BenzDetailer
New member
I always detail my engines at a DIY bay if they are nasty. That way I'm not staining the clients concrete driveway or even worse Paver Driveway!!
Your wash bucket at the DIY wash?
- Thread starter CharlesW
- Start date
That's a good idea from an environmental stand point as well. I'm pretty sure the DIY places have grease trap drainage systems that don't let the contaminants directly enter the sewer systems.
Since the engine cleaning is part of their business, we aren't taking advantage of them either.
Doesn't really equate as efficient in either process or cost. :hmmm: But that may just be me.
CARTfan
New member
^ It does if your hose or spigot are frozen solid. Although that doesn't apply to you lucky folks in the southern states. :wall
Now you have lost me completely.
Compared to washing at home, it would not be efficient in either process or cost, but....
Compared to going to the car wash and paying around 75 cents a minute to fill your bucket from the "Spot Free Rinse" it would seem to be considerably more efficient, less costly, and less mess.
Since our DIY places don't allow bucket washing, I don't do it. If they did, I think my winter process would be to fill a bucket with hot/warm water in my bathtub, add the soap, put on the lid and go to the wash place. Pre-rinse the car with their high pressure soap, wash the car with my soap/water in the bucket, rinse off the soap with their spot free rinse, and hopefully dry the car there.
They might kick me out and the drying might have to be done at home.
Just out of curiosity:
What would be your efficient process for bucket washing at the DIY place?
A little off-topic, but hose spigots are only freeze free if all the water can drain out of them.
The valve actually is inside the house and about 6" of piping goes to the hose bib outlet. If the water remains in that piping, it is possible for it to freeze and split.
Not having any fall in the piping towards the outside of the house can also cause enough water to remain in the faucet and pipe to have it freeze and break.
Bunky
Detailing Gnosis
I doubt there is a significant market but an enterprising DIY could rent some bays by time (maybe they do) so you can get say up to 30 to 45 min. It would include some allotment for water, etc and then have a drying section (like the do at regular car washes) to do the final wipe downs.
It has been tried in my area and it didn't last a year. You paid by the hour.
They had wash facilities and areas for minor repair and tune-ups. As I remember it, they rented some specialty tools as well.
I never went there and obviously, not a lot of others did either.
I have offered to rent a heated space in a few businesses around town, but the liability factor seems to be a problem. I had the free use of a bay at a car rental company for quite some time till one of the regional managers stopped it. His reason was their liability and I think it was the truth. When you can sue because you were burned by hot coffee you spilled on yourself, I'm surprised they don't make us sign a liability waiver at the door. :wall
That would seem to add credence to my point.
Now you have lost me completely.
Compared to washing at home, it would not be efficient in either process or cost, but....
Compared to going to the car wash and paying around 75 cents a minute to fill your bucket from the "Spot Free Rinse" it would seem to be considerably more efficient, less costly, and less mess.
Since our DIY places don't allow bucket washing, I don't do it. If they did, I think my winter process would be to fill a bucket with hot/warm water in my bathtub, add the soap, put on the lid and go to the wash place. Pre-rinse the car with their high pressure soap, wash the car with my soap/water in the bucket, rinse off the soap with their spot free rinse, and hopefully dry the car there.
They might kick me out and the drying might have to be done at home.
Just out of curiosity:
What would be your efficient process for bucket washing at the DIY place?
Sloshing a bucket of soapy water through the house to the car, in the car to the car wash and out again vs. a few ounces of soap and then filling it with water at the car wash; the efficiencies seem obvious to me. And based on our washes, it certainly wouldn't take an entire $0.75 cycle to fill the bucket with water, maybe $.025. $0.50 at the high end. Not too costly, and you are using the company's facility. You've got to expect to pay something.
Bucket washing at a car wash is, luckily, not a common occurrence so my process varies. But assuming it is really cold (otherwise I'm not likely to be there) I'm trying to get in and get out.
O Pre-spray tires/wheel wells with APC.
O Pre-spray, as necessary, any extra dirty (bug/bird/tar, etc) areas on the paint with APC or PB's Bug Squash.
Insert first coins
O Fill bucket with water w/Rinse cycle
O Switch to either Soap or Pre-Rinse cycle. Use remaining wash time for pre-rinse.
O Use the bucket for tire and wheel well cleaning as these areas don't get very clean with just the high pressure wash and I don't care to use the Engine/Wheel cycle.
Insert next coins
O Using almost the complete Soap cycle, go over the entire vehicle, for the average size sedan there is usually time to go over the bad areas twice. When the 30 second warning buzzer goes off, switch to Rinse (high pressure, not Spot Free)
Insert next coins
O Rinse thouroughly for the remaining period.
Pull out to dry.
O Using PB's S&W dry the vehicle.
O Using window cleaner go back over the exterior glass.
Optional:
O Go over the entire vehicle again with a QD or Spray Wax.
I've never had an operator tell me I'm taking too much time drying, so doing all of the above has never been a problem at any of the washes I've used.
It may look cumbersome, but I'm moving pretty quickly. Average out of pocket (excluding my own supplies) $2.25, worst case $3.75. Now without the bucket tire/wheel wash I can be out up to $5.00 or so.
A 5 gallon bucket with maybe 3 to 4 gallons of water in it and a lid doesn't seem like it would do much sloshing. Only ever did it once years ago and I don't remember it being a problem at all.
Using the bucket and mitt on only the tires and wheel wells wouldn't work too good at the DIY washes I have been to. They don't remove the road grime from much of anything but the roof, hood, and deck which don't have much road grime to start with.
My need for the bucket wash would be for the entire painted area of the vehicle.
If I go to the DIY wash, I figure it is very likely to cost me close to $5 and plan to have that many quarters with me. In fact, I stack them on the coin mechanism so they are readily at hand when needed.
I would never consider just drying the car after a DIY wash. Using the Poorboy's Spray & Wipe or a rinseless wash would be a requirement after the DIY. I do that at home in the garage.
The DIY wash for me is just a pre-wash since the ones here don't get the car at all clean.
Using the bucket and mitt on only the tires and wheel wells wouldn't work too good at the DIY washes I have been to. They don't remove the road grime from much of anything but the roof, hood, and deck which don't have much road grime to start with.
My need for the bucket wash would be for the entire painted area of the vehicle.
If I go to the DIY wash, I figure it is very likely to cost me close to $5 and plan to have that many quarters with me. In fact, I stack them on the coin mechanism so they are readily at hand when needed.
I would never consider just drying the car after a DIY wash. Using the Poorboy's Spray & Wipe or a rinseless wash would be a requirement after the DIY. I do that at home in the garage.
The DIY wash for me is just a pre-wash since the ones here don't get the car at all clean.
LikeaRock
...Dreaming on an E92....
There's one place in town that allows bucket washing, another that doesn't. I rarely go to those places anymore, I usually pressure wash at my dad's place in the gravel next to his driveway if I need to. There was one 3 minutes from us, it got closed down... Another like 8 minutes away, it got closed down... I liked that one too... When I used to like mud I'd wash my Heep there, and I'd always bring a bucket/shovel to clean my crud up and washed down whatever I could. The guy who ran the place was so thrilled that I cleaned up my own messes he started letting me use the place for free whenever he was there 
It's going to be replaced by a fire station I believe... Sucks, but at least it's something worthwhile...
It's going to be replaced by a fire station I believe... Sucks, but at least it's something worthwhile...
C
clone
Guest
That would seem to add credence to my point.
Sloshing a bucket of soapy water through the house to the car, in the car to the car wash and out again vs. a few ounces of soap and then filling it with water at the car wash; the efficiencies seem obvious to me. And based on our washes, it certainly wouldn't take an entire $0.75 cycle to fill the bucket with water, maybe $.025. $0.50 at the high end. Not too costly, and you are using the company's facility. You've got to expect to pay something.
Bucket washing at a car wash is, luckily, not a common occurrence so my process varies. But assuming it is really cold (otherwise I'm not likely to be there) I'm trying to get in and get out.
O Pre-spray tires/wheel wells with APC.
O Pre-spray, as necessary, any extra dirty (bug/bird/tar, etc) areas on the paint with APC or PB's Bug Squash.
Insert first coins
O Fill bucket with water w/Rinse cycle
O Switch to either Soap or Pre-Rinse cycle. Use remaining wash time for pre-rinse.
O Use the bucket for tire and wheel well cleaning as these areas don't get very clean with just the high pressure wash and I don't care to use the Engine/Wheel cycle.
Insert next coins
O Using almost the complete Soap cycle, go over the entire vehicle, for the average size sedan there is usually time to go over the bad areas twice. When the 30 second warning buzzer goes off, switch to Rinse (high pressure, not Spot Free)
Insert next coins
O Rinse thouroughly for the remaining period.
Pull out to dry.
O Using PB's S&W dry the vehicle.
O Using window cleaner go back over the exterior glass.
Optional:
O Go over the entire vehicle again with a QD or Spray Wax.
I've never had an operator tell me I'm taking too much time drying, so doing all of the above has never been a problem at any of the washes I've used.
It may look cumbersome, but I'm moving pretty quickly. Average out of pocket (excluding my own supplies) $2.25, worst case $3.75. Now without the bucket tire/wheel wash I can be out up to $5.00 or so.
wow i don't know who the bigger loser is me 4 reading & answering your take,are is it you for being so chinncy w/ your .25 .50 or worse case senario .75
maybe the op. hasn,t complained but when they see you pull in they say here comes coke money.:wall:wall:wall:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:dcrules
C
clone
Guest
tha clone may have been alittle tough on mr. clean but with good reason tha clone has a vested intrest in some local diy. here is an owners take on this we don't mind if you bucket wash as long as there is no line. you are actually doing us a favor by being there if someone rides by an see's u they may stop also provides some sense of security for females who diy. what chaps are a** are the aholes who think because they are spending$1,2 or$5 they think they own the place. others like to tear up equip.(#1is wands $75) then you always have the mud trucks there is no getting around them.they make a mess and leave it so that bay is now inop. till someone can clean it. also to have the pit cleaned out about once a year is $750 pr bay:wall:wall:wall:wall
tmacsad
Take Luck!
Do you work for a DIY
Bunky
Detailing Gnosis
This seems like a bargain to essentially rent a space for about $5 for maybe possibly an hour. I still do not see how these DIY make money in some places if they had to pay rent on the land and maintain the equipment.
If I owned a DIY, I would charge based upon time too to allow bucket washing (maybe a special area) and sell detailing products (maybe some do).
C
clone
Guest
C
clone
Guest
1st off tha clone never rents, so the real estate is always going up n value. 2nd you would be surprised(i was) at how much $$ they generate. most people wash/vac cars alot slower than you and I.3rdin theory it sounds like a good idea to rent space but to who? the neighbor hood dope dealer? so they can run everyone else off.:dcrules
tmacsad
Take Luck!
You offer a full detailing service there as well?
C
clone
Guest
no i do that at home. tha clone does not like to be out in public any more than tha clone can help it. we have a retired(police) guy that goes around an makes sure they are all clean.that is it as far as payroll.
:dcrules
GearHead_1
Long Time Member
Rapidly zeroing in on this.