Why Would You Want to Detail Your Car

Detailing is the process of deep-cleaning a vehicle inside and out using professional grade cleaning products and tools. It's more expensive than a regular car wash, at around $145, but it's typically done by professionals that have many years of experience. Once a year should do the trick in order to extend the look and the life of your car.

It sounds so involved. Can't you just wash your car in the driveway as have countless generations before, or simply run it through a car wash once a month? Sure, that would all be fine. You should wash your car about every month and wax it a few times per year, to keep the exterior finish in good shape.

But for the daily driver that is parked outside the elements will takes its toll — more so if you have pets, children, or use your vehicle for gardening/home-improvement duty or lead an active, outdoorsy lifestyle. We all know what kids can do to the back seat of a car in no time.

Your argument might be that it's worth it, once a year, to spend $145 to have your car detailed, and maybe more if you want a heavy-duty detail. That just means in addition to a thorough exterior wash-and-wax, a professional detailer or full-service car wash will get down and dirty with the interior, extracting as much filth as possible. You'll be shocked at how new your old car looks. And in some cases, a mobile detailer will come to you, so you don't have to leave home!

I've chosen the $145 figure because it is a decent ballpark for a proper detail. You can spend extra for even-more surgical obsessiveness, involving compressed air, Q-Tips, X-Acto knives, whatever it takes. The price will go up.

But you also don't have to spend that much for less thorough detailing. This option will consume far less time. I recently charged for a wash, wax, and more heavily cleaned inside than usual. The entire process ate up about hour and a half. And it ended up to be a quite tidy detail that my customer was quite pleased with.

Ultimately, there are three main reasons to undertake this yearly or bi-annual ritual (if you opt for the cheaper treatment, which could also be a quarterly thing).

1. Your vehicle will be maintained in a better condition and isn't gross, therefore, a more pleasant place to spend time. You don't have to be a neat-freak to be depressed if your car slips over the edge into a Superfund site. Months of spilled coffee, scattered Doritos, and the simple churn of stuff will do it.

2. It maintains the resale value. This is very true indeed. A well-maintained trade-in could fetch you $1500.00 extra at trade-in. A sharp interior helps you get top-dollar for a trade-in or private sale, no doubt about it. And in an era when everybody shops based on internet photos, the cleaner the better.

3. You could support your friendly neighborhood car wash. And can get a basic wash for less than $10 and accept the upsells so that your local business can make more money and, you know, stay in business.

So in closing its up to you. I have a package that is set up for the monthly, bi monthly and the once a year detailing. This package and the price are all based on the customer needs, flexibility and budget.