Car detailing: what it means, what is in it, and how it differs from a wash
Car detailing is a thorough cleaning of a car by hand, inside and out, that goes past what a wash reaches. A wash takes off the dirt that has settled since the last one. A detail goes after what the wash leaves behind: fine scratches in the paint, grime in the seams of the seats, the film on the inside of the glass, brake dust on the rims and the smell in the carpets.
The name comes from the work: it goes part by part, into the details. Detailing car, auto detailing and car detailing are the same service under three names. What changes from one shop to the next is how far the work goes, so the rest of this page is what is in it, and what to ask before you book one.
A car wash and a car detail, part by part
| Part of the car | A wash | A detail |
|---|---|---|
| Paint | Dirt and dust rinsed and washed off. | Washed, then polished to take out fine scratches and dullness, then waxed. |
| Glass | The outside wiped. | Inside and out, including the film that builds up on the inside of the windshield. |
| Wheels | Rinsed with the car. | Brake dust worked off the rims, tyres and trim cleaned. |
| Cabin | A quick vacuum, if any. | Vacuumed under the seats and along the rails, upholstery and carpets shampooed, leather cleaned and conditioned. |
| Dashboard and vents | Usually not touched. | Wiped, brushed into the vents and the seams, and cleaned. |
| Smell | Unchanged. | Deodorised once the source is cleaned out. |
| Time | Minutes. | Hours. |
A car needs washing far more often than detailing: a detail every few months, with washes in between, is the usual pattern. How often depends on where the car parks and how it is used, which is on how often to detail your car.
Interior detailing: what is in it
- A vacuum that goes under the seats, along the seat rails, into the door pockets and the boot, with the mats out.
- Shampoo for the fabric seats and the carpets, worked in and extracted, so the stains and the smell come out with the water.
- Leather cleaned and then conditioned, so it does not dry and crack in the heat.
- The dashboard, the console, the steering wheel and the door panels wiped down, and the vents brushed out.
- The inside of the glass cleaned, where smoke, vinyl and breath leave a film that smears at night.
- Deodorising last, after the cleaning has taken out whatever was causing the smell.
After the rains, the cabin is where most of the work is. Damp carpets and seats grow mould, and the smell comes back until the fabric is properly cleaned and dried. More on mould in a car interior.
Exterior detailing: what is in it
- A rinse and a careful wash, so the grit comes off before anything rubs the paint.
- Polishing, by hand or by machine, which takes out fine scratches and swirl marks by levelling a very thin layer of the clear coat.
- Wax or a sealant last, as the layer that sits between the paint and the sun and makes rain bead and run off.
- Glass and mirrors cleaned so they do not smear in the rain or under headlights.
- Wheels, tyres and the plastic trim cleaned, because a polished car with grey wheels still looks half done.
The sun here is hard on paint every month of the year, so the wax at the end matters more than it would in a cooler country. What it does and which kind to use is on car wax.
Words you will see on a detailing menu
- Polish
- A fine abrasive that takes out light scratches and dullness. It removes a little clear coat each time, which is why it is not done at every visit. More on what is on your paint.
- Buffing
- The same idea as polishing, usually with a machine and a coarser compound for deeper marks. Often used loosely for both. More on what car buffing is.
- Wax
- A soft protective coat over the paint, carnauba or synthetic. It wears off and is put back on. More on car wax.
- Interior detail
- The cabin half on its own: vacuum, shampoo, leather, dashboard, glass and the smell. More on how to clean car seats.
- Exterior detail
- The outside half on its own: wash, polish, wax, glass, wheels and trim. More on how often to wax.
- Full detail
- Both halves in one visit. When a shop says detailing without a word in front of it, ask which half they mean. More on interior and exterior detailing.
What detailing will not fix
- A scratch your fingernail catches in. Polish levels the clear coat around a fine scratch; a deep one goes through it and needs paint.
- Dents, chips down to the metal, and paint that has faded through the clear coat.
- A smell that comes from the engine, a fluid leak or the exhaust. Those are a mechanic.
- An aircon that blows warm air. That is a shop with gauges.
For the aircon, start with car aircon repair near you. For a smell, start with car smells and stains, which says which ones a clean removes.
Car detailing at your address
Our interior and exterior detail does both halves in one visit, where the car is already parked: the vacuum, the shampoo, the leather, the dashboard and the smell inside, and the wash, polish, glass, wheels, trim and wax outside. The crew works in Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Tarlac and Olongapo, and in Pasig, Cainta, Taytay, Antipolo and Marikina. See every area we cover.
Put the car, the town and what bothers you most in the form. We confirm the slot and the travel fee before anyone drives out.