What Is Car Detailing?

Image Blog Details

Car detailing is the process of restoring and cleansing a car's exterior and interior to maintain its appearance. It involves using specialized tools, products, and techniques to clean, protect, and enhance all parts of the car's surface. Detailing includes:

  • Cleaning, polishing, waxing, and conditioning the paint
  • Cleaning windows
  • Dressing tires
  • Interior restoration, including vacuuming carpets and upholstery
  • Leather treatment
  • Engine bay cleaning
  • Other services that improve the aesthetic appeal and resale value

The level of detailing varies depending on the car's condition and individual preferences. And If you are someone looking for car detailing in San Diego, then we would be happy to learn more about your unique preferences.

Overview of Car Detailing

It is possible to achieve a high level of aesthetic excellence through an extensive process of cleaning and restoring a vehicle's interior and exterior components.

Car detailing is an umbrella term for a range of services that go beyond basic washing and waxing. These services typically include polishing, paint restoration, headlight restoration, leather conditioning, engine cleaning, and more.

It is essential to note the distinction between car detailing and car washing.

If you decide to wash your car professionally, that involves primarily cleaning the exterior surfaces with soap and water as well as waxing them.

Detailers take it further by using specialized tools to clean hard-to-reach areas such as air vents or wheels.

Additionally, some professional detailers may offer additional services, such as window tinting or ceramic coating application, which are not available at typical car washes.

DIY solutions are also available but typically provide inferior results compared to professional services due to their lack of experience and access to specialized tools.

Benefits of Detailing

Regular maintenance of an automobile's exterior and interior through professional services can yield numerous advantages, such as improved resale value and enhanced aesthetic appeal.

Car detailing includes cleaning, polishing, and waxing a vehicle's interior and exterior to achieve maximum protection from water damage, oxidation, environmental pollutants, and UV radiation.

In addition to maintaining or restoring a vehicle's paintwork to its original condition, car detailing also involves thoroughly cleaning all glass surfaces, wheels, and tires.

A comprehensive detailing job can help protect the surface finish from corrosion due to road salt or other contaminants. As well as providing long-term protection for a vehicle's paintwork, car detailing also gives it a 'showroom' look that enhances its overall appearance. We also have created an ar

Types of Detailing

Professional detailing services can provide a variety of treatments to vehicles, ranging from car waxing and polishing to window cleaning and tire dressing.

Car waxing is the process of applying a protective coating to the vehicle's painted surface to protect it from elements such as dirt, dust, and water.

This protection layer helps reduce paint fading due to UV damage and oxidation. Paint protection involves applying a ceramic or sealant coat onto the car's finish, protecting it from scratches, staining, bird droppings, and other environmental contaminants.

Professional detailers also offer window cleaning, which involves using special solutions to clean away dirt, streaks, smudges, fingerprints, and other stains on glass surfaces. At the same time, tire dressing gives tires extra shine, making them look brand new.

DIY Car Detailing Tips

Maintaining a vehicle's appearance can be achieved through DIY car detailing, allowing people to care for their vehicles. This process requires the use of several specific items and techniques to achieve optimal results. The most common DIY supplies include:

  • Cleaning solutions such as soaps, waxes, polishes, and degreasers
  • Microfiber cloths or towels for safely removing dirt and debris without scratching the paint
  • A vacuum cleaner with various attachments for cleaning hard-to-reach areas
  • Brushes with soft bristles for scrubbing away stubborn spots or stains
  • A spray bottle containing a solution of water and vinegar for treating glass surfaces.

Learning about these supplies before beginning any project is essential to ensure the job is done correctly.

Additionally, it is important to pay close attention when following instructions on any product labels to avoid potential damage to the vehicle.

With this knowledge, DIY car detailing can be an enjoyable experience that yields satisfying results.

Conclusion

Car detailing is an important process that makes cars look better. Vehicles can be kept in top condition for years with proper care and attention to detail.

The right products and techniques will help protect the paint from UV rays, road salt, dirt, and grime. Professional car detailers have access to various products for this purpose.

Discover the art of automotive perfection. Schedule your car detailing today at (612) 889-5604.

Verified Google Reviews

Will was AMAZING! My car needed full interior detailing from rain getting inside this winter, and it hadn’t been fully cleaned in years. He scheduled me ASAP and was super thorough when going over the process. He picked up the car from me and brought it back quicker than expected so I didn’t have to go anywhere, and it looked new on the inside. It had a new car scent and all the seats and floors that were damaged from rain/dirt were totally clean. I’m so happy with the services and feel like it’s a different car now - I would recommend him to anyone in SD :) !! Thank you so much!!

Adriana Minicozzi

Link to Google Review ↗
Had an amazing experience with San Diego Select Detailing. They did a fantastic and thorough job of detailing my new car after it was transported from a dealership in another state, and also detailed two other vehicles at our household (one of which had laundry detergent spilled in the trunk). Each car came out looking fantastic. They come fully equipped to do a professional level detail job at the location of your choosing, which was very convenient. Can't wait to use their services again.

Audrey Hoel

Link to Google Review ↗
I had Hyundai Elantra detailed before gifting it to my sister. Will and Ed were able to accommodate me same day which was really nice of them. The fact that they come to you is also very convenient.The car looked as good as the day I bought it from the dealership. My sister was so stoked. She was beaming the whole three hours we were handling insurance and DMV stuff

Andrew Dyson

Link to Google Review ↗
We had an amazing experience getting our car detailed. They come directly to your home and bring all of the necessary supplies! Will was incredibly professional and responsive when arranging the time and figuring out details. Pedro came right on time and did a beautiful and meticulous job detailing the inside and outside of our car. It looks brand new and smells amazing. We will definitely be using their services again. Highly recommend!

Micaela Mariner

Link to Google Review ↗
San Diego Select did a full interior/exterior detail on my Lexus and I couldn't be happier with the result. My car looks and smells brand new. Incredible customer service - even received a follow up text the next day making sure I was satisfied with how everything looked. It's convenient - they come to you so you don't have to wait anywhere and pricing is extremely fair for the service. Would highly recommend.

Anna C

Link to Google Review ↗
great auto detailer in San Diego. If you’re looking to get your car detailed in San Diego, these guys are the best

Nate S

Link to Google Review ↗
I would 100% use them again! After I got sick in the car and we couldn’t get the smell out, they worked wonders and got us in same day!

Meghan Mazer

Link to Google Review ↗
First time getting my car detailed ever and I am so unbelievably happy with the outcome that I wish I would have started with them a long time ago!!! Will was so sweet and friendly over the phone, he quickly gained my trust:) My car looks and smells brand new! I will be back in 6 months to upkeep. Seriously these guys are so good:)

Justine Meadows

Link to Google Review ↗
Really kind! Did an amazing job with interior and exterior.

Siena Gross

Link to Google Review ↗
I've worked with Will and his team to fully detail my Tesla and Harley Davidson  and have monthly washes set up.  Will and his team are wonderful and always do a great job!

Charlie Redden

Link to Google Review ↗

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Should I Detail My Car?

Perfection & Protection.

Frustrated with everything that the car wash leaves behind?
Does your paint not shine like it used to?
In love with your car and want to preserve your investment for the long term?

That is why we are here. Not only do we leave you with flawless results, but we make sure that your paint, leather, and other materials are protected for years to come. We will treat your car (and you) like one of our own.

Do I need a "Shampoo Treatment"?

The shampoo and hot water extraction is the best possible care for your FABRIC seats.

We will bathe your seats in thick foam shampoo, agitate it with a fabric brush attachment on a drill, and then extract all the grime, dirt, stains and contaminant from the seats with hot water at 210ºF. If your seats need a refresh, this is as good as it gets. Because the service takes 45 minutes on average, and only a small percent of vehicles need it we charge extra for it. Don't worry - its only $50 extra. Totally worth it.

Will My Scratch "Buff Out"?

Do you have any little scrapes and scratches that bother you?

We can handle it.. to an extent. We are polishing experts - so if the scratch isn't too deep, we can get it out. Ever heard of "The Fingernail Test", this is a great way to know if your scratches are fixable. If you feel the scratch will your fingernail and you can feel a groove in the paint, it it probably a little bit too deep ~in the sections where the groove is~

What is a "Clay Bar"?

A clay bar is exactly what it sounds like, a little ball of malleable puddy.

This is used in the decontamination phase of the detail to prepare your paint for protection. Clay Bar Detailing is essential for preparing your vehicle's paint for protection by ensuring it is free of contaminants.

Every exterior detail has 3 phases: 1. Wash 2. Decontaminate 3. Protect. The decontamination stage is responsible for removing from the paint everything that doesn't come off from the wash.

Remember when you bought your car and the paint was smooth to the touch? That is the goal of this stage. Remove all the crusty junk that is stuck to you paint. This way, when we apply sealant (protection) to your paint it will adhere to the paint itself, rather than the junk sitting on the surface. This will give the sealant its longest possible useful life.

Why "Wax" My Car?

For the same reason that you get an oil change. Engines are expensive to replace (8-15K) so we take good care of them. So is your paint - the average paint job costing around $5,000. If you don't protect your paint with some type of ceramic, wax, or sealant, your paint WILL fail.

In San Diego, our biggest enemy is the sun, or the salt if you live near the beach. Next time you are in a big parking lot, look around at the hoods of the vehicles. You will notice around 1/6 vehicles have completely delaminated clear coat.

That means the paint looks like dead skin on the surface and you could peel it off with you fingers. Not pretty. There is a simple solution to ensure your vehicle never ends up like this. Exterior Detailing. Bonus points for a ceramic coating with is the best protection possible.