Car detailing is the exercise of cleaning a vehicle to closely resemble how sparkling it looked when it left the factory or the car dealership.
Detailing involves the systematic cleaning of your car to make it look as appealing as possible. It includes processes such as polishing and waxing.
Quick Answer
The main purpose of car detailing is to preserve the car’s looks. It also provides other benefits such as reducing depreciation, preventing illness, and encouraging safety. In the long run, car detailing also saves you money.
As you’ll see, the advantages of car detailing go beyond the preservation of your car’s looks. This piece will cover all the benefits of car detailing.
Why Is It Important To Get Your Car Detailed?
Some consider car detailing to be a waste of money. On the flip side, car enthusiasts maintain that car detailing has numerous benefits. If you love your car, you’re better off siding with the latter.
It is important to get your car detailed, because:
I will analyze the above to help you understand why it’s important to get your car detailed.
It Preserves the Car’s Showroom Looks
I will offer a disclaimer before I go on: You will never get that new car smell and feel again from your car. Even the best detailers in the world won’t restore that new car smell.
The wear and tear caused by driving and exposure to weather elements will degrade your car’s aesthetics. Fortunately, car detailing allows you to preserve your vehicle in near show-room condition.
It Prevents Rust
The reason a car shines when it’s new is the clear coating that’s applied on top of the paint. The clear coating also helps preserve the car’s paint from deteriorating.
Elements such as dirt, heat, and salt cause degradation of the clear coating. Once it fades completely, it exposes the paint layer to the elements.
Eventually, the paint layer gives way to metal, which rusts when exposed to water.
Car detailing ensures that the car’s clear coat remains intact. The detailer will simply apply wax or sealant to your car’s exterior, preserving the clear coat.
It Prevents UV Damage
Additionally, the interior of your car may fade due to exposure to UV radiation from the sun.
Car detailing involves the application of a protective coating to prevent fading and potential cracking of plastic surfaces.
The overall effect of car detailing is that your vehicle maintains its near show-room looks.
It Reduces Depreciation
Car depreciation is nearly impossible to stop. Different cars depreciate at different rates; nevertheless, the bottom line is that your car starts losing value as soon as you purchase it.
According to this study, different types of cars depreciate at different rates. Big cars tend to depreciate 15% more per annum compared to small cars.
If you plan on reselling your car, it’s imperative that you reduce your car’s depreciation rate. Some market factors impacting depreciation may be beyond your control, but you have control over the most important thing: your car.
Detailing ensures that the car remains close to its original value for longer. A detailed vehicle also offers the impression that you’ve taken care of the vehicle, instilling confidence in potential buyers.
A shiny, detailed car will also attract more prospective buyers, giving you an advantage in the resale market.
All car dealers ensure that the car – and especially the engine – go through thorough detailing. Buyers will always have a look under the hood to inspect the engine’s condition.
The chances are that they will go for an engine free from grease and oil stains.
Even if you’ve not taken your car for regular detailing, offer it proper detailing before you place it on the market. The last-ditch detailing should earn you some extra cash.
It Prevents Illness
If you’re being honest, you spend a lot of time in your car. Therefore, it’s vital that you keep your vehicle’s interior free of disease-causing organisms.
You inadvertently encourage bacteria and germs to live in your car by spilling food or drink. Pets can also introduce harmful organisms to your car.
Any form of dampness can encourage the growth of fungi and mold.
Once you turn on your air-conditioning system, the bacteria growing in your car fills the air, and consequently, your lungs. Prolonged exposure to such bacteria can cause an illness referred to as Sick Car Syndrome.
This study found that car AC systems need regular decontamination to eliminate microbiological contaminants that cause illness.
It’s not only bacteria that you need to fear. Dust particles can also cause illness, especially to people with allergies.
Therefore, getting your car detailed will prevent you and your passengers from picking up illnesses from the vehicle.
It Keeps the Car’s Interior Fresh
As stated above, getting back your vehicle’s new car smell is nearly impossible. However, it doesn’t mean that your car has to smell foul.
Car odors emanate from the waste that drops or spills inside the car. Food and drink split on the car’s carpet can create an odor, making every trip in your car seem like a nightmare.
Seats can also retain a foul smell if someone spills a drink on them. You can try using an air freshener to dispel the odor, but it will prove to be a temporary fix.
Detailing, on the other hand, will permanently remove any odor emanating from your car.
It will locate the source of the odor, for example, food particles, remove them from your car and introduce a fresh, long-lasting smell.
Furthermore, detailing will remove stains caused by spillages in your car.
This video by The Detail Geek shows how gross your car’s interior can get if you fail to detail it regularly.
It Encourages Safety
Detailing improves safety in ways you might never have thought of till today.
Even with the best wipers, rain reduces visibility. Detailing helps improve visibility by water-proofing the windscreen.
Glass coating has numerous benefits, including keeping class clean and reducing water adhesion. Therefore, rain droplets will streak off the glass, assisting the wipers in clearing your windscreen.
If you’ve owned a car, you’ll note that the headlights tend to become cloudy over time, reducing visibility at night.
Detailing can help reduce the rate of clouding or remove the clouding entirely, saving you the cost of buying new headlights and improving visibility.
It Makes It Easier To Identify Car Issues
A clean car engine attracts prospective buyers and makes it easier for your mechanic to identify any issues or leaks.
Car breakdowns happen due to an innumerable number of reasons. It’s difficult to avoid a breakdown no matter how careful you are on the road or on time with your car service appointments.
You can help your mechanic diagnose your car faster by detailing the engine regularly.
It’s challenging to find a minor leak on an engine that’s filled with grime, grease, oil, or any other type of engine fluid.
However, the leak will reveal itself on a clean engine, benefiting you, your car, and the mechanic.
It Puts You Ahead Professionally
If your car doubles up as your source of income, then car detailing is a no-brainer.
For instance, if you drive a taxi with a foul smell, no one will want to ride with you. Similarly, no passenger will get into a car that’s filled with litter.
If you run a car hire business, it’s imperative that you maintain your cars’ through regular detailing.
Ensure that the interiors remain sparkling clean, with wax finishes that make everything shine. Introduce a long-lasting scent, and you’ll never lack business.
These fine details will put you ahead of the competition and help you secure a solid customer base.
It Will Extend The Car’s Longevity
By maintaining your car through detailing, you will increase its longevity.
Detailing reduces the wear and tear of car parts, ensuring that they last longer.
If you live in cold areas, it’s crucial to get your car detailed before, during, and after the winter.
Local governments use salt to keep ice off the roads. The salt improves road safety but can accelerate erosion of the clear coat and corrosion of the car’s undercarriage.
Detailing prepares your car for the assault to come from road salt.
By failing to detail your car, you’ll expose it to corrosion, reducing the car’s longevity.
It Saves You Money
Detailing costs money, but it saves you much more in the long run.
By detailing your car, you reduce wear and tear, which reduces the number of times you need car repairs.
Car detailing maintains the value of your vehicle, allowing you to sell it at a higher price.
In the long run, detailing your car will prove to be a worthy investment.
Key Takeaways
Sources
MobiletechRX: The Beginner’s Guide to Professional Car Detailing
Chase Detailing: The Importance of Detailing Your Car
M.J.H. Mogridge: The effect of the oil crisis on the growth in the ownership and use of cars
Go Auto Blog: Car Detailing – What It Is and Why You Shouldn’t Ignore It
Auto Loan Solutions: A Deeper Look at Auto Detailing & Why Your Car Needs It
