Top tips for car detailing, according to an expert
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Isaiah from Miami Glow Auto Detailing for some time now. As a professional car detailer based in Mississauga, ON, Canada, he’s one of the best out there.
He and I sat down for a chat about this topic. This article is the result. Here are seven top tips a Canadian car detailer wants you to know.
Don’t take YouTube videos too seriously.
“My advice for any other car detailers out there is to not take the YouTube videos they see too seriously. They teach you the aspect of cleaning, but it’s mostly for the camera. When you’re working on-site, you’re on a time schedule. If you were to do everything the same way you see it on YouTube, you’d be there all day.”
“It takes the majority of the day to make content. When you watch YouTube detailers, it’s ASMR. Just a satisfying video. It makes sense in this context but not in a real-life setting where you have to deal with actual customers.”
There are plenty of excellent car detailers out there, including YouTubers. However, Isaiah tells me that the techniques your average YouTuber shows off aren’t realistic. In reality, when you’re servicing customers, things are pretty different.
The main difference is time. If a car detailer were to always work following the methods shown on YouTube, they’d be there all day. Your on-site time is limited, and you’ll have cars scheduled to come in before and after.
It’s not that YouTube car detailers are doing it wrong by any means — it’s just that real-life car detailing doesn’t work as it’s often depicted.
Regular maintenance makes detailing easier.
“Detailing is very tricky. If you have a vehicle that’s just dirty all the time, when you finally come to clean it, some stains might not come out. That’s due to neglect.”
If car detailing were easy, we wouldn’t need to hire professionals to do it. But, as Isaiah explains, it’s tricky. It takes care and precision. The difficulty level amplifies when the vehicle owner leaves long gaps between regular cleans.
For example, some stains, especially those on plastics (such as trim) and seats, won’t come out if left too long.
Washing your car as often as possible is inevitably the best approach. If you don’t have time, consider a gas station car wash (but only the touchless models to avoid scratches!). These don’t come anywhere close to the standards of a professional detailer, but they help keep the dirt, grime and stains away, making it easier for a detailer to restore the vehicle to “like-new”.
Be careful what you apply to leather.
Some products are designed with leather in mind, helping clean the material and make it stand out. However, some people apply regular polishes or shines to leather surfaces.
“A lot of people that detail their own vehicles rub shiny stuff on leather materials. Leather is supposed to be dull. It’s not supposed to be oily. That’s actually bad for the leather and it cracks.”
Use dish soap properly — inside only!
Should you ever use dish soap? The answer was pretty clear.
“On the exterior, no. You can’t do that. You’ll strip the wax away from your vehicle.”
Some individuals use dish soap to wash the outside of their cars. You should never do this. Dish soap is designed as a grease-cutting agent, perfect for washing up and cleaning oil or wax.
And therein lies the issue with using it to wash your car. The dish soap effectively cuts through the wax protection on your paint, leaving it exposed and much more likely to suffer at the hands of the elements.
However, there is one area where dish soap makes a name for itself: inside, in the cabin area. It’s a brilliant (and cheap!) product for cleaning mats, plastic trims, and might help remove stains from carpets or seats.
Wax-containing car wash shampoos aren’t enough.
When protecting your car’s paint from the water and salt that is the bane of Canadian transportation, wax-containing car shampoos won’t cut it. Although this feature is often marketed as a great bonus, it’s probably not enough.
You can tell if your car is adequately covered in wax by stroking it with your finger. It should feel smooth, like a marble. If your finger sticks or judders against the paintwork, there isn’t enough wax between it and your skin.
Apply wax with a microfibre cloth and let it dry. Later, use a clean microfibre to buff away the residue. Alternatively, if you’re in a hurry, use a quick spray wax before the water dries off. It’s better than nothing!
Having the right equipment is more important.
You can use all sorts of fancy products and brands when it comes to detailing, but Isaiah tells me that the equipment makes or breaks the job. Investing in top-quality equipment means he can get a car far closer to its ‘like-new’ status than inadequate alternatives permit.
Isaiah strongly emphasizes the importance of a professional extractor, a high-suction vacuum cleaner, a top-notch steamer, and good old simple hot water.
Consider a ceramic coating.
A ceramic coating is a car lover’s dream, improving the quality and longevity of a car detailing service.
“I definitely recommend ceramic coating. It makes everything a lot easier. It makes washing your car a lot easier, you won’t have to wash your vehicle as often, you won’t run into grime sticking on your car… Everything typically just slides off.”
Ceramic coatings are best obtained from an aftermarket source as they’re much cheaper than dealership offerings. However, make sure you trust the individual you hire to apply it.
For more information about Isaiah and Miami Glow Auto Detailing or to enquire about car detailing (I don’t make any commission here!), reach out through the link provided. If you live anywhere near Mississauga, I can highly recommend it!
