Auto detailing in Spring. FAQs

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 If you are the kind of person that:

- Takes (or wants to take) pride in your vehicle.

- Understands that there is a difference between price shopping and quality shopping.

- Has respect for their Service Provider's time and understands that there is a process to follow and results cannot be rushed.

- Realizes that someone that takes pride in their work, respects your property, listens to what you are looking for and takes the time to answer all your questions while educating you are important traits when shopping for a vehicle care service...

 Then the answer is YES!!! Professional Detailing by a reputable provider may the answer to your pain that comes from dealing with poor craftsmanship, lack of ethical work and unsatisfying results. 

 Do NOT be afraid to ask questions when shopping for a Detailer, give them a brief interview if you must, make sure expectations are on a realistic level  and understand that some surfaces cannot be fully restored due to previous neglect permanently affecting the appearance of said surfaces.

 Would you like to know more? Continue reading the information I have posted for you below...

Detailing is addressing blemishes and imperfections that a simple car wash will not take care of through the use of specialized tools,products,knowledge and expertise. If you've been reading through my website, you may remember the Fast-Food vs. Steakhouse analogy I used and how even though both are known as establishments that serve food, in the end, the amount of Details addressed and the quality of the end results are completely different.

  Let's use another analogy: cleaning our living space/home . Going around the House quickly, putting shoes/dirty clothes away and doing a quick dusting is the equivalent of getting a Car Wash or results from only shopping for a low price while disregarding quality, it is rushed and does not address "the details" . On the other hand, you get your cleaning gloves out and all your chemicals and brushes and go to town by meticulously cleaning all the tile,bathrooms, kitchen appliances and end up with a House that looks "like-new" ....see the difference? Obviously one will require more time and effort than the other, but the end result leaves quite the impression and satisfaction because now you know your Home is cleaned properly.

  That being said, do not be fooled and think that because someone labels themselves as a "Detailer" , that they will actually be able to provide results and meet expectations. There is no regulation for the term, so that means anyone with  no true experience can call themselves a Detailer. It's like going to the grocery store and you see a product advertising itself as "ALL NATURAL" , but when you look into it and read the labels, you find all sorts of synthetic and harmful chemicals . By being an educated consumer, you realized that the "All Natural" does not mean anything because you took the time to educate yourself about the labeling.

  In conclusion, Auto Detailing is the craft of taking your vehicle, performing the necessary steps while understanding the science and using safe approaches and techniques to leave your vehicle looking as close to a "like-new" appearance ,like the day you picked it up from the showroom, or "better than purchase day" if you purchased your vehicle used .

   Paint Correction is the craft and science of being able to understand the behavior and what is needed to restore the appearance,clarity and shine of your abused clear coat/paint finish. When you look at your car under the sun or other adequate lighting, you will notice tiny hairline scratches and/or deeper/wider scratches that you can actually feel with your fingernail. Imagine you are looking at your paint / clear coat from the side through a microscope... these defects will look like tall/deep peaks and valleys and since the light is reflecting off those uneven areas, you are able to notice them as well as noticing that your paint is not really as clear as it should be.

  There are ways to minimize and in certain cases, prevent these from happening through appropriate care that goes beyond just spraying foam on a vehicle.

   Other things that afect the look and health of your finish are oxidation from having unprotected paint that is abused by the elements and road film which sticks to the surface of your vehicle when the air and road contaminants mix with the rain during a rainfall and eventually form a film on your vehicle.

    Removal of these defects require for the damaged areas to be "leveled" and/or removed via careful machine work until the damage that can be safely removed is taken care of. Keep in mind that being too aggressive and machine polishing/cutting too much will make your clear coat/paint thinner and permanent damage may occur, which is why it is a good idea to take great care of your vehicle to begin with.

   I offer different levels of paint correction depending on how severe the damage is and what your budget allows. If you just want to enhance the gloss of your paint by removing the top film of oxidation that causes haziness , we can do that. If you wish to remove a good amount of those swirls by getting a light gentle polish and have your car look "showroom-like" then we can do that as well. Lastly , we can do a more intensive "surgery" on your vehicle for the ultimate shine and clarity that will basically give you new-looking paint and a mirror finish.

Simple answer: as often as you want to. This does not apply to "buffing" or Paint Polishing/Correction. See "what is Paint Correction" above.

Detailed answer: Depends on your driving and vehicle storing habits. Things like road conditions, amount of traffic, where you park your vehicle and for how long affect the time your vehicle can go without a Detail.

 My recommendation: Do a maintenance cleaning once a week or 2, to keep the appearance of the vehicle in top shape and prevent any contaminants like tree sap, road tar, bird droppings from bonding and harming your clear coat/paint. By gently removing these during a thorough wash, while also removing any freshly accumulated dirt from door jambs, wheel wells, exterior window trim and other areas that trap dirt easily, your vehicle will stay looking "fresh" and since it is done often, it takes less time and effort than waiting until it gets completely filthy. If you're not seeing any of the more serious contaminants and just see regular dirt film on the vehicle, you can do once every two weeks or maybe once a Month depending on how your vehicle is looking.

  When it comes to the interior, even if you do not notice soiling, it is good to have plastic/vinyl/leather surfaces wiped down with a gentle cleaner to remove any body oils that transfer from you/passengers while inside the vehicle and coming into contact with these surfaces.

 Remember, prevention is easier than to cure.
 

   There are too many variables to provide a standard answer to the question "how long does wax last?". Things like type/color of paint, weather conditions, vehicle storage, how often is the vehicle washed and which products are used among other factors have an effect on this. If you are using a more "traditional" wax, chances are that you may need to re-apply more often than you think. Simply put, one must monitor the behavior of the product applied and based on some factors, make an educated decision on whether it needs re-application or not. We live in Texas, we know how hot it can get and traditional waxes generally have a melting point of around 180 degrees and your vehicle's paint surface reaches that temperature very easily on a warm Texas day.

  This is one of the reasons why choosing me to take care of your vehicle is very beneficial, I don't grab whatever product with the label "wax" on it and just use it. I actually test the products I use, before deciding if they are good enough to use on your vehicle. Another benefit that my regular Clients receive is the fact that I care about monitoring the durability of the Paint Protection I applied during a previous visit to ensure your vehicle's resistance to the elements and contaminants is always present and up to date. Why should you have to worry about that? you're hiring and trusting me, and I highly respect and appreciate that trust.

You know how when you go on a diet, you lose weight and then you can decide whether or not you want to make lifestyle improvements to stay healthy and maintain your desired results? The same approach applies to Auto Detailing . Once your vehicle has been detailed by me and if you're willing to, I like to take the time and go over Post-Detail care instructions to give you tips on how to maintain the appearance of your vehicle and what things to watch out for. I understand that not everyone has the time nor desire to do this themselves, which is why I also offer Maintenance Plans for those customers that have an understanding of the concept of value, an eye for the details and only want a professional to handle their needs when it comes to keeping their vehicle(s) looking great on a regular basis.  In the end, it is possible for your vehicle to look as great as it did when it first received a Detail, a year or more from the date it was done.

 

 This will depend on factors like the condition/size of your vehicle and what level of results you are expecting and paying for. I'll invest anywhere from a couple to several hours on just your vehicle to go over every area discussed without taking short cuts in order to ensure you get what you are paying for. As previously stated , Detailing done right takes time. In most industries, there are businesses that focus on volume and businesses that focus on quality . It's up to us as consumers to decide if we want things done correctly while understanding it may take time to receive desired results, or if we want things done quickly while being aware that the quality will suffer .