Is Car Detailing Worth the Cost?

You’re wondering if spending around $50-300 to detail your car is worth it? You may think that it’s a little pricey to get your car professionally cleaned. Maybe you’ve thought about doing the detail yourself DIY style. Well, the complicated and comprehensive art style of detailing may be worth paying for!

Let’s talk about the benefits of a car detailing, when you should get it done, the reasoning behind it’s cost, and a few other details:

A Bit of Backstory

Right before I started detailing, I did not believe car detailing was worth the price. When I saw it was (only) $50 to clean my car’s interior, I refused to book that appointment. Granted, I was a broke college kid who just got fired from his job 3 months prior, but the point stands, and I still asked:

Why would I pay someone $50 to vacuum and use a few wipes on my car’s interior? 

Then came the day we did our first practice interior cleaning. This took two people more than five hours(!), and we even thought we could do a lot better. 

So, we realized detailing isn’t just a vacuum and wipe-down. Instead, it was a backbreaking process!

3 Benefits of Car Detailing

There are tons of benefits to car detailing! Here are three main reasons that might motivate you to clean your car:

1. Saves Time and Energy – A complete detail can take hours on end and can place your body in many uncomfortable positions. A professional detailer can spend half the time and effort on detailing over someone who has never touched a detail brush before. It could even be a waste of time if you end up doing the detail wrong or scratching your car. So, when you  spend money on a detail, you’re spending money on a clean car without losing your precious time or energy.

2. Preserves Value and Protects from Damages – The less you clean your car, the more susceptible it is to being permanently damaged and losing its value. Then, a detail wouldn’t be able to save the car because you would probably have to buy new parts to replace the damage. You should always keep the health of your vehicle in mind. What else gets you places like your car does? Detailers use supplies such as protectants and coatings that save a car from losing its value and allows you to protect your investment.

3. Healthier for the Body and Mind – When your car is dirty it can clutter up your mind and distract you. Not only does this affect the mind, but dust, dirt, and odors can spread germs, bacteria, and allergens throughout your car and anyone who rides in it. So, it’s always ideal to keep your vehicle clean and refreshed. Detailers do this by hitting every surface area on a vehicle and getting deep with extractors or buffers. Essentially, having a healthy car leads to a healthy body and mind. Also, when you have dirty windows it’s harder to focus on the road!

   
   

When Should You Pay For a Car Detailing?

You may wonder if your car is dirty enough to book a detail. It’s usually up to you to know how clean you’d like to keep your property, but here are a few reasons when you should get a detail:

1. For Deep Stains and Strong Odors – Stains and odors can be infuriating to try to eliminate. Dish soap and a towel may not be enough to fix these problems! However, detailers are experts when it comes down to stains and odors. They know the right technique to fix that scratch mark or clean your car up enough to remove a nauseous odor. When you see or smell something you don’t think you can get out yourself, detailers will be able to help you! 

2. Before Selling the Car – Since detailing is about preserving a car’s value, it can help when you’re finally ready to let go of your vehicle. A detail can increase your sales price by thousands especially if you’ve been maintaining the vehicle and have done special services such as ceramic coating on it! If you’re ever in need of a quick sale on your vehicle, getting it cleaned up looks better to buyers and helps you make a larger profit.

3. When You Need a Reset or to Make an Appearance – Life can be very hectic at times and your dirty car might help you realize it. Maybe you haven’t been able to clean your car in a while. Maybe you must pick up someone you want to impress like a colleague or date. Well, a detailer will be able to help you refresh your car to make it look brand new and impress your passengers (or at least make them think you’re not as dirty).

Why Does a Car Detailing Cost the Way it Costs?

There are many factors go into how detailers price their services. Here are three main ones that have a large influence on what you’ll pay:

1. Tougher Stains Need More Runs – Let’s say you have stuck dirt in your carpets or scratches from a fender bender. A detailer won’t gloss over it with just a vacuum or a power washer in each case. Most likely, they’ll spend way more time on the problem area to keep the customer satisfied. They’ll charge based on the size of the mess you need to clean up, and the amount of time those tougher stains added to the total time of your car’s detail.

2. Larger Cars Have More Space to Clean – Imagine a housekeeper cleaning a one-room apartment versus a multi-floor mansion. You think they’d charge the same amount for both? Larger vehicles usually take more time and attention to detail because of all the extra features such as triple rows with folding seats and higher roofs on taller vehicles. Because of the extra time needed to clean these parts of larger vehicles, it makes sense to charge more.

3. Packages and Needs – A detailer loves when their customer knows what they need! It helps them focus on the main problem such as a foul odor or hard water stains. Most detailers offer basic packages and deeper clean packages. Or you might need added services such as smoke odor removal or engine bay cleaning. Ask your detailer what you NEED, and they’ll price your service around that.

   
   

DIY Detailing

Now you understand buying and booking a detailing service. But what if you wanted to do it yourself?

Yes DIY detailing is a great option! 

If you have extra time and can fund the supplies (and maybe not too worried about breaking your back), you can experience the benefits and satisfaction of a car detailing by your own two hands! You’ll lose a bit of the professional clean that a detailer can give you, but it may be worth it when you do it yourself.

The main downside of DIY detailing is you lose time by not only cleaning the car but also learning how to clean it. It’s not simply pressing the book now button, it’s scrambling through articles and videos for how-tos on car detailing!

Should You Get that Detail?

Is that average $50-300 worth it? What I can tell you is that after me and my partners first practice detail, that $50 seems like nothing compared to the work we did! It changed my opinion on the pricing and made me realize the amount of dedication and hard work professional detailers put into their craft. However, it’s your wallet that decides what’s worth it and what’s not.

There are a few reasons why you may find car detailing worth it, when it should be done, and why it costs the way it does. 

It helps you save time and energy by letting professionals do it, protects your investment by supporting car health, and is better for the mind and body when your car is decluttered and bacteria is disinfected. 

You can get a detail whenever you have tough stains you can’t get out yourself, if you were planning to sell your car and make a larger profit, and if you wanted to maintain a clean lifestyle and impress any passengers.

A detail is priced on the amount of time with stains the detailer has to deal with to keep a customer satisfied, the amount of space detailers has to navigate and clean, and by your specific needs for your vehicle.

Now it’s time for you to decide! Will you click that book with us button or not?