Your car is most likely your second most costly asset (if you own your own home), so it pays to keep it looking spic and span.
The paintwork on your car can be damaged by lots of elements (and human error). If left to sit on the duco for a while, things like salt residue, tree sap, bird and animal droppings and even prolonged exposure to UV rays, can cause damage to your paintwork.
How does a cut and polish work?
Car detailing is equivalent to giving your vehicle a spa treatment. When the clear coat protecting your paint colour starts showing wear and tear, your car loses its shine, looking matte and chalky.
By ‘cutting’ off that clear layer, then polishing the paint to remove hard-to-budge dirt, scratches and light oxidation, a good detailing job will protect and revamp your car’s existing paintwork, making it look brand new again for longer.
But can you do it yourself or should you hire a professional to cut and polish your car? Like anything in life, there are pros and cons for both options. Let’s run through a list for each:
Reasons why you should DIY your car detailing.
- You’ll save yourself some moolah. A great cut and polish isn’t super cheap – it requires a fair bit of knowledge and the right tools to get it right. So, if you have these in spades, the only cost of doing it yourself is a bottle of polish.
- That self-satisfied feeling. If you’re one of those people who are car proud, the time you spend working on making it look awesome can be both relaxing and fun. While car detailing done properly isn’t difficult, it’s often a long, time-consuming process. You’ll feel a sense of achievement knowing you’ve done the job well with your own two hands.
Reasons why you should get a professional to handle your car detailing.
- There’s no risk to your car’s duco. If you don’t know what you’re doing, having a professional do your cut and polish is the best bet. There are too many things that can go wrong, all of which could cost you a truckload to fix up your mistakes.
- Get back your weekend. Hiring a professional is worth it if you're time poor. They're the experts, so they'll have all the right tools on hand to get the job done correctly in record time. You can spend the extra hours you save having a brew with your mates or enjoying some much-needed family time.
- You want the best. No matter how expert you are, a DIY cut and polish can look a little lacklustre when compared to the kind of work a professional who has perfected their craft day in and day out can do.
- Spotless cars sell for more. If you're thinking of trading in your vehicle for a new model, it always makes sense to hire a professional detailer to spruce it up inside and out. Faced with a choice between a pristine, new-looking automobile that smells good and a similar model that hasn't been taken care of, which would you choose to pay more for?