What Is Car Detailing?

There are plenty of ways to keep your vehicle looking like you just bought it off the lot, and car detailing is one of them. What is car detailing? Car detailing is a little different from a carwash, which only cleans the surface level of your vehicle. Car detailing focuses on restoring both the interior and exterior of your vehicle while also removing blemishes and scratches. Car detailing can be performed by yourself or by professional technicians. Learn more about how to detail a car with the service team at Jaguar Richfield Certified Pre-Owned & Service. If you would like to have your car detailed by professionals, visit our service center near Minneapolis, and check out our competitive car detailing prices.

What Is Needed for Car Detailing?

Before you learn how to detail a car yourself, you’ll first need to make sure that you have the right tools. Gather the following items before you detail your car:

• A variety of small brushes (such as a paintbrush)
• Canned air
• Upholstery cleaner
• Carpet stain cleaner
• Car-safe cleaner
• Window cleaner
• Surface protector for vinyl and leather surfaces
• Vacuum cleaner
• Washing mitts
• Microfiber cloths

If you don’t have these parts, you can more than likely find them at our parts store.

How to Detail a Car Step by Step

What is car detailing, and how does it work? Car detailing involves cleaning the interior and exterior, so if you don’t want to make the trip to our service center from St. Paul and plan to detail your car by yourself, then you’ll be glad to know that the process is super simple. Follow these steps:

Exterior Car Detailing

• Rigorous Exterior Wash: Wash the exterior of your vehicle using water, a car-safe washing solution, and microfiber cloths. Try to avoid any cleaning solutions like household detergent since they might strip off the wax of your vehicle’s surface. You’ll also want to make sure to frequently swap out any clean towels since dirt or sand on dirty cloth towels can scratch your vehicle’s service. When the vehicle is completely clean, dry it off with clean towels.
• Clean the Wheels: Use the solution that was used to wash the rest of your vehicle or solution made specifically for vehicle tires, and clean your vehicle’s wheels. Use a small brush to clean out dirt from the grooves and other hard-to-reach places.
• Wax the Exterior: Once your vehicle’s exterior is clean, we recommend giving it a solid wax. When you’re finished waxing the exterior, wipe off the excess wax with a small brush.

Interior Car Detailing

• Carpeting: Vacuum your vehicle’s interior carpeting. If there are any stains in the carpeting, then use a stain remover and a brush to take out the stains.
• Door Interior: Use a mix of soap and water to clean any non-carpeted parts of your vehicle’s doors, and be sure to wipe them down with a cloth. Afterward, open your vehicle’s doors to clean the metal and plastic parts of your door jambs.
• Windows: Wash the inside of your vehicle’s window with a window cleaning solution. Then, dry them completely in order to avoid streaks.
• Upholstery: Vacuum the seats, and then remove any leftover stains with a stain remover and a brush. After the seats are clean, let them dry with your car doors open. This will help avoid mildew.
• Steering Wheel Column: Use a cleaning solution to remove any dust and stains. Then, dry it down, and apply a surface protectant.
• Dashboard & Center Console: Use smaller tools to clean any cracks and type crevices. Then, dry them down completely using a cloth.

Exterior and interior car detailing can be done from your own garage, but it doesn’t have to be. If you would rather have professionals take care of your car detailing needs, then take advantage of our service specials at Jaguar Richfield Certified Pre-Owned & Service to save on our already affordable car detailing prices. For more service tips and tricks, visit our website, or reach out to anyone on our team.

Detail Your Car in Richfield

Keep your vehicle looking sharp on the Edina streets when you schedule a visit to our service center and have your vehicle detailed by our professionals. We’ll help you keep up with all of your servicing needs and anything else that’s required of your Jaguar maintenance schedule.