Car wash or detailing: which one does your car need?

What a car wash does#

At a car wash the car usually gets a pre-wash, snow foam, a rinse and drying, and many add a quick wax at the end. Inside, the seats and carpets are vacuumed and the dashboard and windows wiped. The aim is a clean car today, not fixing anything in the paint.

• Self-service: you wash it yourself with the pressure lance and the programmes on the panel. It's quick and you control what gets washed, but the interior is up to you.
• Staffed: the team washes the car, usually the interior too, from a menu of services.
• Automatic (rollover or tunnel): the car goes through brushes or jets. It's the fastest option; worn or dirty brushes can leave fine scratches in the clear coat, more visible on dark colours.

What detailing means#

Detailing isn't a single service but a set of jobs you choose according to the state of the car. These are the most common.

Decontamination

Some things stick to paint that washing won't shift: iron particles from brakes, tar, tree sap, insect remains. They come off with dedicated products and a clay bar that glides over the clear coat and picks up whatever is stuck. After decontamination the paint feels smooth to the touch.

Polishing and paint correction

With a polishing machine and fine abrasive compounds, the detailer levels the clear coat so that fine scratches, swirl marks from bad washing and dullness disappear. Because a very thin layer of clear coat is removed, correction isn't something to repeat often. Deep scratches, the kind your fingernail catches on, can't be polished out: they are a job for bodywork and paint.

Ceramic coating

A hard, clear layer applied over the clear coat, usually after correction. It makes the paint glossier and easier to wash, and dirt and water stick to it less. How long it lasts depends on the product and on how the car is washed afterwards, so ask what warranty the detailer gives and what upkeep it needs. Wax and sealants are lighter options that last less.

Deep interior cleaning

More than vacuuming: upholstery and carpets are cleaned with an extraction machine that sprays and sucks out the solution, leather is cleaned and conditioned, and plastics, air vents and seams are cleaned with brushes. It's useful after a muddy winter, after carrying a pet, or when you've just bought a used car.

When to choose a car wash and when detailing#

How often to wash your car#

There's no number that suits everyone: it depends on how much you drive, where you park and the season. A car parked under trees or next to a building site gets dirty faster than one kept in a garage. A few pointers:

• Bird droppings, tree sap and insects should come off as soon as possible: left in the sun, they can mark the clear coat.
• In winter, after salted roads, wash more often, not less.
• Polishing should be rare because it thins the clear coat; between detailing sessions, protect the paint by washing it properly.
• The interior can be vacuumed often; save the deep clean for when it's really needed.

What to ask before booking a detailer#

1. What exactly is included: exterior, interior or both; decontamination, one-step or multi-step polishing, protection.
2. How long it takes: whether you leave the car for a day or more, and whether it's kept indoors.
3. Which products they use and why those.
4. Whether they measure paint thickness before polishing, so they know how much they can work each panel.
5. What warranty comes with a ceramic coating and what upkeep it needs: how to wash the car afterwards, whether you need to come back for a check.
6. What they can't fix: deep scratches, stone chips, paint that was redone before.
7. The final price for your car once they've seen it, not just the list price.

Looking after your car in winter#

Salt and grit from the roads build up under the car, in the wheel arches and on the sills, where they encourage rust. What you can do:

• Wash the underside as well as the body, especially after days on salted roads.
• Rinse well before you scrub: salt and sand on the paint will scratch it if you rub them in with a sponge.
• Wipe the door seals after washing so the doors don't freeze shut.
• Use rubber mats so salty water from your shoes doesn't soak into the carpet.
• Don't pour hot water on a frozen windscreen: the sudden temperature change can crack the glass.

How CariX helps#

On CariX you search for a car wash or a detailer by service and city. Each business page shows opening hours, services with price ranges and reviews, which come only from customers after a finished job. "Is the price fair?" shows an indicative price range for that service in your city, based on the prices businesses list on CariX; the real price depends on the car and its condition.

A booking request needs only a name and a phone number, no account. The business confirms, declines or suggests another time; if you leave an email address too, you're told at every step.

If you want to know what your car costs you each month, the free driver account lets you log car washes alongside fuel, parking, road tolls, insurance and repairs, and see the monthly total with charts.