What is Car Detailing?

Vacuuming car seat during cat detailing

Wondering “what is car detailing?”, or “how is it different from car washing?” Car detailing is more thorough than a car wash, and involves both restoring and protecting the interior and exterior of your car. You can detail your car yourself, or have the experts at one of your local Lincoln area Sid Dillon dealership body shops take care of it for you. Learn more about how car detailing works here. We want to be your source for auto detailing Lincoln, NE drivers can depend on.

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Car Detailing: Equipment & Supplies

Car detailing requires several supplies. You will want to have these items handy before you begin. To detail your car, you’ll need the following items as part of your car detailing equipment:

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

Below, we have provided car detailing steps for both the interior and exterior of a vehicle. Fremont auto detailing has never been easier.

Exterior Car Detailing Steps

Here are the steps to detail the exterior of your car:

  • Exterior Wash: Clean the exterior of your car with water, a car-safe washing solution, and microfiber cloths. Cleaning solutions such as household detergents can strip the wax off the car’s surface, so they should not be used. Make sure to frequently swap out cleaning cloths, as dirt or sand can collect on the cloth, and can scratch the vehicle’s surface. Once you’ve cleaned and rinsed off the car, dry it with clean towels.
  • Clean the Wheels: You can either use the same solution you used to wash the car, or a solution made especially for car tires, to clean the wheels. Use a small brush to clean the dirt and grit from the grooves and hard to reach places, use a small brush.
  • Wax the Exterior: Once the exterior is clean, you can wax the car, wiping off excess wax with a small brush when you’re finished.

Interior Car Detailing Steps

Here are the steps to detailing the interior of a vehicle:

  • Carpeting: Vacuum the interior carpeting, then use a stain remover and brush to remove any spots, spills, or stains.
  • Door Interior: Using a solution of soap and water, clean the non-carpeted areas of your doors and dry them off with a cloth. Open the doors to clean the metal and plastic parts of inner door jambs.
  • Windows: Wash the rearview mirror with a window-cleaning solution and dry completely to avoid streaks.
  • Upholstery: Vacuum the seats, and remove any stains with a stain remover and brush. After you’ve cleaned the seats, leave the car doors open until they dry.
  • Steering Wheel Column: Using a cleaning solution, wipe down the steering column, dry it with a clean cloth, and apply a surface protectant.
  • Dashboard and Center Console: Use small brushes to clean the seams and tight crevices, then dry completely with a cloth.

Visit Sid Dillon for Expert Car Detailing

What is car detailing? It goes beyond just a basic car wash by cleaning the entire car top to bottom. If you’d prefer to have a professional detail your car for you, ask us about car detailing prices. At the Sid Dillon body shop near you, we can fix any deep scratches on your car’s paint, and can quickly take care of any small dents or dings with our affordable paintless dent removal. Visit one of our locations in the Fremont, Blair, and Omaha area and let our auto body and car detailing experts make your vehicle look like new again. We want to be the go-to destination for car detailing near Lincoln, NE.