Maintenance Detail
For a car that is already looked after and needs to stay that way. Two to three hours, and it never gets away from you.
01
What it covers
A proper wash, done the way that does not put swirls into your paint.
- Snow foam pre-wash and two-bucket hand wash — the loose grit lifts off before anything touches the paint. This is the part a $30 car wash skips, and it is the reason their cars end up swirled.
- Wheels, arches and tyres dressed — brake dust off before it bakes on.
- Glass in and out, streak free. The inside is the half nobody does.
- Interior vacuum, surfaces wiped and dressed.
- Exterior protection — rated at three months, reapplied each visit so it never lapses.
02
Why bother, when a car wash is $30
Because the $30 wash is what causes the damage the expensive work has to undo.
An automatic wash drags the same brushes across a thousand cars, and a servo bucket holds the grit from the last one. Every pass puts fine scratches into the clear coat. Do it fortnightly for two years and you have paid for the swirl marks that then cost real money to machine out.
A maintenance detail is the opposite trade. It keeps the protection topped up and the paint level, so the car never reaches the point of needing correction at all.
- It holds its value — a car that has never been let go is worth more, and takes less to present when you sell it.
- It stays easy — sealed paint releases dirt. Neglected paint holds it, and then needs scrubbing, which is where the damage starts.
- It is predictable — a known price, a known slot, no surprises.
03
How often
Most cars up here want it quarterly. Some want it monthly.
Far North Queensland is harder on a car than most people allow for — tropical UV, salt on the breeze near the coast, harvest dust inland and a wet season that keeps everything damp. A car parked outside here needs more attention than the same car in a Brisbane garage.
If your car has not had a proper detail in a year or more, start with a full detail and keep it there with maintenance visits. Starting here on a neglected car is money spent tidying rather than fixing.
From $190 for a small car, two to three hours on site. Get the figure for your car.
04
Questions
How is this different to a car wash?
A wash removes what is loose. This is a hand wash done in a way that does not scratch the paint, plus wheels, glass, interior, and protection rated at three months that keeps working long after the visit.
How often should I book one?
Quarterly suits most cars in this climate. Cars parked outside, near the coast, or under trees do better monthly.
My car is filthy. Can I start with this?
If it has been neglected for a year or more, a full detail first will get far more out of it. Otherwise you are paying to tidy rather than to fix.
Do you need power and water?
Yes, both, and they are not optional. A standard power point and a tap at the property. The van does not carry water, so if there is no tap the job cannot be done that day.
From $190
Keep it that way.
The cheapest detailing you will ever buy is the detailing that stops a car needing the expensive kind.