clean or detail?

[marinerpug]

I've just gone and cleaned my car and it got me thinking, a few years ago no-one had heard of this "detail" malarky and I struggle to get my head round just why you would spend so long on a car when after just an hour mines sat in the driveway gleaming (that said I did spend 3 hours on it last week so it was already pretty clean).

What I was wondering is what is the actual difference between "cleaning" and "detailing" cars?

[Chris106_1.1]

no idea really, spending the time to Wash and Wax inside and out, fully hover it? clean the under carriage and grease up joints? i'd call that detailed cleaning

[Mattyboy]

You can clean and wax your car and your car will look clean, like brushing your teeth with a mannual tooth brush, where as detailing is like using and electric toothbrush, so it does the same job but just alot better! :)

Get your car detailed and you'll see and be able to feel the difference on the paintwork! :cool:

[Woob]

you clay bar it and all the stuff. and plosh, wax, buff, tidy up black trim.

[marinerpug]

you can't clay bar it everytime can you?

Heres what I did

1 washed with hose pipe
2 washed with water (2 bucket method)
3 washed with megs shampoo
4 washed with hose pipe
5 chamioed (sp?) car
6 polished car with autoglym
7 tyre blackener megs
8 back to blacked bumpers using autoglym bumper snot

last week I did the same but the car was cleaned, hoovered and polished inside too and the glass was done.

Now to me thats a clean. But then so is rinsing it with a bucket and sponge??

Detailing I always imagined to be some sort of dark art where you take the wheels off and clean behind them etc. To me "detailing" is what the concourse boys do but there seems to be a lot of people claiming to detail there daily drives. Surely you can't go to that extreame every time?

[James.G]

you can clay everytime lol, but theres no point what so ever.. i do it every 6 months if that.

yes theres a difference, detailings going that extra bit further spending the extra time to finish clean everything, treat the trim, go into all the door arches etc.

ill be honest, i wash mine every other day, but ill detail it once a week...

btw get a nice drying towel - chamois scratch the paint.. :)

[si-gti]

i thought detailing just defines a thorough clean of the bodywork with polishing and waxing as well. and clay bar periodically i spose.

arches and under the car is OCD concours stuff. lol.

you really do notice the difference though if you do a proper job of things. i regularly park next to friends of mine etc, who 'clean' their car as often as i do mine but there car is covered in swirls and mine, erm... is covered in swirls... just not as bad :p :D

[si-gti]

and as G. said. trying towells are the future. poorboys waffle weave FTW!

also i now swear by the meguiars microfibre wash mitt. it's incredible.

G - every other day? get a job :p

[marinerpug]

yes theres a difference, detailings going that extra bit further spending the extra time to finish clean everything, treat the trim, go into all the door arches etc.

to be fair I do this most of the time ... does that make me a detailer ;) well actually it can't because my car doesn't shine all that well lol

[Mattyboy]

you can't clay bar it everytime can you?

Heres what I did

1 washed with hose pipe
2 washed with water (2 bucket method)
3 washed with megs shampoo
4 washed with hose pipe
5 chamioed (sp?) car
6 polished car with autoglym
7 tyre blackener megs
8 back to blacked bumpers using autoglym bumper snot



You need to also apply Wax, as polishing alone wont protect the paintwork.;)

Every month i give mine a good clean. Then the weekends inbetween i just use 2 buckets, mitt and Dry. Waste of money doing it everytime.:)

[marinerpug]

Thanks for clearing that up. So I'm a cleaner not a detailer.

thank f*ck for that no offence to anyone but I always imagined those who "detail" cars also iron their y fronts

[Edamski]

Detailing is an americanism/fashionable term for what was known as valetting which again is actually is pretty american haha.

[loudandproud205]

detailing a car is having it that dirty you can write all your details on it lol,
well thats how i like to think of it lol