Why don't detailers know about "sealant"???
 

I read about sealant on here all the time, yet every time I ask a detailer if they're going to put a sealant on my car they all say "well, I use carnauba wax and that lasts 4 months." Many act like I'm a moron for asking for sealant because they consider wax a sealant, which, I guess technically it is, but there is a distinct difference, right? Maybe just every detailer within 50 miles of Boston sucks, because I cannot find one who's willing to even talk to me about sealant.

because there are trying to rip you off and save more time. i doubt if a lot of detailers actually "detail" i.e - buffing out by 1,2,3 step process. i bet many just throw on a glaze/wax and call it a day. need to do serious research if your looking to get your car detailed. i believe "real" detailing takes anywhere from 12-30 hours alone depending on how good you are at it, not someone telling you they'll be done within a days work unless they start from 8 a.m and end until near midnight. but hey, thats just me and my approach to how i detail my car. will do another detail this winter but hopefully it won't take 25 hours like it did last time. yikes.

^ what he said.

Even if you pay someone $500 for a 30 hour detail, they're only making $16/hr. Would you do it for $16/hr?

Maybe they're just playing dumb because sealant needs to cure for about 24 hours before waxing (if you're going that route, you could just stop st the sealant too)

If your detailer doesn't know what sealant is, they are a car washer and not a detailer, no matter how much they charge.

That's not necessarily true. Some do, some take far less time.

I'd venture to guess most of them are actually even using a sealant, even if they call it a wax. NXT is a classic example. Bottle even says wax...but it's a sealant...

A good wax should last longer.

Incorrect. Sealants consistently last longer than wax.

That being said...to me its the difference of what look you like better in combination of your color car as they do provide different looks and feel to your paint.

Thanks for all the answers, guys. It really bums me out that I can't find one real detailer in my area. Oh well. Maybe I should learn to do it myself, huh?

Absolutely!! Nothing beats putting your own sweat into your car. You'll appreciate it more.

OP, you are just talking to uniformed detailers, and the rest of you are giving true professional detailers a bad name. I'm a professional detailer and i work on anything from Camry's to Lamborghini's. Every job is different and requires different products and procedures. Detailing doesn't always take 30+ hours, there is no reason for someone with a Camry who just wants a clean car, to pay $1000+ for a full Paint correction (PART of detailing AKA buffing). A lot of cars I work on are just wash and waxes. It gets the vehicle totally clean and free of debris, and protected from most environmental attacks on the paint. Just because it wasn't buffed doesn't mean it isn't detailed.

When you talk about paint correction (using a buffer to remove defects like swirls and scratches from the paint) a lot of detailers, including myself, charge by the hour. For full paint correction (2-5 buffing steps) I charge $50 per hour with a minimum of 10 hours. This is for someone who wants their car to look better than new, as close to perfect as possible.

As for waxes vs. sealants, they are totally different and are used differently. Waxes tend to look better to most people. They give a deep wet look to paint that is hard to describe. However most waxes (most not all) only last for 3weeks to 3 months before they need to be reapplied. Personally I use waxes on most of my higher end vehicles since generally they are garage kept and not driven much. Sealants on the other hand have a plastic look to them. They leave the paint super glossy, but don't do much in the way of depth or wetness. However, sealants tend to last for 4-12 months depending on the product and condition the car is kept in. Hell, now they even have permanent coatings that will outlast the vehicles.

Hope that helps clear things up! :DOMO:

And to the OP, if you want to find a decent detailer in your area, check out one of many detailing forums. autogeekonline.net, detailingbliss.com etc.

Thanks for that, but the only one near me still has no listing for sealant. Guess I should call them. But take a look at this menu, seems like every other "detailer" in the area. Clay bar is always some sort of extra. Shouldn't that be standard? Auto Detailing Packages & Pricing | Cars & SUVs | The Toy Wash