Are Car Washes and Detailing the Same? Read and Know More

Detailing is a more thorough process than routine car washing and waxing. The process is not just limited to cleansing but also includes light cosmetic paint restoration and high-tech protective coatings. While it helps to wash your vehicle every week, car detailing is a unique service that rejuvenates your ride and keeps it looking good. 

A car detailing service focuses on more than just the surface level when cleaning your automobile. If you’re considering either option, remember that a car detailing service is a cut above traditional car washing.

For better understanding, here’s an illustration: If you’re a musician, you can play your guitar through one 5-watt practice amplifier or play it through an 18″ Marshall stack. Each has its place; one has far more power than the other. Ultimately, if you want to get noticed, you’ll want to go with the Marshall stack, not the practice amp. 

Car detailing goes beyond routine car washing for two fundamental reasons: it cleans your vehicle and protects it better. If you would like your vehicle protected, consider hiring a detailer. Let’s look at how detailing is different from a car wash even further:

The Clean

A professional car detailing begins with a thorough car wash. This might involve using an automatic car wash or washing the car by hand.

As a start, a professional detailer cleans your vehicle’s exterior surfaces, including your engine compartment and wheel wells. An underbody wash removes contaminants such as bird droppings, bug residue, and road tar. Brake dust is also washed away from your wheels.

Once completed, the car is dried with microfiber towels and made free from water spots using compressed air.

The Correction

Once the car wash is done, a detail technician will inspect all painted surfaces to determine if the clear coat needs to be polished and then waxed to look new. The technician will use clay bars to remove contaminants that dull the lustre of the paint, followed by polishing and waxing to restore its gloss.

If your car was manufactured anytime within the last thirty years, it has a two-stage paint finish of a coloured basecoat and a transparent topcoat. This outer layer protects the car from the elements—dirt, sand, sand, snow, salt, and sunlight—and makes it shine. However, the clearcoat layer can dull due to tiny micro-scratches caused by abrasion or poor wash techniques. Oxidation can also dull the finish and leave unsightly marks.

The Protection

Car washes offer zero protection from elements and contaminants. Detailing doesn’t. After the car wash and paint correction, it’s time to add a layer or two of protection. You can use synthetic waxes and sealants, basically plastic coatings that you apply to your paint.

Waxes tend to be made from Carnauba, extracted from a palm tree in Brazil. Like tree sap, Carnauba is hydrophobic, meaning it repels water. It also protects your paint against grit and grime, damaging your car’s paintwork over time if left unchecked. The higher the concentration of Carnauba, the better.

Sealants are similar to waxes in that they form a thin coat on your paint that keeps it protected against the elements. However, sealants are synthetic, artificial products. They bond extremely well with the colour and provide a hard shell, which some people prefer over waxes because they last longer — sometimes up to a year on some cars.

The Conclusion

Add more years to your vehicle by going beyond the normal car wash. Get it detailed for an extra clean, sheen, and protection against anything that will make it less than a mean road machine. 

For best results, get a car wash in Delta, BC, and more from Your Hive! We offer the best detailing and cleaning because it’s an art we practice every day! Book online now and get sweet discounts!