Holidays, Travel & Seasons
Holidays, road trips, pollen, desert heat and spring cleanups: seasonal car-care problems and fixes.
What these cost
How we price| Service | Price range | Basis | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boat shrink-wrap | about $260 to $660 | for a 22-ft pontoonat $12 to $30 per foot of boat | Boat Shrink Wrap Cost and the Clean to Do First |
| Ceramic tint or glass coating | $100 to $850 | per vehicle | Ceramic Tint vs Glass Coating: Two Products, Two Prices, One Hot Car |
| Convertible top cleaning and protection | $50 to $100typical, for cleaning plus protectant on a standard cloth or vinyl topfull range $25 to $250 | per top | Convertible Soft Top Care for Spring: Fabric vs Vinyl, Plastic Windows and What Pros Charge |
| Underbody wash | $9.60typical, for one chain's tunnel tier with an underbody wash, extra per washfull range $9.60 to $50 | per wash or per tool | The Spring Underbody Wash After Salt Season: Self-Serve Wand, Undercarriage Attachment or Tunnel Add-On? |
Ranges are asking prices from providers' own pages, as quoted in each guide. Where a guide names a typical job, its typical range comes first and the full range under it. Per-foot prices show an estimate for a standard size, with the rate under it.
All 11 guides
Hiring a Detailer
Car Sat Outside All Season: The Safe First-Wash Order
Months parked outside leave crusted pollen, hard sap and bird spots. The safe order for the first wash, step by step, and when to stop and call a pro.
Holidays, Travel & Seasons
Costs
Ceramic Tint vs Glass Coating: Two Products, Two Prices, One Hot Car
Ceramic tint or glass coating$100 to $850per vehicle
Wheels, Glass & Headlights
Hiring a Detailer
Christmas Tree on Your Car: Protect the Roof, Remove Sap
How to strap a real Christmas tree to your car without scratching the roof, then get sap dots off the paint and pine needles out of the cabin and vents.
Holidays, Travel & Seasons
Hiring a Detailer
Convertible Soft Top Care for Spring: Fabric vs Vinyl, Plastic Windows and What Pros Charge
Convertible top cleaning and protection$50 to $100per top · typical, cleaning plus protectant on a standard cloth or vinyl top
Holidays, Travel & Seasons
Hiring a Detailer
Dusting a Car Between Washes: Duster, Waterless Spray or Leave It Alone
Car dusty a day after you washed it? When a wax duster is safe, when it scratches, how a waterless or rinseless wash works, and when to leave dust alone.
Holidays, Travel & Seasons
Costs
Boat Shrink Wrap Cost and the Clean to Do First
Boat shrink-wrapabout $260 to $660for a 22-ft pontoon$12 to $30 per foot of boat
Boats & RVs
Costs
Holiday Gifts for Someone Who Details Their Own Car
Gift ideas at $25, $50 and $100 for someone who details their own car: towels, a second bucket, a rinseless kit, a gift card or a pro detail. What to skip.
Holidays, Travel & Seasons
Ceramic Coating
Pollen or Rain on a New Ceramic Coating: First 24 Hours
Pollen or rain on a ceramic coating you applied yesterday? See what coating labels say about the first 24 hours, what to leave alone and when to top it.
Paint, Coatings & PPF
Costs
Road Trip Paint Protection: Cheap Ways to Guard the Front
Cheap front-end protection for a long road trip or move: wax for bugs, painter's tape or temporary film for stones, and a quick wipe at every fuel stop.
Holidays, Travel & Seasons
Costs
The Spring Underbody Wash After Salt Season: Self-Serve Wand, Undercarriage Attachment or Tunnel Add-On?
Underbody wash$9.60per wash or per tool · typical, one chain's tunnel tier with an underbody wash, extra per wash
Winter, Salt & Snow
Hiring a Detailer
Washing a Dark Car in Desert Heat With No Hose
No hose and a black car in desert heat? Learn why dark paint spots and how to wash it clean: rinseless at dawn, a coin-op bay at dusk, or both.
Holidays, Travel & Seasons