Car Detailing Near Me
Few investments need more protection and care than a car, which means proper detailing and washing are a must. Having your car detailed regularly can help protect your car and keep it looking as fresh as the day you drove it off the lot.
Are you interested in finding a car detailing shop near you? You’ve come to the right place! Simply browse car detailing near me on the map below and find a list of expert detailing shops in your area. Need a bit more information on having your car detailed? Read on for facts, trivia, and history on car detailing!
Car Detailing Near Me – Find it on the Map
Car Detailing Near Me – Car Detailing Trivia
When did the first car wash open in the US?
If you drive through any town in the modern age, you’ll likely find a wealth of car washes and car detailing centers along the way. Unfortunately, up until 1914, individuals were tasked with detailing their cars on their own. Typically in the garage with a bucket and sponge. In 1914, two Detroit men opened the very first car wash business which as originally dubbed the “Automated Laundry.” Despite the name, this wash wasn’t exactly automated. It was essentially a pail and sponge type operation where cars were manually pushed through an assembly line like tunnel. One attendant was tasked with soaping the car and another was tasked with rinsing the car. A third attendant would dry the car down to a spotless finish. After a car or two, the attendants were pretty tired. The first automatic conveyor car wash was first opened in Hollywood, California in 1940. Instead of the cars being manually pushed through, the wash featured a winch system that was hooked onto the bumper of the car and helped pull the car through the tunnel. As the car was pulled through the tunnel, the car was soaped, scrubbed, and wiped down by patient attendants. By 1946, a man named Thomas Simpson created the first semi-automatic car wash that finally removed the manual labor out of the tunnel. It featured a conveyor belt and water sprinklers. Consider these facts while you search car detailing near me!
Having a car detailed can keep it looking newer for much longer!
True or false: If a car looks shiny it does not need to be cleaned.
False! First a lesson in terminology as you search car detailing near me, consider that washing is not the same as cleaning. Paint cleaning is the process or removing any oxidation and bonded contaminants. Though your car may look shiny, it can still be very dirty. To find out if your car needs to be cleaned, the best inspection method is to use your hands instead of your eyes. After your car is washed and dried, use your fingers to feel the paint. Is it totally smooth and satiny or are their small bumps? If you feel any roughness, the bumps will need to be removed. This is the purpose of detailing clay and the process of pre-wax polishing that many detail centers will perform. Detail clay removes almost all surface contaminants without damaging the the paint on your vehicle. It will also not thin the clear coat.
Car Detailing Near Me – Car Detailing Facts
Removing Swirl Marks
If you’re searching car detailing near me, then you know that swirl marks are not only unsightly their difficult to remove. The reason swirl marks are hard to take off? They are actually paint damage (tiny scratches), that need to be polished away. They cannot be removed with a sponger or through similar actions. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to remove swirl marks by hand on certain car finishes, especially clear coats. A car polisher is absolutely essential. Though it used to stand true that one could simply wax away swirl marks with polishes such as Turtle Wax or SImoniz, today’s clear coat polishes on card do not lend themselves to the same easy removal that cars past once did. Many old school wax polishes will actually damage the paint and clear coat altogether, which devalue your car and leave unsightly marks.
Best Rags for Detailing
Anyone searching car detailing near me has wondered what type of fabric is best to use when detailing a car. Though the old standards were diapers, flannel, and old t-shirts, many experts agree that these fabrics can actually do more harm than good. Old t-shirts, diapers, and bath towels typically contain polyester threads. They may feel soft, but these threads will actually scratch your car’s clear coat. Though the scratches may not always be visible to the naked eye, over time the clear coat will be worn down by these types of rags. Instead, experts recommend that you invest in microfiber towels for detailing your car. Not only are these towels highly absorbent and reusable, but they won’t damage your car’s paint job in any way. Microfiber towels will also lend you a much shinier and smoother finish.
Avoid Protection Packages
It’s easy to give into your dealer’s sales pitch on purchasing a protection package, but many detailing experts agree that these packages are costly and unnecessary. Most of these agreements offer a warranty type agreement for the life of your car, what many don’t know is that you’re not covered unless you routinely bring your car to that dealership to be detailed. If something happens to the exterior of your car and you haven’t been routinely bringing the car in for detailing, you won’t be covered. In other words, avoid these protection packages and simply have your car detailed regularly by a professional.
