What is a full auto detail? What's included and why can it cost so much?

Auto detailing has come a long way from the wash & wax days. Professional auto detailers have become so much more than technicians, cleaning and “waxing” cars. I’d guess this happened when Meguiar’s started pushing a variety of car care products and offering a professional line, somewhere in the 70’s, meanwhile Southern California’s car scene (where Meguia’rs is located) was booming! With so many different car cultures and enthusiasts, opportunities arose for entrepreneurs to buy some products and get to work. Anyone who has done business or has hung around the SoCal automotive world knows that history runs deep, and it truly is a small world of its own. 

Growing up in the 90’s, my family was keen on the car culture, and everyone had a classic car. I remember helping my uncles and their friends wash their lowriders before cruise nights and weekends. Pull into the self wash for few minutes, scrub them clean and Chamois towels dry; windows first! Windows always first! This was definitely routine and I got my lesson in keeping cars clean at an early age. 

My first experience with an auto detailer was my neighbor Joe around 2001. I wouldn’t say he was a full blown professional, he worked from his driveway, but I saw him bring cars in and out, and he had a decent setup, albeit massive! Pneumatic tools powered by a big 60gal compressor, 7 and 10 inch polishing machine. The 10” was the two handed beast from the 90s, you remember the one! Big semi-portable vacuum cleaner and some type of shampoo/extraction machine, may have been a Kirby. Not sure how much he was charging at the time, but it seemed like he was doing ok. 

Fastforward to 2024 and auto detailing looks completely different. Mobile detailing is very much the norm, especially for those that are just starting out, and menus of services look like books. Leather treatment, and shampoo ,and extraction, and clay bar treatment, and ceramic coating, and this and that! This is especially true if you go to a car wash/detailing place, they literally have a “menu” of services. You can select a La Carte. 

So what is a full detail nowadays, and what is included in a full detail packages? And why can auto detailing be so expensive? 

This will always depend the type of location you go to, but I will be speaking about professional auto detailing services of Sacramento. Most professional auto detailing in Sacramento and surrounding cities will have some type of tier system in their package structure, take ours for instance. We have an Express package, a Standard package, and an Ultimate package for mobile detailing in Sacramento. Essentially; Good, Better, Best. All three packages include interior and exterior services to keep things simple. Some companies will offer interior only and exterior only packages. 

Because the main question of this article is asking, “what is a full detail”, I’ll speak mostly about our Ultimate package, or our top tier package. This package covers all the necessary bases: 

On the interior, we’re diving deep with thorough vacuuming techniques getting Into all the tight areas, trunk included. Then do a deep clean of the upholstery, scrubbing doors, carpets, mats, seats, visors, headliner and the center console, followed by pressurized steam cleaning of all said components. This helps eliminate some stains and odors and creates a fresh feeling vehicle. We also shoot steam through the ventilation system to remove any bacterial buildup, then we follow that with pressurized air to remove any moisture. Once the upholstery is cleaned, we treat the leather with a sealant or conditioner, whichever is needed, followed by dressing all the vinyl and plastic components with a dressing to keep a coat of protection for uv damage. Windows are cleaned, and door jams are wiped. 

Our exterior includes a detailed wash, using brushes to get into crevices between body panels, in between wheel spokes, emblems and other tight areas. After we rinse and dry, we use a clay bar treatment to remove micro contaminants from he painted surfaces and windows. It’s hard to fully explain, but clay bar treatment in Sacramento is very much like the nose strips to remove blackheads from your face, it grabs contaminants and pulls them from the clear coat of the vehicle.  A bit graphic, I know, sorry! Then we polish, or buff the vehicle. We polish the vehicle after, and ONLY after clay bar treatment. Polishing the paint helps to remove minor imperfections like water spots, oxidation or light swirls marks. This is especially crucial for high impact color cars like black, brown, blue and red. After the polishing phase, we apply a coat of paint sealant protection. Windows are cleaned and tires are dressed. 

This interior and exterior auto detailing package in Sacramento typically takes around 5.5 hours to complete and runs $599 for a two-door, small vehicle.

Here’s where things can sometimes get confusing with pricing: 

Add ons: Many companies offer additional services like ceramic coating paint protection upgrades, complete paint restorations, scratch removal, window chip repairs and engine compartment cleaning, but they are typically not included in any packages. If you had any of these concerns or questions, if is best to let your detailer know ahead of the scheduled appointment. These can add a significant amount of extra time and money to the service.  

Added fees: Many companies also have fees for situations that will require much more time and effort to complete. This can be sap contamination or paint overspray on the exterior, or sand, pet fur or mold/mildew on the interior. Heavily soiled upholstery may require the use of a hot water extraction machine to remove heavy stains, this also incurs additional charges. 

Some of these above mentioned items can take your $599 Ultimate detail package to a $1,150 detailing package real fast, so it’s always best to ensure you’re dealing with a professional. Many detailers, including myself, can also tailor a package specifically for your situation. This can be an interior only service, or maybe a quick interior “wipe down” and complete exterior detail, or a quick exterior wash and a complete interior service. We are always up for a phone call to discuss any needs for professional auto detailing in Sacramento. 

Winterizing Your Vehicle. Why It's Important.

When Fall season arrives, so does the fallout. Leaves, branches and tree dust are covering cars right now, especially if you’re in Land Park, East Sac or Downtown Sacramento! You wash your car one day and several hours later you couldn’t even tell.

Many people take this as a sign to avoid washing their vehicle since it will be dirty again in no time, but any professional will tell you that protection is key, and even critical during these times! Without proper protection, broken down leaves and tree dust can imbed themselves into the micro-pores of the clear coat and if left for long periods of time, this can cause oxidation and clear coat failure. And no one wants that!

At the very least, a traditional wax protection, be it carnauba or synthetic, will do the trick in protecting your paint, but it likely won’t last all winter long. For added durability and longer lasting protection, sealants and ceramics are the way to go. Without getting into the science, sealants and ceramics bond together to create an impenetrable shell around the painted surfaces that is super hydrophobic. This makes washing the car so much easier, and when fallout does land on the vehicle, sometimes you can just blow it off with a leaf blower or other pressurized air.

Rain is also another factor that can drop fallout onto your paint. Rain itself is hard water, but on it’s way down, it grabs fallout and drops it onto your vehicle. This process also leaves micro-particulates on your paint that can stay in the pores of the clear coat. Furthermore, rain can also be the cause of protection not lasting as long as it should. The more your vehicle is exposed to the elements, the shorter time the protection will last.

All in all, having proper protection on your vehicle can go a long way in terms of making your car look better, longer. Not to mention, making it easier to maintain with steady washes.  In the auto detailing industry we use a term called “winterizing your vehicle”. This means getting your vehicle decontaminated by means of clay bar and polishing the paint, then applying a durable protection to the paint, wheels and windows. Paint sealants are the best bang for your buck when it comes to protecting your paint. It can offer quality protection that can get your vehicle through the winter months without breaking the bank.

All of this is even more important if you live in a place like Sacramento, which is dubbed the City of Trees for a reason. From October to February, our vehicles are exposed to constant fallout of some sort. It’s not hard to spot the folks that don’t protect their vehicle’s paint. If you see a car with oxidation on the hood, roof or trunk, this is likely caused by years of neglect and lack or protection. When we get a rainy day, you can spot the vehicles with quality protection when the water buildup beads up like the photo above.

Why is Auto Detailing So Expensive?

Why is auto detailing so expensive?

The question of high price auto detailing seems to surface all the time. Detailers are constantly posting phrases on their social pages like “don’t say I’m expensive, just say you can’t afford me”. This just goes to show that the conversation is being had; the conversation of why auto detailing is so expensive.

Of course, “expensive” is a very relative term, so I’ll get into numbers a bit later into this blog, more importantly, we’ll begin with looking at “value”.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve lost countless jobs due to client’s perceiving my prices as “too high”. But all in all, I don’t think that I am expensive at all, not compared to some other local competitors, however my value is high, due to my 17 years of auto detailing experience and certification status. Yes, that’s a thing, I spent two weeks in Huntington Beach California studying the art of auto detailing, paint reconditioning and ceramic coating application. And for many years afterwards, the other graduates of this program got together annually to learn from each other and help one another grow. There is a lot of value in someone that understands and has mastered their industry, and that’s what I want to address in this post.

Since the pandemic, and even a bit before, I have noticed a huge influx of auto detailers going into business for themselves, and that’s a great thing! Small businesses are the heart of local economies and allows personal flexibilities for owners and their families. The biggest concern I have with these new technicians is, they witnessed other professionals doing it, be it online or in person, while making good money and think to themselves “hey, I can do that too”! Without realizing that most of these professional detailers have been at it for years, going through certification programs and dealing with the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship. So off they go, to Autozone and Walmart to pick up a water hose, sponge and a bucket, pack their daily driver with some random cleaning products, print some business cards, make a website and now they are “professional auto detailers”.

So while the tenured professional detailers are charging an average of $500 for a standard detail package and up to $2,000 for a complete detail and ceramic application, these newbies jump on the bandwagon of high pricing and immediately charge these exact prices, and sometimes higher! I see this all the time, and although I’m all for new businesses, this has really dissolved the idea of “professional auto detailing”. Customers can’t tell the difference between a true professional or a newbie, until of course the work is done and they realize the technician pulled up in their personal vehicle, spent 2 hours on their car and charged $500, only to realize afterwards they they used harsh products like acid that burned through their wheels and windows. Many of these newbies also do not carry business insurance, so resolving issues like this can be a nightmare (I’ve seen it)!

Of course, no one starts on their path as a professional, and I highly encourage folks to try new technicians. Give them a chance to learn and grow, but be weary of high prices. If their price does not match their value, walk away.

When it comes to selecting a professional technician, be sure that they are vetted in some kind of way. Here are a few tips when selecting your auto detailer:

·             Use your network: Ask your family, friends and neighbors about their experiences with their detailers. Or ask your mechanic or your body shop.

·             Do your research. Visit their online presence like sites, social pages and reviews.

·             Look for certified technicians. This was rare when I first became certified, but now there are many certified technicians across Northern California.

·             Ask questions. Ask technicians about insurance, references and their professional experience.

·             Start small. If using an unfamiliar technician, start with a simple detail before jumping into the full paint recon and ceramic coating job.

Spending money for auto detailing should include the same amount thought process as buying a nice suite for a job interview, or buying a new car, or even buying your groceries. You want to shop at a place that has value! Value can encompass a few characteristics such as professionalism, experience, knowledge, presentation and yes, a price that reflects this value.

Now, let’s address why true professional auto detailing can be so expensive.

A true professional has experience. Nothing can compete with knowledge of the industry. When you pay top dollar for a professional to work on your car, you are not paying for a few hours of labor, you are essentially paying for years and years and accumulated knowledge, where the technician will not only make your car look good, but they will understand the condition of your paint, taking keen notes in order to provide an adequate evaluation, using the proper products and machinery for the job and the ability so resolve issues when they arise. These professionals take the time to become certified, but also surround themselves with other professionals across all auto industries, increasing their knowledge and building relationships. This knowledge finds it’s way into the final outcome and experience for the customer.

Inflation. Unfortunately, like everything else, detailing products are getting more expensive. But that’s not all. Insurance has gotten more expensive, city tax and licenses have increased in price and fuel is a huge expense for mobile technicians. Everything is getting more expensive, and service providers are not exempt from this, forcing technicians to increase their prices.

Understanding prices in the auto detailing world.

Obviously auto detailing prices vary from company to company, but most, including my own, run a program like the following:

·             Basic clean and protect packages: These packages include interior and exterior services at different levels of intensity. For instance, our Express package, starting at $179 is great for a maintenance service but does not include a deep clean of any sort and takes around 2 hours, while our Ultimate, starting at $499, includes a deep clean of the interior and revitalization of the exterior, taking around 5 hours.

·             Upgrades: Some detailers include these in their basic packages, but most offer them as upgrades to their basic packages. Here is a list of upgrades that can increase prices:

o   Paint protection: paint sealants, ceramic coating, PPF, vinyl

o   Paint reconditioning: a 1-step polish (included in the Ultimate package), can remove minor imperfection from the paint such as light swirls and water spots, but for a more perfect finish, a professional auto detailer can offer full recons that include more aggressive measures to remove heavy imperfections like compounding and wet sanding. This can include windows too.

o   Additional services: engine compartment cleaning, headlight restoration, trim restoration, wheel polishing and convertible top care can all incur additional costs.

o   Heavy contamination: there are things that we see as technicians that we have to charge for as they take so much extra time to address, such as pet fur, sand, sap or overspray contamination, heavily soiled upholstery, mold and particular odors.

o   Cross-selling: Professional auto detailers will have relationships with other professionals in the automotive world and may have options for window replacements, dent repairs, body work or wheel repair.

Here is an example of what I see a lot in my business:

Customer wants our Standard package, or middle tier (our most popular package). Cost is $299 for a small, two-door coupe, like a BMW 430i or Mazda Miata, but they have a third row Chevy Tahoe. That’s two more windows, three more doors and door jams, a whole other section of seating including cup holders, gauges, knobs and vents, and a hatch area. Not to mention the need to go up and down on a step stool 10-15 times. This bumps price to $375. They just got back from a trip with their two dogs and have a fair amount of pet fur, bringing price to $425. The vehicle is parked outdoors and they want some protection that is better than wax, but they don’t want to pay the high price of ceramic so they opt for the sealant upgrade (a good 9 months of great protection). Now price is $585. Should they wish to tip, final payment can up be upwards of $650/$700 for this particular job. To some this price is outrages, but for those that appreciate value, professionalism and convenience this is a no-brainer.

Professional auto detailing is certainly not for everyone and there are options available for those that are not concerned with these key elements, but like everything else in our economy, if you are willing to pay for value, you will need to take some time to search for it. If you happen to be looking for professional auto detailing in Sacramento, I’d be happy to take a look at your particular needs and get you into our auto detailing facility in downtown Sacramento, or put you in touch with one of our mobile technicians.

Benefits of Steam Cleaning Your Vehicle Go Beyond Aesthetic Appeal

If you're the kind of person who spends a lot of time in your vehicle, and who isn't nowadays, you know that the interior areas can become a cesspool of bacteria and germs. Cracks and crevices are constantly overlooked with a basic wash service and these are the exact areas that host these bacterial microbes. Steam cleaning is a very effective method in disinfecting and sanitizing your vehicle with temperatures reaching up to 298 degrees. When we approach a full interior detail we not only steam clean the upholstery, carpets and mats; we also circulate steam through the ventilation system for several minutes to remove any build up of bacteria that can also cause bad odors. Although we never encourage smoking in your vehicle, steam cleaning can also be a great avenue for minimizing or removing the stench of cigarette smoke. Smoke smell can be very difficult or impossible to get rid of.

There are many benefits to having the interior of your vehicle steam cleaned.

1.           Cabin Air Quality: Air quality can significantly improve with steam cleaning of the upholstery. A vehicle’s seats carpets and headliner can harbor dander, dust, pollen and allergens that are removed with pressured steam. We always recommend having your cabin air filter changed at least once a year (twice a year if odors are bad), to keep clean air circulating through the cabin. Of course, vehicle repair facilities can perform this service, but if you want to save a few bucks most cabin air filters can be changed yourself with the help of some online videos.

2.           Odor Removal: Most odors can be remedied by means of steam cleaning. Headliners are notorious for harboring odors; just steaming this area can improve your cabin’s smell. Bundle that with steaming the ventilations system, seats, mats and carpets, and it usually does the trick. Real heavy odors such as dairy spills and long periods of smoke exposure may require the use of an ozone machine and hot water extraction.

3.           Prolonged lifespan of interior components: Steam cleaning can remove debris that can be corrosive to fabric, vinyl and plastic components. Steering wheels are prime examples of this. Buildup on steering wheels can slowly deteriorate the vinyl material and is very apparent on some vehicles. Leather seats also benefit greatly from steam cleaning, just not too much of it. The trick is to have it done at least once a year in high traffic vehicles, or every other year on low use upholstery.

4.           Kills bacteria and certain viruses: Pressurized steam can penetrate hard to reach areas of the upholstery to kill a variety of bacteria. Hospitals, care facilities and hotels have all moved to pressurized hot vapor, or steam as their method of disinfecting surfaces. Steam is also known to eliminate bed bugs and micro organisms.

5.           Eco-Friendly method to clean and disinfect: Using steam minimizes the need for harsh cleaning chemicals. Removing stains typically requires substantial use of heavy cleaning chemicals, but when using steam, a simple all-purpose cleaner will suffice. What’s better for the environment is better for all of us!

Do you need ceramic coating on your car?

That seems to be a very common question in the professional detailing world right now, and there’s so many varying answers depending on who you ask. 

Ask a detailer who partners with a coating company and they’ll say your car can’t live without it and you’d be a fool to not apply it. Same goes for any dealerships, or as I call them, Stealerships. These folks are glad to take your money and promise you a lifetime of protection from their “exclusive” magic potion. 

Ask a detailing newcomer and they’ll tell you that ceramic is unnecessary because they don’t know how to apply ceramic coatings and they’d rather not deal with the uncertainty. 

And surely there are thousands of other blogs that’ll help guide your decision on whether to go with ceramic coating or not. Some that will break ceramic products down to a molecular level! You won’t get any of that scientific jargon here, all I’m going to do is provide scenarios of when ceramic makes sense. 

How did we come to have ceramic coatings?

There are level of protection in the car care world, and it starts with carnauba. Carnauba wax has been around for ages, but it wasn’t until the turn of the 20th century that they started using it to protect a car’s paint. It was the go-to product until synthetics hit the market in the 90’s, blending carnauba with polymers and other fillers. This allowed the wax to create better bonds with the painted surfaces, creating longer lasting protection. Typically, a carnauba paste wax can last up to 6-12 weeks if maintained properly where synthetic blends can last 3-4 months. 

Then science came into the picture with the introduction of silicon dioxide based products in the early 2000s, but mostly for commercial use. Companies like Cilajet were using the technology for aviation for years before other companies jumped on the bandwagon to develop their own products for cars, trucks and SUVs. These so-called sealants became all the rage with professional detailers and dealerships as this product can keep a car’s paint protected for 6-9 months. This is still my go-to protection for most of the cars we do. Sealants offer the best bang-for-your-buck deals. 

Now we have ceramic coating options. In a nutshell, these products take silicon dioxide to another level. Your average paint sealant claims to have 5% silicon dioxide mixed into their product. Some ceramic products claim to have 85% silicon dioxide! (though I would take that with a grain of salt). But you get the idea. Ceramic coatings, essentially, are just a more potent cocktail of silicon dioxide. Some brands use a quarts crystal base, and some use a resin product and this is what differentiates the longevity of a coating. Over the counter ceramics are typically 2 year protection programs, where professional grade products that require certified installers apply the product can last up to 7 years. And this is where things get dicey for me. 

Yes, some ceramic products can bead water for several years, but if you’re promising 7 years of protection how can that be verified? Or challenged? And what happens when you have to polish out a fender 2 years in? If you re-apply ceramic on that fender, now that fender has 7 years of protection where the rest of the car has 5 years left? Not to mention, some of these companies promising 7+ years of protection haven’t even been in business for 7 years! Also, every ceramic coating company that offer a 5+ year coating mandates that the vehicle be “maintained” every year for the warranty. This means the vehicle will need to be “topped” with a sealant, which on its own, as mentioned above, can last up to 9 months.

In my opinion, ceramic is just another form of protection, albeit a better and longer lasting one. Sure, some products can bead water for a couple years, but they are not bullet proof by any means. Paint can still water spot, scratch, haze and get rock chips with ceramic coating on the paint.  

So why and when should I apply ceramic? 

Easy maintenance. This is the best reason to have ceramic on your car. Ceramic creates a hardened shell over the paint that does not allow any micro contaminants to embed themselves into the clear coat and is very hydrophobic. This makes washing and drying your car much easier. Especially wheels, we all know how nasty those can get! If coating your car is too much money for your budget, it’s a good idea to at least coat the wheels for this purpose. Preventing pitting in the wheels long term if kept up. 

Aesthetics. Ceramic creates major gloss! If you have a show car and looking to add premium gloss to your paint for show, then ceramic is the way to go. Gloss, or shine, is created by depth in the clear coat. Some ceramic products can actually be measured with depth instruments, which translates into a deeper mirror like finish. 

Longer lasting protection. As mentioned above, ceramics lasts much longer than traditional waxes and sealants, meaning you don’t have to add protection as often. You want to wax your car at least 3-4 times a year. Sealants twice a year (unless the car is garaged and maintained properly, then once a year). Ceramics can be applied every 2-5 years. As long as you properly maintain your car, meaning you are consistently washing it, ceramic can be a great choice. 

Getting a new car. Manufacturers are totally skimping out on the amount of clear coat they apply to cars nowadays. This means less protection right out of the assembly house. Investing in a quality ceramic coating can provide that extra protection, and should you get water spots or haziness in your paint, you’d be polishing out the ceramic and not digging into the clear coat. 

When should I avoid ceramic coating? 

Best protection on the market. If you’re looking for the best protection money can buy, it’s definitely not ceramic coating. It’s PPF, or paint protection film. This will protect your paint against rock chips, scratches, water spots and so much more. PPF can certainly get damaged by these, but you can pull off that damaged film and re-apply as necessary. PPF is very pricey though, even more than ceramic, but if you’re in at $2,000 for ceramic, it’s not too far from the price of PPF. 

Working with a budget. If you have a specific budget, spend it on perfecting the paint. Use that money to buff out imperfection and decontamination and apply a sealant. Sealants are reasonably priced and are great forms of protection. Clay bar and paint polishing can do wonders to keep your paint looking great for as long as you own the car. This too can get expensive, but it’s much more worth the cost, then just washing and applying a ceramic coating. 

Exposure to the elements. If your car is constantly exposed to the elements and requiring the paint to be buffed annually, then ceramic is a waste. Ceramic can be polished off the paint and unless you plan on paying ceramic prices every time you have the paint polished, then it may be better to go with a different protection. This can be avoided by proper maintenance, but if your car is parked outdoors, and you’re one that washes their car once a quarter with dish soap and a terry towel, then I wouldn’t advise ceramic application. 

All in all, I do like what ceramic coatings have done to the industry in terms of adding another form of protection. However, it’s not for everyone, or every situation. I apply ceramic to my personal vehicles, but that’s because I apply it myself and don’t have to pay $1,000+ for it. I also park my cars outdoors, but wash them every week.

Whether you want ceramic coating, sealant, wax or PPF, we can get you what you need in Sacramento. Sacramento mobile detailing has never been easier, and if you want the shop experience we have that too.

So the short answer is yes, ceramic coating is worth applying to your car, but there are certain circumstances where you’d just be waisting your money. Your best bet is to talk to a local professional and have your vehicle evaluated.