If you ever come to Ottawa, let me know, I'll give you a good deal! ;-)

I'm a part time detailer and work from my house, so take this like you will... lots of good detailers out there, but also hacks, check their work done/facebook pictures/references, when you find one that is respectable, talk to him about what your expectations are. prices are hard to say, depends on the market demand, could be 30$ an hour or 50$ an hour.

you could also rent a hot water extractor with an upholstry tool, and try to do the job yourself if price is a concern.

 

I echo what Octane said having done this for a living. As said the cost can vary drastically by city and area as well as the work ethic. You need to ask yourself some questions....do you expect the seats to be removed? Cloth or leather? Headliner cleaned? FULL interior detail (every square inch including windows) or just rugs, mats, & seats? Be honest with yourself, is it time for a hazmat suit or just needs a decent cleaning? Condition has a great deal to do with it. Those are but some of the variables.

For the detailer: use a spray with a brush and a shop vac only or that plus a steam cleaner and extractor? Brick & mortar or mobile? Licensed and insured? Time in business and is it a registered/legit business or some kid that calls himself a detailer?


I've no idea if this is near you or not (Jersey) but if you want top notch work without compromise contact:

http://www.detailersdomain.com/Contact-Us_ep_46-1.html Phil is the consummate professional and oversees everything in his shop.

When I did this type of work in Austin TX I charged $45 per hour. An estimate was given after speaking with the owner at length (in person) and seeing the vehicle. Depending on condition, expectations, and size of vehicle it could have been as easy as $45 or gone as high as $450+. Where I live now I'm lucky to get $25 per hour which is why I no longer detail for income. Well, that and I'm an old fat fart and can't deal with the heat anymore.....:lol:

 

Just be careful about where/who you leave your vehicle with. There are plenty of stories of detailer guys joy riding in customer vehicles. Some shops are not nearly as licensed/insured as they should be.

 

to me the joyride would not be a real concern, you are talking about a rav4 not an exotic, and you just need to check the odometer when dropping off the car, and let the detailer see you take down the miles... problem solved!

 

I had some F-150 truck seats steam cleaned once for about $40 and it basically did no good. A good full detail job in my area is about $135 but I haven't paid for one in many years, I actually enjoy doing it myself. Once you learn the right way, it doesn't take that long to do, especially if you don't wait too long between details.

 

Not sure where in NYS you are but you might want to check out Delta Sonic. Locations from Buffalo to Syracuse. Delta Sonic Detail Shop

Bad thing about renting tools are the airheads that used them before you. 50% of the time I rented tools they were defective.

 

Thank you all for your input. Now I have a better idea of what to look for.
For now, I have decided to do my best at cleaning it myself. If it turns out that it needs a deeper cleaning, I'll have to look for a detailing shop in the NYC area.

 

Sometimes, I actually leave a note on the driver seat with the odometer reading on it