What is the difference between Auto Detailing and an Auto Spa experience? Lately we have had many inquiries for “Auto Detailing” and found ourselves in a position of responding that “we do not do auto detailing”. So in the spirit of being Extreme we thought it would be good to clarify.
We can all agree that over the past several years we have experienced a TON of change. This is the case within the automotive industry and how we can and should care for our investments, aka our vehicles.
Let’s start there first. They are truly an investment with the average car today starting at $50,000 before the dealer mark up (when will that end?) and going up from there. $100,000 is becoming a normal cost to purchase a vehicle.
Going back in time when our founder Doug Payne started in the industry he would “detail” cars. Both private party used cars and for dealerships new cars, called new car prep back then. Paint finishes and how they were cared for were much different then.
To get right to it… Auto Detailing defined “is an activity that keeps the vehicle in its best possible condition, especially cosmetic, as opposed to mechanical.” Wikipedia All good stuff right? Well, not always. Not all products are created equal, much like not all providers of the services are equally trained.
A typical detailing experience is had in one of two or three locations. Your home with a “mobile detailer”, car wash, or a dealership. All of these are rarely a controlled environment, which is pretty important when looking to provide an elevated long term protective solution.
Detailing is more focused on the general cleaning and maintenance of a car. More often cars that have not been maintained and looking to be brought back up to an enjoyable and acceptable level. This would include interior cleaning, shampooing of carpet, and engine degreasing are services Extreme Colors Auto Spa does not provide.
But when it comes to the exterior of your car, there are significant differences.
At Extreme Colors Auto Spa we maintain a controlled environment that breeds a higher quality finished product. It all starts with how we wash the vehicle before it even enters the shop. Be sure to watch our Extreme Ceramic Car Wash Video.
Perhaps the biggest difference is the approach to the exterior finish and the opportunity to provide a more intense surface cleaning and greater protection. Doug likes to call it an intense glossification (yeah it is a word around here).
When it comes to exterior finishes, product selection is everything. Now to communicate again, not all detailers cut corners and cost, but to keep cost down they often use products that have fillers and silicone within them to hide imperfections. While at Extreme Colors Auto Spa, the focus is on reducing if not eliminating the paint imperfections through a number of different approaches.
Depending on the service being performed, the vehicle is moved into a dedicated shop. Each area has unique needs and also ensures that every step is taken to reduce the opportunity for contamination. For instance, in the Paint Correction bay where a technician can spend hours, sometimes days painstakingly polishing and perfecting the paint finish, within this shop there can be polish and particles in the air. This would be an unacceptable environment where we provide other services like clear bra and window tinting. We maintain radically clean environments within our clear bra and window tint labs.
Once the paint correction is completed there are two options to be considered. Most people looking to protect their paint finish will apply a Clear Bra to protect all the work that has been done to elevate and enhance the paint finish. A Clear Bra is an 8mm thick optically clear film that protects the paint finish from harmful conditions; weather, birds, rock chips, bug acid etching, and other road debris when traveling.
Detail shops have their place and the right shop could be a fantastic partner for regular washing if you do not have the time, a much better option than most car washes.
We hope this helps to clarify the unique differences between having your car detailed and what would be an elevated paint enhancement finish to be had at Extreme Colors Auto Spa.
864.283.0633