Frequently Asked Questions

A hand car wash is usually a quick, exterior-only wash — convenient, but often rushed, and inconsistent techniques can introduce fine swirl marks into the paint over time. Valeting is a more thorough service that covers the interior as well as the exterior, using careful methods like a proper two-bucket wash that protect the paintwork rather than just get it clean fast. Every Riches Valeting visit is a full interior and exterior service, carried out at your home or workplace.

A ceramic coating is a liquid polymer that bonds to your car's paintwork, forming a hard, glossy, protective layer that helps repel dirt, water and UV damage and makes the car easier to keep clean between washes. How long one lasts depends on the coating: the protective coating included with our Single Stage Enhancement package provides 6–12 months of protection, while the professional-grade ceramic coating available as an upgrade is rated for around 7 years.

A ceramic coating bonds to whatever's already on the paint — swirl marks, light scratches, contamination — and locks it in underneath a hard protective layer. Once cured, those imperfections are much harder to remove, since the coating itself would need to be stripped back first. Correcting the paint beforehand with decontamination and a machine polish removes those defects and maximises gloss, so the coating goes onto a clean, smooth surface and the finish looks its best underneath the protection.

The Full Valet is our traditional interior and exterior clean, suited to a car that's kept in reasonably good condition and just needs a proper going-over. The Deep Clean goes further — it's built for cars that need more than a routine clean, such as after a long stretch without valeting, before end of lease, or to restore that factory feel. It includes more intensive work like steam cleaning of interior surfaces and vents, deeper stain and odour removal from fabric seats, and a longer-lasting 6–12 month sealant on the exterior, rather than the Full Valet's 6–8 week sealant.

We're a fully mobile service covering Lincoln and the surrounding Lincolnshire area — we come to your home or workplace rather than you bringing the car to us. For insurance and safety reasons we're unable to work on vehicles parked on main roads, heavily used roads, or tight streets, and we need access to an outdoor water supply and a power socket. We'll ask about your parking and access when you book, and if there's any issue, we'll help find an alternative.