First Paint Correction

M

msmcdon

New member
For all of you who own/work at a mobile detailing business: I have a couple questions for you.

I'm thinking about starting a small detailing business this coming summer.... if you want to call it a business. I'm not going to dive in too deep, as I already have a full-time job I love, but I'd really enjoy detailing cars on the weekends and evenings for some extra cash... more of a paying hobby. Vacuuming, detailing, cleaning are not a problem for me. The only hitch I see is needing a way to wash my future clients' cars.

Most of the high pressure washer systems I found on the 'net are way too expensive for my meager beginnings....I don't want to dive that deep just yet. Do I really <em class='bbc'><strong class='bbc'>need[/i][/b] a high-pressure washing system, or can I get by with some sort of tank and non-pressurized hose system?

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks!:D
 
For a place that is starting off I would think your prices would be modest. One catch would be that you would have to use thier hose or drive to a car wash with thier car, dry it there and when you come back you can spot rinse it where dirt may have picked up on the rear quater panels.



I am sure people are not going to expect you to have a full blown pressure washer within your first 6 months of detailing.



Just my .02:bounce
 
I don't have a pressure sprayer. I use Protect All Quick and Easy Wash. www.protectall.com and follow the links for the Quick and Easy Wash. Stuff works great-nothing like Dry Wash. All you do is add 2 capfuls per gallon of water, and just wash and dry. You do not need to rinse at all. I've been using it for 8 years, and I only carry about 4 gallons of water with me. Definately a time and money saver. You should be able to wash/dry the average sized car in about 20-25 minutes-including wheels and doorjams. Just wash a section at a time, wipe with one towel, and dry completely with the other.

It is really great at office complexes-you don't have to worry about getting anyone else's car wet, even on windy days.

And no, the product will not scratch paint. A gallon runs about $38 and you should be able to wash 150-200 cars with that amount.
 
Graeme,



I have had a weekend Detailing company for the past 3 yrs. and do not have a high pressure system. I detail the cars at the persons home on their driveway and in there garage. I bring all my supplies which include a hose and two 5 gallon buckets. All my clients except 3 have an outside faucet, for those clients I take the vehicles to the nearest wash bay, wash the car and return to complete the rest of the job. My biggest problem is the winter months in Toronto, but as long as it is above freezing I'm good to go. I bought 2 sets of 2 halogen 500 watt lights on stands. With these 4 lights I can heat any garage to around 60F and I am set for any winter afternoon. These lights also show every single imperfection on the surface of the vehicles. Good Luck.
 
Scott, any product even all the quick detail sprays will work on vehicles that are really only dusty. For a vehicle that is dirty i.e. dust, dirt, waterspots, tree sap, bugs, bird droppings you need lots of water not only to spray off the crap but to soften the stuff stuck to the paint. You also have to rinse the mitt or brush all the time in a separate bucket or it will be scratch city. The web site even states you have to use a strong cleaner or compound for heavily soiled cars. It may not be dry wash but it's pretty close.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Every Little Detail [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Scott, any product even all the quick detail sprays will work on vehicles that are really only dusty. For a vehicle that is dirty i.e. dust, dirt, waterspots, tree sap, bugs, bird droppings you need lots of water not only to spray off the crap but to soften the stuff stuck to the paint. You also have to rinse the mitt or brush all the time in a separate bucket or it will be scratch city. The web site even states you have to use a strong cleaner or compound for heavily soiled cars. It may not be dry wash but it's pretty close. [/b]</blockquote>
Are you talking about their protectant or their wash? The wash uses <strong class='bbc'>WATER[/b]! I've been using it for 8 years and I do over 1000 cars a year (combined total of washes/wash & wax/details) and have never had any problems getting cars clean without scratching them. The only time I would need to use a hose is when there is caked on mud from offroading.

Here is the correct link for the wash: www.protectall.com/QuickEasy.htm

And here is the info on the product:

<strong class='bbc'>NO RINSE APPLICATION[/b]
Use ½ ounce (1 capful) of Quick & Easy Wash in a bucket with two quarts water for an average size car. Use one ounce per gallon for larger vehicles. Quick & Easy Wash safely loosens and lifts dirt eliminating the need to rinse with water. Wash a section at a time then just chamois, towel or squeegee dry.

<strong class='bbc'>NO Hose! NO Suds! NO Mess![/b]

Quick & Easy Wash is non-abrasive. Remove oxidation, stains and heavy grime with a strong cleaner or polishing compound before using Quick & Easy Wash for the first time. Protect All FIBERGLASS Oxidation Remover & Color Restorer and heavy-duty Protect All Black Streak Cleaner and Degreaser are perfect for tackling oxidation, stains and heavy grime.

<strong class='bbc'>WASH ANYWHERE[/b]
Wash any vehicle wherever it is parked. This is especially important where water use is restricted. Because you don’t need to rinse you can wash in your garage, apartment parking stall, campgrounds, parks, marinas and airplane tiedowns. Quick & Easy Wash is great for home and office, too.



The part about oxidation, heavy grime, etc applies to only the filthiest cars. The product will work on those types of cars, but you will get some streaking, which polishing and waxing will remove-the car will be clean, just not look that great until you polish and wax it.

99% of the cars you do will easily be cleaned by Quick and Easy wash. I may have to use a hose on a car 4-5 times a year, and usually because it is a 4 x 4 that is just back from a deer lease.


I have one customer who has a 1995 Lexus LS 400 and I have been using it on his car since it was brand new-and it still looks brand new. This product is nothing like Dry Wash. It is not a spray. You soap up a car just like a normal car soap, but you just don't have to rinse it. Believe me, I would never recommend any product I have not thoroughly tested myself-and I would consider 8 years a very stringent test.

In any event, as long as a car is reasonably maintained and even occaisionally waxed, you will have no problems quickly washing it with Quick and Easy. It is great in the winter, because I can use warm water so my hands don't get as cold.
 
Scott, you referred me to this product awhile back and I finally tried it. I had some concerns though that I was hoping you could address. First, how do I know that this product is fully mixed? I followed the dilution ratio and it seemed to just stay clear in the water, and I could not tell if I was still using Quick and Easy Wash or just slathering water on my finish. Second, do you notice a gritty noise when applying it to the finish? It seems like a great product and I want to refine my skills so I can use it for the winter. Thanks. :)
 
hey graeme, i've been doing exactly what you're talking about for the last 7 years, now i do it full time. as far as pressure washers go i use the small 1200 - 1700psi electric models from Wal-Mart, Home depot, or Lowes. simply connect it to the clients hose and electrical outlet and you're good to go. i go anywhere that i can hook up my own hose and run an electrical cord. it's far better to do the job at the person's house than to get involved with driving their car somewhere. too many things can happen with you driving their car - too risky for me. i started out just like a lawn service basically. feel free to email me, i'd be happy to discuss things with you.:up
 
Scottwax, I am quite interested in this Quick and Easy wash as it is fairly tough to wash my truck where I live. You say you have been using it for 8 years without any problems? I dont take my truck off-road so it gets mostly just daily driver grim.....this stuff should work on that? Still, it seems odd that you wouldnt stratch the paint without rinsing. I wonder how it works......



If I am not mistaken, you have posted pictures of your clients cars before and I remember them looking exceptional.......I assume that is what you use on them???
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Airball50 [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Scottwax, I am quite interested in this Quick and Easy wash as it is fairly tough to wash my truck where I live. You say you have been using it for 8 years without any problems? I dont take my truck off-road so it gets mostly just daily driver grim.....this stuff should work on that? Still, it seems odd that you wouldnt stratch the paint without rinsing. I wonder how it works......

If I am not mistaken, you have posted pictures of your clients cars before and I remember them looking exceptional.......I assume that is what you use on them??? [/b]</blockquote>
I use it on my own car and my clients cars. The usual grime you get between washes is easy to wash off with this product-especially if you wax regularly. I am not sure how it works, but I know it does. It was developed during the late 80's drought in California for the RV crowd-takes a lot of water to wash an RV and there were wash and watering bans then.

JM19--Quick and Easy mixes quickly with the water-I pour water in a bucket, then add the Q&E, and stir the water around once or twice. Remember, a capful of blue liquid in a gallon of water will not be very noticable.

It took me 2-3 times using it to really get the hang of it. I use two towels-one to wipe off the water, and the other to completely dry the paint. If you are using it in the sun, it will work fine, you just have to do smaller sections at a time so you can wipe it off before it dries.

On a well maintained and waxed surface, I haven't noticed a gritty feeling-if the paint is really dirty, I make sure the wash pad is really wet, slop it on the section I am washing and let it sit for about 30 seconds before rubbing the wash pad over the paint. When is the last time you clayed your paint? Maybe you have sap (which will cause a gritty feeling until it is washed away), or some light overspray on your car.

Anyway, you do have to practice a few time to really get the hang of it. The first time I used it, I wasn't that impressed, but once I got good at using it, I was sold on the product.
 
Scott, I think we are doing completely different styles of detailing.1000 cars a year is incredible assuming you work 5 days a week you are seeing 3 clients a day every single week, year around. I do 50 cars a year, tops. It takes me 6-8 hrs for a complete detail depending on the size of the vehicle i.e. wash,clay, high speed polish,polymer sealent, windows, vacuum interior, shampoo car mats, spot clean carpets, spot clean upholstry/Leather, dress all vinyl/ leather. Most of the vehicles are BMW's, Mercedes, Porsche many of them black. These clients want their cars perfect every 4 or 5 months they would have a bird if I was using 2 quarts of water. I am rinsing my mitt every few passes in a separate 5gal. bucket from my 5gal. washing solution.

I would love to believe that you could wash a car with 2 quarts of water, I constantly wash my own vehicle during our Canadian winters when it is 35F to 40F. It is brutal!I just can't believe there is a product that revolutionary that you can apply it to a dry car with the same mitt one section at a time, chamois it dry with the same chamois for the whole car and not scratch the vehicles paint.

What do you do about cleaning the tires and rims? Dried on Bird droppings?Tree Sap? Flushing the wheel wells and under carraige?
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Scottwax [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>


It took me 2-3 times using it to really get the hang of it. I use two towels-one to wipe off the water, and the other to completely dry the paint. If you are using it in the sun, it will work fine, you just have to do smaller sections at a time so you can wipe it off before it dries.

[/b]</blockquote>
Scott, what type of towels do you use? Terry cloth? And do you usually notice any type of dirt build-up on them after you've gone over a few panels?
 
You could do this with any soap I bet. Except they would leave residue if not rinsed well enough. It seems this stuff is designed not leave residue. Seems to be a wetter QD.



I do see the high chance of not completely rinsing the dirt picked up from the wash mitt since there is not an abundance of water to rinse it in. Then this would swirl up the finish.



Also I think Scott said something that made me think - For RV's during California drought. I am not knocking the porduct but it does go against conventional wisdom for cleaning and trying to maintain a swirlfree finish.



For the mobile detailer w/o access to a hose I bet this helps great but I would still try to use traditional wash methods first.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by TheKingOfDETAIL [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>

Scott, what type of towels do you use? Terry cloth? And do you usually notice any type of dirt build-up on them after you've gone over a few panels? [/b]</blockquote>
I fold the towels into 1/4s, and refold them when they get dirty. Yes, there is dirt on the towels when you are wiping-then you make another pass for drying. Like I said, it takes some practice to get really proficient.

Every Little Detail:

First of all, I use 1 gallon of water, not 2 quarts. Works better that way. I use two towels to start with. One to wipe most of the Q&E/water mix off, then another to dry. I refold the towels every few panels to get a clean side, and it usually takes 3 towels to do an average sized car. I always leave a slight bit of moisture on the paint for the drying pass to eliminate streaks. I certainly understand your skepticism-I was leary of what might happen the first time I used it. In fact, the first time, I was not that impressed, because I had streaks all over the car-but after using it a few more times, I got the hang of it.

Q&E works fine on wheels and tires-I have several different brushes to get deep into the wheels and the wheel wells. I do carry extra water for really dirty rims-after I clean the wheel, but before I dry, I rinse the wheel off with the extra water. On bird droppings or any extra grime, I slosh the Q&E on with a wash pad and let it sit for about 30 seconds, and the bird crap just washes right off. If anyone wants their undercarraige cleaned, I do have to use a hose. Down here in Texas, they just really don't get all that dirty-no salt on the roads here.

Not all of the 1000 cars I do each year are details. I have 10-12 cars I wash every single week (same customers), and the other 8-10 cars a week are a mix of interior or exterior only details or complete details. Details usually take me about 3-5 hours, depending on the vehicle, whether or not it actually needs to be clayed (some of my regulars get their cars waxed every few weeks!), and more important, how dirty the interior is. I also do a lot of high end vehicles and yes, many of them are black as well. I've posted several pics in the members pics section.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Guess My Name [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>You could do this with any soap I bet. Except they would leave residue if not rinsed well enough. It seems this stuff is designed not leave residue. Seems to be a wetter QD.[/b]</blockquote>
It cleans much better than a QD.

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<strong class='bbc'>I do see the high chance of not completely rinsing the dirt picked up from the wash mitt since there is not an abundance of water to rinse it in. Then this would swirl up the finish.[/b]</blockquote>
That was what I thought initially-but when you put the wash pad in the Q&E mix, it comes out clean. Somehow it suspends the dirt in the water. I've used it on numerous black cars without leaving scratches.

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<strong class='bbc'>For the mobile detailer w/o access to a hose I bet this helps great but I would still try to use traditional wash methods first. [/b]</blockquote>
That is how I started out-either cleaning the cars at the persons home or taking it to a self-serve car wash. I find using Q&E quicker, cheaper and cleans car just as well, without leaving a bunch of water in parking lots or accidently spraying someone else's car.
 
Obviously, Scottewax, it has worked very well for you and we all appreciate the input. I think I might get some and maybe try it out on one panel or something like that....might be a pricey experiment but well worth it if it pays off. At the risk of having the Autopians kick me off the forum, I must admit that my current situation forces me to take my truck to the car wash (gasp!!) and then bring it home to detail myself. Until I can afford a house (...long time), I will not have suitable car wash area, so maybe this will help. Thanks again for all your comments.
 
Here, the water laws are really strict (retain all water), so this might be a great solution to using less water... I admit, I am VERY weary of trying it though. I think I am going to take the plunge, and see how it works for me. Cars get really dirty here in the winter (Colorado), so it might not be a complete solution.



graeme, get creative. I am starting a mobile biz as soon as I can get the stuff together (winter isn't the strongest time of year, but I'm not one to wait). For water storage, I've though of those 55-gallon oil drums. A friend uses them to wash his motorcycles when he goes riding: Get them for $10 from local shops that might have them, drill a hole in them the size of a hose nozzle, and screw the nozzle in there. The pressure that gravity produces may be enough to get you started. There are also many other tanks that you can use, relying on gravity. Don't take my word on it, as I have not tried gravity... I still have yet to see how well that works.



Good luck! Let me know how it all turns out for you and want you find, and I'll do the same.

Josiah
 
I own/operate a mobile wash and detail company, so my style differs from some of you. I bought a 3/4ton van, instead of a pickup w/ trailer, loaded it w/ a 275gal tank,generator vac,buffer,and a pressure washer 2700psi. I can go anywhere to wash,wax, or detail a vehicle. Never had any problems with water in the parking lot, there are sewers every 20yds around here. Having a power washer helps do some of the work for you (wheels, tire's,wells,undercarraige) and helps move a volume of vehicles. I got my psi washer fairly priced at $525 at costco. You can pay that off with 3 details.
 
ryhead makes a good point - it depends on your style, where you live, what kind of cars you will be detailing... Here in Colorado, a pressure washer is more necessary than some states. I'm sure I'll have to get one very soon after I start the biz.



The Quick and Easy Wash might be a very valuable tool to test, get proficient with, and see if it works for you as a mobile detailer. After all, that's part of our job description, isn't it? To test new products that help us do the job quicker and more efficiently.



ryhead, where are you located?



Best of luck,

Josiah
 
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