if you want to maximize the value of your vehicle and keep it looking pristine, you need to keep up on its detailing. This article explains what goes into a full car detailing service and gives you some tips about how to choose a car detailing center that gives you value for your money.
What Goes Into a Car Detailing Service?
You can think of a car detailing service as a thorough and professional version of cleaning both the inside and outside of your vehicle. The goal is to keep your car looking as close to new as possible. Many dealerships offer car detailing services, which cover the following aspects of keeping your car in like-new condition:
Paint Job
People are very visual when they assess the quality of a vehicle. So, whether you’re thinking about selling your vehicle in the future or you just like to take care of your car, maintaining the paint job is critical. The first thing people see when they look at your vehicle is the paint job. If it looks worn, damaged, or scratched, people might assume that your vehicle isn’t in the best condition, inside or under the hood.
The paint job on your car is delicate, and a professional car detailing service will do what is necessary to clean, correct, and protect the exterior of your vehicle.
When it comes to cleaning your paint job, expect a thorough hand washing that covers all nooks and crannies. The cleaning phase should result in little to no dirt or grime on the surface of your car. The correction phase involves removing stains or contaminants from the exterior of your vehicle that washing was unable to remove. This phase typically involves using a clay bar, which is an engineered resin mixture that combats tough-to-remove stains.
Finally, steps will be taken to protect and maintain the shine that gives your car a brand-new look. This begins with polishing the car and then applying a wax sealant to maintain its shine.
Chassis and Wheels
A full car detailing won’t just focus on cleaning the parts of your vehicle that the eyes can see. Keeping your vehicle’s undercarriage clean is also important. This stage of detailing includes cleaning directly under the car, inside the wheel wells, the splash guards, and the wheels. The wheels should have a protectant applied to them which keeps them from corroding and cracking due to wear and tear.
Exterior Lights
The exterior lights, including headlamps, taillamps, and fog lights, need to be properly cleaned. Cleaning the exterior lights involves a two-step process that uses different cleaning materials than those used for the paint job. A special polish that can reduce signs of oxidation will be applied. Oxidation occurs when UV light damages the covering on the lights, which discolors them. Additionally, a plastic sealant will be used to provide added protection to the exterior lighting.
Interior
If you’ve ever attempted to clean the inside of your car, then you know how much of a challenge it can be. A full car detail involves interior detailing using professional equipment to clean both carpeting and seating surfaces. Using an industrial-grade steam cleaner gets rid of even the toughest stains, while proper vacuuming helps remove dirt and dust that gathers in the various cracks and crevices of your vehicle. Plastic and vinyl materials on the dashboard should be properly cleaned to remove fingerprints and smudges. The detailing service uses microfiber towels during this phase to ensure a lint-free and dust-free finish.
How to Choose a Car Detailing Service
When choosing a car detailing service, consider the following three factors:
Detailing Services Provided
Not every car detailing includes the same standard offerings. Some car detailing services only surface clean and vacuum the inside and wash the outside. If you want a full car detailing service that includes all of the aspects mentioned above, you should shop for those features and ask the detailing service exactly what they provide in their detailing service.
Company Reputation
Finding out the reputation of the detailing service you’re considering is easier than ever thanks to the Internet. You can simply look up the detailing service online, and read reviews from actual customers who have experience with the company. The anonymity of the Internet means that people tend to pull no punches — it won’t be difficult to gauge if the service didn’t meet expectations. If the company has no presence on Google, you can look them up on various social media platforms where customers also leave reviews.
Discounts and Loyalty Bonuses Offered
The last consideration is to gauge whether the car detailing service makes any effort to go the extra mile with its service. Special offers are a popular way to attract new customers, so look for a car detailing service that offers a discount on your first detailing or a reduced price on certain days of the week.
Loyalty bonuses are also worth looking for. Many car detailing services reward repeat customers by giving them special discounts or coupons after a certain number of visits. Aside from being convenient, these loyalty bonuses serve as indicators that the car detailing company is reputable and cares about its customers.
Schedule Car Detailing in Grand Forks
So, now that you know what to expect from a full car detailing service and how to shop around for the best deal, you can go out and find the right car detailing service for you. Contact our detail center if you want to find out about our exceptional detailing services or take a look at our large selection of new and used vehicles.
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