07/11/2026
A full detail in 1990 cost around $100. Dawn dish soap, Armor-All, grandad’s turtle wax.
That same $100 today has the buying power of about $245. And a professional detail in 2026 runs $300 or more meaning pricing hasn’t outpaced inflation. It’s kept pace with it.
But the bigger story here isn’t the price. It’s what the price buys now versus then.
In 1990, a full detail meant a hand wash, a vacuum, a wipe-down, one step wax, tire shine, and glass cleaning. That was the standard. That was the whole job.
Today, a proper detail starts with multi-stage decontamination like iron remover, clay bar treatment, surface prep before a machine ever touches the paint. Add machine polishing, interior deep steam cleaning, premium product application, and a finishing inspection and you start to understand why the price moved.
The process evolved. The chemistry evolved. The tools evolved. The standard of care evolved.
When someone calls a shop and balks at the price of a professional detail, this is the context they’re missing. You’re not paying more for the same thing. You’re paying for something the industry in 1990 didn’t even offer.
At Praxis Detailing the price reflects the process and the knowledge to get it done right. Every time.💯👌😎
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