Detailing a Car Quick Facts
- A quick interior detail might take two hours, while a comprehensive exterior detail might take up to two days.
- If the vehicle is detailed regularly, a small coupe, hatchback, or sedan will take four hours or more. It will take at least seven hours for extra-large trucks and minivans.
- One of the best things a vehicle owner can do to preserve their interior and save time on car detailing is to use high-quality rubber floor mats.
Detailing helps extend the life of your vehicle and keeps it looking and smelling fresh.
Use this guide to find out how long the different types of detailing take. We’ll also point toward ways to save money on car detailing so you can keep your ride looking new for less.
- Quick vs. Comprehensive Car Detailing
- Time for a Complete Detail by Vehicle Size
- Time-Saving Car Detailing Tips
Quick vs. Comprehensive Car Detailing
The time required to detail a car will depend on the detailing services you choose. A quick interior detail might take two hours, while a comprehensive exterior detail might take up to two days.
If you wonder why detailing time can vary, it depends on what needs to get done. High-end services like ceramic coating applications involve many steps. These stages require an extensive inspection to ensure there aren’t any unsightly high spots. Unlike car waxes and paint sealants, you don’t get a second chance to apply a ceramic coating. Any problem areas that don’t get addressed immediately may become semipermanent.
In addition to the car detailing services you get done, the size, age, and level of contamination are all factors that determine how long it takes to detail a car. If you get your vehicle detailed regularly, completing each service will take less time. If you detail your car less frequently or drive more miles than average, expect the detailing service to require more time.
You also need to consider how many passengers regularly use the car and how many people it can carry because these factors can add time to the detailing job. More people usually means more mess, and larger vehicles mean more area to clean. So, a small sedan for solo commuting typically takes less time to detail than a 3-row vehicle that hauls children or pets.
Time for a Complete Detail by Vehicle Size
See the time ranges it can take to detail various vehicle sizes below. These time estimates do not include decontamination and are for well-maintained vehicles.
- Small: coupes, hatchbacks, sedans – 4+ hours
- Medium: crossovers, wagons – 5+ hours
- Large: SUVs, small trucks – 6+ hours
- Extra Large: 3-row SUVs, large trucks, minivans – 7+ hours
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Car Detailing Time Estimates by Job
These car detailing job times are for small vehicles and should be used as a baseline to help estimate the approximate time. Heavily contaminated or larger vehicles will require extra time.
Car Interior Detailing Time
Quick Interior Detail – 2+ Hours
- Vacuum carpet, floor mats, and upholstery
- Clean interior and exterior glass
- Apply leather and vinyl protectants
Complete Interior Detail – 4+ Hours
- Vacuum carpet, floor mats, and upholstery
- Steam-clean headliner, leather, vinyl, and plastic surfaces
- Deep clean carpet, floor mats, and cloth upholstery with a hot water extractor
- Clean door jambs
- Clean interior and exterior glass
- Apply leather, vinyl, and plastic protectants
Interior Odor Elimination – 1+ Hour
It’s best to perform an interior odor elimination only after a complete interior detail.
- Apply odor-eliminating product or use an ozone machine to neutralize bad smells
- Air out the interior using a high-speed fan
Car Exterior Detailing Time
- Wash and wax – 2+ Hours
- Hand-wash paint, glass, and wheels
- Apply a layer of wax or paint sealant
Complete Exterior Detail – 4+ Hours
- Hand-wash paint, glass, and wheels
- Clean door jambs
- Apply iron-and-tar remover to paint
- Clay-bar paint and glass to remove any bonded contamination
- Polish stainless steel exhaust tips
- Apply a layer of wax or paint sealant
Engine Compartment Detail – 2+ Hours
- Apply all-purpose cleaner to the engine compartment
- Steam-clean the engine compartment
- Apply plastic and rubber protectant
Headlight Restoration – 3+ Hours
- Wet-sand headlights to remove oxidation and pitting
- Compound headlights to remove sanding marks
- Polish headlights to restore clarity
- Apply UV protective coating
Convertible Top Restoration – 3+ Hours
- Hand-wash paint, glass, and wheels
- Apply convertible top cleaner and rinse
- Apply convertible top protectant
Paint Correction Time
Minor Paint Correction – 8+ Hours
- Perform complete exterior detail
- Polish paint to remove light paint defects
Major Paint Correction – 11+ Hours
- Perform complete exterior detail
- Compound paint to remove heavy paint defects
- Polish paint to remove compounding haze and restore gloss
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Time-Saving Car Detailing Tips
Take steps to protect your car and save time and money on detailing.
- Invest in quality rubber floor mats. One of the best things a vehicle owner can do to preserve their interior and save time on car detailing is to use high-quality rubber floor mats, especially if you drive the vehicle in a snowy area or take it to the beach. Rubber floor mats, particularly fitted rubber floor liners, protect the carpet from contamination buildup and potentially costly damage. Salt-stained carpet is very familiar in New England and snowy Western states, where winters run long, and road salt is abundant. If the salt buildup gets severe enough, it will cause the carpet to become stiff and more susceptible to permanent damage. Spending $100 to $300 for rubber floor liners will save countless hours of car detailing throughout vehicle ownership and help preserve resale value. In some cases, the next buyer of your vehicle might view floor liners as a value-adding accessory, making buying aftermarket floor liners a no-brainer. In the worst-case scenario, the floor liners will help prevent permanent carpet damage that could cost upwards of $1,000 to fix if you need to pay a professional.
- Buy a car seat cover. The first item on your list of pet accessories for your car should be a seat cover or pet hammock for 4-legged passengers. Removing pet hair from a car’s interior is incredibly time-consuming, potentially adding an hour or more to the detailing job. Protective seat coverings will contain pet hair, but they will also help protect the seats from tears and stains.
- Remove personal and trash items. Take out your things and garbage before having an interior car detail performed. This step can be a big time saver and help reduce car detailing costs. Removing items doesn’t mean you need to hunt down that lone pretzel that slipped into the abyss between the front seats and the center console months ago. Still, you should remove any empty food and drink containers strewn about the interior.
- Add exterior protection. Unfortunately, it’s harder to protect the exterior of a car from the elements, and the best preventative measure is always to have a layer of protection on all surfaces. Contamination will have a more challenging time sticking and penetrating the paint’s pores by maintaining a layer of car wax, paint sealant, or ceramic coating. Using paint protection film is an option for some vehicle owners.
- Don’t park under sap trees. In addition to protecting exterior surfaces, take care when parking a car under trees during sap season. Sure, it is tempting to park in the shade during the spring and summer. But it may result in hours of additional detailing if the car gets covered in tree sap.
