The Definition Of Detailing?

[Beemerboy]

I've read allot of posts here that the person says that I detailed the outside of this car, and posts pics. You can see the car looks great but the wheel wells are not cleaned.
I just wonder at times if some think that because they went over the car with SWR and some wax. That this is what they call a detailed car?

If we talk about detailing just the outside of the car. my process is wash, clay, SWR, polish (depending on the condition), glaze, sealant and wax.

Wheel wells and tires are dressed, rims are polished. Window rubber is dressed, glass is cleaned in and out. Polish the light lenses, dress the grills and plastic parts. Then I go over the car with a foam paint brush with QD spray to get the wax residue off, then Q-tips on the emblems to make sure that I waxed the inside of the O or R on the cars emblems, use tooth pics if necessary to remove the wax.

Your thoughts on this?

 

[The Fuzz]

I think there are different levels of detailing. Personally, I feel the definition of detailing is when the work is being done by a detailer. That would mean I have to define detailer. A 'Detailer' is more than a 'Car Washer'. A 'Detailer' is someone who knows how to do the job properly and has the tools and knows the techniques to get results. Now, if a client doesn't want to use the full power of the detailer in caring for their car, then that is their problem. If someone hires Dave to detail their car and they tell him to not touch the tires, then does that mean that he didn't detail the vehicle? No. It means that the client didn't want it done. If Dave misses a spot does it mean he didn't detail it? I don't think it means that. I think it means that he didn't do a very complete job. The rest of the car probably looks great.

There is a fuzzy (and I don't mean me :naughty) line between being a car washer and a detailer. There is a level of completeness that a car has to come to before you can really consider it to be anything more than just washed and vacuumed. If a detailer slips too far down then they become a glorified car washer with the knowledge to do much better, but without the work ethic to follow through.

That is my hard rocking definition of a detailer and what detailing is. I've got a lot of respect for the detailers who go out there and work their butts off to make cars look better. I wish I had more time to do it myself, but I'll admit that sometimes I just take the car to Dwayne and let someone at Four Star clean it up for me while I fill the Skittles machine. I just want the car to be smooth and if I have to have someone else do that for me, then I guess that is what has to be done. :naughty Those wheel wells better be clean when I get the car back, dangit! I don't hire car washer hacks to take care of my babe magnet. :naughty Only the best get to touch my car. :headbang

 

[Bob]

I define detailing as to whatever the customer wants to pay me for. If the customer wants to pay me to rub dog doo on their car I would call that detailing. :lol:

But for real, there are different levels of detailign in my eyes.

 

[ben54]

I often wondered the same thing because I'm not a "pro" or a "detailer" by trade. I am obsessed with keeping my car looking better than the day I picked it up from the dealer, but do I detail my car or do I just "clean" it? I think for a layperson, "detailing" means more than just a wash and wax. I think laypeople would define "detailing" more in the sense that Beemerboy describes it, actually attending to the details like the wheel wells, emblems, grill, door sills, door jambs, weatherstripping, etc. I'm guilty of using the term "detailing" when I get caught up in the DC lingo, but I think the rest of the world would probably describe "detailing" as Beemerboy describes it.

 

[Larry A]

To me a detail is engine cleaned ,inside cleaned, wheel wells and door jams cleaned,and outside cleaned and buffed . The car should be brought back to like new condition short of repainting. Anything else is a wash and wax.

 

[Beemerboy]

Larry

I agree as much as I hate doing engines. Most all the customers that I have only want the inside and outside done. Most that I see could carelss about the motors, and I'm glad about that