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What Does a Teenage Car Detailer do? 

As a car detailer, you’ll spend the majority of your time working an entry level contract at a car wash, car dealership, or a mechanics shop. Basically, you will care for the overall well-being of the car, and making sure every detail of the car is shining. Hence the name “Car Detailer.” You will assess cars for which types of cleaning or maintenance they need, and then perform these tasks. They can range from giving to car a simple scrub to fixing the engine of the car. Many people love their cars dearly, so you will have to make every single detail perfect. You’ll spend a lot of time working with cars and the mechanics of it, so it’s helpful to have background information on engineering and working as a mechanic. You definitely don’t want to be breaking someone’s car while working on it.

How Much Does a Teenage Car Detailer Get Paid?

As a car detailer just getting started, you can expect to earn somewhere between $10-$15 per hour.  The biggest issue with this type of work is that you will need some skill to do the required tasks. You will have to invest some time into learning, so you don’t accidentally break anything, which can have dire consequences. But on the other hand, if you stick to being a car detailer, you can form your own car detailing company where you have no problem finding success.

How Can I Get Started as a Teenage Car Detailer?

  1. Make sure that you speak to your parent(s) before trying to become a teen car detailer.  Doing so we’ll ensure your safety and they’ll likely be able to help you in your efforts.
  2. Before you begin, you’ll need to learn about cars. Take some classes about car detailing. You don’t need to have a master’s degree, but you should enroll in a class. Perhaps your high school has auto shop courses. Auto shop courses are a great way to learn about car mechanics and detailing while in school, and if you are interested in a career in car detailing, I would not hesitate to take that course. There are also good resources online about car detailing that will be sufficient as well. A good resource is Car Detailing 101. But you can find your own resources online as well. Don’t rush this step, and gain a thorough understanding about car detailing, and then you can move on to the next step.
  3. Get the proper materials.  In order to detail cars properly, you need to have the right supplies.  One of the best places to find these is to go on Amazon and buy a kit that will make it so that you’re prepared for every new detailing job there is.
  4. Practice. Practice makes perfect, and you should try out your new learned techniques on your own car. Don’t break anything, and make sure you know what you are doing. Try different ways of doing the same tasks, and see which methods are efficient. Once you’ve done that, try on a neighbor’s car. Ask your friends and family if they need car detailing service, and do it for them. You will gain valuable experience from doing this, and when applying for a job, you can ask the people that you just worked with for a recommendation letter.
  5. Reach out to different auto detailers. You don’t have to limit yourself to one kind of company. You can try car washes, auto dealerships, or rental agencies. You can call any company that currently has a car detailer working with them. You can try looking on Craigslist for a position, or your local newspaper. Give them a call, and it’s recommended that you give them a reference. A reference is someone that the company can call to see what kind of person you are outside of work. Your odds of getting hired will increase tremendously if you have a reference. A good reference could be your teacher, or the neighbor that you worked with that I mentioned before.
  6. Congratulations, you’re officially a teenage car detailer. It might seem hard at first, getting your hands quite dirty, but over time, you will find a lot of success. You may even form your own company as a car detailer, so stick to it, and you’ll make loads of money in a short time.

<< Back to Summer Jobs For Teens Database

Helpful Resources

  • Amazon.com:  Provides you with a large amount of detailing kits to get started.  It isn’t required to buy this if your mom or dad have the supplies, but once you have earned some money we recommend you get a full detail set.
  • Craigslist.org:  A site where you can search for car detailing jobs.  However, we recommend sticking to friends and friends of people that you know as you know that you can trust them
  • GuidetoDetailing.com:  This website provides a very simple, yet comprehensive guide to detailing vehicles.  It’s completely free and should help you get started.

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