Washing your car is like giving your vehicle a bath. You’re using soap and water to wash away dust, dirt, and debris that accumulates each time you hit the road or park your car outside, exposed to the elements. All you need to wash your car is a supply of water and a quality car wash cleaning solution or soap. Detailing, on the other hand, is much more detail-oriented work. When you detail your car, you clean and protect every inch of your car’s exterior — and potentially the interior too. Detailing involves more in-depth cleaning, and it requires more specialized products and tools. You need a clean car in order to detail your car, so you could call a car wash the first step of the detailing process.