How to Get Your Car Ready for a Mobile Detail
Very little. Park the car where we can walk all the way around it, near an outdoor water spigot and a standard outlet, and take out anything valuable or anything you will need that day. You do not have to be home. Everything else, from the products to the de-ionized rinse, we bring with us.
The two things we need from the house
An outdoor water spigot and a standard electrical outlet, both within reach of where the car will sit. That is all. The water runs through our de-ionizing filter for a spot-free rinse, and the outlet powers the vacuum and extractor.
If the spigot or outlet is somewhere unusual, around the side of the house or inside the garage, mention it when you book so we know where to set up. Because we rely on both, we cannot work in apartment-complex lots or high-rise garages.
Where to park the car
A driveway or an open garage with room to open every door all the way. If there are two cars, leave the one being detailed nearest the spigot.
In summer, shade helps. Austin sun dries water on the paint before it can be rinsed, which is exactly what leaves spots. Morning slots and a shady spot make for a better finish on dark cars.
What to take out of the car
Anything valuable, cash, and anything you will need while we work: sunglasses, a garage remote, a badge for work. We put back what we move, but the fewer loose things in the car, the more of it we can reach.
Leave child car seats where they are. We clean around them, underneath them and the seats themselves. Loose trash can stay too; that is part of the job.
- Spigot and outlet within reach of the car
- Car parked with room to open every door
- Valuables and anything you need that day taken out
- Gate code or access notes sent with your booking
- Pets inside while we work
- Pet hair, stains or odor mentioned when you book, so the add-on is quoted upfront
Gates, HOAs and pets
If you are behind a gate, send the code or guard instructions with your booking. If your HOA has rules about vendors or washing in driveways, tell us; we work off your own spigot and can send a certificate of insurance if they want one on file.
Dogs are part of the job more often than not, but please keep them inside while we work. Hoses, cords and an open car door are an easy way for a pet to get out.
On the day
You do not need to be home. If the car will be locked, tell us how to handle the key when you book.
If the weather turns, we move the appointment to the next good day, and weather changes are never charged. You pay after the job is done, once you have seen the car.
Questions
Do I need to wash the car before a detail?
No. Washing the car is the first thing we do. Just take out anything valuable or anything you need that day.
Do I need to be home during the detail?
No. As long as we can reach the car, an outdoor spigot and an outlet, you can be at work or out for the day.
Can you detail the car inside my garage?
Yes, if there is room to open every door and the spigot and outlet are within reach. A garage is also the best answer to midday Austin sun.
What happens if it rains on my appointment day?
We move it. Reply to your confirmation text or call, and we will find the next good day — weather changes are never charged.
Our services
Where we detail
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Serving Greater Austin
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