Is Detailing Just For Car Shows?
Posted by Max Rundlett on 3rd Jul 2020
Whether your headed to the grocery store or a car show, having a clean, shiny car is a nice feeling. But are car washes and the occasional wax an appropriate level of care for your paint?
The Value of Auto Detailing
Benefits
- Maintains
Detailing your exterior and interior removes dirt and debris. This prevents degradation of whatever surface the dirt is on.
- Restores
A light polish can remove light scratches and swirls in the clearcoat. On older cars with single stage paint, the oxidized outer layer can be cut and buffed, bringing out a fresh layer of original paint.
- Protects
Waxes and ceramic coating seals and protects paint from weather. It can also help in resisting damage from light road debris.
Products/Equipment
For simply washing and rinsing your car, we suggest having a pressure washer or hose as well as the equipment listed below. Most of the materials listed below are available from our store!
- Interior - Small brush, microfibers, vacuum, interior cleaner and dressing
- Wheels - Brushes, wheel acid, tire cleaner, tire dressing
- Wash - Two buckets with grit guard, wash mitt, soap
- Dry - Waffle weave towel, quick detail
- Clay - Clay, quick detail/soapy water, microfibers
- Wax / Sealant - Wax, applicator
- Engine Bay - Degreaser, brushes
- Trim - Rubber/Plastic/Vinyl dressing
- Polishing - Pads, DA polisher, painter’s tape, compound
Time & Labor
If a professional detailer is performing these services for you, labor rates can vary as most jobs have labor built into the price of individual packages. These rates can vary based off of experience, reputation, materials used, and size of vehicle. Typically, you get what you pay for.
If you're detailing your car yourself, take your time! The results are well worth it. Your first full detail can take most of a day, but if done properly, minimal maintenance will be required to keep your car looking pristine.
Common Misconceptions
- Drive-Through Touch Car Washes
Touch car washes are believed by some to get more dirt off your car than touchless washes, and in some instances this can be the case. BUT touch car washes trap dirt in their brushes leaving behind small scratches in your car's clearcoat, sometimes referred to as "swirls". Touchless washes, or using a proper two-bucket method with a microfiber wash mitt can reduce paint wear.
- Time
Detailing takes time, and if you opt for a more intensive detail you may be spending over half your day in the garage for optimal results.
Worth it for an old car?
Yes. Many cars 20+ years old use a single stage paint. This paint often has a faded, oxidized top layer from sitting in the sun. Through a simple polishing process, this paint can be brought back to life. Cars with additional layers of clearcoat may require paint correction. This is where a light polishing compound is used to remove shallow scratches.
Plastic trim may also be faded, so simple treatments such as Black Shine Trim Restorer can make your car look new again.
And at the end of the day, you're practicing your detailing skills for a newer car with less damaged paint, plastic, and other materials. This is a valuable skill in maintaining your car's exterior and interior.
So, what kind of products should you use? With a range of products available at your fingertips, our choice is Griot's Garage. With a high quality lineup of products, it's an obvious choice for us.
Advantage of Griot’s
- Made in house in their U.S. Manufacturing and Distribution Center, located in Plainfield, Indiana.
- Griot’s Garage develops, manufactures, and bottles, their own liquid car care products in their U.S. Manufacturing and Distribution Center. This ensures everything is of the finest quality.
- Knowledgeable in all aspects of automotive detailing
- Griot’s Garage products are easy to use and have top-tier customer service associates trained in automotive detailing. Griot’s Garage also offers free how-to resources available on their website, which we've conveniently linked for you down below!
- Guaranteed quality
- Everything is covered by a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Lifetime Guarantee against defect.
- About Griot's Garage