Client notes

Will a rinseless wash scratch my paint?

Scratches come from grit dragged across paint, so the method is built around never dragging it. Each panel is soaked with a lubricating polymer solution that loosens dust and surrounds it, then lifted off with a plush microfiber towel turned to a clean face for every pass. Used towels never go back into the bucket. On ordinary LA dust, pollen and road film, that’s a gentle way to clean paint, dark paint included. On mud or packed sand it isn’t, which is why your detailer will stop and tell you instead of pressing on.

What happens on a monthly visit?

About 75 to 90 minutes for a car or SUV, a little longer for a three-row.

Outside: a rinseless hand wash, panel by panel, with a clean towel face for every pass. Wheels, tires and wheel wells. Glass inside and out. Door jambs. A spray sealant top-up on the paint.

Inside: seats, carpets, mats and trunk vacuumed. Steering wheel, shifter, screens and door pulls wiped down. Cupholders and console cleaned. Mats cleaned and put back.

What does a deep visit add?

Every third month, three to four hours: everything in the monthly visit, plus paint decontamination and clay where the paint needs it, a hand-applied sealant, leather cleaned and conditioned, steam on vents, seams and cupholders, spot extraction on carpets and cloth seats, and mats extracted and dried. Your first visit, the Baseline Detail, is a deep visit too.

Do you need my water, power or hose?

No water and no hose, ever. Your detailer brings the solution, towels and a cordless vacuum. On deep visits the steamer needs power: either the detailer’s own portable power unit or an outdoor outlet if you’re happy to share one. We’ll ask before the day.

What if my car is really dirty?

Dust, pollen, bird droppings and light road film are what this method is for. Thick mud, off-road soil or beach sand caked on the lower panels can need water we won’t let run into the street. If that’s your car, your detailer will say so before starting, do the interior, and offer a date for the outside once the worst is off. You aren’t billed for work that wasn’t done.

What do the rules in Los Angeles say?

In Los Angeles, whatever leaves a driveway flows to a storm drain and on toward the ocean, untreated, and under LA County stormwater rules only rain water may enter a storm drain. Washing a car at home is allowed with a hose fitted with a self-closing shut-off nozzle (LADWP water conservation ordinance). Water from our steam and extraction stays in the machine and leaves with your detailer.

EVs, matte paint, ceramic coatings?

EVs are welcome; the method is the same and there’s no water near the charge port. Ceramic-coated cars take well to a pH-neutral rinseless wash, and your detailer will skip the sealant top-up if your coating installer prefers. Matte or satin paint and wraps get matte-safe products and no sealant. Mention it when you choose your day.

Do you need me there?

No. The outside needs nothing from you. For the inside, choose what suits you: leave the car unlocked in your garage, hand over a spare fob, or meet your detailer at the start. We’ll settle it by email before your first visit. Your detailer locks up and sends the photo report when they leave.

Can you work in my apartment, condo or office garage?

Often, because there’s no water and no runoff. But a garage belongs to someone, and some buildings don’t allow outside vendors. Tell us the building when you choose your day. We’ll find out what management needs, usually a certificate of insurance naming the property, and arrange it with the detailing business before we confirm. Office garages are weekdays only, during building hours.

Is it the same detailer every time?

That’s our policy. We assign one detailer to your car and keep them on it. After a few visits they know the chip on the rear bumper and the gate code that sticks. If they’re sick or away, or the schedule can’t be kept, we email you the name of the person coming at least a day before, and your notes go with them.

How long does a visit take?

A monthly visit takes about 75 to 90 minutes for a car or SUV, a little longer for a three-row. Deep visits, including your first, take three to four hours.

When do I pay?

Your card stays in your wallet until the photo report arrives and you tap Pay. When your detailer finishes, you get an email with the photo report and a secure pay link, and that’s the first time payment comes up. There’s no deposit and no card needed to choose your day. Payments go through our card processor; we never see or store your full card number.

What does it cost?

Your first visit is the Baseline Detail: $229 for a car, coupe or sedan, $259 for an SUV or crossover, and $289 for a three-row SUV, van or full-size pickup. After that the Standing Detail is $139, $159 or $179 a month, with every third visit a deep one. A second car at the same address is $20 less a month. Heavy dog hair is $35 on visits that need it, and your detailer asks first. These prices hold for every request sent through February 28, 2027.

Can I pause or cancel?

Yes, by email, any time before your next visit is scheduled. We schedule seven days ahead, so a note a week before your day is enough. There’s no minimum term and no fee to leave. Pausing for a trip or a rainy month is fine.

What isn’t included?

Machine polishing to remove scratches, ceramic coatings, paint protection film, tint, dent repair, headlight restoration, engine bays, smoke or odor remediation, mold or biohazard cleanup, and any work on a public street. If you need one of those, we’ll tell you so and suggest where to look.

What if something is missed or damaged?

If anything on the checklist was missed, reply to your photo report within 48 hours. Your detailer comes back to fix it at no charge, usually within three service days, and if that still doesn’t put it right, the visit is free. If something is damaged, reply within 24 hours with a photo. The claim goes to the detailing business and its insurer, both named on your confirmation, and we stay on it with you until it’s settled.

Who are the detailers?

Waxwing is a young company, and Los Angeles is its only city. Our first details are carried out by independent Los Angeles detailing businesses. Before we book one, we check its City of Los Angeles business tax registration and current insurance certificate (general liability, plus garagekeepers coverage for cars in its care), and it completes a full trial detail to our checklist. Your confirmation email names the business, your detailer and the insurer before anyone arrives. We handle the schedule, the checklist, the photographs and the bill, and we answer for all of it.

Where do you go?

The Westside on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday: Brentwood, Westwood, West LA and Sawtelle, Rancho Park and Cheviot Hills, Palms, Mar Vista, Playa Vista, Westchester, and office garages in Century City.

The Valley along Ventura Boulevard on Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Toluca Lake, Studio City, Valley Village, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana and Woodland Hills.

We work on private property: driveways, carports, private garages and building garages that allow outside vendors. Some ZIP codes cross city lines, so we check your street address before confirming a date.

Do you come to Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Burbank or Pasadena?

Not yet. Each of those cities licenses businesses its own way, and some cities around Los Angeles require a separate permit for mobile washing. We’re starting inside the City of Los Angeles so every visit follows one set of rules. Enter your ZIP in Price your car and we’ll write when we’re cleared to work there.

Do you work on the street?

No. We work on private property: driveways, carports, private garages and building garages that allow it. That keeps the work away from storm drains and traffic, and your neighbors’ parking stays theirs.