What Sets Professional Detailing Apart from a Car Wash?
Professional Detailing vs. the Car Wash: What’s the Real Difference?
On the surface, a car wash and a professional detail might look like they do the same job—make your vehicle look cleaner. But once you experience high-end detailing, you’ll realize it’s not even a close comparison. At Coastal Coatings, we don’t just clean — we protect, preserve, and elevate. Here’s why professional detailing stands in a class of its own.
It’s Not Just Clean—It’s Corrected
Your local drive-thru wash might blast off dirt, but it also introduces micro-scratches and leaves behind residue. Professional detailing starts with a gentle, paint-safe wash and goes further—into paint correction, decontamination, and restoration. Swirls, oxidation, and fine scratches are carefully removed, not covered up.
Premium Products and Tools
We use professional-grade coatings, polishes, and tools that aren’t available at your local auto store or gas station. From pH-balanced cleansers to ceramic coatings that bond at a molecular level, every product we use is chosen for longevity and performance—not speed or volume.
Tailored Attention, Inside and Out
Your vehicle isn’t like anyone else’s—so why treat it like one of the crowd? Detailing is a custom experience, with services dialed in to your car’s age, usage, materials, and paint condition. We also go beyond the surface, revitalizing your interior with care that brings back that “new car” feel, minus the showroom markup.
A Smart Long-Term Investment
Professional detailing helps maintain your vehicle’s value, extends the life of paint and materials, and keeps your car (or boat or bike) looking showroom-level longer. In a coastal environment, that protection matters even more—salt air, sun, and sand are brutal if left unchecked.
The Coastal Coatings Difference
We combine expert-level technique with a deep respect for the machines we care for. Whether you’re bringing in your daily driver or your weekend toy, we treat it like it’s ours. You’re not just getting a service—you’re getting a partnership in preserving excellence.
