Most of the people who have me detail their car on a regular basis book a full detail 2 to 3 times a year. That's the pattern I see after 26+ years of doing this, and it's a sensible place to start if you're wondering about car detailing frequency. The details below explain why, what to do in between, and when it pays to come sooner.
A full detail 2 to 3 times a year
My steadiest repeat customers tend to come about twice a year for a full detail with a complete interior. Others book a third visit in the year. Either way, each visit covers the whole vehicle: the interior shampooed and heat-extracted, the leather cleaned and conditioned, the outside washed and decontaminated, and a fresh hand wax on the paint.
Coming back on that kind of schedule keeps each visit a maintenance job. Not all damage can be fixed later, and regular maintenance is what prevents a lot of it.
You can see everything a visit includes on my full car detail page.
What to do between details
Wash it regularly. Between details, a wash about every three weeks is a good rhythm, and a hand wash is what I'd use.
How it gets washed matters as much as how often. A lot of the swirl marks I see on paint come from washing: years of automatic brushes, or a dirty wash mitt dragged across the panels. Those swirls build up slowly, and the heavier they get, the more correction they take. That's why I tell people to skip the drive-through.
Signs your car needs attention sooner
Some things shouldn't wait for the next detail.
A fresh stain. Most stains come out, but older, set-in ones are the hardest. A spill that gets worked on soon has a better chance than one that's sat for months.
An odor. Smoke takes a complete interior detail. Food smells respond to enzyme cleaner and heat extraction. Rodent odors are harder and don't always clear completely. Whatever the smell, I'll find the source and treat it.
Water spots. If your sprinklers hit the car, mineral spots can build up. Most true mineral water spots come off, but the heavier the buildup, the more work it takes.
Fading plastic, trim and leather. Black trim that has faded all the way to gray usually won't go back to black, and anything put on it after that is temporary. Leather that has gone dry and faded is unlikely to come back. Keeping both conditioned is what stops them getting that far. The dressing I put on the dash and plastics wears off over time too, which is one more reason regular details help.
Swirling on an older car. Swirl-like marks on older paint are sometimes clear coat that's breaking down. Once the clear has failed, it can't be polished out. At a point, it's simply too late, and regular care is what keeps a vehicle from reaching it.
A coated car still needs regular care
A ceramic coating doesn't mean you can stop washing. Regular washes are what keep a coating doing its job. The coating makes those washes easier, because dirt and grime come off a coated surface more readily, but it still needs them.
I expect a coating to last about five years in real-world conditions. That's my own expectation, not a promise, and how the coating is looked after is a big part of it. Automatic washes and skipped maintenance take time off it.
When it does wear out, the paint can be washed, clayed and polished in one stage, then recoated. More on how coatings work is on my ceramic coating page.
Company vehicles run on their own schedule
Company vehicles work differently, because a fleet account runs on a schedule set for that business. I come weekly, every two weeks or every three weeks, monthly, one-time as needed, or on another schedule we agree, depending on what the business wants.
What each visit covers is set per account too. Some accounts want only a wash. Others add a vacuum and wipe-down, an interior or exterior detail every so often, or a complete detail when a vehicle goes to a new driver. The fleet detailing page goes through how that's arranged.
If it's been more than a year since your car was last detailed, a full detail is the place to start. Send me your vehicle's year, make and model through the quote request form, and I'll come back with a price for it.