Why is a wash and wax so expensive?
When people ask me how I got started detailing, I often tell them about when I was 12 years old and my dad would give me $10 and say, “Now go wax the motor home.” While my fee in those days likely matched my level of experience, my dad still probably got the better end of the deal, because if you’ve ever called for pricing to wash and wax your vehicle, you know it’s not cheap.
This is especially true when you consider the fact that most wax sealants should be reapplied 2-3 times per year to ensure the vehicle remains protected. If you’ve ever waxed your own vehicle you may perplexed by the price for a professional wash and wax, thinking to yourself it wasn’t that hard, was it? So, in today’s post we’ll look at the 4 big reasons why a professional wash and wax carries such a high price tag.
1) You’re getting more than just a car wash and wax application.
There’s much more to a wash and wax than just washing and waxing. There’s an entire phase of the process that’s not included in the title, the decontamination phase. For vehicles that get driven on a regular basis there’s likely an entire layer of contaminants embedded in the paint that will not come out with regular washing. This is the step that many people miss when they decide to wax their own vehicles.
If you’ve ever run your hand over your vehicle’s paint and noticed that it felt a little rough, you’re likely feeling some of those contaminants. These can be things like brake dust, road tar, or industrial fallout.
Unless you have a light-colored vehicle, they can be difficult if not impossible to see with the naked eye, but like bird droppings and bug guts, anything that’s left to sit on vehicle paint long enough will eventually begin to compromise the vehicle’s clear coat.
During a typical exterior detail these contaminants are removed both chemically and by hand, leaving behind a smooth surface. This clean surface allows wax sealants to bond more easily and last longer.
If the washing and waxing are two pieces of bread that hold this sandwich together, the decontamination process is the ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato, truly the most important part.
2) Decontamination products are very expensive.
Getting smooth decontaminated paint is accomplished in two ways: chemically and by hand.
Before removing any contaminants by hand, special chemicals are applied to the vehicle to remove the first layer of contamination. These chemicals, known as iron removers are simply sprayed onto the vehicle, allowed to dwell, and then are rinsed off. While easy and quick to apply, they are not cheap. They sell for between $60-$120 a gallon. Some detailers refer to these products as ‘liquid gold’ and are part of the reason why a professional wash and wax has such a high price tag.
3) Paint decontamination can be labor intensive.
After chemical decontamination is complete, it’s time to do the rest of the work by hand. To really get paint smooth again, you need a piece of clay. While sometimes referred to as “claying” or “clay barring” a vehicle, the process involves gently rubbing properly lubricated clay against the paint until friction is no longer felt or heard. The clay picks up the remaining contaminants leaving behind a smooth surface.
For vehicles that are regularly clayed and kept in a garage, the whole process is relatively painless. But for vehicles that have never been clayed, are parked outside, or do a lot of highway driving, taking the paint from rough to smooth can be a long and tedious process.
4) Your time is valuable.
Some people love taking care of their own vehicles, but if that’s not you, is that how you really want to spend your Sunday afternoon?
No matter who you are, free time is always in short supply. Enjoying the weekend doesn’t mean that you need to neglect your vehicles either. Instead, schedule a wash and wax on a weekday with us at Make It Last Auto Detailing. We’ll make sure your vehicle looks great and remains protected, leaving you to enjoy whatever plans the weekend has in store for you.
