How Long Does It Take to Learn Car Detailing Profession?

[Petunia]

Car detailing profession generally takes about a month to learn. Below is a detailed introduction to car detailing projects: 1. Exterior Detailing: Exterior detailing mainly includes car washing, waxing, coating, and other projects. Car washing can generally remove most stains on the car body, but compared to the latter two, the effect may not be as good. 2. Interior Cleaning: The interior is the area that comes into direct contact with passengers, mainly including cleaning the dashboard, ceiling, carpets, floor mats, seats, seat covers, etc. Additionally, there are projects such as ozone disinfection, deodorizing air vents, and indoor air purification.

[MacAliyah]

Learning auto detailing depends on how far you want to go. I took a three-month crash course at a training school with six hours of hands-on practice daily. The first week covered car washing and stain removal, the second week focused on paint care—I wore out five practice panels just mastering the polisher. The next two months specialized in solar films and color-change wraps, and now I can complete a full car wrap in three hours at my own shop. The key is practice—you won’t master edge trimming just by watching videos. Choose a program with daily hands-on training, then work at a major shop for six months before going solo.

[McAthena]

My relative has run an auto detailing shop for ten years, and all apprentices go through a three-month probation. In the first month, they only do car washing and interior cleaning—they’d get scolded if they couldn’t even apply tire wax properly. Only in the second month are they allowed to touch waxing and polishing, learning to spot swirl marks on the paint. To independently handle ceramic coating or vinyl wrap jobs, they’d need to shadow a master for at least half a year. Last year’s apprentice is now applying PPF for supercars, with bookings lined up till next week. Experience matters more than certificates in this trade—I’ve seen a rookie from a 7-day training program burn through a client’s hood clearcoat and end up paying 8,000 RMB in compensation.

[SanAiden]

Nowadays, formal vocational schools offer an auto detailing major with a two-year program. The theoretical courses, like materials chemistry, can be quite challenging—think silicon dioxide coating agents and pH value testing. The hands-on classes are the most practical; our school museum has 20 accident vehicles parked for us to practice on freely. By sophomore year, if you pass the OSTA intermediate certification, you can start taking jobs. Last year, during my internship at a shop, I applied color films for clients and earned a monthly commission of 6,000 yuan. Upon graduation, the master technician advised: 'The auto detailing industry evolves quickly with equipment updates, so you must learn new technologies every quarter.'