Vehicle Paint & Upholstery Treatment. What is it, how does it work and is it worth it?

When you’re buying or leasing a new or used vehicle, the dealership or leasing company may offer you the option of a paint and upholstery protection treatment. The question is, what does it do, does it work and is it good value?

First, lets tell you what it is.

Paint and upholstery protection is two part. The vehicle's exterior painted surfaces and the interior fabric or leather upholstery.

Even a nearly new vehicle that has been recently valeted is likely to have dust, smears and grime that lie within the grooves of its paint surfaces. If viewed under a microscope, vehicle paint surfaces have tiny grooves - similar to the surface of a record, but not quite as pronounced. Washing and polishing a car will not remove all of this ingrained contaminant, in fact, it can often add to them. These contaminants result in a gradual fading or dulling of the paint over time.

The first stage of a paint and upholstery treatment is preparation. Before a vehicle paint surface is coated, the surface must be properly and professionally de-contaminated. A special clear liquid chemical layer is then hand-applied. When buffed dry, this provides a hardened and resistant clear coating without grooves to help prevent fading and dulling. This additional coating reduces the need to wax or polish the paintwork. Instead, a simple wash and leather off will provide a super glossy surface. This type of paint protection repels rain or water droplets rather than encouraging them to remain and dry as a water stain.

The upholstery part of the treatment process depends upon whether your vehicle has fabric upholstery or leather. If fabric, a water-resistant clear liquid is sprayed over fabric surfaces to act as a defence against accidental spills and stains, leaving carpets and fabrics easier to clean and looking good for longer. If your vehicle upholstery is leather, a leather softener and protector are applied to help keep your leather soft and supple and more resistant to staining as a result of an accidental spill.

So, that's the theory - but does it work?

The answer is yes, but with some caveats. It depends upon;

• your expectation

• the quality of the product

• the professionalism and experience of the person applying the coating

The good news is, this treatment can provide an additional layer of paint protection, assuming the quality of the product is good and it has been correctly applied. It will help reduce the damaging effects of tree sap and environmental grime and the fading effects of the sun's ultraviolet emissions. It also makes vehicle cleaning a breeze. However, whilst it may protect against very light scratches, it is not entirely resistant to stone chips or heavier scratches.

There are many products on the market, some cheap and not so effective and others a little more costly but will work as they should. You'll be surprised to hear that many motor dealers choose to offer cheaper, less effective treatments to enable them to price in a healthy profit for themselves. More concerning is the fact that most dealers have their treatments applied by their normal vehicle valeters. In most cases, they are not specifically trained in the application of these chemical treatments and do not properly decontaminate surfaces before applying. In our 30 year experience we have seen many dealer treatments applied over contaminated, smeared paintwork - sealing in these visible defects and doing nothing to enhance the appearance of the vehicle.

Is paint and upholstery treatment worth it?

The short answer is yes, provided you choose a high-quality product and have it applied by a highly trained and experienced technician. To avoid the product quality and applicators' experience risks, we recommend you avoid having your vehicle treated by your motor dealer and look for a specialist who will come to you at your home or place of work to enable you to witness the work being done. Some of the more renowned specialists offer different types of treatment such as Teflon or Glasscoat Ceramic coatings and you can find out more about these here.