Every three to four months for most cars. That is the interval where contamination has not had time to bond to the paint and the interior has not started holding smells.
Everything below is about what moves that number.
Detailing is maintenance, not cleaning
A wash removes what is sitting on the paint. Detailing removes what is stuck in it, then leaves protection behind so it takes longer to happen again.
Clay bar pulls out embedded iron and industrial fallout that a wash mitt slides straight over. A sealant gives the next round of contamination something to sit on other than your clear coat.
Wait long enough and it stops being maintenance. Swirls have to be machine polished out. Set-in stains have to be extracted. Both cost considerably more than staying ahead of them.
What moves the interval
Daily drivers — every three to four months
Highway miles mean salt in winter, pollen in spring and road film year round. Quarterly keeps it from accumulating.
Family cars — interior more often than exterior
Car seats, spilled drinks and ground-in snacks work faster than weather does. Most families are better off with an interior service every other month and a full detail quarterly.
Collector and garage-kept cars — twice a year, minimum
Low mileage does not mean no maintenance. Leather dries out whether the car moves or not, and dust that settles for months gets wiped into the paint the first time someone runs a cloth over it. If it gets driven on weekends, quarterly is better.
Work trucks — monthly
Mud, tools and job site grit are abrasive. Monthly costs less than replacing a bed liner or living with a cab that smells.
St. Louis is harder on cars than most places
Winter is the expensive one. Road salt is corrosive and it does not stay on the road. It collects in wheel wells, along rocker panels and underneath, where nobody looks until something is rusting. A sealant before the first freeze and regular washes through the season is the cheapest insurance there is.
Spring is about the interior. Pollen gets into the cabin filter and the vents, not just onto the hood.
Summer is UV. Heat and sun oxidize unprotected clear coat and dry out leather and dash plastics. This is when protection earns its keep.
Autumn is sap and leaves. Tree sap etches if it sits, and wet leaves trapped at the base of the windscreen block drainage.
Where to start
If it has been more than a year, start with a reset rather than a maintenance wash — The Refresh or The Knockout, depending on how far it has gone. Once the paint is decontaminated and protected, The Tune-Up every few months holds it there.
If you are not sure which end of that you are on, call and describe the car. You will get a straight answer, including if the answer is that it does not need much.
Book a detail or call (314) 223-2988.
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