Does this sound like you? On the weekdays, you grab coffee before work, get gas, and pick up dinner on the way home. Weekends are for shuttling the kids around and running errands. With all the things going on in life, it can be easy to forget that your car needs detailing, and assume that you don’t have enough downtime to fit it into your schedule.
But what if it was less of a time sink to have your car detailed than you think? Find out the answer to “how long does it take to detail a car?” in this car detailing guide.
Factors to Consider
Multiple factors go into determining how long detailing a car will take. These include the size and cleanliness of the car, how long it’s been since the last detailing, and the type or extent of the detailing job.
Size of the Car
A major factor, of course, is the size of the car. Larger cars will take more time to detail, especially if it’s including both the exterior and interior. Detailing a larger car may also entail using more cleaning and detailing materials and special tools.
Cleanliness of the Car
Some stains are difficult to get out and can add a significant amount of time to a detailing job. If the car hasn’t been properly pre-washed, this can add some hours to the car detail. If your interior needs detailing as well, stubborn scents may permeate the carpet or other materials inside the car which require particular methods to remove.
Time of the Last Detailing
The cleaner the car is and the sooner it’s been since its last detailing, the easier the next detail job will be. Generally, the effects of detailing last around 4-6 months, so you’ll be trading in a small time commitment for plenty of usage out of one detailing.
Type of Detailing
There are several ways to detail a car, with services for those who want to upkeep the paint job such as a quick detail, and those who want to go all out with a polishing and ceramic coating. If you’re planning to have a more thorough job done, you can expect it to take longer so your provider can make sure they’ve done everything right.
So How Long Does It Take to Detail a Car?
A thorough car detailing can take anywhere from between 2 and a half to 10 hours, depending on the factors mentioned. This includes detailing the exterior and interior to a pristine degree.
A quick detail, which only involves wiping with buffing towels and detailing spray, glass cleaner, and interior cleaner, can be completed in as little as 30 minutes.
Routine detailing jobs like maintenance washes, or a maintenance wash with added interior detailing can take around 45 minutes to 2 hours, which is easily completed within an afternoon.
Extensively thorough detailing jobs are where the time really begins to add up. If the inside or outside of the car needs a lot of work, especially for lingering smells or debris that needs to be vacuumed up, it may take up to 8 hours.
Take the Time to Take Care of Your Car
Detailing your car doesn’t have to mean rearranging your entire schedule. When you book an appointment with Detail Time, you can take advantage of our nearly two decades worth of experience.
We’ll get you in and out in no time so you can get back to your life. If you’re still wondering ‘how long does it take to detail a car,’ give us a call to get a quote and schedule a detailing today.