DetailerGildeTreatment
Car detailing. What it is, what it costs and who does it
Car detailing is the full return of a car to showroom condition: paint, interior, wheels, glass and engine bay, done by hand and panel by panel. It is not a wash with a wax on top.
- From
- € 395
- Up to
- € 1.595
- Time without your car
- 1 day
How it works
Car detailing: what happens step by step
- 01
Pre-wash with foam
The heaviest dirt is soaked and rinsed before anything touches the paint. This is the step that prevents most wash marks, and the one a drive-through wash skips.
- 02
Hand wash and decontamination
Two-bucket hand wash, then iron removal and clay so nothing is left in the pores to be dragged across the paint by a polishing pad.
- 03
Measuring and correction
Paint thickness is measured per panel before any material is taken off, then machine polishing in one or more stages depending on what is in the paint.
- 04
Interior
Vacuumed into the seams, leather cleaned and fed, panels and glass finished matt. The interior is done before the final polishing stage, so dust does not land on corrected paint.
- 05
Protection
A protective layer as the final step. Bare paint picks up the first swirls again within a few washes.
What it costs
Car detailing prices: what it costs at each level
Every level includes the one before it. The difference in price is not margin, it is the number of steps. All amounts exclude VAT.
- Thorough cleanfrom€ 395to € 595
For a car that needs to look right again and could use some gloss back in the paint.
Takes 1 day - With paint correctionfrom€ 595to € 895
For dark paint where the swirls genuinely have to go, not just become less visible.
Takes 1 to 2 days - Full, with coatingfrom€ 1.595
For a used car you are keeping: bring the paint back first, then protect it.
Takes 2 to 3 days
Frequently asked
What is the difference between detailing and a car wash?
A wash cleans. Detailing cleans and restores: the paint is machine polished, the interior is treated and protection goes on afterwards. That is the difference between roughly a hundred euros and several hundred.
What does car detailing cost in the Netherlands?
A thorough clean with a single polishing stage starts at €395 excluding VAT. With two-stage correction it runs €595 to €895. Full with a ceramic coating starts at €1,795.
How long does it take?
One to two days for a thorough clean, two to three days for the full treatment with a coating. That is curing time, not slow work.
Do you work in English?
Yes. Mention it in your request and we match you with a specialist who works in English. Around Amsterdam, Amstelveen and Eindhoven that is the norm rather than the exception.
How do I recognise a good detailer?
They measure before they polish, they show you what happens at each stage, and they tell you when something is not worth doing. Anyone who says yes to everything is earning on work you did not need.