Exterior Detailing in South Lake Tahoe, CA

Three exterior levels

If the cabin is in decent shape and the outside is what bothers you, an exterior-only detail is the way to go. Sedan prices:

Exterior Refresh, $129: pre-rinse, foam cannon, hand wash, air and towel dry, rim and tire detail and tire shine
Exterior Renew, $155: all of Refresh, plus bug removal, clay bar, trim and plastic shine and wax
Exterior Reshine, $399: all of Renew, plus a step-one machine polish and a wax buff

Sand is the enemy of a safe wash

The traction sand spread on mountain roads is great for grip and hard on paint. It sprays up and sticks to the rocker panels, the backs of the doors, the bumpers and the wheels. If you wipe a sandy car with a sponge, or run it through a brush wash, that grit gets dragged across the clear coat. The result is a web of fine scratches you see every sunny day.

So we don’t touch the paint until the sand is gone. We start with a long, low rinse on the lower half of the car and the wheel wells. Then a thick foam soaks in and loosens the film that de-icer leaves behind. Only after that do we hand wash, top to bottom, with clean mitts. Wheels get their own brushes, so brake dust and grit stay off the paint.

Drying matters just as much. In thin, dry mountain air, water spots form fast. We blow water out of mirrors, grilles and door gaps with air, then finish with soft, clean towels before anything can dry on the paint.

We bring our own filtered water, so a frozen spigot at the cabin doesn’t matter.

Mercedes G-Wagon covered in foam during a foam cannon pre-wash

Mercedes G-Wagon covered in foam during a pre-wash.

Our process

Grit off first, shine last.

We rinse the grit off before we touch the paint. That’s how you avoid swirl marks.

01

Low rinse

We flush sand and de-icer from the rockers, bumpers, wheels and wheel wells.

02

Foam soak

Foam clings to the paint and loosens road film and pollen before any mitt touches it.

03

Hand wash and dry

Clean mitts, top to bottom, then air and soft towels so water doesn’t spot in the sun.

04

Decontaminate

On Renew and Reshine, bug removal and clay bar take off bonded grit and fresh sap.

05

Protect

Trim shine, tire shine and wax. Reshine adds a machine polish before the wax.

Orange Ram TRX truck after an exterior detail

Pine sap, pollen and summer dust

Once the snow is gone, the trees take over. Cars parked under pines collect sticky dots of sap that harden in the sun. Late spring adds a yellow layer of pollen that gets into every seam and settles in water as it dries. Summer brings fine dust from dry trails and dirt roads.

Fresh sap usually lifts off during the wash and clay bar. Sap that has hardened for weeks takes more patience and the right solvent, and that extra time is our $100 tar, sap and contaminants add-on. We go slowly on old sap. Scrubbing hard can mar the paint underneath, and a faint mark may stay where sap sat for a long time.

The clay bar in the Renew and Reshine also pulls out bonded grit and road film that a wash leaves behind. Run your hand across the hood afterward and it should feel smooth.

Sun at 6,200 feet

There’s less air above you up here, so more UV reaches the car. Black plastic trim turns gray, and clear coat on the roof and hood dulls first. The trim shine in the Renew brings back a darker, even look, and the wax adds gloss and a light layer of protection.

Glass gets the same care. Pollen, road film and de-icer leave a haze on the windshield that smears when the wipers run. We clean all exterior glass so it’s clear in low winter sun.

Wax lasts weeks, not years. If your car lives outside in Tahoe all year, ask about a ceramic coating for protection that lasts through several winters.

Through the year

Here’s a simple rhythm that works for many Tahoe cars:

Mid-winter, on a mild day: an Exterior Refresh to get de-icer off the lower panels and wheels
Spring thaw: an Exterior Renew to clay off a winter of road film and add wax
After pollen season: a Refresh to clear the yellow film from paint, glass and cowl
Fall: an Exterior Reshine before the snow, so the paint goes into winter polished and protected

We work in winter when the weather lets us, and a garage makes it much easier. If a storm moves in, we’ll reschedule. If the inside needs work too, our full detailing packages cover both.

Pricing

Exterior Detailing prices

Prices are for a sedan; vehicle size, hardened sap or heavy road film and the level you choose set the price, and we confirm it first.

Sedan pricing. SUVs, trucks and larger vehicles are priced by size; custom jobs are quoted.

Recent work

Work from our team

Red Toyota Tacoma TRD truck after a wash and detail

Black Volvo XC90 with spot-free paint after detailing

C8 Corvette in thick foam during a hand wash at the owner’s home

Book online

Book exterior detailing in South Lake Tahoe

We come to you anywhere in South Lake Tahoe, Meyers, Tahoe Keys, Stateline and nearby. Open 7 days, 6 AM – 11 PM.

FAQ

Exterior Detailing questions

Can you wash my car in winter?

Yes, on days when the weather allows. A garage helps a lot. If it’s too cold or a storm hits, we’ll move your visit.

Can you get old pine sap off?

Usually, yes. Fresh sap comes off in the wash and clay. Hardened sap takes extra time, which our $100 add-on covers, and very old spots may leave a faint mark.

Do you clean wheel wells?

We rinse and clean the wheel wells and lower panels as far as we can reach from the side. We don’t lift the car.

Is a hand wash really safer than a brush car wash?

Yes, especially in Tahoe. Brushes drag road sand across the paint. Rinsing and foaming first lets grit fall away before we touch the car.

How long does wax last up here?

A few weeks to a couple of months, depending on sun, snow and how often the car is washed. A ceramic coating lasts much longer.

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