Detailrs has become a name that many car enthusiasts can’t ignore anymore. On social media, the brand is everywhere, and its products are now also available at Carclean. But that visibility also raises curiosity. Where does Detailrs actually come from? How did the brand start? Why does it suddenly seem to have grown so big? And how are the products developed?
With those questions in mind, Tim from Carclean drove to Oss for a visit to Detailrs. The goal wasn’t just to look at products, but mainly to find out who is behind the brand and how it all started. During an open conversation, Leon, founder of Detailrs, took the time to share the story behind the brand in detail. From the first steps in a small shed to product development, community building, and the decisions made along the way.
How did Detailrs start?
Like many good stories, this one didn’t begin in a big office building. During the conversation, Leon explains that entrepreneurship was present in his life from an early age, but the real passion was always elsewhere: cleaning cars. Polishing mopeds, washing cars, and endlessly working on car care was a constant hobby for years. Eventually, the idea emerged to combine that hobby with entrepreneurship.
But in a different way. According to Leon, detailing was often made more complicated than it needed to be. Too many products, difficult choices, and little explanation for people who simply want to take good care of their car. That’s why, from the very beginning, a clear idea took shape: to create good products that are easy to understand and simply do what they promise.
How did Detailrs get so much attention?
Tim points out something many people will recognize: if you’re into cars, you naturally start seeing Detailrs everywhere these days. Leon explains that this growth didn’t happen overnight. Instead of immediately trying to be available everywhere, the focus was first on direct contact with customers. Being active on social media, explaining products, answering questions, and showing what happens behind the scenes. According to Leon, it’s not just about selling products.
People want to know why something is made and who is behind it. That personal approach eventually grew into a strong community. It’s a development that also feels familiar from Carclean, where connection and enthusiasm around the hobby play a big role in how people engage with the brand.
Is Detailrs just private label?
At one point, Tim asks a question that many people have probably wondered at some point as well. “But this is just private label with a different sticker on it, right?” Leon responds surprisingly openly to that. No, Detailrs doesn’t have its own factory. But according to him, that doesn’t mean the products aren’t developed in-house. Leon explains that they work together with experienced chemists from the United Kingdom.
Together, they first determine exactly what a product needs to do before a formula is even developed. And it’s not just about performance, but also about ease of use. He uses a quick detailer as an example. It might seem simple, but according to Leon, such a product needs to work without streaks, leave no residue, and still perform well when it’s hot outside. Details like that take more time than most people think.
What did the beginning really look like?
A nice moment during the tour comes when Leon shows something that immediately brings you back to the early days. No impressive machine. No modern production line. But a simple tool that was once used to manually fill the very first bottles. Because there simply wasn’t the budget to have everything professionally produced from the start. That image actually says a lot about the Detailrs story.
Starting with what you have and building step by step. Tim also makes a nice comparison to how Carclean used to grow. Where forums and meetups were once the main way to reach people, today that happens mostly through content and social media.
Why doesn’t Detailrs release everything right away?
During the tour it becomes clear that a lot more testing happens behind the scenes than you would expect from the outside. Leon explains that there are often ideas people get excited about, but that don’t end up being released immediately. The reason is simple: if it’s not good enough, it doesn’t get released.
According to him, a good product takes time, and reputation matters more than speed. That sometimes means going back to the drawing board until everything is right.
What new ideas came up?
Of course, it wasn’t just about talking. During the visit, Leon also showed a few developments. One of them was a clever bag that fits inside a bucket for use at a self-service wash bay. It was created from a very familiar frustration: loose items, a cluttered trunk, and constantly having to move everything around.
Tim also got an early look at a new ceramic shampoo. According to Leon, the challenge is usually combining protection with rich foam, because ceramic additives often reduce foaming performance. That’s exactly why this development was shared as a little exclusive preview. And, as is typical in detailing, there was of course a proper smell test as well.
Why does personal contact remain so important?
Despite the company’s growth, one topic kept coming back: contact. According to Leon, customer service should go beyond simply replying to messages. People should be helped by someone who understands what a product does and why it should be used in a certain way.
Tim also recognizes that same level of involvement from Carclean. Because ultimately, detailing isn’t just about products. It’s about enjoying the process.
In short
Tim’s visit to Detailrs mainly showed that behind a visible brand there’s often years of work, decision-making, and passion. From manually filling the first bottles to collaborating with lab chemists and building a community: Leon made it clear that growth isn’t just about reach, but especially about involvement.
And maybe that’s ultimately why so many people relate to Detailrs. Not because it aims to be bigger than others, but because it still tries to hold on to the hobby and enthusiasm it started with. Tim’s visit also reflects something familiar from Carclean: that detailing isn’t just about products, but about enjoying the process itself.
