By Michael Mankarious
© 2014 einszett^® North America

Having been in the car care business for over fifteen years, I don’t think twice about why it’s necessary to detail a car. But it’s a question I’m often asked by prospective customers and friends. For them, their car is a means of getting from point A to B and occasionally washing it is the most they consider as far as detailing. While it’s good to wash a car, this only meets the minimum required to keep a car’s appearance and condition maintained. A car that’s detailed on a regular basis not only looks good but is sure to give you many years of reliability and enjoyment. Here are three reasons why you should detail your car.

1.  It’s Good Car Maintenance

Many car owners know that car maintenance comes as part of the territory with car ownership. A car has to have its tires, brakes, and oil changed periodically so that it runs properly and safely.  What they don’t consider as part of necessary car maintenance is detailing their car.
While car owners may not think detailing as part of car maintenance, car manufacturers do. In the back of every car manual is a section that outlines maintenance requirements for keeping all the surfaces of your car clean and treated. How to properly clean and treat the surfaces of your car are mentioned alongside oil changes, coolant changes and tire maintenance. 

Detailing is not just about making a car shiny with car wax and tire dressing. Sure, a deep gloss paint finish is the result of a well detailed car. But that’s just part of it. A true detail is about maintaining the multiple types of interior and exterior surfaces of a car including the paint, glass, rubber, plastic and metal surfaces. 

In my opinion, the word “detailing” is not the best word you can use to describe the process of reconditioning a car. Personally, I think it should be called automotive surface treatment or automotive reconditioning; or in the case of a car that is getting restored, a restoration. And indeed, you’ll find some detailers who do use those terms. 

Regardless of what you call it, not everyone puts a lot of stock in cleaning and treating their car. For some it’s an inconvenience or seen as something unnecessary or excessive. Simply washing the car is more than enough for a lot of people. Polishing and waxing are seen as extravagances or a hobby for fanatics and car nuts; viewed as something to make your car glossy, not to protect it. It’s not viewed as part of proper car care maintenance. In other words, car care products are seen as cosmetics for cars. Unfortunately, there is some truth to that notion since car care products are usually marketed as giving your car a “showroom shine” with the focus being on the shine and not the treatment.

It’s not until years of neglect (such as when the paint begins peeling) does the question come up about what needs to be done. Unfortunately by that time, the damage is done and the only means of repair can be costly. Neglect your car and you could end up with costly repairs such as a new paint job, upholstery repair, weather seal replacement and so on. To top it off, your car will look aged.

Neglecting to detail can also lead to body corrosion, poor visibility, poor air conditioning performance, poor braking performance, leaking windows, and more.

When you use a high quality line of products, like those made by Einszett, you’ll find the products are not just appearance enhancers. You’ll get products that focus on treatment and protection that maintain and protect the surfaces of your car saving you a lot of dollars down the road.

2. Resale Value

In article I wrote a while back, I discussed how up until a few years ago many consumers opted to lease a car rather than purchase it. The reduced sense of ownership allowed some of these car owners to be less concerned about the overall maintenance of their car since they knew they would be returning it within a few short years. 

But times have changed. Not too long ago, it was hard to convince someone to take care of their paint and leather which would begin to show wear and tear after about three years if not maintained properly. But that didn’t matter as long as they were returning their car to the dealer after three years. They’d have a new car that they wouldn’t have to worry about – like hitting the reset button. It’s the disposable mentality amplified.

Today, more of us have decided or have been left with little choice but to hold on to our cars longer and therefore the concern of maintaining the car’s value and condition is worth a second look. 

Kelly Blue Book® has been the go to publication for determining the resale value of used cars for decades. One of the factors Kelly Blue Book uses to determine the resale value of a car is the overall condition of the car. This includes both mechanical and appearance characteristics.

The conditions to choose from are: Excellent, Good, and Fair. What you will find in most cases is that a car rated as Excellent will have a resale value of at least 20% more versus a vehicle of the same exact make, model and mileage that is considered Fair. You can get an estimate of your own car’s worth and check for yourself the difference. I think you’ll be surprised what you discover. 

Kelly Blue Book also states the percentage of cars available on the market which meet the criteria for each of these categories. Only 3% of cars on the market meet the requirements to be considered “Excellent”. 82% are considered “Good” and 15% fit in the “Fair” category.
The difference in values is even more telling. 

Using a 2006 Audi A4 with all the standard features and 80k miles as an example, the difference between the suggested resale value between Excellent and Good condition is 7%. Between Excellent and Fair is a staggering 20%!

This however doesn’t tell the whole story. These are suggested values. If you are selling a car that is considered “excellent” condition, a prospective buyer might haggle less allowing you to stay closer to your asking price. Or they might pay a premium for yours if their other buying options are in good or fair condition.

Do you want to be in the in the “Good” or “Fair” category where you are competing with everyone else or would you rather be in the 3 percentile range where you can command a higher premium for your car?

Cars decrease in value the moment you drive off the car dealership lot. I suggest you do whatever it takes to keep it from depreciating any further than it needs to. Regular detailing will not only keep your car in the ‘Excellent’ category but it can command more money than your competition when it comes time to sell. 

The lesson to be learned here is that taking care of your car during ownership can prove to be worth your time and money when it comes time to sell.

3. It Looks Good!

I've never met a person who preferred their car to look the way it did prior to being detailed. Even the most skeptical are left in amazement when they see the difference between the ‘before’ and ‘after’. 

Sure, looking good might rank below safety and resale value but there is something to be said about pride in ownership. It’s something you can’t measure or put a value on. You can’t convey all those tireless hours you put working to obtain the ability to purchase your car regardless of whether it cost $10,000 or $100,000. 

So when you do have the money to purchase it, you’re proud of your accomplishment and want to show it off in the best light. So yeah, looking good is important! Besides, would we purchase a car if it was in mediocre condition?  So why let things slide? It’s nice to have a car that continues to look like it came off the showroom floor years after you’ve purchased it. The compliments alone are worth all the effort.

Taking That First Step

Hopefully you’re now convinced and want to know where to start. A good first step to proper car care maintenance is washing your car on a regular basis to remove road grime, sap, and bird droppings that can deteriorate the condition of your car. Ditch the dishwashing and laundry detergent that will dull your paint finish and use a proper carwash soap formulated to clean without dulling your paint finish. nextzett Perls Shampoo removes stubborn road grime without dulling the finish or stripping any wax protectant that you have applied. It also won’t cause spotting or leave any residue. Both with leave a high gloss shine while Perls Shampoo comes with the added benefit of adding a layer of protective polymer wax that lasts for several weeks.

You spend a lot of time on the inside of your car so this is the place you’ll appreciate the benefits more. Cockpit Premium is a simple to use product that you’ll find quickly and easily keeps your interior looking new like the day you bought it without any oily, gloss finish. It’s a mild cleaner for the dashboard, navigation and audio screens, arm rests and steering wheel. It leaves a matte, dust-resistant finish with a clean, fresh scent. Apply every few weeks.

PolishWax is a cleaner polish with the added benefit of carnauba wax. It’ll clean, condition and protect your car’s paint finish. If you want to give your paint finish the ultimate in protection, seal off the finish with a coat of Glanz Wax after you’ve applied PolishWax. Glanz Wax can resist UV, bird droppings, sap, road grime, road and ocean airborne salt for months.

Use Vinyl-Rubber Care and Protectant to condition exterior plastic trim that may look faded due to constant UV and sun exposure. It will bring the original black color back. Also use Vinyl-Rubber to treat your tires. It will give them a natural, deep black finish.

 
These are just a few products we recommend you start off with. Einszett has products that treat every aspect of your car so that you can enjoy it to the fullest extent. 

If you would rather not bother detailing yourself, you can always go to a professional detailer. Ask for references, check on Yelp and when you get there, ask them the questions such as what steps they will actually be doing. The average cost of car detailing is about $150. This should include washing, cleaning the interior (vacuuming, cleaning dashboard), polishing and waxing the paint and conditioning trim pieces. Deep carpet cleaning, leather treatment, underbody cleaning, engine cleaning and paint correction will be an additional cost. This usually takes about 3-4 hours. Make sure not paying for what we call a "glorified carwasher": someone who charges the average price for simply washing your car, applying lost cost tire dressing and applying a fast wax that won't last very long.

Automotive surface care must be considered as part of every car owner’s maintenance schedule. Using products specifically formulated to treat (not just dress up) all the surfaces of your car, like the Einszett range of products, will help you maintain your car longer as well as maintain its value. You’ll have a safer and more enjoyable car for years to come.