Perfection Plus Auto Salon's BLog

Winter here in Central Oregon can be very harsh on both the inside and outside of your vehicle. With all the snow, deicer , cinder , dirt , grime and other contaminants all over the road , I thought I would share some things to make your vehicle maintenance easier this winter. Exterior surfaces on your car can take a beating from the winters here in Bend , Redmond , Sisters and Prineville. The cinders and deicer chip and eat away at your vehicles paint , chrome , trim , wheels and glass. Whats the best way to combat these issues ? Frequently washing your vehicle by hand with a ph neutral soap is the optimal way . We recommend rinseless washing your vehicle . Check out our youtube video on rinseless washing: Interior surfaces suffer from cinders , mud , dirt , water saturation and so forth . For interior care here in central Oregon we recommend vacuuming out your vehicle once a month and cleaning your interior surfaces and floor mats every other month or as needed based on the weather . Doing this prevent smells such a mildew and bacterial odors as well as keeps your car looking great ! Hope these tips help! Shane Mayfield Perfection Plus Auto Salon Redmond Oregon 

Everyone loves a new car ….. There’s no doubt about that. But not everyone like the high price tag that comes along with it. Well the next best option is to have your vehicle professionally detailed, but how do you determine a good detailer ? Ill look into this and more in this current blog. First lets start with what type of detailing your interested in . Are you liking the idea of a mobile detailer coming to your home , working in your driveway on your vehicle or taking it to a shop location ? There are a lot of guys out there offering mobile detailing services because it is low overhead , easy to start up and they can buy products at walmart or local auto parts stores. But is that what you really want ? Although there are a lot of professional mobile detailers as well. We offer both mobile and in shop services for most detailing projects http://www.perfectionplus.biz It is always better to bring your vehicle to a shop location to have your vehicle detailed. Most detailing projects require a controlled environment to properly detail in and cannot be effectively done outdoors. Next on the list is education and experience. A good knowledgable detailer will have at least 5 years experinece in the field. They should also have some professional training under there belt as well as be certified by the International Detailing Association , They are like ASE certifications for detailers similar to what a mechanic would get for training. Make sure to do the homework , get references and research the detailer your deciding to use. They should be licensed and insured as well.

In the auto detailing there seems to be this misconception among consumers that all detailers and detailing are equal . As a 15 year veteran of this industry I can guarantee you that couldn’t be farther from the truth. There a many different levels of detailing and detailers. In this article I’m going to break this down for you . I’ve said this before , anyone can honestly “detail” a car . Its doesn’t take a degree or years of experience to do basic car cleaning . That’s the exact reason why just about anyone can open a car wash or detail shop , its also the reason you as a consumer need to be cautious on what detailer you choose and educate yourself on what to expect from an educated , experienced detailer . Lets start with basic detailers and basic details . A basic detailer to me is someone who has less than 5 years professional experience , very minimal time using a polishing tool and minimal knowledge of chemicals , there uses and proper procedures. While they can make your vehicle look good , 99% of the time they are using the wrong product on the wrong material , going as fast as they can to make as much money as they can and don’t take much consideration in making sure your vehicle is detailed safely with proper products, minimal chemicals , and correct protection . They usually offer basic packages and lack the knowledge to properly remove or repair defects . These types of details and detailers are more budget friendly but are not healthy for your vehicles longevity and quite possibly your loved ones. If your vehicle is still full of chemicals when you get it back from the detail and you put your pets , children etc in the vehicle they are being exposed to the off gassing of these products. Next lets talk about the journey man level detailer and detail shop. At this level your vehicle should be nearly restored back to like new condition , the detailer should be able to perform multi step paint correction with out leaving buffer trails , swirl marks etc in your vehicles finish, they should also have a multi step stain removal process and products to remove specific types of stains . They should have better knowledge of chemicals , there uses , knowledge of types of stains such as protein, tannin , ink etc. They should also offer different levels of protection for your vehicle not just basic waxes or sealants. They should also be IDA certified and have some kind of proper training under there belt. There services are a bit more expensive than the basic detailer but still affordable and you can feel safer knowing that they have safely detailed your vehicle , rinsed any chemicals out of the vehicle etc.  The Master level detailer is rare , even after 15 years in this industry I don’t consider myself a master level detailer. These detailers have unmatched skills, knowledge ,tools and products . They are who everyone is this industry thrives to be . They charge a premium for there details but the results are second to none. This level of detailing and detailer is usually reserved for the higher end of the market . They use premium products , they practice using the least aggressive method to safely clean and protect your vehicle . They always take into account the preservation of your vehicle . They are willing to spend countless hours to achieve the ultimate level of near perfection . Please choose your detailer wisely , your vehicle is your second largest investment . You should do your research and spend the amount of money necessary to have your vehicle properly detailed and protected.

I have a lot of clients this time of year who ask “why should i do the outside of my car in the winter its just going to get dirty”. While that is true, the answer to that question is simple. PROTECTION, with all the bad chemicals, salts, cinders and everything else on the road your vehicle needs to be protected. Thats where a ceramic sealer or Carnuba Wax comes in . Also it is not good for for your vehicles exterior materials to be left in chemicals, salts, cinder etc , as these harsh things will break down your vehicles plastics , chrome , glass , and paint. This leads to expensive repairs and rust damage. My recommendation is to protect your vehicle before the first heavy snow of the year . Wash your vehicle after each passing storm and have your undercarriage rinsed at lease once during this time of year to prevent rusting and corrosion of your suspension parts, frame , underbody etc. Even though you don't get to enjoy the wow factor of a nice shiny exterior for very long during this time of year it is still a idea to have it protected for the harsh weather.

This is a great article from Washos blog:

Here in central Oregon we have a harsh climate for vehicles , not just in winter but in summer to . In 8 years in the detailing business here , I’ve noticed that every winter people seem to only want there interior cleaned not the exterior because its winter . I understand the thinking : Why should I have the outside detailed its just going to get dirty right away. In this blog I’m going to explain why. In Winter there are a number of environmental hazards here in Oregon that you should be conscious of , cinder , de-icer, road salt , road oil , tar , snow , dirt , debris , and the list could go on . Having your car detailed just prior to winter is ideal , a fresh coat of sealant , ceramic coating or wax goes along way to protecting your vehicles paint , chrome , plastics , and glass from the environmental hazards. Even in the middle of winter if you haven’t waxed or protected your vehicles exterior in a while it is a good idea to get a fresh coat of protection applied . That’s one of the benefits of having your exterior detailed : PROTECTION . Even though you don’t get to enjoy the shine of your vehicles freshly waxed paint , you do get the piece of mind knowing that your investment is protected! Also a fresh exterior detail , done by a professional detailer will make getting all that road grime, cinder and de-icer a lot easier to remove . Your vehicle will look a lot better after winter because it had been protected through out the harshest time of the year.

“What is the difference between a ceramic coating and a wax job” . This is a question im being asked more and more . Ceramic coating are starting to become more and more popular among car protection and for good reason , they are the future of how vehicle protection. Lets talk waxes and sealants first : Even the best waxes in the world protect your vehicle for a maximum of 3-4 months , they diminish with every car wash , every passing day . They look great initially but within about a week or so the luster starts to fade, so does the protection. Paint Sealants usually are polymer based and last 6-12 months , again diminishing with every wash , drive , etc . The benefits of these are short term but they are a cheaper option.  I consider waxes and sealants old technology when it comes to vehicle protection. Vehicle protection technology has advanced 10x in the last 5 years , from sio2 9h rated coatings , to material (aluminum,plastic,glass ) specific coatings that are engineered to protect only that . We have a plethora of different coatings to give consumers total vehicle protection both inside and out.

In the detailing world when it comes to polishing paint , soft paint is a detailers worst nightmare. Some describe as trying to polish pudding. It takes a lot of practice , technique and proper equipment to polish it safely and efficiently. The current shop project, this 1997 Porsche Boxster is no exception . Porsche’s are known for soft paint, some of the softest in the industry. For this project after measuring the thickness of the paint and doing numerous test spots to determine what pad and polish would be the safest. I determined that damp polishing would bring the severely neglected paint back to its maximum potential in the safest possible way . Damp polishing goes against what most body shops and detailers are taught their whole career, most are taught to use a high speed rotary polisher with an aggressive wool pad and aggressive compounds. This method heats the paint up very quickly and removes the vehicles clear coat harshly. Damp polishing is a technique that uses water, spray wax , or rinse less wash sprayed on the pad of choice to aid in keeping the heat to a minimum. With the damp pad and low speed polishing we are able to polish soft paint safely and not potentially cause clear coat failure from heating up the clear coat and thinning it down to the point of no return. 

I care for every vehicle that comes to our shop for service like I would want my vehicle treated , not because I own the place and want to make a great impression on my customer but because Im a car guy. To me a car guy , a true car guy respects everything auto related , we might have our preferences of brands, makes , models , etc but at the end of the day we have a special place in our hearts for this niche.I care for every vehicle that comes to our shop for service like I would want my vehicle treated , not because I own the place and want to make a great impression on my customer but because Im a car guy. To me a car guy , a true car guy respects everything auto related , we might have our preferences of brands, makes , models , etc but at the end of the day we have a special place in our hearts for this niche. I got the “car bug” at an early age , my mom was epileptic and could not drive , my dad wasn't around a lot. We had this guy that lived in our neighborhood who had a really loud old car , it was red oxide premiered and us kids would hear him fire that thing up and run out to the street to see what was making that sound. He would gives us rides in it every now and then and do burnouts and doughnuts with us . Its one of my best childhood memories. The car was a 1966 Chevy Chevelle Super Sport. The first time he told us what kind of car it was , it was instantly burned in my brain 66 Chevy Chevelle super sport . I must have said it a hundred times that day . I would tell everyone that i got to ride in a 66 Chevy Chevelle super sport. That was the day I began to fall for cars.

Heres a great article on how dirty vehicle interiors actually are: