Car Detailing: Hire a Professional or DIY?

If you’ve been going over your resolutions for this year, you may be considering getting a detail for your car. For most people, you car is the second most expensive asset you own. If you don’t have a house, your car is probably number one. CAr detailing can be a hot debate among us car lovers. Should you hire a professional or learn the craft and do it yourself? When it comes to our beloved vehicles, sometimes we are faced with a decision. Should I do my detailing or should pay someone to do it for me? It can be a touch decision when you weigh up the costs, time constraints and the quality of the results. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons:

Professional Detail – Pros

Saves Time

Hiring a professional saves you time. This means that you don’t have to set aside a day out of your weekend, or squeeze in an hour or two when you can. The professional does this for their living, so they will have the tools and expertise to get the job done right, and back to you as soon as possible.

More Professional Look

Car detailers use professional grade detailing products which will leave your car with a professional finish. Sometimes a DIY job can look less than perfect, especially if it’s your first time. They are called professionals for a reason.

Less Chance of Damage

Car detailers are trained in the use of the best products and practices. They know which products are safe to use and which aren’t. If would be highly unusual for your detailer to over-buff your paint job, or stain it. Whereas, if you yourself are unfamiliar with the practice, then you could damage your car’s paint and end up paying even more for a professional to fix it. So, hiring a professional means you can put your mind at ease, knowing your car is in safe hands.

Easier To Sell

A nice looking and smelling car will always sell better. You are more likely to get the best price for your car if you let a professional give it a nice detail.

Professional Detail: Cons

The Cost

Detailing can be a costly expense. This comes down to labour costs and the high quality products in use. Our advice would be to shop around and see who can provide you with the best offer for the best services. We offer a complimentary detail when you bring in your car for repair.

DIY: Pros

Save Some Money

It can save you quite a bit of money. If you already have the tools, and the know-how, a good polish and wax session may only cost you the price of a bottle of polish! However, like we said, if you don’t have the know how, it could cost you a whole lot more if you damage your car.

Feeling of Accomplishment

Sometimes doing something for yourself can feel great. If you do spend a day caring for your vehicle, you know how gratified you can feel in a job well done at the end of the day.

DIY: Cons

Time and Energy

You will find it’s not always as simple as it sounds. It takes time and a little bit of elbow grease to get the results you want. You may end up spending the day watching YouTube tutorials on how to get wax off the car without actually doing any detailing. Meaning a wasted day and nothing to show for it. It’s a learning process. It might take you a few times to get the perfect results you want. Polishing and waxing your own car is not a difficult process, but it can leave bad results if not done correctly. Make sure you read the bottle for directions before use.

Regardless whether or not you hire a professional, it’s also a good idea to have a chat with a detailer so you know the basics. That way you can do touch ups yourself without breaking the bank, and you can build on your knowledge base.

Here is some advice on how to choose a professional detailer:

Don’t automatically think that anyone that calls themself a pro, is in fact a pro. There are many people in detailing looking to make a quick buck with limited knowledge and supplies. On numerous occasions, images of work professionals have done has been stolen and used illegally without their permission.
Do research on potential detailers within driving range of your area or detailers that are willing to come to you. Individuals should be able and willing to share some of the work they’ve done for other clients with you and answer questions on the type of work they offer.

Don’t expect a professional to be able to give you the most accurate quote price over the phone. Until we see a car in person under light, we can’t be sure what to fully expect. In some cases, odd or rare problems arise and require extra time to work on them.
Do expect to pay a fair price for a fair amount of work. Many professionals will need 10+ hours of work to transform your car back to like-new condition.

Don’t hesitate to ask about a detailer’s background, why and how they got into detailing, or questions about your specific type of car. Many of the top detailers are passionate about their work and avid car enthusiasts. A professional that truly loves cars is more likely to provide a higher level of work than someone who’s indifferent about automobiles. Put your car in the hands of someone that will treat it as good, if not better, than their own car.
Do be sure to find out about payment options, safety precautions, and scheduling information as soon as possible. You’ll need to make sure a detailer accepts your form of payment before they start on your car. It is additionally important to find out about various safety precautions a detailer takes. To begin, your detailer should be insured and his or her business should be registered. Other important factors to some clients include but is not limited to: does a detailer take paint thickness measurements, what risky areas are on your car that may need special attention, what type of wheel cleaner will be used on your specific type of wheels, and if the detailer has an opening for the time of the year in which you want work performed?

I hope this article has shed some light on this topic for those looking for a third party source of car care. Feel free to ask any additional questions you may have (comment box below)