As a detail shop, we get asked a ton of questions about detailing in general and through the process of being asked, we’ve come across a lot of misconceptions that people have about detailing. So without further delay, here are some questions and answers that hopefully are informative and will help you in the process of deciding what sort of detailing package is right for you.
Why Do I Need To Have My Car Detailed?
There are a few reasons for this. The first and likely most important reason is because like a house, a car needs to be cosmetically maintained as well in order for it to hold its value better. Your car is not a small investment. It’s likely the second largest investment you have with the first being your house. So why not take care of it the same way? Secondly, the paint and fabric surfaces of a vehicle do require nourishment and protection. A regular paint waxing and leather conditioning goes a long way in preserving the look and feel of your vehicle. Without regular cosmetic maintenance, the materials used to construct your vehicle can become dry, faded, dull and in some cases unsanitary to be around!
Why does my paint need polishing?
Polishing in general is the act of “levelling” the paint on a vehicle to create a smooth glass-like surface. This is why swirl marks and scratches are removed during polishing. Since they are at a lower level in the clear coat, we see them quite clearly as an imperfection. However, if you “level” down the rest of the surface around the swirls and scratches, the entire surface becomes evenly smooth. This allows for light to reflect evenly off of the surface making it appear as perfect as glass.
Why does my paint need waxing or sealing?
Waxes and sealants do 2 things and that is to provide gloss enhancement and protection. They both have their pros and cons which are all explained below.
What is the difference between a sealant and a wax?
Sealants are almost always a synthetic formula and never natural. Their main purpose is to provide long term protection. The gains in paint gloss after sealant applications are minimal at best. Waxes can be either made of synthetic polymers or natural Carnauba. They also provide protection but not for nearly as long as sealants do. The trade off though is that a wax truly enhances the glossiness of a vehicle’s paint finish and are a lot easier to apply and buff off.
Can you use a sealant and wax together?
Although some people like to do this, we don’t. We have found that when using a finishing product on top of another on automotive paint, it always strips off the first layer of product anyways. Also, this can also cause the problem of cross contamination and in some cases will create undesirable chemical reactions.
What does Ozoning do?
For vehicles with extremely bad odours inside, we need to place an Ozone machine inside and let it run for up to 2 hours with the vents in recirculation mode. What happens is that the machine produces a gas called Ozone. The Ozone particles attack all protein based odours and neutralizes them. The advantage to the Ozone gas is that it can reach all places in the car such as the ventilation system.
Why does my leather need cleaning and conditioning?
If leather is not nourished, it will become brittle and eventually will crack. To avoid this, we provide a treatment where your leather first gets cleansed with a citrus cleaner. This removes grime from the leather which can ultimately discolour the leather if left too long. Next a mink oil conditioner is used to rejuvenate the leather so that it is supple and moist.
Is acid bad to clean wheels with?
Well it depends on the wheel itself. Acidic cleaners can be used safely on wheels that have a clear coat finish. Bare metal or polished wheels cannot have any type of acidic cleaners on them because they will either get stained or burnt.
I just got my car polished and waxed yesterday and now I want to wash it.
Don’t wash it just yet! You need to give the applied wax or sealant at least 3 days to bond 100% with the paint for ultimate durability. Although some manufacturers claim instant 100% protection, we’ve seen different outcomes with our own tests. If you have to clean a spot off of your car, use a quick detailer spray and micro fibre cloth.
What can I use to properly wash my freshly polished and waxed car?
First of all, use the softest mitt possible. We recommend either a micro fibre or synthetic lamb’s wool mitt. Secondly, use a mild car wash specific soap. We find the Auto Magic Wash & Wax soap works best and when mixing your soap try and use the lowest dilution possible. All soaps do contain detergents and it’s the detergents which strip wax over time.
Why should I clay bar my car?
Clay barring is the act of using real clay to remove rough surface contaminants from the paint to produce an ultra smooth finish. Before you polish or wax at all, you should always clay bar your paint otherwise you end up either polishing or waxing the surface contamination either further into the paint or you will get swirl marks.
