I’m wondering if getting your ride professionally detailed worth it, or is it a waste of money ?
When talking professional detailing, I’m referencing to the high cost of the job where one would expect to fork out $300 + for the service.
I think the shop applies clay bar and other cleaning products on the exterior. The interior gets cleaned with all sort of chemicals as well.
The thing is: the vehicle would get dirty again and pretty soon once you head on to the public streets. The interior picks up dust and dirt within a couple of days ( say 2 days after cleaning ).
Is it not much better to wash the car at a car wash for $20 and $3 for interior vacuuming than to spend $300 + for professional detailing ?
I did pay for professional detailing twice when I had the Camry and I felt guilty afterwards because the car went straight back to being filthy a couple days later.
If you can’t or don’t want to do it yourself then I think it is worth it once every year or two. It will look nice and protect the finish. All of those nasty impurities on the finish will be removed. Not everything can be measured in dollars.
Is it worth it to go out to dinner when you can feed yourself at home? Is it worth it to have a yard service maintain your lawn when you could do it yourself? Is it worth it to get a pedicure when you can do your toenails at home?
There’s nothing wrong with spending a little money on something that makes you happy or makes your life better. I have had cars detailed and while I probably could have done the same quality work at home, but it would likely have taken me more than twice as long and worn me out.
On the other hand, if you see no value in driving a detailed car, there’s no reason for you to do it. So it’s all up to you.
If you can budget it in with no issues then yes, but don’t without anything…
I have never paid to have anything detailed-ever, not even a paid wash until I had to get all the dog hair out of a rental I had for 2 months back in 2018… lol… but have not since either, until I got this new truck and now I have gone through car wash and the had them vacuum and clean the interior to keep it looking new a couple of times already and it needs it again now… Once the water stops beading up on the hood, I will pay the $300 or whatever to have it pro detailed, and waxed and all that fancy stuff… And now with the wife’s dirty car sitting next to it in the garage, I am about to pay to have it pro detailed and it needs it bad… lol
It makes me feel good to see it all shiny and clean, don’t really care what others think, it is a for me thing…
My daughter, her husband, and their 4 and 6 yo boys use their Pilot for everything, including travel and sports. It gets quite dirty inside and out. They get it detailed every 6 months and are happy with the results. Ask for detailed estimates plus the cost at maybe three detailers and ask to see the results. They must have a finished car at the shop that you can look at. If you like what you see, go for it and evaluate the results when they are done. If you like their work, go back when you think your Lexus needs another deep cleaning. Also, I’ve seen a mobile detailer in my neighborhood. He carries everything he needs in his work van. Given your physical condition, it might be better for you to get the job done at home and not sit around the detail shop waiting for your car to be finished.
Wife wanted it done, got an estimate from a reputable place, $250. Exterior looks fine, she said forget it. Not caring enough about 6 months of perfection to worry about it.
I detailed my wife’s black Saab at least once a year. People thought the car was nearly new when it was more than 10 years old.
I still detail her Audi and my Mustang when they need it. Both are 10+ years old now and look great.
It isn’t just about a clean car but a restored paint finish that looks best when done. If you can’t tell the difference or don’t care, it is a waste of money. The car will still look good, but not great.
I can see myself using a pro detailer in the future as I get older.
I bought a car to fix last month and seller had owned it for 1 month. Then it broke down. It had for sure been detailed in and out. I got another car last week and it for sure needs to be detailed. Bits of crayons and kiddie stickers abound. I’m not doing an interior detail in 10f weather.
Must be still having computer problems. Just for the record my phone says it’s 71 degrees at first light where mustangman is. I’m going to see if the wife will turn the heat up a little.
I had my wifes Lexus professionally detailed ONCE. It wasn’t as good as when I did it so I never did it again. The place we took it to was highly recommended and a lot of great reviews. They did a decent job and probably half the time it takes me.
Back in the '70s & '80s, my parents had a neighbor who never washed his maroon-color Buick Skylark. When the car began to look like a muddy/black color, he finally decided to give the Skylark its first wash. He actually had to hand-wash it 4 times in order for the maroon color to reveal itself.
They DO, and transplants that have been here a while do too!
My first year here, I went to the store when it was 67 F in shorts and a tee shirt. There were people wearing parkas and gloves! I understand it now… but thought it was crazy at the time.
Arizonans are the same. I spent lots of time in the Phoenix area for work and saw the same things.
Conversely, when I went to Costco last week, the thermometer was ~25 degrees, along with a strong wind-chill effect. I was wearing a down coat, gloves, and a woolen hat, but one of the other shoppers sauntered in wearing a T-shirt, running shorts, and sandals.
I’m in Seattle and it’s low 40s, windy and rainy. I’ve seen several people wearing shorts, a tee shirt, and flip flops. This is a lot like home but I wear a sweatshirt, long pants and a heavy wind breaker. I would have been cold except Mrs JT walks fast.
