D.I.Y. Vs. Professional Detailing—Which One Is Right For Me?
As a professional detailer, we here it all the time—people like to detail their own vehicles. It’s no surprise, detailing is a fun and rewarding process, so why should someone pay for a professional? Well, we’ll explain it here, and go over the pro’s and con’s of each option.
D.I.Y. Detailing:
Pros:
Cost-Effectiveness: While detailing supplies do cost some money, the bill usually falls under what it would cost to pay for a detailing company. So, if cash is tight, a D.I.Y. detail might be for you.
Convenience: What’s more convenient than working on your own vehicle? You can do a detail wherever, whenever, and on your own time. No waiting for appointments needed!
Experience: As you detailing your own vehicle, you become more comfortable with the process of doing it yourself, which is a good skill to have!
Cons:
Time: When you detailing your own vehicle, you sacrifice time that could be spent doing something else, such as enjoying time with the family or a favorite hobby. Especially with less experience, a simple detail may take many hours to complete on one’s own.
Quality: A problem many encounter when detailing their own vehicles is certain stains, scratches, or other problems that cannot be removed without expensive chemicals, tools (such as an extractor, polisher, or steamer), and expertise. Sure, a D.I.Y. Detail can get a car mostly clean, but the lingering stains and smells are often what makes the difference.
Possible Damage: Without proper training, some areas of the car may be damaged while doing a basic D.I.Y. detail. Common problems include water spots, residual residue on the interior, and fading of important text on the infotainment center. With a trained detailer, one is much less likely to run into these issues.
Professional Detailing:
Pros:
Guaranteed Quality: When you hire a professional detailer, you get results, guaranteed. Compared to a D.I.Y. detail, a professional detail simply provides consistent and better results, due to more expensive chemicals, tools, and more experience with tough grime and stains. For a tough job, trust the pros.
Time-Saving and convenience: When you hire a detailer, you save time—simple as that. You hand us the keys, and come back to a restored vehicle and the “new car” feeling. And, if you choose a mobile detailer, such as CB Detailing, the convenience benefits are even more—you don’t even need to leave the house! We come to you, and make it as easy as possible.
Experience and Safety: Hiring a detailer means coverage from any possible mistakes that occur—if something breaks or goes wrong, it’s on the detailer. And, due to having a lot of experience, these mistakes are rare. So, take that deep breath, and relax as we handle the dirty work.
Cons:
Cost: Here’s the elephant in the room—Price. Detailer’s need to pay for both supplies and labor, which makes detailing on the more expensive side. It’s up to the vehicle owner to weigh the pricetag versus the value, and see if a detail is worthwhile.
Scheduling: While we make it easy to find a time that works for you, scheduling conflicts do occur, which might present issues when looking to book in a detail.
After looking through the Pro’s and Con’s of each method of detailing one’s vehicle, it is ultimately up to the vehicle owner to decide. If you do choose the professional route, we’d love to help deliver the quality and convenience you desire, all at a price you can afford.
