Car Valeting and Detailing FAQs

You can book by calling or sending a WhatsApp message to 07734 374012, by emailing [email protected] or by using the booking form on our contact page. A £10 deposit per vehicle confirms the booking, and your attendance is only confirmed once the deposit has been paid. The deposit then comes off your final balance.

Yes, a £10 deposit per vehicle is needed to confirm your booking, and attendance is only confirmed once it has been paid. The deposit is not an extra charge, because it comes off the final balance. If you are booking more than one vehicle, a £10 deposit is paid for each one.

We ask for 48 hours’ notice to cancel a booking, and if you cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice, 50% of the quoted price is payable. Please call, send a WhatsApp message or email us as soon as you know you need to cancel.

We accept BACS, card, cash and PayPal, and payment is made on the day or before. We do not accept cheques. The £10 deposit you paid to confirm the booking comes off the final balance, so only the remainder is left to pay.

Yes, every job is covered by our satisfaction guarantee. If anything is not as it should be, contact Ride Effect within 24 hours with photos and a time will be arranged to put it right. Photos help us see exactly what you have noticed, so please include a clear view of the area concerned.

We are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5:30pm. Saturday is by appointment only, and we are closed on Sundays. You can call or send a WhatsApp message to 07734 374012, or email [email protected], to arrange a time that suits you.

Yes, a heavily soiled vehicle may carry an additional charge of £20 to £90, for example where there is a lot of mud or sand. The charge is always explained before work starts. Embedded pet hair is removed with our Pet Hair Removal add on, from £100. Please mention pet hair or heavy soiling when you book.

A Maintenance Wash is the regular wash that keeps a vehicle clean inside and out, while an Extensive Clean is a deep reset of the whole vehicle. The Extensive Clean adds full decontamination, six months of paint protection, a steam cleaned interior, washed and extracted mats and carpets, a roof lining clean and treated leather. Maintenance washes follow an Extensive Clean on our weekly or monthly plan.

A Maintenance Wash costs from £65 for a small car, from £75 for a medium car, from £85 for a large car and from £95 for an extra large vehicle. An Extensive Clean costs from £160, from £170, from £190 and from £200 for the same four sizes. Prices may vary depending on location.

A Maintenance Wash includes a safe hand wash outside and a vacuum and wipe down inside. Outside, the wheels and arches are cleaned, followed by a citrus pre wash, a snow foam pre wash, a two bucket hand wash and drying with microfibre towels, then detailer spray or polish, dressed tyres and trims, and clean glass. Inside, the seats, mats and carpets are vacuumed, the dash, trims and door panels are wiped down and the glass is cleaned.

An Extensive Clean includes full decontamination and six months of protection outside, and a deep clean of the whole interior. Outside, tar and glue remover and iron fallout treatment are used, the vehicle is washed safely, dried with an air blower and protected with a glossy finish. Inside, the cabin is steam cleaned, mats and carpets are washed and extracted, the roof lining and boot are cleaned, leather is treated against UV and every shut is cleaned and protected.

Our Maintenance Plan offers a maintenance wash weekly or monthly, following an Extensive Clean, so you can choose the interval that suits how the car is used. Regular safe washing helps keep the finish at its best and helps protect the vehicle’s value. An Extensive Clean on its own is also worth booking after storage, before a sale or when you buy a new to you car.

Your vehicle falls into one of four sizes, based on its make and model. Small covers cars such as a Smart Car, Fiat 500 or Audi A1, Medium covers an Audi A3 or Mercedes C Class, Large covers an Audi A8 or Range Rover Evoque, and Extra Large covers a Mercedes G Class or a van such as a Ford Transit. If you are not sure, tell us the make and model when you book.

The Maintenance Plan is a regular maintenance wash, weekly or monthly, that follows one of our Extensive Cleans. Every visit includes the full Maintenance Wash, from the wheels and pre wash to the interior vacuum and glass, with prices from £65 for a small car. It keeps the vehicle showroom fresh, helps protect its value and helps avoid end of lease charges.

Valeting cleans and protects a vehicle inside and out, while detailing goes further by improving the paintwork itself. A detail starts with a full wash and decontamination, then the paint is machine polished in one, two or three stages to enhance the gloss or remove swirl marks and scratches, before it is protected with a sealant or a coating.

The right stage depends on the condition of the paint: a Stage 1 Enhancement suits paintwork in good condition with no visible swirls, a Stage 2 Correction suits moderate swirl marks and light scratches, and a Stage 3 Correction suits heavy swirl marks, scratches and other paint defects. Our paint correction page explains each stage in detail.

A Stage 1 Enhancement and a Stage 2 Correction each take 1 to 2 days, and a Stage 3 Correction takes 2 to 5 days. Because a correction can take more than a day, every one is planned with you in advance, including where it is carried out: at your home, at your workplace or at our unit.

A Stage 1 Enhancement starts from £250 for a small car and from £400 for an extra large vehicle. A Stage 2 Correction starts from £450 for a small car and from £600 for an extra large vehicle, and a Stage 3 Correction starts from £700 and from £950 for the same sizes. Detailing prices are starting prices and may vary depending on location.

No, a Stage 1 Enhancement is not abrasive enough to remove swirl marks or scratches. It uses a finishing polish and finishing pad to remove contamination, reduce light imperfections and bring out the paint’s natural shine. For moderate swirl marks and light scratches, a Stage 2 Correction is the right choice, and heavier defects need a Stage 3 Correction.

Yes, sanding can be included in a Stage 3 Correction for heavier scratches. A Stage 3 uses three compound and pad stages, a heavy cut for deeper swirls and scratches, a cutting polish for further swirl marks and a finishing polish, with a panel wipe between each stage. It takes 2 to 5 days and starts from £700.

A car detail suits anyone who wants the paintwork improved, not only cleaned. It is a good choice when you are preparing a car for sale, when you have bought a new to you car, when the paint has swirl marks, or before a ceramic coating, which on a car is always added to a detailing stage.

Each of our coatings protects the paint for 3 to 5 years. That applies to the Ceramic Coating, the Graphene Coating and the Self Healing Coating. Regular safe washes help a coating keep performing at its best, and our Maintenance Plan offers a maintenance wash weekly or monthly.

A Ceramic Coating costs from £350, a Graphene Coating from £400 and a Self Healing Coating from £500. Each one is added to a Stage 1 Enhancement, a Stage 2 Correction or a Stage 3 Correction, so the coating price is added to the price of the detailing stage you choose.

Yes, on a car every coating is added to a Stage 1, 2 or 3, so the paint is always machine polished first. Before any machine work the vehicle is washed, decontaminated and dried, and a panel wipe follows the polish, so the coating goes onto clean, refined paintwork that it then protects for 3 to 5 years.

A Self Healing Coating protects the paint for 3 to 5 years, and light surface marks soften with warmth. It costs from £500 and, like our Ceramic and Graphene Coatings, is added to a Stage 1 Enhancement, a Stage 2 Correction or a Stage 3 Correction, so it goes onto paint that has been decontaminated and polished first.

A ceramic coating adds gloss, makes water bead on the paint, makes the car easier to clean and helps shield the paintwork from UV. The protection lasts 3 to 5 years, and because the coating goes on after a Stage 1, 2 or 3, it helps protect the finish that the machine polishing has produced.

Yes, every Stage 1, 2 and 3 finishes with a sealant when no coating is chosen, and an Extensive Clean leaves the paint protected for six months with a glossy finish. If you would like protection that lasts 3 to 5 years, a Ceramic, Graphene or Self Healing Coating can be added to any detailing stage.

Yes, we valet both mopeds and motorbikes, from £80 for a moped such as a Piaggio Zip or Vespa and from £100 for a motorbike such as a Harley Davidson or Yamaha R1. Every bike gets a safe two bucket wash, a high gloss sealant and ACF-50 to help prevent corrosion.

A motorbike valet includes a pre wash and rinse, snow foam worked into the intricate areas with a soft detailing brush, a wheel clean and a safe two bucket wash. The bike is then rinsed clean of shampoo, a high gloss sealant is applied to the paintwork for gloss and water repellency, the chrome pipes and paintwork are polished, and ACF-50 is applied to help prevent corrosion.

ACF-50 is applied at the end of every motorbike valet to help prevent corrosion. It goes on once the bike has been washed, sealed with a high gloss sealant and had its chrome pipes and paintwork polished, so it is added to a clean machine. It is part of the motorbike valet, which starts from £80 for a moped and from £100 for a motorbike.

Yes, a ceramic coating can be added to a motorbike valet for an additional cost. The price is not on our published menu, so please ask and we will give you a price for your bike. The valet itself already includes a high gloss sealant for gloss and water repellency, and ACF-50 to help prevent corrosion.

We offer five add ons that can be added to any valet or detail: Pet Hair Removal from £100, an Odour Eliminator from £50, an Engine Bay Clean from £40, Headlight Restoration from £60 and a Glass Treatment from £120. Pet hair and odour work is priced on the size of the vehicle and how severe it is, and every price is confirmed before we start.

Pet Hair Removal starts from £100. We use special tools to remove pet hair that has worked its way into the interior, and the final price depends on how much hair there is and the size of the vehicle. It is added to a valet or a detail, and we always confirm the price before any work starts.

Our Odour Eliminator uses ozone (O3) technology. The ozone breaks down and neutralises unpleasant smells, bacteria, mould and smoke at the molecular level through oxidation. It starts from £50, and the final price depends on the size of the vehicle and how strong the odour is. It is added to any valet or detail.

Yes. An Engine Bay Clean starts from £40. We clean the engine bay safely using a steam cleaning process with a degreaser that is safe for the components in the engine, then finish it with a dressing. It can be added to any valet or detail, and we confirm the price before we begin.

Yes. Headlight Restoration starts from £60. We restore headlights safely using sanding and polishing techniques, and a coating can be added to the lenses as an optional extra. It can be added to any valet or detail, and the price is confirmed before any work starts.

A Glass Treatment applies an invisible, hydrophobic layer to your windscreen and exterior windows. Being water repellent, it makes rain bead up and run off the glass. It starts from £120, can be added to any valet or detail, and the price is confirmed before we start.

Both options are available: our mobile service comes to your home or workplace, or you can drop your vehicle off at the Ride Effect unit. Mobile visits take place on your drive or in the car park at work, and the same safe wash method and the same booking terms, including the £10 deposit per vehicle, apply to both.

Please make sure there is a space around the vehicle, that we can get access to it at the booked time and that all valuables are cleared from the vehicle. A clear space around the car lets every panel, wheel and door shut be reached, and clearing the inside lets the seats, mats and carpets be cleaned properly.

Our mobile service covers Bedford, Luton, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Northampton and Towcester, along with Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and London. The villages around each town are covered too. Prices may vary depending on location, and you can see every town on our areas page.

Yes, detailing can be carried out at your home or workplace, and longer work is planned with you. A Stage 1 or Stage 2 takes 1 to 2 days and a Stage 3 takes 2 to 5 days, so where the work is done, at home, at work or at our unit, is agreed with you before it starts.

Yes, Ride Effect looks after vehicle fleets for businesses, with scheduled care for cars and vans at your premises. Every vehicle receives the same method and the same standard, and we work alongside major automotive names including Mercedes. Each fleet is arranged around how many vehicles you have and how often they need looking after.

Fleet prices are not published, so we will price the fleet with you. The price depends on the number of cars and vans and how often they are looked after, and we will put together a price for that schedule, with the same method and standard on every vehicle.

Yes, vans are covered by our Extra Large size, which includes vehicles such as a Ford Transit. A Maintenance Wash for an extra large vehicle starts from £95 and an Extensive Clean from £200, and vans that are part of a business fleet are priced with you as part of that fleet.

Call or send a WhatsApp message to 07734 374012, or email [email protected], with the number of cars and vans and how often you would like them looked after. We will price the fleet with you and arrange scheduled care at your premises, with the same method and standard on every vehicle.