Auto detailing requires highly-trained professionals that catch even the smallest things out of place. Most people wash their own cars but visit a shop when a more extensive job needs to be performed. However, when choosing a business, you should have expectations in mind. This helps determine whether the technicians did a good job or not. Follow this detailing checklist to find out what you should look for.
Detail Shop Expectations
Before you determine what company details your vehicle, you might want to physically visit the shop. Depending on the location and state of the building, this could impact whether you have your vehicle serviced. If the building is disorganized and falling apart, consider how they might care for your car. The appearance of a business signifies how they portray themselves, which can be good or bad.
One other thing to note is how both the employees and customers act. If the technicians seem genuinely happy and friendly, this indicates they enjoy their job. Other clients will share whether they had a good or bad experience as well. Sometimes looking at reviews helps to make a decision.
Detailing Checklist
1. Vacuum Underneath Seats
The most commonly missed area when cleaning out your vehicle is under the seats. That is why this is the first on our detailing checklist. Check to make sure the seats were moved forward and back to reach every area of the floor when vacuuming.
2. Door Jambs
Stepping in and out of your car drags dirt and debris along the floors. However, the plastic/rubber door jambs also attract dirt. Most people forget to clean this area, even though it’s one of the first things you see when you open the door.
3. Trunk
When detailing a vehicle, the trunk also needs to be vacuumed and sanitized along with the rest of the car. This section can be missed, especially with sedans and smaller cars that don’t have a connecting trunk. However, with the amount of storage and everything else that sits in the back of the vehicle, this area needs to be cleaned thoroughly as well.
4. Headliner/Visors
When sitting in the driver’s seat, people don’t look up at the visors. The ceiling collects dust and other debris over time, making the headliner dirty due to neglect. When a professional details your vehicle, they should pay attention to the top of the car as well. That is why visors are on our detailing checklist.
5. Windows
The windows will tell you how thorough of a job the technicians did. Everyone washes their windows when they clean their vehicle, but most of the time streaks are left behind. If the glass is clear even when you roll down the windows, this shows they washed and dried them.
6. Tire Rims
Cleaning the exterior of the vehicle requires less effort than the inside. However, the rims need extra attention because of the small nooks and crannies some wheels have. Most detailers use a brush for hard to reach areas, and the difference is noticeable. Inspect the rims for any remaining black stains or marks to determine whether they wiped down the areas.
7. Grill
Driving down the road collects dirt, bugs, and other debris. The majority of this debris gathers on the front of the car on the grill. The residue left behind can be difficult to remove, which means the technician will need to take more time to clean the grill properly. Checking this tells you how much time they spent working on the exterior of the vehicle because it is one of the toughest spots to clean.
8. Top of the Hood
At the top of the hood where the front windshield and car meet, debris collects where the windshield wipers sit. Most of the time leaves and other dirt falls onto the vehicle and sticks inside the crack. Driving doesn’t get rid of the debris, meaning to remove it you need to do it manually. This will tell whether they have the right eye for detail by remembering to clean out this area.
9. Exterior Car Trim
The little details on your vehicle are also the hardest to clean sometimes. Exterior car trim tends to be washed quickly and overlooked by many people. Along with the door jambs that we mentioned earlier, this is also the bumper and bottom of the car. It tends to be missed because it isn’t eye level and takes more time to wash. For example, it doesn’t always come clean just by spraying the area. Most of the time it needs to be scrubbed with a brush or rough sponge to remove the dirt.
10. Seat Crevices
The final step from our detailing checklist is to check for remaining dirt and to determine if your detailer performed well – seats. Check where the back of the seat meets the bottom to see if they properly vacuumed out the crack. If they did a thorough job, there should be no debris leftover.
Find a company that follows this detailing checklist and that you trust to perform an outstanding detail. DetailXPerts, a mobile, eco-friendly auto detailing company, focuses on providing the best services for their clients. Each technician is trained to be thorough in their cleaning and pay attention to the details. Schedule an appointment today for an assessment and superior detail!
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