Exterior course
How to Detail a Car Exterior
This video course shows you how to detail a car exterior properly: wash it without adding swirl marks, decontaminate the paint and protect it. No experience needed.
- 11
- Lessons
- 56 min
- Of video
- 5
- Sections
- No experience needed
- On-demand video
- Quiz
- Certificate
- Mobile access
Udemy sets the price and often runs discounts. The current price is on the course page.
In what order should you detail a car exterior?
The course works in this order: wheels and rims first, then the engine bay and door jambs, then the wash, then decontamination, and finally protection with wax, sealant, ceramic coating or PPF. Each step leaves the car cleaner for the next one.
The Exterior Car Detailing Course follows this order, then shows a complete exterior detail on a real car from start to finish.
How do you wash a car without adding swirl marks?
Swirl marks come from dragging dirt across the paint. The safe approach is to get as much dirt off as you can before you touch the car, and to wash with a method that keeps dirt away from your mitt. The course has a full lesson on wash methods, and teaches how to choose between a maintenance wash and a full decontamination wash.
What is the difference between wax, sealant, ceramic coating and PPF?
Wax and sealants sit on top of the paint and wear off. A ceramic coating is silica-based and bonds to the paint for longer-lasting protection. Paint protection film (PPF) is a physical urethane film that guards the paint against stone chips and scratches. The course lesson on choosing the right protection explains the differences and what to recommend to a customer.
What does the Exterior Car Detailing Course cover?
Wheels and rims
Clean heavily contaminated wheels, rims and tires safely, without damaging the finish.
Engine bay and door jambs
Clean both without soaking the components that shouldn't get wet.
Washing
Wash a car by hand with a method that doesn't put new swirl marks into the paint, and decide between a maintenance wash and a full decontamination wash.
Decontamination
Remove iron fallout, tar, tree sap and adhesive residue, chemically and mechanically, including clay bar work.
Protection
Tell wax, sealant, ceramic coating and PPF apart, and protect plastic and rubber trim so it doesn't fade or go gray after a few washes.
A full exterior detail
Work through a complete exterior detail start to finish and see where the time actually goes.
Engine bay, before and after
An engine bay before and after cleaning with the methods taught in this course.
What’s in the curriculum?
Section 1: Getting Started
- Introduction
- Necessary Tools And Chemicals For Exterior Detailing
Section 2: Washing and Decontamination
- Wheels and Rims: Cleaning Heavy Brake Dust Safely
- Engine Bay and Door Jambs: Cleaning Without Damage
- Wash Methods: Washing Without Adding Swirl Marks
- Decontamination: Removing Iron, Tar and Bonded Contaminants
Section 3: A Full Exterior Detail, Start to Finish
- Full Exterior Detail: A Complete Job, Start to Finish
Section 4: Protection
- Wax, Ceramic and PPF: Choosing the Right Protection
- Plastic and Rubber Trim: Stopping Fade Before It Starts
Section 5: Wrap-Up
- Common Exterior Detailing Myths
- Conclusion
- Exterior detailing quiz
Who is this course for?
A good fit if
- You’re a beginner who wants to wash your own car properly instead of running it through an automatic wash.
- You already wash by hand and want to stop adding new marks to your paint every time.
- You’re a new detailer building a repeatable exterior workflow before offering it as a paid service.
- You’re a working detailer who wants to compare your wash and decontamination process with another shop’s.
Looking for something else?
This course covers washing, decontamination and protection, not machine polishing. For swirl mark removal and paint correction, see the polishing course. For the inside of the car, see the interior course. Both are on the courses page.
Who teaches it?
I'm Stefan Nikolić. In January 2016 my brother and I launched Titanium LTD in Belgrade, importing and distributing Chemical Guys, XPEL and later Auto Finesse across Serbia, and running our own detailing shop. I handled the brand and marketing side, taught detailing workshops, and worked on cars from interior cleans to full paint protection film installs. Read my full story.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need experience or a pressure washer?
No experience is needed. A pressure washer helps but isn't required: the course covers what is essential and what can wait.
What is decontamination, and do I need it?
Decontamination removes bonded contaminants that a regular wash leaves behind, such as iron fallout, tar, tree sap and adhesive residue. The course covers it chemically and with a clay bar, and shows how to decide between a maintenance wash and a full decontamination wash.
How do you stop plastic and rubber trim from fading?
The course has a lesson on protecting plastic and rubber trim so it doesn't fade or go gray after a few washes.
Which protection should I choose: wax, sealant, ceramic coating or PPF?
The course lesson on choosing the right protection explains the differences and what to recommend to a customer. If you want to correct the paint before protecting it, see the polishing course.
What is included with the course?
11 lessons and a quiz in five sections, about 56 minutes of on-demand video, an article, closed captions, a certificate of completion, and access on mobile and TV.
How much does the course cost?
Udemy sets the price and often runs discounts, so the current price is shown on the course page.
Ready to learn car exterior detailing?
The full course is on Udemy.