- How long will it take for my upholstery/carpets to dry after I pick up my car?
- Is it really worth paying to detail my car right before I sell it?
- The new car dealer tried to sell me some kind of “Protection Package”, saying if I had this stuff applied that I wouldn’t have to wax my car for five years, is that a good deal?
- Isn’t it a waste to get my car detailed during rainy weather; it’ll be dirty before I even get home!
- Your “Car for Sale” detailing package includes engine compartment steam cleaning, is that safe with all the electronics and wiring that could get wet?
- If you polish/buff my car won’t it leave those ‘swirls’ I often see on other cars?
- I’ve had my car buffed/polished before and at first it looked great, but after a few washes it deteriorated quickly, what happened?
- Why don’t you advertise your prices?
- Why should I use you guys instead of other details shops in the area?
How long will it take for my upholstery/carpets to dry after I pick up my car?
Trick question… your upholstery/carpets should already be dry by the time you pick up your car. Why? First, because we ‘steam-extraction-clean’, not ‘shampoo’ your interior. The difference is enormous; shampooing consists of scrubbing the surfaces with a wet, soapy brush, then a dry towel, then vacuuming the surfaces. As you can imagine, this only cleans the very top surfaces and leaves behind all that soapy residue. It also leaves the material very wet. Why then do detail shops shampoo instead of steam clean? You guessed it, it’s fast and cheap. Steam cleaning extractors on the other hand cost more than $1400 and the process takes longer, but the results are worth it. The material is deep cleaned by pre-spraying, agitating, then over 100psi steam is injected into the material and immediately extracted back out by a powerful two-stage vacuum, just like they do when professionals clean the carpets in your house. When the professional carpet cleaners arrive to clean your home, do they show up with a bucket of soapy water, a scrub brush, and a mop? Of course not so why should cleaning your car’s carpets and upholstery be any different? The result is a cleaner, drier material. We also have special carpet drier fans that finish the job by the time you arrive.
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Is it really worth paying to detail my car right before I sell it?
Absolutely and here’s why. Your car will sell faster and for more money if you have it detailed. This is a FACT proven by used auto dealers millions of times over. Think about this… auto dealers are in business to make money on every car sale right? Then why do they spend money detailing every single car that goes on their lot? The answer is obvious. Also think of it this way, people that come by to see your car for sale have probably been shopping around right? Yours is not the first or last car they have looked at. If yours is freshly detailed it will make a noticeable impression on them. It will appear that you have kept the vehicle clean and well maintained its entire life!
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The new car dealer tried to sell me some kind of “Protection Package”, saying if I had this stuff applied that I wouldn’t have to wax my car for five years, is that a good deal?
In a word, NO! Reputable, independent detail shops have been fighting this one for years. The problem lies with the salesman (‘lies’ being synonymous with ‘salesman’). Simply read the contract that comes with the package and you will see how bad they are trying to soak you. Most of these contracts specify that the product is indeed guaranteed for up to five years if you pay to have it professionally reapplied every four to six months! Salesmen conveniently leave this small detail out when they’re putting the sales squeeze on you. Just read the Paint Care chapter in your owners manual, those are the rules you must follow if you want your paint to last. By the way, I’ll save you the trouble of reading that chapter. All of them say something like this, “…keep your paint clean by washing it regularly and waxing it every four to six months.” Another trick the dealers use is the pricing of this package. It’s usually four to six times more expensive then an independent shop. I get this call at least once a week from one of the local dealers… “Hey, I just sold a protection package on a new car we just sold. Our shop is too busy; can you help us and fit it in today?” What does this tell you? It means that we all do the same thing and use compatible products for these protection packages so the difference is mainly price! When I do accept these jobs from the new car dealers I charge them exactly what I would charge you, full retail price, and they have no problem paying it because they have already sold the package to you for at least four to six times my full retail price! You’re smart, figure it out from there. The only good thing about these paint protection packages is that they are indeed helpful and valuable, just not as valuable as the dealers would like you to believe.
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Isn’t it a waste to get my car detailed during rainy weather; it’ll be dirty before I even get home!
Rain or shine your car’s paint always needs protection. The majority of value in an exterior detail is the removal of contaminants, the polishing of the paint to restore luster, and the application of a wax/sealant for future protection. I know it sucks that your freshly detailed car will be dirty within minutes of driving in the rain, but it will come clean again MUCH easier now that the paint is slick and protected.
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Your “Car for Sale” detailing package includes engine compartment steam cleaning, is that safe with all the electronics and wiring that could get wet?
Steam cleaning an engine is perfectly safe if performed by a professional. Vulnerable parts are covered and protected to prevent damage and all electronic components are dried after the service. We perform more than 10-15 engine clean services every week without any trouble.
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If you polish/buff my car won’t it leave those ‘swirls’ I often see on other cars?
Depends… if your car is swirl-free beforehand then it will certainly be swirl-free after it leaves our shop. However it is truly rare that a car is completely swirl-free. Almost all cars at one time in their lives get polished by an untrained detailer; even brand new cars are usually polished by the lot detailer. We polish only as aggressively as is needed to correct the problem or restore luster. This means we must evaluate every single car to determine the correct polishing compound and stiffness of the foam polishing pad to achieve the best possible results. Sometimes a car will require a fairly aggressive polishing compound and polishing pad to remove oxidation, in these cases we can polish the car multiple times (at additional cost), using softer and softer compounds and pads in each step to eliminate buffer swirls before finally applying the wax/sealant.
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I’ve had my car buffed/polished before and at first it looked great, but after a few washes it deteriorated quickly, what happened?
A couple things… the most common reason that freshly detailed cars lose their shine so quickly is the soap and mitt that was used to wash it. You MUST use designated car wash soap or you risk striping the wax that was just applied. Your dish soap works great for dishes but it is too strong for a vehicle because it removes all the wax, leaving you with an unprotected and dull car. Secondly, if you use one of those common nylon wash mitts and your car is a dark color you will leave ‘spider-web’ lines across the paint. These are small scratches that catch the sunlight just right and look horrible! To delay the onset of these imminent spider-webs on dark cars use a cotton wash mitt instead. They are white and are available at most auto parts stores. These white cotton mitts won’t last as long as nylon but you’ll notice the difference in results.
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Why don’t you advertise your prices?
Every job is different, so the amount of time each job requires varies. We, quite simply, are selling you our time so the larger the vehicle the larger the price. Additionally, the condition of the vehicle affects price for the same reason. We can usually give you an accurate price for services over the phone by asking you a few questions about the size of your car and the exact service you need.
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Why should I use you guys instead of other details shops in the area?
Simple, we guarantee our work. Our experience and longevity has taught us that if we simply make you happy and give you good value for your money, you will be back and you will tell your friends about us. See About Us.
