What Is Usually Included In A Full Car Detail?

When you take the time to detail your car, you’re making a commitment to yourself and your vehicle to maintain its condition and get the most value from your purchase. A full car detail is something you can decide to perform yourself or you can hire one of the many reliable mobile detailing services in your area to do the work instead.

Whichever you prefer, you should be well aware of the many attributes that make up a full detail. Whether you’re doing it yourself or you have someone else doing it, you should know what needs to be done so the job is complete. A full detail incorporates a whole lot more than a simple washing of the body exterior. A detail is done to ensure the interior and exterior of the vehicle are fully cleaned and protected against undue wear and tear from the normal dirt and grime that can come from routine road use.

Here is a definitive checklist of everything that is usually included in a full car detail. Forgetting even one of these items will leave you with an incomplete job in the end. Be sure to remember each of these components or review this list with the detailing company you hire to confirm that they cover all of these facets as a part of their menu of services:

Interior

Any and all cleaning that takes place inside of the car is considered part of the interior detailing. These usually include:

Vacuuming

All floors, mats, seats, rear cargo and load floor, and the trunk should be vacuumed thoroughly. Basically any part of the car that has carpet or fabric, including leather. These areas should get vacuumed to remove debris and dirt.

Brushing/Cleaning

To get those carpeted areas even cleaner, eliminating bacteria, stains, and grime that has set into the fibers, a steam cleaning is recommended as well as brushing to remove that ground-in dirt that can make your carpeting appear old and ugly.

Windows

All glass in the vehicle should be cleaned with a good glass cleaner and a clean, soft cloth. This includes the windshield, all surrounding windows, a sunroof if one exists, and the rearview mirror.

Wiping

All of the surfaces inside the vehicle should be wiped down including the dashboard, middle console, armrests, anything that can collect dust inside the vehicle.

Air Freshener

The interior of the vehicle is given a spray of scent to freshen the aroma. This can be done in any number of ways.

Exterior

The exterior of the vehicle and all of the components are given a thorough cleaning:

Wash/Dry

The exterior of the vehicle is washed and dried by hand. Careful attention should be given to the wheels, the glass, any chrome portions. The car should shine brightly when this is complete.

Clay Bar

The clay bar removes any little impurities that were missed during the initial wash and dry of the exterior.

Polish

The exterior paint is polished to restore the luster and eliminate any dulling of the color.

Sealant/Wax

A strong water-resistant sealant or wax is applied to the body of the vehicle.