HOULTON, Maine — With warmer temperatures and spring around the corner, everyone is beginning to think of tackling household projects. But, have you thought about spring cleaning your car? Wouldn’t you love that new car smell again?
Michelle MacDonald of Houlton Detailing is in the business to make that happen.
MacDonald moved to Houlton in 2010 and at the ripe age of 14, she started developing an interest in business.
“I needed to earn some money for an occasion,” she recalled. “I asked my neighbor if there was anything I can do to help out and he said clean my wife’s car.”
MacDonald took the task to heart.
“I noticed I went overboard,” MacDonald said. “Maybe I was being a little extreme, but I had to make sure everything was spotless.”
The 2015 Houlton High School graduate is not afraid of hard work.
“Detailing a vehicle is a lot of work,” said MacDonald, “but, it’s actually interesting. It is not just cleaning it by spotting those dirty areas, I feel as if it really does take an eye to detail a vehicle, almost like an art.”
MacDonald relates “these huge hunks of metal” to animated beings.
“Although it is not alive, in a biological sense, it is still mechanically complex to understand a vehicle,” she explained.
For MacDonald, a mud, grime or dust spot is like a person’s body being dirty and scratches and dents on the exterior are the wounds and scars of a person accumulated over time.
“As long as we baby our vehicles, the longer they will last and have the ability to take care of us by getting us to our destinations,” she added.
Typically, MacDonald details a car in her own yard on Callaghan Road and she uses a friend’s garage when people would like their car waxed.
Houlton Detailing is a mobile service. MacDonald picks up the car and delivers it back to after she services it.
“I work this way,” she said. “ I look over your vehicle, sign a contract, leave my car wherever the person may be such as; work, home, friend’s house or grocery store! Take their car, detail inside and out (depending on package), take it back to them, look it over again, examine to see it came back the way it was taken.
“I know people must feel very insecure about the fact there is no solid base for their vehicles,” she said, “but, I am heading towards renting a bay next door to the car wash so that way people are more comfortable driving their own vehicles to me.”
Once the agreement to rent the bay is signed, the official home of Houlton Detailing will be on the North Road in Houlton.
Houlton Detailing has been open for about a month so MacDonald is building her business.
“I will soon upgrade to having my own garage and waiting room for the comfort of others,” she added.
Houlton Detailing is open 24/7, but MacDonald said that mornings are the best time to make an appointment.
Recently, MacDonald took on a detailing challenge when Chris Putnam, morning host on WHOU 100.1 FM radio, took his truck to be cleaned, which was long overdue by Putnam’s own admittance.
“His car seats were a disaster, meaning they were filled with oil and different kinds of chemicals,” said MacDonald.
MacDonald wanted to tackle the job, but Putnam insisted not to bother since most of the grime and substances had been ground in over time.
“Most of the time, the toughest items to get cleaned are either the carpets, seats or pet hair! No, really nothing is actually tough, you just have to know what you’re doing and how to accomplish it,” MacDonald smiled.
MacDonald said she does gain a significant feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction when detailing a vehicle. “I have to make sure everything is right, my way anyway,” she said with a laugh. “People always ask me why it takes me so long to detail. I say, ‘I’m having a conversation with your car, seeing where it needs alleviation.’”
To learn more visit the Houlton Detailing Facebook page. MacDonald apologizes that her website is not yet complete for those requesting it. But, she can be reached by calling 538-2476 for an appointment, as well.
