Browse the best car wash & detailing experts and compare ratings and reviews.
Great service and products. Best car care place in SA
Search Uptasker for the best car washer specialists
Our motor vehicles are often one of our most prized possessions, second in value only to our homes. To many of us, our cars are more than just a mechanical means of getting from one place to another. We often form attachments to our cars, even going so far as to give them human names and talking to them as if they are living creatures, especially when they are not performing at their best. Yes, I’ve heard it – and done it myself at times! It’s not as crazy as it sounds, though, as many of us spend a great deal of time in our cars, travelling to and from work, sitting in traffic congestion, relying on them to get us where we need to go without problems. Cars are often our own portable entertainment centers, allowing us to listen to music, audio books and local and international news whilst en-route. It seems only natural that we would want our cars to look their best and even to customize them to reflect our own personal style. This is where the services of a car washer or detailer are invaluable.
By their very nature, cars are exposed to many harmful substances every day that they are out on the roads or parked in open spaces. Harsh UV sunlight alone causes untold damage to both exterior and interior surfaces, causing damage such as fading, cracking, brittleness and yellowing, especially of the headlight surrounds. Many people do their best to protect their vehicle’s interior by using sunshades to protect the dashboards, rear window shelves, seats and general upholstery, as well as keeping the heat from building up too much within the confines of a closed vehicle. There is little that can be done by the owner on a regular basis to protect the exterior surfaces, apart from using a professional-quality car shampoo and wax to remove and offer a form of protection against road grime, tar, bird droppings, mud, squashed insects, tree sap and stains. Over time, the protective sealant on all new cars wears away, leaving the paintwork susceptible to damage and fading. A car detailer will not only professionally shampoo the exterior to remove dirt and surface marks where possible, but will deep polish the surface to reveal the original paint coating and shine, and then apply a sealant to protect the paintwork.
Tidying the interior of your car by removing rubbish and papers should be a daily task which is a simple way of keeping the interior looking good. This is not enough, in the long term, to keep your car’s interior really clean. Carpets and upholstery attract dust, grit, grime and spills on a daily basis, and if left to build up without being properly cleaned on a regular basis, will eventually be beyond reasonable cleaning procedures.
There is very little more off-putting than being given a ride in a car with badly soiled and stained upholstery, and this also decreases the value of a car and turns potential buyers away from the sale when you are ready to upgrade to a newer model. If you use the services of a car detailer once or twice a year, for instance, and allow for a thorough deep cleaning of cloth or leather upholstery, carpets, interior roof line covering, you will be able to keep your car looking newer for longer. Car detailers are experts in their field, and will provide additional services such as leather restoration and protection, interior UV protection, deep steam cleaning and vacuuming of carpets, cloth upholstery and seats, applying a protective sealant on the dashboard, steering wheel and console, and finally spraying with a deodorizing spray to bring a fresh and clean smell to the interior.
The engine and tyres are the most hardworking parts of any vehicle, and are subject to a great deal of wear and tear. Whilst you can keep the tyres in good condition by checking and replacing them when needed and having the engine and brakes serviced at intervals stipulated by the manufacturer, many of us think no further about the engine itself. Yes, the water and oil levels are checked periodically, usually by the garage attendant when we are filling up with petrol, but how often – to be honest – do we actually open the bonnet and check the cleanliness of the engine bay itself? A clean engine is an efficient engine, and this means being free of grease and oil spills, dust and grime. A car detailer has the equipment and knowledge to steam-clean engine bays, removing dirt and grime build-up to a level which we could not achieve on our own.
All car detailers offer the same kind of services, although their methods may differ slightly. The end result will basically be the same – a shiny, new-looking exterior with added UV protection and a clean, refreshed and refurbished interior space. What pleasure these specialists bring to the proud and conscientious car owner! Car detailers may be found online as many have their own websites showcasing their work and, as such, may be found through internet searches. Uptasker is a terrific resource when carrying out an internet search, providing not only the names of specialists in your geographical area but also giving one-click access to their websites. Through Uptasker, you can check their online ratings and customer reviews, so you can see immediately how any particular specialist is viewed by clients. They may also be found through car magazines, vehicle expos, flyers with special offers, newspaper ads and the Yellow Pages.
Putting effort into looking after your car’s interior and exterior is one of the best decisions you can make in preserving the appearance and value of your investment. Whilst there is certainly a lot you can do yourself, for really professional and long-lasting results, you need to invest in the services of a car washer and detailer specialist. For more tips, see our car washer and detailer articles.
