Basics
Car wash vs. detail: what is the difference?
A car wash removes the dirt you can see from the outside. A detail removes the dirt you have stopped seeing. They cost different amounts because they are different jobs, and it helps to know which one you need.
People ask what a detail includes, and the honest answer is "the parts of the car a wash never touches." Here is the comparison the way we would explain it at the door.
A car wash
Automatic or hand, a wash cleans the exterior surface: body, glass, wheels. A good one dries the car and dresses the tires. It takes ten minutes, costs the price of lunch, and should be done every week or two through the winter so salt does not sit. What it does not do is touch the inside, the door jambs, the wheel wells, the paint's condition or the protection on it. An automatic brush wash also leaves the fine swirl scratches you see on every dark car in the sun.
A detail
A detail is restoration. The interior is vacuumed to the seat rails, shampooed and extracted, every surface cleaned, the glass done inside, the leather conditioned, the smell addressed. The exterior is washed by hand, decontaminated, and the paint protected with a wax, a sealant or a coating; a detail with paint correction also removes the swirls the washes left. It takes hours, and it costs what hours of skilled work cost. Done once or twice a year, it is what keeps a car from aging.
Side by side
| Car wash | Detail | |
|---|---|---|
| Interior | No, or a quick vacuum | Vacuum, shampoo, extraction, every surface, glass, odor |
| Exterior | Surface wash | Hand wash, decontamination, jambs, wells, trim |
| Paint | Untouched, or swirled by brushes | Protected; corrected if booked |
| Time | 10 minutes | 2 to 8 hours |
| Frequency | Weekly or biweekly | Once or twice a year |
| Where | At the wash | Mobile: your driveway or your workplace |
Which one you need
- The car is dirty outside and fine inside: a wash.
- The inside has not been cleaned since you bought it, or the dog, or the kids: an interior detail.
- The paint looks dull, swirled or faded: an exterior detail with correction, and a coating if you are keeping the car.
- You are selling it: a full detail, which comes back in the price. Why.
- It is a new car: a ceramic coating before the first winter, then washes.
What "mobile" changes
A mobile detail is the same work done in your driveway or at your workplace instead of at a shop. The van carries water, power, the extractor and the products. You do not drop the car off, you do not wait, and the car is done while you are doing something else. It is why most of our customers book while they are at work. How a mobile detail works.