What is the difference between car valeting and detailing?

Since the popularity in car valeting has been increasing recently, a large gray area of ​​difference has arisen between the "car valeting" and "car detailing". Some sources say that there are simply different names for the same thing in different countries, e.g. "car valeting" in the UK and "car detailing" in the USA.

However, we are going to explain some of the differences between car valeting and detailing from a professional point-of-view.

What is a car valeting?

Car valeting is a process that includes: cleaning, polishing and waxing a vehicle to achieve a completely new look and increase resale value.
This usually contains washing, cleaning wheels and locks, polishing and waxing the body, dressing external plastics and tires, polishing metalwork, brightwork and glass on vehicles.
The cleaning process should also contain the use of a clay strip. It is used for removal unwanted paint impurities:

• industrial precipitation,
• tar stains,
• iron filings,
• plant sap,

in a word, it is used to remove anything that makes the paint matt or rough.
In the external process of cleaning are engaged a variety of chemicals, tools and accessories to reach uncomfortable places, remove as much dirt as possible and leave the car looks like brand new, as in the day it left the salon. All surfaces of the interior of a vehicle will be vacuumed in all areas, including seats, carpets, the dashboard, center console, luggage areas and vents. Then various chemicals and tools are used to wet clean any dirty places such as upholstery, rugs and headliners.

So, what is the different with ‘detailing’?

The main difference is in the paint. It's in the rectification and correction process, whitch gets the paint looking its best. In detailing process scratches, swirl marks and other drawbacks or defects ruining the look are removed through the use of a machine polisher, usually a fixed rotary polisher.
This is combined with a selection of abrasive polishes and pads designed to remove defects, polish the surface and leave a swirl-free finish.
Car detailing is about cleaning every surface possible on the car, including the removal of certain parts, to get access to normally unreachable areas such as suspension, arch liners and brake components, certain metalwork and access to cleaning the wheels inner rim.

It's not only washing but rather cleaning areas not usually cleaned and repairing parts which may be damaged, including paint repair or wheel refurbishment.

Car valeting tenders a very comprehensive method of cleaning for your car and ensures you are left with a car with a higher re-sale value. Car detailing is a process, that will make it new again.