Start with your lease paperwork
Leasing companies publish their own wear-and-use standards, and they differ. Read yours first: it says what counts as normal wear and what gets charged. Many leasing companies also offer an inspection before the return date; check your paperwork for how to schedule one.
We can't tell you what your leasing company will charge, and a clean car does not guarantee lower charges. What a detail does is remove dirt that hides the real condition or looks worse than it is.
Where a detail helps
- Interior dirt, crumbs, sand and many spills on carpets, mats and cloth seats. Hot-water extraction can lift a lot from carpet and cloth.
- Pet hair, quoted per car when heavy.
- Grime on leather and plastics, and film on the inside glass.
- Road film, tar and bug residue on the paint, and dirty wheels.
- Light marks on paint in small areas you approve, through spot buffing (included in the Complete Detail).
What a detail can't fix
- Dents, deep scratches, chips and curb rash on wheels.
- Cracked or chipped glass, worn tires, burns and tears in upholstery.
- Permanent stains, dye transfer that has set, and odors that come from inside the car's structure. Cleaning can reduce odors but not guarantee removal.
For those, ask your leasing company what they charge versus what a body shop or upholstery shop would charge, then decide.
What to remove before you return it
- Your toll tag (for example a FasTrak transponder) and any parking permits.
- Personal data: paired phones, saved addresses and garage door opener programming. Your owner's manual explains how to reset them.
- Personal items from the glovebox, door pockets, under the seats and the spare tire area.
- Then put back what came with the car: all keys, floor mats, cargo cover, owner's manual, and for EVs the charging cable that came with it.
Timing the detail
Book the detail a few days before the inspection, not the same morning. Carpets can stay damp for several hours after extraction, and a few days of buffer covers rain or a reschedule. Text us your return window when you request; we confirm a date by text.
Our Lease Return Ready service is a Complete Detail before your return inspection.