Car detailing: How to get the most out of your car’s next detailing

For motorheads, a spotless vehicle is next to godliness. But even ordinary commuters and carpool chiefs can take joy in a newly cleaned ride.

For less than $250, a detailing shop can cleanse your family’s sloppy sins and transform your ride, inside and out, leaving it looking used-car-lot new.

Auto detailing isn’t necessary to keep your car running well and doesn’t prolong the life of your vehicle. You get your car detailed — or even washed, for that matter — for the same reason you shower, comb your hair, or wear a clean shirt: to look and smell good.

There’s no hard evidence that detailing — or even washing — your vehicle does much to prevent corrosion or to extend the life of the finish.

When you sell your car, the slightly higher price you’ll receive thanks to regular washing and periodic detailing is not likely to offset the cost of even two or three detailing jobs.

On the other hand, a good detailing job can do even more for the appearance of your vehicle than a new wardrobe and haircut can do for you.

Plus, cleaning your car’s carpet and upholstery can eliminate odors and reduce the discomfort of any allergy sufferers who might ride in it by removing dust and mites.

Most detailing shops are stand-alone businesses, sometimes connected to large car washes. But a growing number of detailers are mobile operators that send trucks and trailers with mounted water tanks to work at customers’ homes or in office parking lots.

Some services are solely mobile; others perform basic detailing jobs out-of-shop and more specialized work in-shop.

If you are considering a mobile operator, make sure it is following Environmental Protection Agency rules, which require a runoff reclamation system.

These systems use a mat under the car to collect all water runoff during washing. The runoff is then sucked up from the mat back into the detailer’s water tank.

A basic detailing job usually takes four to five hours. Most include an exterior wash, claying, polishing, and waxing; an interior cleaning; and tire cleaning and treatments.

Many detailers also provide other services upon request, such as steam-cleaning engines, paint touch-up, and installing accessories.

Undercover shoppers from Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook found that, when selecting a shop, price shopping is well worth the time. They collected prices on sample jobs and found big shop-to-shop differences. For example:

To detail a 2017 Volvo S60 four-door sedan with leather seats, prices ranged from $109 to $375.

To detail a 2018 Toyota Sienna L minivan with cloth seats, prices ranged from $109 to $525.

Checkbook’s surveys of customers identified quality differences among local shops, another reason to choose carefully. While some detailers received “superior” ratings for “doing service properly” from more than 95% of their surveyed customers, others received “superior” ratings from 75% or less.

Price shopping by phone is a good place to start if you’re looking for a detailer. Checkbook’s ratings of auto detailers will help start your search. Until Aug. 5, Inquirer readers can access the ratings for free.

You can also visit shops and ask to see other customers’ finished cars. If they don’t measure up to your expectations, you can go elsewhere, or ask the shop how it would do better on your car.

Some tips for auto-detailing success:

Check a shop for its cleanliness and orderliness — a messy, unorganized facility isn’t a good sign.

Ask whether the shop uses a three-step polishing process (polishing, buffing, and waxing). Some shops use a one-step process that is less effective.

For carpets, most shops use hot-water-extraction equipment, which is usually the most effective method. If the shop doesn’t use this method, ask how it will clean your car’s carpet to your satisfaction.

Check how long the work will take. If one technician is on the job, a detailing job can require four to five hours. A shop that takes only an hour or so to do the work likely isn’t providing the same service as shops that take half a day.

Some shops include engine cleaning as part of their basic detailing package, others offer it as an option, and still others don’t offer engine cleaning at all. If you opt for engine cleaning, the shop should cover or remove the distributor, carburetor, battery, and ignition mechanisms to protect them from cleaning solvents and water.

Check for proof that the shop carries current liability insurance to cover the cost of repairs in the event that your car got damaged at the shop.

Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. We are supported by consumers and take no money from the service providers we evaluate.