The main difference between car washing and auto detailing is how in-depth the cleaning is. A car wash is a surface clean meant to keep environmental debris from harming your car's clear coat. An auto detailing is a maintenance service that extends the life of most external and some internal components of your car.

: the meticulous cleaning and refurbishing of an automobile. While some owners prefer to clean their own vehicle, a complete auto detailing may be worth the cost, especially when done by professionals.

It would not be wise to compare both services as they serve different purposes – while general cleaning takes care of surface-level issues; detailing takes care of deeper inside problems like cracks on leather or dash.