From the outside, your car may look perfectly fine. You have had it for some time now and have been religiously giving it your version of a car wash every weekend or so. But while your car may seem to be in perfect working condition to your untrained eye, a mobile detailing expert may still find certain issues that you miss out on during your cleaning sessions.

What Lies Beneath

So what red flags will alert you that it’s time to call in the professionals? Here are a couple of things to watch out for:

1. 1. Tell-tale odors. No amount of carpet shampoo or air freshener can mask the unmistakable odor of a dirty car. Good car care hygiene dictates that you should vacuum the interior of your car every now and then, but there will come a point in time when vacuuming will not be enough. Mobile detailing use specially-formulated cleaning products that will eliminate the dirt, dust, and allergens lurking in your car and make it smell good once more.
   2. Stains that refuse to come out. There are a couple of do-it-yourself stain removal tips that you can perform for specific types of stains, but some still leave a kind of shadow on the fabric that may not come out at all. If your originally off-white car seat cover is now grayish, you have to schedule a detailing appointment soon.
   3. Pesky gearshift, stuck buttons, creaky vents. Mobile detailing is not just about restoring your car’s beauty inside and out. It’s also about helping your car perform at top condition as well. Dirt, dust, and animal hair can accumulate in the smallest spaces of your car and prevent various components from working smoothly. This will certainly affect your driving experience, and may even pose some safety issues on the road.
   4. Scratches, dents, and dings. A rather obvious way to check if your car needs detail work is to assess the finish. Is the paint still rich and shiny? Are there no bald spots, hairline web of scratches or coin-sized dents? While there are some paintless dent removal techniques you can try, it’s still best to have the detail professionals take a look at your car and fix it up for you.
   5. Damaged tires. Brake dust can sit on your wheels and eat away at the coating and the metal. Not a lot of car owners pay attention to cleaning and waxing their wheels, but mobile detailing experts know that this is a very important place to maintain if you want to keep your car running smoothly for a long time.

Mobile detailing professionals have the training, the tools, and the knowledge that enable them to spot and address even the tiniest car problems. That’s certainly more than you can say for the average car owners, and even avid car buffs rarely reach this level of expertise. So if you want to keep your car looking good and working well, it’s best to check with the professionals every now and then.