How Often Should You Get Your Car Professionally Detailed to Maintain Its Value?

[grannysome]

I’ve been wondering about this for a while and finally decided to ask. How often do you guys actually get your car professionally detailed to keep its value? I’m not talking about quick washes, but real detailing. I daily drive my car year-round, including winter, and I try to keep it clean, but professional detailing isn’t cheap either. Some people say once a year is enough, others say every few months. Curious what real people do, not what marketing pages say.

 

[Lamark1991]

Good question, Mike. From my own experience, it really depends on how you use the car and what you expect long-term. I’ve owned my current SUV for 6 years now and I usually do a full professional detail about twice a year. Once in the spring to recover from winter damage (salt, grime, interior dirt) and once in the fall before cold weather hits again. That routine has worked well for me so far.

I tried skipping a year once, thinking regular washes would be enough, but the paint started to feel rough and the interior just didn’t look as fresh. A proper detailing session goes way beyond what you can realistically do at home, especially paint decontamination and interior deep cleaning. I’ve also used mobile services a few times, which honestly made it easier to stick to a schedule. I checked out https://detaily.ca/
last year when I didn’t have time to drive anywhere, and having someone come to me made a big difference.

For resale value, consistency matters more than frequency. Buyers notice swirl marks, worn interiors, weird smells — all small things that add up. You don’t need monthly detailing, but ignoring it for years definitely shows.