What To Expect From A Professional Car Detail

Booking a detail for the first time is mostly a question of knowing what information to give and what result to expect. Both are straightforward once someone spells them out.

The Enquiry

The more you say up front, the more accurate the quote. Useful detail includes:

• Make, model, year and body style
• How the car is used and what condition it is in
• The areas that bother you most
• Stains, odours, pet hair, sand or anything unusual
• Known paint repairs, coatings, wraps or film
• When suits, and where the car will be
• The result you are after, and any budget limit

Choosing The Right Package

A good detailer will sometimes talk you down rather than up. If your problem is a rough feeling finish, correction is not the answer. If your problem is swirls in black paint, a wash and vacuum will not touch it.

The Quote

Expect it to be conditional on the car matching the description. A quote given sight unseen is an estimate, and it should be described that way.

Preparing The Car

• Take out valuables, documents and loose items
• Remove child seats if you want underneath them cleaned
• Empty the boot
• Point out any delicate aftermarket accessories
• Mention leaks, electrical issues or recent repairs
• Make sure the keys and access are sorted

Arrival And Inspection

The car gets looked over before work starts. This is when anything that will not come out, or that will need more time, should be raised. Discovering it at handover is too late for everyone.

During The Detail

It is methodical rather than dramatic. Wheels first, then the wash, then the paint, then the interior, then glass. A detailer who looks slow is usually the one doing it properly.

Realistic Results

A well detailed car looks better than it has in years. It does not look brand new if it is not brand new. Deep scratches, worn leather, stone chips and set in stains are damage, and a detail improves rather than erases them.

Handover

Walk around the car with the detailer while you are both there. Ask what came out, what did not and why, and what to avoid for the next few days.

How Long Should It Take

Long enough for the car it is. A full detail is most of a session, and a car that has been neglected for years takes longer than the same model that gets washed monthly.

With Gloss One the person who quotes your car is the person who does it and hands it back. No juniors, no handoffs, and nobody new turning up on the day who has not had the conversation.

A Full Detail is $349, normally $549, done at your home or work anywhere in Sydney. See what a full detail includes, and send Wares the details of the car before you book.