Exterior Car Detailing
Get a smooth, glossy finish with professional mobile exterior car detailing at your home, office, or preferred location in Orange County.
Our Exterior Detail includes a careful hand wash, wheel cleaning, iron removal, clay bar treatment, and ceramic spray protection. This process removes road grime, brake dust, tree sap, overspray, and other contaminants that a basic car wash may leave behind.
The result is a finish that looks crisp and satisfying to admire.
What's Included In Our Exterior Car Detailing Service
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Pre-wash (breaks down dirt and grime)
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Thorough hand wash
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Brush crevices (grill, gas cap, emblems)
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Iron removal (dissolves embedded iron particles from brake dust and industrial fallout)
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Clay bar treatment (removes remaining bonded contaminants such as tar residue, overspray, tree sap, and stubborn particles)
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Thorough wheel cleaning (lug nuts, wheel barrel, fender well)
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Glass cleaning (inside and out)
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Ceramic spray (enhances gloss to paint and adds 6 month protection)
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Plastic trim dressing (restores depth and richness to faded plastic trim)
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Tire shine
Exterior Car Detailing Prices
Exterior Detail starts at $139, with pricing based on vehicle size.
Sedan/Coupe
Full Size
Truck/Suv
Mid Size
Truck/Suv
$179
$159
$139
time: 1.5 hrs
time: 2.5 hrs
time: 2 hrs
Vehicle Bundle
Save when multiple vehicles are serviced at the same location during one appointment.
Exterior Detailing Add-On Services
Paint Scuff Removal
Our scuff mark removal service uses careful polishing to reduce or eliminate surface-level scuffs and paint transfer, restoring a clean, even finish. This process smooths the affected area and blends it back into the surrounding paint so the damage is far less noticeable. The result is clearer, more uniform paint and a noticeably improved appearance, often making the scuff disappear entirely. Learn more about our Paint Scuff Removal service.
1-Step Polish
Our One-Step Polish is a light paint correction service designed to enhance your vehicle’s gloss, clarity, and color while reducing light swirl marks, haze, and oxidation. Using a single-stage machine-polishing process, we refine the paint to create a smoother, brighter, and more reflective finish. It is ideal for newer or well-maintained vehicles that need a noticeable refresh without intensive correction. If your paint has swirl marks, haze or light oxidation that cleaning alone cannot correct, explore our Paint Correction services.
Ceramic Coating
Take your Exterior Detail to the next level with a professional Ceramic Coating. Unlike short-term waxes and sealants, ceramic coating bonds with your vehicle’s clear coat to deliver years of enhanced gloss and durable paint protection. Its hydrophobic surface helps repel water, dirt, road grime, and environmental contaminants while making your vehicle easier to maintain. Explore our 3, 5 and 7- year protection options to preserve that freshly detailed finish for significantly longer.
Who Is Our Exterior Detailing Prefect For?
Car Enthusiast
Keep your vehicle looking sharp with professional exterior detailing focused on paint cleanliness, gloss, smoothness and overall presentation.
Hasn't Detailed In Months
Months of road grime can leave paint feeling rough and looking dull. Our decontamination process removes buildup that ordinary washing can leave behind.
Sports Car Owners
Enhance the reflections, gloss and paint clarity that make the body lines and curves of your vehicle stand out.
People Who Park Outside
Tree sap, road grime and other contaminants can accumulate quickly on vehicles stored outdoors. Our exterior detailing process removes that buildup and restore a cleaner, smoother finish.
Don't Just Take Our Word For It
Exterior Detailing Before & After Results
Exterior Car Detailing FAQs
What is iron removal?
Iron removal is a chemical decontamination process that safely dissolves embedded iron particles, such as brake dust and road contamination, from your vehicle’s paint and wheels. These particles cannot always be removed with a regular wash and may leave the surface feeling rough or cause small rust-colored spots over time. Iron removal creates a cleaner, smoother surface and properly prepares the vehicle for polishing, waxing, or ceramic coating.
What does a clay bar treatment do?
A clay bar treatment removes bonded contaminants from your vehicle’s paint that a regular wash cannot eliminate, including road grime, brake dust, industrial fallout, and light overspray. This process leaves the paint feeling noticeably smoother and creates a properly prepared surface for polishing, waxing, or ceramic coating.
Does an exterior detail remove bugs?
Yes. Our Exterior Detail service removes bugs and other bonded contaminants through a combination of chemical and mechanical decontamination performed across the entire vehicle. Specialized products break down stubborn bug residue, while safe contact methods lift the remaining contamination from the surface. If bug residue has already etched or stained the clear coat, polishing may be required to fully correct the affected area.
What is the difference between a exterior detail and a regular hand car wash?
A professional hand wash removes loose dirt and grime from the surface of your vehicle. An Exterior Detail goes several steps further. Our Exterior Detail includes a thorough hand wash followed by iron removal and clay bar treatment to remove embedded and bonded contaminants that normal washing may leave behind. The paint is then finished with ceramic spray protection to enhance gloss and provide longer-lasting protection. If your vehicle simply needs routine upkeep, a maintenance service may be the better option. If the paint feels rough, has accumulated months of buildup, or you want a noticeably smoother and glossier finish, an Exterior Detail is the better choice. Looking to just maintain the cleanliness of your vehicle? learn more about our Maintenance Detail service.
How long does the ceramic spray protection last?
Our Exterior Detail includes ceramic spray protection designed to provide up to six months of protection. Actual durability can vary based on driving conditions, weather exposure, washing habits and how the vehicle is stored.
Exterior Car Detailing Throughout Orange County
Shine Elixir provides mobile exterior car detailing throughout Orange County and surrounding cities, bringing professional hand washing, paint decontamination, wheel cleaning, and exterior protection directly to your home or workplace. Whether your vehicle needs months of buildup removed or you simply want to restore a smoother, glossier finish, we make professional exterior detailing convenient by coming to you anywhere within our service area.