Why don`t more people detail their cars?

[togwt]

Time constraints, which makes a detailed vehicle less of a priority, however most are more than happy with a clean shiny vehicle (ala tunnel wash)

[yas]

^ i agree, its mostly time constraints



for people who want to wash their own car, i can think of a lot of other reasons



- weather. if its cold most people won`t bother, or if its going to rain the next day or so then to some people it annoys them to put in a lot of effort and not really `enjoy` the clean vehicle

- its tedious. the whole process of getting setup, cleaning the car, and the cleaning up again afterwards can take a lot of time. i personally don`t enjoy washing the car, i just want to get it done, although the end result is worth it for me. even with something like garry dean`s wash method, you have a bunch of dirty towels afterwards. not enough for a full laundry load so probably you will hand wash them, unless you invest in alot of towels. you are also going to spend some times inspecting and getting debris out of towels. traditional wash also can take a lot of time and its a headache with all the mess it creates in the driveway, the process is more involved too.

- depreciation. generally cars depreciate, and people don`t view them as long-term investments. if they ever sell the car, they probably figure they can get it cleaned up and nobody will notice. i`m not sure cars are even built to last that long anymore, my experience so far has been after about 5 years its a steep downhill with maintenance.

- perceptions. next time you are in a parking lot, see how many cars are actually clean. a somewhat dirty car or even dull looking paint isn`t usually perceived as anything abnormal.

- money. compared to people who touchless wash their car maybe every 2 months, the cost of getting good quality products and maintaining them i think ends up costing a little more money.



for someone that wants a clean car and looks into paying for the service, the costs can add up. paying for regular hand wash, and occasional wax, interior cleaning etc. isn`t really cheap .. there is a lot of work involved

[mborner]

most people don`t know what a swirl mark is and if`you pointed it out to them their only response would be "why would I care about that?" Dirt off car = satisfied.

[dfnhdhjian]

for people who want to wash their own car,

[[SS]Shooter]

I think car maintenance has really gone down hill ever since the rise of car leasing. I think the more detailers focus on educating their clients the better recognition maintenance will get.

`


Agreed. ` `When I ask guys about why they park next to crappy cars and stuff like that, they say "Why do I care? `It`s leased!" `


`


And I`m thinking: ` Ya, but YOU are still the one driving it. ` `And that car represents YOU.


`


To me, a vehicle is part of me. ` Having a car that isn`t properly detailed is like having a wrinkled shirt with a stain. ` `But most people, even rich guys, think that having the people at the parking garage give their car a $30 crappy wash and some armor all is having it `detailed`. ` `


`


When I point out all the swirls, they don`t care. ` `And then I always offer the same thing:


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ME: ` "Bring it over to my house saturday and we`ll fix it."


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THEM: `"Great, how long will it take?"


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ME: ` `"About 8 hours and you have to help, not just drink beer"


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THEM: ` "8 hours! Screw that, `I have better stuff to do."

[Jean-Claude]

A lot of people see cars as utility tools. Point A to point B. "Sorta clean from a $20 Mr. Clean car wash is enough."

[pwaug]

<span>This question has always been perplexing! Considering the automobile is probably the second most expensive purchase most people will make next to their house--then again we see how some people take care of their home.


`


<span>I’ve always detailed my cars--even when driving company cars yet neither my son or daughter (she even puts bumper stickers al over the back hatch) or anyone else in my immediate family has ever picked up the “habit� except my granddaughter. And of all people she doesn’t seem to have the time just finishing up her undergraduate work and starting grad school in January. At her request I’ve taught her how to properly wash, clay and apply a good sealant and set her up with the right tools/products. Even though her car is outside 24/7 it always looks good with a coat of DG 105 applied every 3 or 4 months.


`


<span>As others have mentioned many say they don’t have the time. I live in a community of 136 homes with 95% of the residents being retired. Yet there is only one other person besides myself who I’d consider an Autopian and perhaps 10-15 who I’ve seen hand wash there car (and some of those with a long handled brush of dubious condition). The 15 or so guys I golf with are always commenting that my six year old vehicle looks better than their 2 or 3 year old car, but when I talk about the process they all basically say “no way.�


`


<span>Go figure????

[House of Wax]

I’ve always detailed my cars--even when driving company cars yet neither my son or daughter (she even puts bumper stickers al over the back hatch) or anyone else in my immediate family has ever picked up the “habit� except my granddaughter. And of all people she doesn’t seem to have the time just finishing up her undergraduate work and starting grad school in January. At her request I’ve taught her how to properly wash, clay and apply a good sealant and set her up with the right tools/products. Even though her car is outside 24/7 it always looks good with a coat of DG 105 applied every 3 or 4 months.

`


`


Had a proud dad moment a couple weeks ago. `My wife calls me at work and tells me that our 4 year old daughter was going to ride her bike but stopped before she got on and says "oh wait, I gotta clean my bike first". `I get a text shortly after of a picture of my daughter wiping down her little bike with one of "daddy`s towels" lol.

[hwychile]

It takes a lot of time, is a lot of very hard work, it takes a place to do it (cannot do it in the sun, etc.), it takes a lot of knowledge to really do it right, it requires somewhat expensive tools and supplies, it is not easy to find someone else who will do it correctly, it costs a lot of money (for some people) to have it done by someone else, etc.


`


I have always taken excellent care of every thing I have--it is just who I am. `I am a professional who would like to pay someone to do it, but I started doing mine myself because it is getting harder and harder to find people who will do things correctly. The old saying that if you want something done correctly you have to do it yourself applies here. `


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For example, I bought a new midsize SUV and took it to a detailer who has a very fancy website who was going to wash, polish, and wax (with Collinite 845) my brand new midsize SUV for $200. `When I showed up to have it done, the two guys were yawning and moved like sloths (like in slow motion). `I should have left then. `Then they come out with some rinseless wash because they said it was too cold to wash it (It was 60 degrees outside). `I waited in the foyer and they were done with the wash, polish, and wax in an hour and a half. `Of course, it was not done correctly and many panels did not have any wax on them and had not been polished. `It cannot be done that quickly, especially the way they were moving (and they only had one buffer between them and were putting the wax on by hand). `After an experience like this, I can see why some folks don`t take care of their cars, especially since some people don`t have the skills, place, time, health, etc. to do it themselves. ``


`


But the number 1 answer for most people is they are just not the kind of people who take care of anything they have. `It`s the same reason people don`t take care of themselves physically or financially. `It is just not who they are.