By Baxter Overman | September 7, 2024 in 
Thinking of washing your car at home or having it detailed by a pro? This is a hot topic for debate…but truth be told it depends on your situation. Here’s my honest take after years of being in this space:
Most of the time, a car only needs a basic maintenance wash and interior wipedown, not a full detailing job.
You have three options for cleaning your car, and there’s a time and place for all three:
- Washing your car at home
- Having your car detailed by a professional
- Taking your car through a car wash tunnel.
Detailing vs. maintenance washing—two different things
Professional auto detailers can give your car a basic wash…or take it a step further into detailing territory. Beware: some so-called ‘detailers’ may only offer ‘basic maintenance washing’ services; maintenance washing is what we refer to as routine washing with soap and water most people perform every week.
On the inside, maintenance cleaning would be the equivalent of a quick vacuum.
Any good ‘auto detailer’ will have experience with techniques like polishing out scratches or removing stains from the interior. The best detailers often have shops where they perform this work.
Your car doesn’t need to be detailed every week
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes your car needs detailing to remove contaminants and imperfections—just not every week. The same principle applies to the interior; you don’t need to shampoo your carpets every week when a vacuum job and dash wipedown will do.
Think of auto detailing like going to the spa and getting a deep tissue massage, face mask, and complete manicure and pedicure every week. Your entire body will get rejuvenated and look great, but it would be unnecessary and get expensive.
Auto detailing is no different. A simple maintenance wash and cleaning every week—not full detail—is all a car needs to appear clean in between detailing jobs.
Washing by hand will always yield the best results
To truly see the best results we recommend washing your car by hand. You can technically have a professional wash your car every couple of weeks. No detailing per se, just a quick wash, rinse, and vacuum.
And sure, it’s nice to outsource car care if you can afford it, but for the average Joe, it pays to learn how to do it yourself (since not everyone has a stack of hundreds lying around).
Learn the basics of car care and gain confidence in your ability.
This video course unpacks the fundamentals of washing and detailing. From exterior cleaning and blemish removal…you’ll learn the secrets that will give you spotless pro-level results!
Where automatic car washes fit in
Automatic car washes do have a place in the conversation although I don’t recommend them outside of certain situations. Many wash systems deposit thick soap that can be hard to rinse off. Plus, dirty wash tunnels can increase the risk of scratching a new vehicle, especially old car washes that still use flappers.
That said, for older cars and winter beaters it’s still better than nothing.
It’s important to keep heavy mud or salt off your vehicle as a best practice and sometimes a car wash can be your only option.
Some people swear by car washes because they use less water than washing at home, which isn’t entirely true. If you live in a state like California with water restrictions, products like Optimum No Rinse can be a great way to wash by hand without running water.
Learn to wash your car from home the right way
So there you have it. If you’re a bit confused about the proper way to care for your vehicle from home, check out our video course, Washing and Detailing for Beginners.
This course is designed to teach anyone the basics of interior and exterior washing and detailing on a busy schedule—without spending a ton of money and all day in the driveway.
Use code BLOG at checkout for 15% off.
Hope this post helps!
