Car Cleaning Prices Explained
A guide to understanding how much it really costs to have your car properly cleaned
(What they are not telling you…)
If you are looking to have your car cleaned, this guide will help you understand how car cleaning prices are determined, and how much you should expect to pay for quality car cleaning in Vancouver.
The price for having your car cleaned depends on several factors:
• Size of your car
• Condition of your car
• Your expectations
Let’s talk about each of these factors one at a time.
Size of your car
The size of your car falls into one of these categories:
• Small / Medium – Porsche 911, Tesla Model 3, Mercedes C-Class
• Large – BMW X5, Mercedes GLE, Porsche Cayenne
• X-Large – Audi Q7, Cadillac Escalade, Mercedes G-Class
How does the size of your car affect the price for cleaning?
A smaller size car (such as a Tesla Model 3) will take less time and effort to clean than a large size SUV (such as BMW X5).
Condition of your car
The condition of your car could generally fall into one of these categories:
• Regularly maintained – cleaned every few months
• Rarely cleaned – cleaned about once a year
• Never cleaned since it was bought
How does the condition of your car affect the price for cleaning?
A car in good condition (which has been regularly cleaned and is only used by one person) will take significantly less time to clean than a similar size car in bad condition (which hauls around a family of five, and hasn’t been cleaned in years).
Your expectations
Expectations can be classified into two categories:
• Reasonable – “I want my car to look better than it does right now. I understand the limitations... Please do what you possibly can.”
• Unreasonable – “I want my car looking perfect. I won’t accept anything less than that...”
Your expectations play a crucial role on how much you will ultimately pay for having your car cleaned.
Here’s why:
If you expect a car that has never been cleaned to come out looking perfect – every stain taken out, every strain of dog hair gone, clear shiny exterior paint, etc. – you should expect to pay a much higher price than if you were looking for just a significant improvement.
Furthermore, because of your unreasonable expectations, it is likely that you will be disappointed by the results, regardless of how much effort and skill the car cleaner will put into cleaning your car.
Is the car cleaner you’re about to hire a true professional… or an amateur?
The professional car cleaner will manage your expectations properly, explaining you upfront what it can, and most importantly, what it CAN’T be done.
Before giving a price for cleaning your car, he will ask a series of questions to better understand the situation and your expectations:
• What happened that made you decide to have your car cleaned right now?
• Are you looking for anything specific?
• What is of more concern to you – the interior, or the exterior of the car?
He would also, whenever possible, do a visual inspection of your car to determine the condition.
On the other hand, the amateur and inexperienced car cleaner will say YES to your every demand, leading you to believe that a miracle is possible in regards to your car.
How much having your car cleaned in Vancouver really costs?
Let me give you a few examples.
Cleaning a Tesla Model S in good condition can cost anywhere from $100 to upwards of $600, depending on your expectations.
Cleaning a BMW X5 in bad condition can cost anywhere from $200 to upwards of $800, depending on your expectations.
At the lower end of the price scale, you can expect a basic service (exterior wash plus interior vacuum and wipe-down) from a budget-type car wash with minimally skilled and paid workers, where you wait in line with other customers.
At the upper end of the price scale, you can expect a comprehensive detailing of the whole entire vehicle, with the goal of bringing her to the best possible condition, performed by a company with properly paid and compensated employees, and a high level of service.
This is important
Now – and this is important – I wouldn’t recommend the basic service in any of the above situations, because it is likely not sufficient to create a satisfactory result.
The basic cleaning service is most appropriate as a maintenance service, on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, on a car that has been thoroughly cleaned and detailed first.
Warning: There are unethical car cleaning companies out there which try to lure in the unsuspecting customer with a (very) low price, only to pressure them with costly up-sells later.
Beware of such tactics – Just like with everything else in life, with car cleaning you get what you pay for.
And a low priced car cleaning service is rarely the right solution to your problem.