What can you expect from an auto detailing service?
There is a common misconception with car owners that car detailing is the same as washing a car. This cannot be further from the fact. Although a car detailing job starts with car washing, they are not the same thing.
What is a Car Wash?
The carwash service, which is basic car care, will be washing and vacuuming. It will involve washing the whole car with shampoo, including wheel and tire cleaning. There is a dry-off stage using a towel, and sometimes it consists of spray wax. That is pretty much all that a car wash entails unless you go into a fancy car wash that offers custom work.
What is Car Detailing?
A car detailing goes far, much deeper than a carwash. Most car washes are automated systems, but car detailing is done by hand washing. It is done by a professional detailer or a team of detailers to achieve the perfect finish. Detailing is divided into two parts:
Interior Cleaning
Interior car detailing involves cleaning the interior of the vehicle. This includes leather, plastic, natural fibers, vinyl, and carbon fiber plastics, all in the inner cabin. The standard processes of doing the interior detailing include:
Vacuuming:
Interior cleaning starts with vacuuming. Car detailers start working with the vacuum on the seats, cargo area at the back, trunk, headliners, and shelf. Floor mats are usually cleaned separately. In places where the vacuum cannot reach, they use an air compressor.
Brushing and Steam Cleaning
Next, car detailers focus on the mats and carpets in the car. The mats are thoroughly scrubbed to remove marks and stains accumulated for many years. For this, a steam cleaner is used. After cleaning, the mats are left to dry out, so mildew does not develop on them.
Cleaning the Glass
Next, a glass cleaner is used on the glass. It ensures that the glass is sparkling and there are no obstructions to the driver's view.
Leather Trimming
Leather soap, a leather cleaner, and saddle soap work on the car parts made of leather. As for places with soapy water, a moisture-laden cloth is used to wipe the soap away. If the leather is dry, they use a leather conditioner.
Perfuming
To leave the car smelling nice, a deodorant is used on the car's interior.
Exterior Cleaning
Exterior car detailing involves surpassing, vacuuming, and restoring the original condition of the vehicle exterior. These are the processes in exterior car detailing:
Cleaning and Drying
First, you begin by spraying the car using a high-powered spray and then washing thoroughly by hand. All the exterior is cleaned, including the rims, glass, and door jambs.
Claying
Use a clay bar on the car's exterior. It removes any traces of overspray, impurities, and other residues that normal detergents cannot remove.
Polishing
Since a car can lose its shine after use for a few years, it needs to be polished. A polishing compound is used to return the original shine of the car. This also helps hide light scratches. Polishing is a good way to hide the minor scratches on your car.
Sealing
Sealing gives the car paint a glossy shine. It acts as a protective coating on your car. The application of a sealant also helps to hide fine scratches and paint imperfections. You can also use wax to do the sealing.
Do Auto Detailers Fix Scratches?
The easy answer to this question is no. Auto detailing does not fix car scratches. Car detailing is a great way to have your car return to its original pristine look. However, it is not a way to get rid of the scratches on your vehicle. Car detailing will be a superb way to give your car paint a good revamp through the polishing and sealant, but you will need to get a paint job for deep scratches.
Car detailing can hide minor scratches through polishing, waxing, and sealing, but it cannot help with deep scratches. For repairing such a car scratch, you need to get professional services for your car's paint.
What Types of Scratches are There?
Your car can have one of three types of car scratches:
Clear Coat Scratches
These are the most superficial the scratches you can get. The scratch happens to the top clear coat of your car's detail work. It is mainly a coat of protection over your car's paint. The clear coat is the part of the car paint that is most exposed to harsh weather and UV damage. It keeps the paint from being damaged.
Primer Scratches
These types of scratches occur to the layer right beneath the clear coat. The primer also helps keep your car paint job looking clean and sharp. However, this type of scratch can alter how your car looks, and the damage is very visible.
Paint Scratches
These are the most serious scratches that your car can get. The car's metal body is exposed under the paint with this type of scratch. It is caused mostly by keys, rocks, and car collisions. Paint scratches are the most difficult scratch to fix, and damage to the car's body is even possible if it is not fixed.
How Do You Get Scratches Out of The Car Exterior?
There are two options for fixing scratches on the car exterior. You can take your car to an expert in paint jobs. They will touch up your car and clear up the scratches very well. They will charge you depending on the depth of the scratch. The deeper the scratch, the more the work that goes into it, and the more you have to pay for it.
The second option is you can fix up the scratch yourself. You can use an auto-touch-up paint kit to fix some deep scratches, while a clear coat scratch can be fixed easily with a cloth.
Is your car looking a bit dull? Is your interior cabin a bit dirty? Click here to get directed to trusted service providers in Baltimore. You can get direct quotes from them for the services you need.
For more on auto detailing professionals in Baltimore, visit Detail Solutions at our shop in Rosedale, Maryland. You can also (410) 238-3000 today to book an appointment.
