5 Minutes, my fanny!

C

CharlesW

The Rainmaker
This morning, I happened to notice the time when I started cleaning the Montana mini-van.
It was dusty dirty, driven in one light rain. Not really too bad. Lots of people would have said to leave it until it is dirty. :D I just can't seem to be able to do that. :wall

Anyway:
Spray & Wipe on the exterior and the wheels
Bold N Bright on the tires
Windows on just the exterior
Quick vacuum only on the interior
Wipe off dash

Getting things ready, doing the van, putting things away took 35 minutes, probably 30 minutes actually working on the vehicle, 5 minutes getting things out and put back afterwards.
I don't really rush, but I do keep moving all the time. No breaks and a system that lets me cover quite a good sized area at a time. I break it down like this.
1. Hood and both front fenders.
2. Roof - I can reach it by standing in the sliding door opening on each side.
3. Driver's side doors and rear 1/4.
4. Passenger side doors and rear 1/4.
5. Lift gate, rear bumper and lower body cladding on one side;
6. Front bumper and lower body cladding on the other side.
7. Wheels and tires.
8. Vacuum, wipe dash.
Exterior windows are done when an adjacent body section is cleaned. If I can reach, I wash it. :)
I could probably do larger areas, but I don't want to let my cleaning solution dry on any panels.

How long does it take some of you others for this type of cleanup?

FWIW, I think a rinseless wash takes me just about the same amount of time. Possibly 5 minutes longer.
I realize that 5 minutes could have done another vehicle if used properly, but obviously I haven't mastered the 5 minute wash. :D
 
A conventional wash with hose and bucket takes me 45 minutes to wash and dry including the wheels.
I guess I"m really slow.:D
 
Charles did you eat your Wheaties today :hmmm: :lol2::rofl ..come on pick up the pace :crazy2:
 
If I bucket wash the car its an hour start to finish...that's setting up and tearing down everything including the washing of the car.

If I use S&W...its about half that, since I have everything setup in the garage ready there is not setup.

Granted that my cars are not that dirty to start with so they do not require a lot of work...however if this was someone else car that was real dirty, that time would be much different
 
I think that you have managed your time better than most do get all that done in the amount of time stated.

I am not as meticulous or work as quickly as you, Charles. I take 20 to 30 minutes to do a wipedown of the exterior paint. No wheels or tires. Add those two items and it is a lot longer. I know I am slow and lazy yet happy to be able to do it kind of time.
 
I spend about 5 minutes just doing the windows and that is working pretty quick. My wash on an average size car takes between 30-45 minutes working steady the whole time.

Cleaning the wheels & tires = 5-8 min.
Rinse-wash-rinse = 5-8 min.
Dry = 5-8 min.
Vacuum = 5-8 min.
Treat tires = 2-3 min.
Windows = 3-5 min.
Final Wipe/Spray Wax = 5 min.

I usually treat the leather too which adds a few minutes.

Could I do it faster? Yes. Stronger chemicals can cut down on time but that's not what's best for the car and using them will cause damage to the car that may not show up right away but over time.

When I first started detailing I used whatever would clean the quickest and didn't give much thought to how it effected the surfaces as long as the car got cleaned and looked good when I was done.
 
Poorboy said:
Charles did you eat your Wheaties today :hmmm: :lol2::rofl ..come on pick up the pace :crazy2:
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For me, it's much better if I work steady rather than quick. :D
The van, I did at 7 AM this morning when I was fresh and ready to take on the world.
Fortunately for me, the world pretty much ignored me today.
I did do the Grand Prix and the Corvette tonight, though.
Both took just a little less time and I think a big part of that is being able to reach any area of the vehicles while standing on the ground.
After reading the times posted by several of you, I don't feel quite so bad about how long it takes me.
Actually, I never did feel bad about it, that's just the way it is. :D
 
CharlesW said:
For me, it's much better if I work steady rather than quick. :D

After reading the times posted by several of you, I don't feel quite so bad about how long it takes me.
Actually, I never did feel bad about it, that's just the way it is. :D
Click to expand...


me too Charles ..slow but steady gets the job done right :bigups
 
It takes me longer to wash and dry. I seem to find spending a lot of time on jambs and getting rid of water spots.
 
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