Top Car Grooming Services in Singapore

What is car grooming?

Car grooming refers to the thorough cleaning, reconditioning, shining, and preservation of your vehicle’s exterior and interior. Car groomers are sometimes also referred to as “auto detailers” and the key difference is that detailing means restoration of specific areas that appear in need of restoration, rather than grooming which usually involves the entire vehicle.

Car grooming is solely cosmetic in nature and works on enhancing your vehicle’s current appearance. For professional paintwork and body repairs, you’re better off engaging the services of an auto workshop.

Difference between a car wash and car grooming?

Groomers usually employ tools which are not readily available in the market, and even if they are, proper skill is required in order to operate them optimally. This is what sets it apart from a typical car wash. Car washes generally removes the dirt and grime from the exterior and interior of the car but does nothing to enhance the presentation apart from restoring its former clean look.

A freshly groomed car will have every nook and cranny inspected, cleaned, buffed and polished, making the car look like it’s fresh out of the showroom. This is also the main reason for the cost comparison between both services, where a car wash can range from anywhere between $8 to $40 depending on the add-ons you choose. Whereas a grooming session may cost anywhere between $50 to >$1000 depending on the grade of products and services chosen.

In addition to the price, car washes often take about 20 minutes to an hour to complete from wash to drying. A grooming session, however, may take up to five hours if the most thorough package is chosen.

Why car grooming?

Owning a car is an expensive hobby, or necessity for some. Hence, there is an unspoken obligation to keep these vehicles looking pristine as a representation of their value, analogous to keeping your lavish accessories spotless and immaculate for the next wear. Besides, a well-maintained car can unarguably fetch better prices compared to an old beaten car when you’re looking to sell your car. Ever wondered how the used cars in the dealer’s showroom look so good all the time? Car grooming.

Apart from that, car grooming offers added protection against the harsh weather conditions that are inevitable in our tropical climate. The waxing which is often a part of the grooming process essentially adds a layer of protection to your paintwork, keeping it sealed away from the scorching sun and battering rain that’s full of contaminants.

Grooming costs, and what’s included?

Now, before you jump right into signing up for a lifetime’s worth of grooming packages, you should be well apprised of the costs involved and the services included. We did mention the price difference previously, but here’s the rundown of the individual services and their costs.

A basic grooming package can cost between $50 to $250 (yes, it is quite a range) and the package will likely include cleaning, which can be a normal wash or waterless wash (includes vacuuming the interior), basic polishing and waxing, and some minor touch-up of the exterior.

Some of the common add-ons will be (prices are largely dependent on the grade of product and size/type of car):

• Interior leather treatment ($30-50), repairs damage caused by the sun and provides a layer of protection
• Air-conditioner refresh/ cleaning ($15-30), gives fresh breath to the air-conditioning unit and cleans out unwanted odours
• Car fumigation ($10-30), kills pests and rids the vehicle of them
• Exhaust and rim shining/ de-greasing ($10-30), adds a layer of shine to the commonly observed appendages of the vehicle
• Headlights/ tail-lights restoration ($25-70), making sure you see the road clearly at night and ensuring you’re seen
• Glass coat paint protector ($150-600), a tier above a normal wax coating, protects and seal in the paintwork
• Ceramic coat paint protector ($500-1,200), the highest tier of protective coating you can get for your car, lasting with a pristine look, hydrophobic but not that wallet-friendly

The list provided above is non-exhaustive as most grooming packages can be further modified to cater to what your vehicle needs.

How to choose a car grooming service that suits your needs?

The thought of getting your vehicle all dolled up for the weekend may sound extremely exciting. However, every car is somewhat different, and hence, some research will help you decide what is best for your car. Besides, we are usually spoilt for choice when it comes to these popular services and deciding which to add-on may be quite daunting.

The best way forward will be to understand what each component of the grooming package means and then speak directly to the groomer/detailer and discuss about what is best for your vehicle. The package should be catered to you so you should be picky about the services you choose.

You should navigate the list provided with these principles in mind.

Services offered

When you decide on grooming your car, you may want a specific component of your car done up, like the headlights, but the packages offered by a groomer may not have that, and that will mean you’re better off looking for another package elsewhere.

Package rates

When considering the packages you want for grooming your car, it pays off to be calculative, since car grooming is inevitably expensive. So, it’s best that you do your math to make sure you get what you want at the best price there is out there.

Reviews from past customers

Looking up reviews of a place is fairly simple with the reach of the internet, and it is one reliable way to know what you’re signing up for since you get to hear from the consumers directly. Google is your best friend for this, and is generally more accessible than the traditional word-of-mouth reviews, but that usually works too.

Convenience

If you’re driving in Singapore, it should mean that you have a packed schedule and are most likely be needing your car pretty much most of the time. Hence, it is imperative that this be a consideration where the location, time required and flexibility in terms of pick-up, car rentals or even choice of mobile car grooming services should matter.

Where are the best car grooming workshops?

If you’re ready to parade your “good-as-new” ride down the streets of Singapore, here are some of the workshops that provide notable car grooming services.

Editor’s Note:

While every precaution has been made to ensure the accuracy and fairness of this listing, we acknowledge that they may be inaccuracies. Therefore, we urge you to contact the service provider above for the correct information and/or contact us with the correct information.

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