Car wash vs detailing: which does your car need?

A car wash cleans the surface; detailing restores and protects it. They are different jobs with very different prices, and knowing which one your car needs stops you paying for more than you use.

The options

• Automatic wash — fast and cheap, ideal for routine cleaning. Avoid the older brush types if you care about paint swirls.
• Hand wash — gentler on paint and gets into the gaps, good for a monthly clean.
• Detailing — a deep interior and exterior clean, often with wax or a sealant. Worth doing once or twice a year.
• Paint correction and ceramic coating — removes scratches and adds long-term protection; the most expensive option, best for cars you plan to keep.

What's worth paying for

If you park outdoors or near the coast, salt and grime build up fast, so a regular wash protects the paint. Detailing pays off before you sell — a properly detailed car photographs better and fetches more. Ceramic coating only makes sense on a car you'll keep for years, not one you're about to trade in.