Exterior Car Detailing in Mount Carroll, IL
An exterior detail is not a car wash. A wash removes what is sitting on the surface. A detail removes what has bonded to it — and then puts a layer of protection back on top.
Two Levels
Premier Exterior Detail
from $180
- Underbody rinsed
- Wheel wells, wheels, tires and door jambs deep cleaned
- Paint thoroughly and safely cleaned, decontaminated and dried
- Sealant applied to paint, wheels, chrome and plastics — lasts up to 4+ months
- Tires and wheel wells dressed
Standard Exterior Detail
from $110
- Wheel wells, wheels and tires cleaned
- Paint thoroughly and safely cleaned and dried
- Ceramic topper applied to paint, wheels, chrome and plastics — lasts up to 1+ month
- Tires dressed
- Exterior glass cleaned
What Decontamination Means
Over time your paint picks up contaminants that a normal wash will not shift — industrial fallout, rail dust, tree sap, brake dust that has embedded itself into the clear coat. Run your hand over a washed panel and if it feels gritty rather than glass-smooth, that is what you are feeling.
Decontamination removes it chemically and mechanically. It is the difference between paint that looks clean and paint that is clean, and it is why an exterior detail is a prerequisite for anything that comes after it.
Why We Wash by Hand
Automatic washes are the single biggest cause of swirl marks in modern clear coat. Brushes that have run across a hundred dirty vehicles before yours drag that grit across your paint.
We wash by hand using a grit-guarded two-bucket method, straight-line passes and separate mitts for paint and wheels, then dry with plush microfiber or forced air rather than dragging a towel across the panel. It takes longer. It is also the reason your paint does not get worse every time it gets cleaned.
What Comes Next
If your paint has swirls or scratches
An exterior detail will not remove them. Cleaning paint and correcting paint are different jobs. Machine polishing is what removes defects, and an exterior detail is a required first step before any correction package we offer.
If you want protection that lasts years, not months
Sealant gives you around four months. A ceramic coating gives you one to five-plus years depending on the level. Every coating package already includes a decontamination detail, so you are not paying for this twice.
If your wheels need more than a surface clean
Wheel faces get cleaned as part of any exterior detail. Barrels and calipers need the wheels off.
Winter in Northwestern Illinois
Road salt is the reason the Premier Exterior includes an underbody rinse. Salt collects in the underbody, the wheel wells and the seams where you cannot see it, and it keeps working long after the roads are clear.
Through the salt months, more frequent exterior work is worth more than a single big detail in spring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will an exterior detail remove scratches?
No. It will make your paint clean, smooth and protected, but defects already in the clear coat stay there. Removing those is paint correction.
How long does the protection last?
The sealant on a Premier Exterior lasts around four months or more. The ceramic topper on a Standard Exterior lasts around a month. A ceramic coating lasts one to five-plus years.
Do you hand wash?
Always. We never use automatic equipment on a customer vehicle.
Do I need an exterior detail before paint correction?
Yes. Every correction package requires one. Polishing dirty, contaminated paint drags grit across the surface and creates more damage than it removes.
Can you do just the wheels?
Wheel faces are included in any exterior detail. For barrels and calipers, the wheels have to come off — that is our Wheels Off Cleaning service.