Exterior car detailing in Burlington.

Wash a car for years and it still feels rough under your palm. That grit is not dirt in the usual sense. It is tiny metal particles from brake dust and rail lines, tar thrown up from fresh asphalt, and traffic film that bonds to clear coat and will not rinse off.

Exterior Revival is for the person whose car looks dull even though it is washed, whose paint feels like fine sandpaper, or who is about to wax, seal or coat and wants a clean surface first. It is also a sensible reset after a long Ontario winter.

It is the exterior half of The Full Detail, and it is the prep stage that comes before ceramic coating.

One thing worth knowing: a clay bar treatment is not polishing. It removes what is stuck on top of the paint, not what is scratched into it. That is why the result is a smooth, clean surface rather than a mirror finish, and why people are often surprised how different clean paint feels even when nothing has been corrected.

We start with the dirtiest parts and finish with the most visible ones, so grime never gets dragged onto clean paint.

1. Rinse the whole car to knock off loose dirt and grit before anything touches the paint.
2. Clean wheels, barrels and tires with dedicated brushes, since brake dust is the heaviest contamination on the car.
3. Foam the body and hand wash with clean mitts and a two-bucket method to limit scratching.
4. Spray iron remover on the paint and wheels and rinse once the purple reaction fades.
5. Dissolve tar spots around the rocker panels and rear quarters.
6. Clay the paint with lubricant until the surface glides, as explained in our clay bar guide.
7. Dry with soft towels, dress the tires and trim, and clean the exterior glass.
8. Walk around the car with you, panel by panel, and fix anything you point out on the spot.

Black, dark blue and dark grey cars show every flaw, so we take extra care with towels and wash media on those. On lighter cars, decontamination is often what reveals how much film was on the paint, because white and silver hide it until you run a hand across it.

Expect 1.5 to 3 hours. A lightly dirty daily driver finishes quickly. A car with heavy tar, a dark colour that shows every touch, or months of neglect takes longer because decontamination cannot be rushed.

Exterior work needs daylight and dry conditions, so we watch the forecast. If rain moves in, we reschedule at no charge or shift the car to a garage. Our guide to detailing timelines explains how each package compares.

Exterior details start from $103 $129. Sedans and coupes are the base price, and the number moves only for size and add-ons.

• SUV +$30, truck +$40, van or minivan +$50, exotic +$60.
• Winter salt mess +$40 if the car is crusted from the road.
• Every additional vehicle in the same booking is 20% off.

Headlight restoration and engine bay detailing can be added and are quoted with your vehicle. Send photos through the quote form and we reply with a tailored number, usually the same day.

Nothing is hidden in the price. A sedan with normal road dirt pays the base. A truck with a salty frame and wheel wells pays the base, the truck size add and, if needed, the salt mess add-on. You see the total before booking.

Decontaminated paint stays clean longer, but it is still bare unless something protects it. A few habits help.

• Wash by hand every two to three weeks, and rinse the underside and wheel wells after salty drives.
• Never take it through a brush-style wash. That is where many swirl marks start. Read what causes swirl marks.
• Remove bird droppings and tree sap quickly. Our guide on tree sap and bird droppings has the safe method.

If you want protection after the wash, The Full Detail adds a sealant, and ceramic goes a step further.

Spring is the best time of year for this package. By April the paint has been through months of salt, slush and sand, and a decon wash clears it before UV and warmth set the contamination harder. Our spring detailing guide explains why.

Exterior work uses a lot of water, and we bring our own along with power and lighting. That means no hose bib needed and no extended time on a wash bay lot. We work in driveways across Burlington and Oakville, from Lakeshore Road to the north-end subdivisions.

You can see the local pages for exterior detailing in Burlington and exterior detailing in Oakville for what that looks like in each place.

Compared with a car wash, the main difference is touch. Every panel gets hand attention, and you see the result in daylight before we leave.