Car detailing services: full catalogue and how to combine them

To an ordinary owner, all car detailing services look like one pile of words: polishing, ceramic, film, dry cleaning, tinting, glass repair, wash, vinyl wrap. What any given car needs, what to do first, what to postpone — it is not obvious. This piece is a catalogue of eight major car detailing service categories in Tbilisi, Georgia: what each does, who it is for, what it costs, and how to sequence. At the end — the answer to the main question when everything seems to need doing at once: where to start if the budget is tight.

Car detailing is the umbrella term for procedures that restore a car close to factory condition and extend its service life beyond what a wash provides. Detailing works in layers: clearcoat, interior material, glass, vulnerable body zones. Each layer is a separate service with its own chemistry, equipment, and service life.

The eight categories fall into three groups. Baseline hygiene (wash, interior dry cleaning) — done regularly, costs little. Appearance restoration (polishing, glass repair) — every 1-2 years. Long-term protection (ceramic, PPF, tinting, vinyl) — once or every few years, service life 2-10 years.

What it is. PPF is a 150-200 micron clear polyurethane film on the clearcoat, physically protecting against rocks, gravel, sand, branches. The only detailing service that protects against mechanical damage.

Who it is for. Near-new cars (1-3 years) with long-term ownership plans. Drivers on Tbilisi-Batumi and Tbilisi-Kutaisi highways with constant gravel. SUVs in mountain roads. Premium-segment cars where a single-panel respray is expensive.

What it costs. Front group — from 2500 ₾. Hood — from 800 ₾, bumper — from 900 ₾, headlights — from 350 ₾, panoramic roof — from 900 ₾, windshield — from 1100 ₾. Full colour change in protective film — from 9000 ₾. BESTAUTO runs Llumar, LuxArmor and Quantum, all with a 10-year warranty. Details: PPF paint protection film.

Combines with polishing (mandatory before PPF), ceramic, tinting. Does not combine with vinyl on the same zones.

What it is. A thin SiO₂-based layer on polished clearcoat, producing a hydrophobic surface: water, dirt, salt bead off. Protects against chemistry, UV, light wash marks. Does not protect against physical impact — not film.

Who it is for. Owners after polishing who want to extend the effect. Drivers who wash often (ceramic coating makes washing 2-3x easier). Cars parked in the sun — UV protection slows colour fade.

What it costs. Full car — from 500 ₾. Glass rain-repellent — from 150 ₾. Interior ceramic — from 300 ₾. The studio runs Gyeon ceramic, warranty 2-5 years. Details: ceramic coating.

Combines with polishing (mandatory before), PPF, interior dry cleaning. Does not replace PPF.

What it is. Physical removal of the top 2-5 microns of clearcoat, taking out every defect in that layer: swirl webbing from washes, holograms, oxidation, light chips. Abrasive compound on a foam pad on a rotary machine. The damaged top layer is physically removed — hence the colour depth.

Who it is for. Cars 3+ years old with visible wash marks. Pre-sale preparation. Mandatory before ceramic and PPF — otherwise defects lock under the coating permanently.

What it costs. Body — from 690 ₾, headlights — from 150 ₾, interior — from 200 ₾, glass — from 250 ₾. Three-stage polish for heavily damaged clearcoat is priced above baseline; final figure set at inspection. Details: car polishing.

Combines with ceramic (before), PPF (before), interior dry cleaning (same day). Without a protective coating holds 2-4 months — hence it runs together with ceramic.

What it is. Deep treatment of cabin materials — fabric, leather, plastic, headliner — with professional chemistry matched to each material's pH, plus 150°C steam for plastic. Not a "cabin wash".

Who it is for. Families with children. Cars after a taxi stint or a dog. Allergy sufferers and smokers — with ozone, the foam loses smoke smell and pollen.

What it costs. Three categories: light — from 400 ₾, medium — from 500 ₾, heavy — from 550 ₾. Ozone — from 50 ₾. Details: car interior cleaning.

Combines with interior ceramic, body polishing (same day). Cadence — every 12 months, every 6-8 months for families with children.

What it is. A light-transmitting film that blocks UV and reduces cabin heating. In Georgia, tinting is allowed on rear windows and on the windshield at no less than 70% light transmission. Athermal film blocks heat without reducing visibility — more expensive than regular.

Who it is for. Cars parked in open sun (summer cabins in Tbilisi without tinting hit 55°C). Families with children in rear seats. Drivers needing privacy.

What it costs. Rear side — from 130 ₾, front side — from 130 ₾, rear — from 160 ₾, windshield — from 290 ₾. BESTAUTO runs LLumar and LuxArmor only, with warranty and colour stability (cheap alternatives go purple in 1-2 years). Details: window tinting.

Combines with everything except windshield protection film.

What it is. Chips and cracks filled with a polymer injected under pressure and UV-cured. After repair a chip is 90% invisible and does not grow. Glass polishing removes fine wiper scratches.

Who it is for. Cars with chips up to 2 cm and cracks up to 30 cm — repair is significantly cheaper than glass replacement. Cars with a hazy windshield after 5+ years — polishing restores clarity.

What it costs. Chip up to 1 cm — from 60 ₾, 1-2 cm — from 80 ₾. Crack up to 15 cm — from 95 ₾, 15-30 cm — from 140 ₾. Windshield polishing — from 250 ₾, side — from 150 ₾. Deep abrasion — 400/300 ₾. Details: windshield repair.

Combines with tinting (same day). Wash mandatory before repair.

What it is. Two differences from an ordinary wash. First — two- or three-phase technology: pre-soak foam without contact, hand wash in two buckets, microfibre drying. Second — pH-neutral Koch Chemie chemistry, safe for ceramic and PPF.

Who it is for. Cars with ceramic or PPF — a brush wash leaves swirls and strips hydrophobic behaviour. Premium segment.

What it costs. 2-phase, sedan — 40 ₾, SUV — 45 ₾. 3-phase, sedan — 55 ₾, SUV — 59 ₾. Engine bay — 80 ₾. Details: detailing wash.

Mandatory first step. Cadence: 7-14 days.

What it is. A coloured or gloss/matte film on the full body or on individual parts (roof, mirrors, trim). Changes appearance without a respray — fully reversible, removable in 2-3 hours. Gloss, matte, satin, chrome, carbon, any colour.

Who it is for. Owners wanting to change colour while keeping the factory clearcoat. Leased cars where respray is banned. Design projects — two-tone paint, black roof, matte body.

What it costs. Full wrap — from 6900 ₾. Anti-chrome — from 300 ₾. Roof in black polyurethane — from 800 ₾. Details: vinyl wrapping.

Combines with PPF under vinyl. Partial combination with ceramic. Does not combine with a simultaneous respray.

What order to do it in if the budget is tight:

Stage 1: Baseline hygiene and restoration (1-2 visits). Detailing wash from 55 ₾, dry cleaning from 400 ₾, body polishing from 690 ₾. Car looks showroom-fresh — but without protection.

Stage 2: Protection and comfort (1 visit). Ceramic on the body from 500 ₾, glass rain-repellent from 150 ₾, rear-window tinting from 290 ₾, interior ceramic from 300 ₾. Car is protected against chemistry, UV, moisture; interior easier to clean.

Stage 3: Physical body protection (1 visit). PPF paint protection film on the front group — from 2500 ₾. Rocks and gravel strike the front, and only film physically protects the clearcoat. Without PPF, in 2-3 years the front bumper carries 15-20 small chips, and the only fix is a single-panel respray.

Stage 4 (optional): Style. Vinyl, colour change, anti-chrome, windshield tint. Taste, not function.

If the budget cannot stretch — the single most important item is PPF on the front group. Polishing and ceramic restore appearance and ease maintenance, but they do not physically protect the body. Only film takes stone strikes and saves real money on respray three to four years in. Everything else can be postponed; the film is better done upfront.

Depends on what is included. A minimum useful package — detailing wash from 55 ₾, dry cleaning from 400 ₾, polishing from 690 ₾, ceramic from 500 ₾. If needed, add PPF on the front group from 2500 ₾, a full vinyl wrap from 6900 ₾, or a PPF colour change from 9000 ₾. The final figure depends on the car's condition and is set after the physical inspection.

For a new car, the logical move is to immediately apply PPF to the front group (the clearcoat is flawless, protecting it physically is enough) — from 2500 ₾. Next — ceramic over the full body for easier maintenance from 500 ₾. Polishing is not needed on a new car. Interior dry cleaning — 6-12 months after ownership starts. The first-visit total depends on the configuration and is set at the inspection.

No. Some need time to cure (ceramic — 24 hours), some are incompatible in conditions (car polishing cannot be done above 30°C). Realistic minimum: two or three visits across two weeks. Acceleration is possible, but at the cost of quality.

Equipment and chemistry. A wash is a vacuum, compressor and shampoo. Detailing is a thickness gauge, LED lamp, extractor, steam gun, pH-matched professional chemistry. A wash is clean for a few days; detailing restores and protects for months and years.

By category. Wash — every 7-14 days. Interior dry cleaning — every 12 months. Polishing — every 12-18 months without coating, every 2-3 years with ceramic. Ceramic — every 2-5 years. Premium ppf wrap — every 10 years. Tinting — 7-10 years. Detailing is a recurring cycle.

Car detailing services in Tbilisi fall into eight major categories, from a 40-lari wash to a 6900-lari vinyl colour change. Each solves its own problem: hygiene (wash, dry cleaning), restoration (polishing, glass repair), protection (ceramic, PPF, tinting, vinyl). Owners do not have to do everything at once — base and restoration first, then protection, then individuality. If one category has to be picked, it is PPF on the front group — only the film physically protects the body from rocks.

Key takeaways:

• Eight categories: PPF, ceramic, polishing, dry cleaning, tinting, glass repair, wash, vinyl
• Three purpose groups: hygiene (wash, dry cleaning), restoration (polishing, glass repair), protection (ceramic, PPF, tinting, vinyl) — exact prices on individual service pages
• Right sequence: wash → dry cleaning → polishing → ceramic → PPF → vinyl
• New car: PPF on the front group and ceramic right away, no polishing needed
• Tight budget: PPF matters most — physical body protection avoids costly respray work three years in
• Full maintenance cycle: 3-4 visits across two or three weeks, not a single day

Book any BESTAUTO detailing service via the form on a service page, or call in Tbilisi, Georgia:

• BESTAUTO Guramishvili — Guramishvili Ave. 78, tel. +995 550 000 299
• BESTAUTO Politkovskaya — Anna Politkovskaya St. 51, tel. +995 550 000 199

Both studios are open Monday to Saturday, 10:00–20:00. Before the first visit — a free consultation: we pick the sequence of procedures for your budget and the condition of the car, and quote the final figure from the open price list.