June 1, 2023
A full car detail restores both exterior and interior, covering high-pressure rinse, pH-neutral hand wash, clay bar, swirl and scratch reduction, protective wax, vacuuming, leather care and interior glass. Star Car Wash's full details start from $279 for a sedan.
A full detail car wash goes beyond a regular wash to give your car's interior and exterior a more thorough clean. At Star Car Wash & Detailing, a Full Detail combines our Interior Detail and Exterior Detail in one visit. It includes treatments such as carpet extraction and leather conditioning, along with paintwork cleaning, light swirl mark reduction and a hand wax polish.
The service generally takes around three to four hours and starts from $290, depending on your vehicle's size, condition and location. Here's what's included, what the treatments can and can't achieve, and when a smaller package might be enough.
A regular wash removes everyday dirt from your car's surfaces. A detail goes further, tackling bonded contaminants on the paintwork and built-up grime in carpets, seats and other parts of the cabin.
A Star Full Detail combines the wash and hand wax polish included in our Star Polish service with more thorough interior and exterior treatments. Each part has a different purpose, from removing road grime to improving the appearance of the paintwork and freshening up the cabin.
The wash and polish stage covers the same core treatments as our Star Polish service. It removes everyday dirt, road film, tar and bugs, then finishes the paintwork with a hand-applied wax polish.
● High-pressure rinse
● Exterior wash with pH-neutral shampoo
● Mag wheel wash process
● Tyre shine application
● Exterior windows and side mirrors cleaned
● Tar and bug removal
● Full duco hand wax polish
"Duco" is an older Australian term for paintwork. The hand wax polish enhances gloss and leaves a protective finish. It's applied by hand rather than with a machine.
The exterior detailing stage focuses on the condition of the paintwork and trim. Depending on the vehicle and the team's assessment, this can include lifting bonded contaminants, reducing light surface marks and conditioning exterior plastics and rubbers.
● Clay bar treatment to remove surface contaminants, where needed following an assessment
● Scratch and swirl mark reduction
● Exterior trim conditioning
● Minor spot buffing, as required
A clay bar is a soft compound used with lubricant to lift contaminants such as tree sap and industrial fallout that a normal wash may leave behind. It's used when the paintwork needs it, rather than automatically on every vehicle.
Swirl mark reduction is a separate step. It uses polishing to improve the appearance of light circular marks in the paint's clear coat. Minor spot buffing may be carried out where required. Neither treatment is a substitute for paint repair or full paint correction, and deeper scratches may need a different solution.
Our guide to how clay bar and swirl reduction work explains these treatments in more detail.
Interior detailing tackles the dirt that builds up through everyday use, from dusty footwells and crumbs in storage compartments to marks on upholstery and grime on the dashboard. Star's Interior Detail goes beyond a basic vacuum and wipe-down to give the cabin a more thorough clean.
● Vacuum interior floor mats and footwells
● Vacuum seats and boot
● Clean door frames and boot
● Clean interior windows and mirrors
● Clean dashboard and console
● Clean door trims
● Clean and condition leather seats
● Extract carpets and clean cloth seats
● Clean and condition dashboard and internal trims
● Clean cup holders and compartments
● Clean and dress vinyl surfaces
Together, these treatments address built-up dirt in areas that everyday cleaning can miss. Carpet extraction helps remove embedded grime from the fibres, while leather is cleaned and conditioned. The dashboard, trims and compartments are cleaned with products suited to their materials.
Inclusions can vary slightly by centre, so ask the team if you have a particular area you'd like them to pay attention to.
It's worth knowing what a package covers before you book. A Star Full Detail does not include the following as standard:
● Engine bay cleaning: This isn't listed among the standard Full Detail inclusions. Ask your local centre whether it's available separately.
● Paint Protection: Star's Paint Protection is a separate service. Ceramic coatings and paint protection film offered by other providers aren't part of a Full Detail.
● Dedicated odour treatments: Carpet extraction and seat cleaning can help reduce some smells by removing the dirt causing them, but a Full Detail isn't a specialist odour-removal service.
● Full paint correction or deeper scratch repair: Scratch and swirl mark reduction can improve the appearance of light marks. Deeper damage needs to be assessed and may require paint repair.
● Dent, chip or trim repairs: These repairs aren't included in the standard package.
Heavily soiled vehicles may need extra time and could attract an additional charge. The team will discuss any extra cost with you before starting work.
A Full Detail generally takes around three to four hours. Larger vehicles, heavy soiling and any additional treatments can add time, so ask your centre for an estimate when you drop off your car.
Walk-ins are welcome, including for detailing. Booking online lets you choose a time slot and gives the team notice before you arrive. If you walk in, the team will fit you in as availability allows. Either way, you'll receive an SMS when your car is ready.
For a breakdown of timings across different services, see how long it takes to detail a car.
At the time of writing, a Star Full Detail starts from $290. The final price depends on the service, location, vehicle size and condition, so the starting price is a guide rather than a quote.
Larger vehicles may cost more, and a car that needs extra attention can take longer to clean. Check the current price for your vehicle and local centre when booking online.
For a broader look at detailing prices, read our guide to the average cost of car detailing.
Not every car needs a full detail. Here's how Star's four polish and detailing services compare, using starting prices supplied at the time of writing.
|
Service |
What it covers |
Time |
From |
|
Platinum Wash, hand wax polish and clay bar treatment where assessed as needed |
Around 75 to 110 minutes |
$95 |
|
|
Interior Detail |
Platinum Wash plus deeper cleaning of seats, carpets, leather and interior trims |
A few hours |
$199 |
|
Exterior Detail |
Star Polish plus scratch and swirl mark reduction and exterior trim conditioning |
Less than a Full Detail; ask your centre for an estimate |
$199 |
|
Full Detail |
Combined Interior Detail and Exterior Detail |
Around three to four hours |
$290 |
Prices depend on the service, location, vehicle size and condition. Check the car detailing services page for current pricing.
● Star Polish: A good option if your car is generally clean but the paintwork has lost some of its shine. The hand wax polish enhances gloss and adds a protective finish.
● Interior Detail: Best when the cabin needs the most attention, such as stained carpets, leather that needs conditioning or dirt in the storage compartments. Read more about what an interior detail involves.
● Exterior Detail: Worth considering if the paintwork has light swirl marks or bonded contamination but the interior is already in good condition. Our guide to exterior detailing explains what to expect.
● Full Detail: The option for a car that needs attention inside and out. That might be a family car after a busy summer, a vehicle you're preparing to sell or one that's gone a while without a thorough clean.
A Full Detail can help keep your car looking its best, inside and out. Removing contaminants such as bird droppings, tree sap and tar helps prevent them from sitting on the paintwork and potentially affecting the finish. A hand wax polish enhances gloss and adds a layer of protection against everyday exposure.
Inside the car, carpet extraction and upholstery cleaning reach dirt that a quick vacuum may leave behind. If you're planning to sell, a clean, well-kept car can also make a better impression in photos and when potential buyers come to see it. Our guide to whether detailing increases your car's value looks at what detailing can and can't do.
There are practical reasons to choose Star, too:
● Washed and polished by hand: Our teams use pH-neutral shampoo and apply the wax polish by hand, taking care around badges, trims and sensors.
● Interior and exterior in one visit: Both parts of the detail are completed together, so you don't need to arrange separate visits.
● Convenient locations: With more than 160 centres across Australia, including locations in or near shopping centres, you may be able to fit a detail around shopping or lunch while you wait for the SMS to let you know your car is ready.
● Easy to arrange: Walk-ins are welcome and online booking lets you choose a time. Payment options include Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Afterpay and Zip Pay.
Opening hours and available services vary by centre, so check your nearest Star Car Wash & Detailing location before visiting.
A Full Detail generally takes around three to four hours. Larger vehicles, heavy soiling and extra treatments can add time.
It includes scratch and swirl mark reduction, which can make light marks in the clear coat much less visible. Deeper scratches that have gone through to the colour or primer need assessment and usually a paint repair rather than polishing. Our guide to whether car detailing can fix scratches explains how to tell the difference.
It can be, depending on the car's condition and what you plan to do with it. A Full Detail can freshen up the interior and improve the appearance of the paintwork, which may be useful if you're planning to sell. It won't fix mechanical problems or deeper paint damage, so consider the cost alongside how long you intend to keep the car.
No. Walk-ins are welcome, including for detailing, subject to availability. Booking ahead is a good idea if you want a particular time slot or have a larger vehicle that may need extra attention.
Check with your centre before booking. A Full Detail includes wax polishing and paintwork treatments that may not suit every finish. Matte paint, in particular, needs different care from conventional gloss paint. Our guide to how to clean matte paint explains why. The team can advise whether a different service would be more suitable.
For many cars, a Full Detail every six to 12 months is a reasonable starting point, with regular washes in between. Cars that carry children or pets, get heavy daily use or spend most of their time outdoors may need more frequent attention. Our guide to how often to get your car detailed covers the factors to consider.
A Star Full Detail brings interior and exterior cleaning together in one visit, with a hand wash and wax polish to finish. Book online to choose a time and check current offers, or find your nearest centre and drop in.
