For motorheads, a spotless vehicle is next to godliness. But even ordinary commuters and carpool chiefs can take joy in a newly cleaned ride. For less than $250, a detailing shop can cleanse your family's sloppy sins and transform your ride..
Spiffing up your ride is in the detailing
Twin Cities Consumers' Checkbook offers tips on finding a good vehicle detailer.
By Kevin Brasler | Twin Cities Consumers’ Checkbook
June 17, 2023 at 12:00PM
There's no hard evidence that detailing — or even washing — your vehicle does much to prevent corrosion or to extend the life of the finish. When you sell your car, the slightly higher price you will receive thanks to regular washing and periodic detailing is not likely to offset the cost of even two or three detailing jobs.
On the other hand, a good detailing job can do even more for the appearance of your vehicle than a new wardrobe and new haircut can do for you. Plus, cleaning your car's carpet and upholstery can reduce or eliminate odors and, by removing dust and mites, reduce the discomfort of any allergy sufferers who might ride in it.
Most detailing shops are standalone businesses, sometimes connected to large carwashes. But a growing number of detailers are mobile operators that send trucks and trailers with mounted water tanks to work at customers' homes or in office parking lots. Some services are 100 percent mobile; others perform basic detailing jobs out-of-shop and more specialized work in-shop.
A basic detailing job usually takes four to five hours. Most include an exterior wash, claying, polishing, and waxing; an interior cleaning; and tire cleaning and treatments. Many detailers also provide other services upon request, such as steam-cleaning engines, paint touchup, and installing accessories.
Undercover shoppers from Twin Cities Consumers' Checkbook found that, when selecting a shop, price shopping is well worth the time. They collected prices on sample jobs and found big shop-to-shop differences. For example:
- To detail a detail a 2017 Volvo S60 four-door sedan with leather seats prices ranged from $129 to $391.
- To detail a 2018 Toyota Sienna L minivan with cloth seats prices ranged from $149 to $549.
Checkbook's surveys of customers identified quality differences among local shops, another reason to choose carefully. While some detailers received "superior" ratings for "doing service properly" from more than 95 percent of their surveyed customers, others received "superior" ratings from 75 percent or fewer.
Most shops will quote prices for basic detailing jobs over the phone, so price shopping by phone is a good place to start if you are looking for a detailer. Checkbook's ratings of auto detailers will help start your search. Until July 20. Star Tribune readers can access the ratings free via Checkbook.org/StarTribune/Detailers.
You can also visit shops and ask to see other customers' finished cars. If they don't measure up to your expectations, you can go elsewhere, or ask the shop how it would do better on your car.
In addition, Checkbook offers this advice:
- Check a shop for its cleanliness and orderliness — a messy, unorganized facility isn't a good sign.
- Ask whether the shop uses a three-step polishing process (polishing, buffing, and waxing).
- For carpets, most shops use hot-water-extraction equipment, which is usually the most effective method.
- Check how long the work will take. If one technician is on the job, a detailing can easily take four to five hours. A shop that takes only an hour or so to do the work likely isn't providing the same service as shops that take half a day.
- Some shops include engine cleaning as part of their basic detailing package, others offer it as an option, and still others don't offer engine cleaning at all. If you opt for engine cleaning, the shop should cover or remove the distributor, carburetor, battery, and ignition mechanisms to protect them from cleaning solvents and water.
- In addition, check for proof that the shop carries current liability insurance to cover the cost of repairs if your car were damaged at the shop.
Twin Cities Consumers' Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. Star Tribune readers can access Checkbook's auto detailer ratings and advice free until July 20 via Checkbook.org/StarTribune/Detailers.
about the writer
Kevin Brasler | Twin Cities Consumers’ Checkbook
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