Procedures & Products

---

Generic term for removing loose dirt before any other exterior process is performed. This can include a normal car wash, rinseless wash, waterless wash or the use of a spray detailer. Bonds to your vehicles clearcoat or paint and protects from UV Sun Rays. 

Our full interior detailing service includes deep cleaning of carpets, seats, and all other surfaces. We also condition leather and vinyl to keep them looking and feeling like new.

To remove above surface bonded contaminants like air-borne pollution, tree sap, overspray paint or industrial fallout through a mechanical means such as; Detailing Clay, Nanoskin Autoscrub Pads, Nanoskin Wash Mitts and Optimum Opti-Eraser

Have you ever run your hand over your clearcoat or paint after a wash and it feels a little rough to the touch but it looks clean to your eyes? More than likely you are feeling the environmental contaminates that our clay bar service is designed to remove. Hitch's Detailing use a clay bar to remove embedded surface contaminants in preparation for polishing steps or prior to applying waxes and/or sealants. The surface of a vehicle's clearcoat or paint is covered with micro-ridges and imperfections that paint correction polishing steps are specifically designed to remove or at the very least minimize. It has been our experience that most vehicles need to be clayed once or twice a year. Once in the spring to remove the effects of Upstate New York's harsh winters and again in the fall before any winter protection is applied.

Chemical Decontamination is an advanced procedure where specific chemicals are used to remove either acidic or alkaline contaminants off the surface or metal particles off and out of the clearcoat or paint. Two common products used for chemically decontaminating clearcoat or paint include Iron X or Fallout Remover.

A Cleaner-Wax is a 1-STEP product that does three steps in one step, this includes, cleaning, polishing and leaving behind a layer of protection. The quality brands that we use will provide an excellent job of restoring a clear, smooth, and shiny finish but these types of products will NOT normally remove all the swirls and scratches. 

It will remove some of the shallow swirls and scratches and leave the remaining swirls and scratches shiny. The best way to remove all of the swirls and scratches is to use a dedicatedcompound or polish using a 2-Step or 3-Step approach. This requires more time and thus it will cost more for a detailing package that includes these extra steps.

Polish and Wax is a 2-STEP which is a more advanced procedure that will remove a majority of the shallow clearcoat or paint defects like swirls, scratches, water spots and light oxidation and restore a much nicer looking finish overall.A 2-Step approach requires a person to run a polisher multiple times over the clearcoat or paint which requires more time than using only a 1-Step cleaner/wax. The first step is to polish each square inch of each panel and then carefully wipe the polish residue off the surface. Next the wax or paint sealant is applied by hand or machine and then it too is carefully wiped off the surface. All these procedures take time and add to the total cost of the detailing service.

Compound, Polish and Wax is a 3-STEP approach which is an advanced procedure that will remove a majority of all below surface clearcoat or paint defects except very deep defects. With a 3-Step approach, first each panel is carefully compounded to remove the majority of deeper defects and all the shallow defects. After each panel or section the compound must be carefully wiped off so as not to re-instill scratches from wiping process.

After the compounding step is finished, next the paint is polished to maximize gloss and clarity. Typically a much less aggressive pad and product are used to re-polish each square inch of each panel to remove any hazing left by the more aggressive compounding step while perfecting the clearcoat or paint for application of wax, synthetic paint sealant or paint coating. Because the compound and polishing step can create a near perfect finish, the polish residue must be carefully wiped off so as to not re-instill toweling marks that could show up after wax wipe-off. Which careful wiping requires more time and "care" from the person doing the wiping. Procedures and Products.

The factory clearcoat on most cars is around 2 mils thin, that's thinner than the average 3M Post-it Note. If too much clearcoat or paint is removed in an effort to remove a deeper defect 100% its very possible the car could suffer from clearcoat failure down the road due to too thin of a layer of clear coat or paint left on the car. Hitch's Detailing will do what's right for the clearcoat or paint and thus do what's right for you. Hitch's Detailing use a Paint Thickness Gauge to really get a good estimate as to the overall thickness of the clearcoat and paint currently on your vehicles body panels. 

Car Waxes are normally considered products that contain some type of waxy substance either natural or man-made or a combination of both natural and man-made ingredients to aid in spreading, wipe-off, protection and longevity. Not all products with the name "Wax" on the label do in fact contain Carnauba wax, the most well-known ingredient used to make a car wax. Premium Quality car waxes will tend to create a warm, deep shine and when take care of via careful washing can last up to 3 months on the average vehicle. Its a good idea to re-apply a coat of wax to maintain protection and appearance quality of the finish before all of the previously applied wax has completely worn off.

Synthetic paint sealants are replacements for a car wax and as the name implies, the protection ingredients are synthetic or man-made. Premium quality synthetic paint sealants will tend to last longer than traditional car waxes but should still be re-applied on a regular schedule to maintain protection and appearance quality of the finish.

If your headlights look hazy, foggy or discolored then you are victim to what is referred to as oxidized headlights. Often referred to as hazy headlights, cloudy headlights or foggy headlights, this is a more common occurrence then you might think. In fact, hundreds of thousands of vehicles in virtually every make and model of car and truck face this problem. Hitch's Detailing headlight restoration service is designed to correct headlight hazing. 

A lot of people do nothing about their cloudy headlights and assume there is no affect on overall visibility. This couldn't be further from the truth. Hazy, non-clear headlights make your vehicle appear older and can reduce a driver's visibility by as much as 90%. They also make it difficult for surrounding drivers to see your vehicle. If left uncorrected, driving at night can become a dangerous proposition.

Most headlight lenses are made from plastic/polycarbonate material and are clear coated at the factory. The clearcoat is designed to be a layer of protection but it can oxidize in the same manner as the clearcoat on the paint surfaces on your vehicle. Over time, this oxidation will cause the clearcoat on your headlight lenses to fade and cloud up. The environmental conditions that your vehicle is exposed to every day (strong UV light from the Sun, dirt, debris, acid rain, etc.) only serve to accelerate the failure of the clearcoat.

Headlight restoration or headlight repair is the process of cleaning and polishing the headlight lens to remove the defects that make your lenses appear hazy. Hitch's Detailing have the tools and techniques to correct cloudy headlights for a fraction of what replacement lights or lenses might cost. As a preventive measure, we add a coat of sealant to corrected lenses to help preserve the restored condition after the service is performed.

Hand Paste Wax - Helps protect your vehicle's finish from damaging elements. A high quality wax is applied with a soft foam pad on all painted exterior surfaces, restoring color while protecting you vehicle's finish. (Requires purchase of an Exterior Car Wash)

Interior Shampoo & Spot Removal - Your carpets are deep-cleaned using soft bristle power scrubbers and a powerful hot water extractor. A fabric protector is also applied to help prevent future stains which leaves your vehicle smelling fresh and looking great.

Paint Scratch Removal - Car detailing services instantly remove those annoying paint transfer scuffs and scratches from contact with other vehicles, garage doors, etc.

Pre-Existing Swirl Removal - we use the best techniques when performing paint restoration services by using the highest quality products and equipment to get the best finish possible.

Pet Hair Removal - Our cleaning techniques remove all pet hair from your vehicle.

Upholster Cleaning - The Upholster/Leather is deep-cleaned using soft bristle power scrubbers and a powerful hot steam. A fabric protector or conditioner is applied to help prevent future stains which leaves you upholster/leather soft, supple and smelling fresh and looking great.  

Mildew Removal - Use our vehicle detailing services for cleaning seats, carpets, mats, headliners, doors, dash & console. Interior detailing services include interior shampoo with our specially formulated cleaner and state of the art detailing techniques and equipment to preserve and protect your interior.

Odor Fogger Eliminator - Hitch's detailing has detailing services to remove tobacco, fire damage, mold, mildew, urine, pet deposits, food and milk spills. Odor removal is done with our highly specialized professional products to get the job done right.

Convenient Service Location - Located 10-15 minutes from anywhere in the capital district.

Package Options to Meet Any Need & Budget - Hitch's Detailing provides the highest quality professional products and equipment to get the job done right for the vehicle and our customers. Packages from Economy to the Ultimate. We also offer package upgrades to fit our customers needs.

Friendly Service and Professional Results - Professional trained and skilled detailers using the very best techniques to achieve the very best results with a friendly atmosphere. We will go out of our way for our customers.

The Latest Products and Techniques - Always improving our knowledge and techniques by training with new products and/or equipment or refresher classes. Plus we attend detailing events and classroom updates.