What is Car Detailing?

You often take your car to the car washer and vacuum it to keep it clean. However, car detailing is something that takes it to another level. Normal car cleaning can never match detailing for exterior and interior cleaning. Detailing experts use different tools, such as pressure washers, compressed air, and steam cleaners, to remove the grime and dirt from your car.

Professional auto detailing includes washing, vacuuming, polishing, clay-bar washing, waxing, polishing, glass surface cleaning, shining rims and tires, headlight polishing, etc. In this article, we will discuss detailing types and how long it takes to detail a car.

Car Detailing Vs. Car Washing

Some people often confuse simple car washing with detailing. However, both tasks are very different. Detailing includes comprehensive cleaning and car restoration procedures needed to make a car look brand new. Car washing can be an automated process, but detailing is done with hands. Moreover, it includes both interior and exterior detailing.

Interior Auto Detailing

Estimated Completion Time: 5-7 Hours

People normally don’t pay attention to car interiors as they do to the exterior while doing general cleaning. To rectify this, interior detailing is essential. It helps clean and restore every material inside the car to make it look new. It is done by removing every single collectible contaminant in the cabin of the car. Comprehensive cleaning and interior restoration are performed after that.

Special attention is paid to the materials inside the car, such as carbon fiber, plastics, windows, leather, natural fibers, and vinyl. Different products are used to clean these materials. Such products can be polishes, air fresheners, stain removers, carpet extractors, glass cleaners, leather conditioners/liniments, and detergents. 

If the car’s interior is already brand new, basic cleaning and quick vacuuming can simply do the job. But if the car’s interior is looking ugly, it can take approximately 5-7 hours to get its clean look back. Moreover, there are also some other factors like the intensity of the stains, the vehicle’s age, and whether or not it is a smoker’s car.

Exterior Auto Detailing

Estimated Completion Time: 2-5 Hours

Just like the interior, exterior detailing makes sure that every exterior spot of the car is cleaned and improved thoroughly. Even the areas that are hard-to-reach such as gas caps, door jambs, and inserts are easily cleaned with exterior detailing. For exterior car detailing, different products are used such as detergents, degreasers, polishes, and wax. A paint correction process is also carried out if the paint of the car is chipped or damaged.

Like interior auto detailing, the time needed to detail the exterior of a car depends on a few factors. If the paint condition of the car is bad, the detailer may have to spend hours correcting the paint. Therefore, the vehicle condition and result quality are the main variables that decide the time needed for exterior detailing. Normally, it can take 2-5 hours.

Waterless Detailing

When it comes to saving water and time and exerting less energy, waterless auto detailing is the go-to option. This procedure does not require water to clean your car. All you need is to use the waterless car detailer on the car. You simply need to wipe off the grime and dirt after the spray. Many waterless detailer products are available on the market that you can buy. But, make sure that you choose a high-quality product for the best result.

The waterless auto detailing should be done within 30 minutes only. If the product is high-quality, 30 minutes is enough to give your car a new look. However, we recommend a full car wash if your vehicle is very dirty. This type of detailing is great for black cars as they easily show dirt. With waterless detailing, you can keep your black car clean in a quick time.

Final Words

We have already discussed the estimated time to detail the interior and exterior of a car. But, it is essential to keep in mind that the car’s condition is a big factor in deciding how much time is needed to detail it. If the car is very old, it will need more attention and time to clean and restore. A dirtier car will also need more time to get it cleaned. You should opt for a thorough car detailing if your car is old and dirtier. If you want your car to be cleaned quickly and your budget is also low, you should choose waterless cleaning. But for the best results, we recommend a thorough interior and exterior waterless detail.