Brenton
aka PEI Detail
danwatt said:
To save time (since that is what the thread is hinting at), use a bit of spray paint instead of tape. :image
I need a "system"
- Thread starter Porkanbeans
- Start date
To save time (since that is what the thread is hinting at), use a bit of spray paint instead of tape. :image
Man U guys are quick, I dont know, but when someone says "full detail", I would have thought that was a "full detail", as in Everything, nothing left out.
Full detail, or "Master Treatment" as we like to call our program.
is the whole car, from the engine to the spare tyre in the boot.
that even means inside roof, all seats cleaned, every little hole or corner inside the car, every single bit of dust or stuck on grime taken care of.
all leather, all plastic, all vinyl all carpets
The car ofcourse first polished w rotary, then followed up by orbital, and then ofcourse sealed or waxed.
all details on outside looked over, chrome polished, all trim blackened.
This will take us no less than 8 hours for 1 man on a normal size, normal dirty car.
Add time to that for extra grime, and size, and state of paint.
here in Spain, a lot of people take absolutely, no care of their car at all.
I mean the cars come in looking like they been to hell and back, and this is not only regular cars, i mean they absolutely wreck even the nice cars, like porsches, ferraris, high end mercedeses. yyou wouldnt beleive the stories i could tell. So normally i would say more like 10 - 12 hours, to get a car perfect again. but they do leave our shop perfect.
Cutting corners for me is unthinkable, I am just too much of a perfectionist, the same as i was as a chef, always doing my very best food for the customer. My pride and payoff comes from the customer saying, WOW, my car looks better ten when i bought it...
i usually add on instead of cutting off, just to leave a perfect end project to the customer, sometimes though, i loose out on it, as the price is set before, but i just cant leave something half done.
We usually charge 300-350€ for a normal size car, but i should be chargin sometimes 400. But as we only had the shop just a year now, i do a lot to increase our customer appreciation, and just another year more of that and then i ll add more to the price.
After a year though we are getting well known for our work, and the last months have been exeptionally good, Knock on wood, ..
sorry to have glided a bit away from the original post..
there are no shortcuts, dont cut corners, just do it good, and earn from that.. I still have to think that in the end quality will pay back...
Ps, had to edit, cause i just actually thought of a "shortcut" we use.
When helping in cleaning out tight corners and nooks, and air vents.
We use the help of a high pressure air gun, to get all that hard to get to dirt.
that actually helps a lot in getting it really good a lot quicker...DS
Full detail, or "Master Treatment" as we like to call our program.
is the whole car, from the engine to the spare tyre in the boot.
that even means inside roof, all seats cleaned, every little hole or corner inside the car, every single bit of dust or stuck on grime taken care of.
all leather, all plastic, all vinyl all carpets
The car ofcourse first polished w rotary, then followed up by orbital, and then ofcourse sealed or waxed.
all details on outside looked over, chrome polished, all trim blackened.
This will take us no less than 8 hours for 1 man on a normal size, normal dirty car.
Add time to that for extra grime, and size, and state of paint.
here in Spain, a lot of people take absolutely, no care of their car at all.
I mean the cars come in looking like they been to hell and back, and this is not only regular cars, i mean they absolutely wreck even the nice cars, like porsches, ferraris, high end mercedeses. yyou wouldnt beleive the stories i could tell. So normally i would say more like 10 - 12 hours, to get a car perfect again. but they do leave our shop perfect.
Cutting corners for me is unthinkable, I am just too much of a perfectionist, the same as i was as a chef, always doing my very best food for the customer. My pride and payoff comes from the customer saying, WOW, my car looks better ten when i bought it...
i usually add on instead of cutting off, just to leave a perfect end project to the customer, sometimes though, i loose out on it, as the price is set before, but i just cant leave something half done.
We usually charge 300-350€ for a normal size car, but i should be chargin sometimes 400. But as we only had the shop just a year now, i do a lot to increase our customer appreciation, and just another year more of that and then i ll add more to the price.
After a year though we are getting well known for our work, and the last months have been exeptionally good, Knock on wood, ..
sorry to have glided a bit away from the original post..
there are no shortcuts, dont cut corners, just do it good, and earn from that.. I still have to think that in the end quality will pay back...
Ps, had to edit, cause i just actually thought of a "shortcut" we use.
When helping in cleaning out tight corners and nooks, and air vents.
We use the help of a high pressure air gun, to get all that hard to get to dirt.
that actually helps a lot in getting it really good a lot quicker...DS
Porkanbeans
O RLY?
Thanks again for all the help everybody. Again, and I can't stress this enough, my question concerns being efficient, NOT cutting corners. I think it's o.k. if you save 20-30 minutes on a full detail by not being redundant in your process because you forgot to do something or didn't use the right product. I don't believe everyone understood that this is what I expressed originally.
For clarification:
From Merriam-Webster:
-efficient: productive of desired effects; especially : productive without waste
I'm not burning bridges here, just making sure everyone understands.
For clarification:
From Merriam-Webster:
-efficient: productive of desired effects; especially : productive without waste
I'm not burning bridges here, just making sure everyone understands.
I do agree, and i think that after reading the whole post, I got lost in the turn that the post took, and maybe I didnt answer your question rather then, answering the replys of others. I do appologise.
Ofcourse you are correct to search for a quicker, more effective in time manner to still do the work, without cutting corners.
Mr:CAP
Ofcourse you are correct to search for a quicker, more effective in time manner to still do the work, without cutting corners.
Mr:CAP
I myself being 22 can clean a dirty car inside and out in 2 and a half hours.....i use Glare polish and apply it by hand.....and being glassplexin in the polish it is the only polish guarenteed for 3 to 5 years. So i save a lot of time not using the buffers and sealers. I also use the Von Schrader Carpet extracting machine (approx.$10,000)wich uses dry foam and drys in 15 min approx. and the combo of the machine and and the chemicals will clean any carpet regardless of the condition. I also use a enviromentaly safe all purpose cleaner (Meaning i can use on boats still in water)that i use ont the vinyl and it will not burn.....clean with an air hose....I cant stress that enough...if you have a shop and dont use air....you are not doing a full detail. I use a 6.5hp vaccum that is needed to suck the foam out of the carpet with the dirt and stains trapped in it.....So if you have the right equipment and the knowlage 2 hours avarage on a regular car......Half hour on a basic (Wash/dry, Vac, windows wipe dust off dash).....now this is a shop....mobile is different and takes longer. We are ranked #5 in ontario canada According to Von Schrader in case you think i am full of it lol
"I myself being 22 can clean a dirty car inside and out in 2 and a half hours....."
I can most certainly clean a car in 2.5 hours as well, but it is not what i want to be doing. We have chosen to work by the quality line, and to become known for our immaculate detailing services.
Our private customer base has grown, just because of that. and the car dealerships we do work for, include porsche, range rover, BMW, Volvo,
and a few that deal in only a mix of high end quality cars such as ferraris, lambos, mercedes and maseratis.
we ofcourse also have a great share of more daily drivers.
when the car leaves our shop, it is as close to new as ever possible. many times even better than new.
we go through a 45 point check program before the car is turned out to a customer.
BUT I also appreciate the market for what you cater to, and the need for it.
But to get the termin ologi right, I think that to call something a "Full detail", it must then also be a full detail.
Full detail according to me would be.
1. EMPTY THE CAR OF ALL LOOSE ITEMS.
2. car washed, clayed (if need for it) polished w rotary, and orbital
3. car washed again, wheels cleaned good, wheel bay, tires and under,
doorjambs degreased and washed, under doors washed
wash around trunk.
4. engine completely washed, and black parts dressed (later)
5. car vacuumed intensely ( at least 20-30 minutes)
6.take out all carpets, even trunk carpets, which are then vacuumed
degreased, washed. (we have a drying room we hang them in.)
7 Interior, start where you want but i always start from top going down.
The inside roof all of it,( just the roof in a smokers car will atke at least 40 min) sunblinds, dashboard, all instrument panels, even get into all cracks and corners, using brushes, fibercloths and pressure air, Scrub all areas good, to get away all dirt completely, dirt that doesnt come off with a fiber towel, must be scrubbed. the belts, and belt holes, all hooks, and handles, all plasic, all vinyl, in between, over, around, wherever you cant reach, use air. all airvents, get them like new again, get into all small compartments, clean them all around inside, sides, under, never leave dirt anywhere, use brushes and air again to get in under hinges, and hooks. anything that can be loosened, or removed to get in under better, do it.
pedals in around and above., even where they never look, get to it, its dirty there too..LOL
Get under the seats, dry off all you can get to.
doors, middle bars, supports, in between, around, scrub all and everything, the customer should not find anything dirty in the whole car. He should be able to lift out or look under or in or behind anything, and it should all be spotless.
Take spare tyre out, clean all arround the trunk, dry off anything you can get to, clean spare tyre, and put back dressed.
(i will normally go through 25-30 fiber cloths to get a car really clean inside)
and i mean spotlessly clean) And i always scrub first with special super spunges that dont leave marks, but help to get all grime thats stuck off...
8. when interior is done, go over doorjambs, vacuum again to get all that fell down while cleaning interior.
9. Seats, if leather, use wich ever product you prefer and clean with whatever way that you normally do
If they are upholstery use, correct product, brushes then use the extractor to clean remains.
10. fixed carpets, clean with correct product, then use brushes and then extract.
11. Dry the car completely
12. apply sealant or wax.
13. now do windows perfect and all mirrors, protect the leather with natural oils or cream, protect fibers with correct product, vinyl and plastic parts also receive protection add wax in doorjambs.. do a last vacuum. put mats back
14, check over car both in and out, dress the tyres and engine.
go over all details on car like chrome, wheels plastic trim, check all areas, to make sure it is in perfect condition.
15 here you do anything you missed that showed up on your last check...
Wish I could Do that in 2.5 hours...................LOL It takes me 10
Please do excuse my spelling, as i am not english.
I may have forgotten something, so bare with me...
I can most certainly clean a car in 2.5 hours as well, but it is not what i want to be doing. We have chosen to work by the quality line, and to become known for our immaculate detailing services.
Our private customer base has grown, just because of that. and the car dealerships we do work for, include porsche, range rover, BMW, Volvo,
and a few that deal in only a mix of high end quality cars such as ferraris, lambos, mercedes and maseratis.
we ofcourse also have a great share of more daily drivers.
when the car leaves our shop, it is as close to new as ever possible. many times even better than new.
we go through a 45 point check program before the car is turned out to a customer.
BUT I also appreciate the market for what you cater to, and the need for it.
But to get the termin ologi right, I think that to call something a "Full detail", it must then also be a full detail.
Full detail according to me would be.
1. EMPTY THE CAR OF ALL LOOSE ITEMS.
2. car washed, clayed (if need for it) polished w rotary, and orbital
3. car washed again, wheels cleaned good, wheel bay, tires and under,
doorjambs degreased and washed, under doors washed
wash around trunk.
4. engine completely washed, and black parts dressed (later)
5. car vacuumed intensely ( at least 20-30 minutes)
6.take out all carpets, even trunk carpets, which are then vacuumed
degreased, washed. (we have a drying room we hang them in.)
7 Interior, start where you want but i always start from top going down.
The inside roof all of it,( just the roof in a smokers car will atke at least 40 min) sunblinds, dashboard, all instrument panels, even get into all cracks and corners, using brushes, fibercloths and pressure air, Scrub all areas good, to get away all dirt completely, dirt that doesnt come off with a fiber towel, must be scrubbed. the belts, and belt holes, all hooks, and handles, all plasic, all vinyl, in between, over, around, wherever you cant reach, use air. all airvents, get them like new again, get into all small compartments, clean them all around inside, sides, under, never leave dirt anywhere, use brushes and air again to get in under hinges, and hooks. anything that can be loosened, or removed to get in under better, do it.
pedals in around and above., even where they never look, get to it, its dirty there too..LOL
Get under the seats, dry off all you can get to.
doors, middle bars, supports, in between, around, scrub all and everything, the customer should not find anything dirty in the whole car. He should be able to lift out or look under or in or behind anything, and it should all be spotless.
Take spare tyre out, clean all arround the trunk, dry off anything you can get to, clean spare tyre, and put back dressed.
(i will normally go through 25-30 fiber cloths to get a car really clean inside)
and i mean spotlessly clean) And i always scrub first with special super spunges that dont leave marks, but help to get all grime thats stuck off...
8. when interior is done, go over doorjambs, vacuum again to get all that fell down while cleaning interior.
9. Seats, if leather, use wich ever product you prefer and clean with whatever way that you normally do
If they are upholstery use, correct product, brushes then use the extractor to clean remains.
10. fixed carpets, clean with correct product, then use brushes and then extract.
11. Dry the car completely
12. apply sealant or wax.
13. now do windows perfect and all mirrors, protect the leather with natural oils or cream, protect fibers with correct product, vinyl and plastic parts also receive protection add wax in doorjambs.. do a last vacuum. put mats back
14, check over car both in and out, dress the tyres and engine.
go over all details on car like chrome, wheels plastic trim, check all areas, to make sure it is in perfect condition.
15 here you do anything you missed that showed up on your last check...
Wish I could Do that in 2.5 hours...................LOL It takes me 10
Please do excuse my spelling, as i am not english.
I may have forgotten something, so bare with me...
Jngrbrdman
New member
"full detail" is an entirely subjective term and usually includes a description on what that 'full detail" includes. Since not every car needs the same things, it would be ridiculous to have a set price for services they may very well not need. A full detail on a brand new car may not include certian things that a full detail on a 15 year old car would need. So I just charge based on an hourly rate determined by how long it takes me to do different jobs. All of my 'packages' are custom built around the car I'm working on.
The detail shops I have been in and worked at had their idea of a 'full detail' too. In every instance their idea of a full detail was missing things that could have been done. The question just needs to be 'what is the customer expecting?' If they are expecting the car to be returned to them in showroom condition then they better expect the price to reflect how much time was put into it. Again, even a neglected 2006 model car isn't going to take as long to return to show room condition as a neglected 1992 model year car. The price for a 'full detail' is going to be different in both cases.
I know a few people who do something that really ticks me off. They base the price on the value of a car. I don't care if it is a hundred thousand dollar car. If you are just washing and waxing it then the price should be the same for a similar sized car of any other make and model. People that charge $300 bucks to wax someones Ferrari should be run out of town on a rail. That is just taking advantage of someone. I base my prices on an hourly rate and it doesn't matter if I'm working on a Ferrari or a Focus. The price is the same for the same amount of time.
The detail shops I have been in and worked at had their idea of a 'full detail' too. In every instance their idea of a full detail was missing things that could have been done. The question just needs to be 'what is the customer expecting?' If they are expecting the car to be returned to them in showroom condition then they better expect the price to reflect how much time was put into it. Again, even a neglected 2006 model car isn't going to take as long to return to show room condition as a neglected 1992 model year car. The price for a 'full detail' is going to be different in both cases.
I know a few people who do something that really ticks me off. They base the price on the value of a car. I don't care if it is a hundred thousand dollar car. If you are just washing and waxing it then the price should be the same for a similar sized car of any other make and model. People that charge $300 bucks to wax someones Ferrari should be run out of town on a rail. That is just taking advantage of someone. I base my prices on an hourly rate and it doesn't matter if I'm working on a Ferrari or a Focus. The price is the same for the same amount of time.
Jngrbrdman said:
The example was ofcourse a dirty car that does take 10 hours to complete.
And i DO agree with you that every car is different, and has different needs. and a different price, just as you pointed out.
and i also agree, if you overcharge for a "NICE CAR", you probably wont be around for a ong time anyway. That word of mouth will travel very quickly,,,
I guesse i just feel that a "FULL DETAIL", would mean FULL, as in complete, from top to bottom, "top of the line" Spotless, as good ad new.
Everyone i guesse has the right to see full, as they wish, but my post was just of what I consider to be a full detail, and the discussion i answered was a "time" discussion for a dirty CAR, that was quoted at the top of my post, of how long that full detail, would take me....
I'm just starting out but heres my system:
rinse vehicle
wash vehicle
clean bugs and tar from behind tires
clean tires and wheel wells
dry vehicle
clean inside (vaccum, wipe plastic, and shine)
clean windows
shine tires
wipe down rims
This usually takes me about an 1 1/2 - 2 hours. depending on how dirty vehicle is. I did 5 vehicles yesterday (van, jeep,3 cars). it took me about 6 hours to do all 5. experience is a big key! i've been doing detailing for about 3 or 4 months and have cut my time greatly. Like some one said before clean up as you go! helps out to a quick exit if you have other jobs.
rinse vehicle
wash vehicle
clean bugs and tar from behind tires
clean tires and wheel wells
dry vehicle
clean inside (vaccum, wipe plastic, and shine)
clean windows
shine tires
wipe down rims
This usually takes me about an 1 1/2 - 2 hours. depending on how dirty vehicle is. I did 5 vehicles yesterday (van, jeep,3 cars). it took me about 6 hours to do all 5. experience is a big key! i've been doing detailing for about 3 or 4 months and have cut my time greatly. Like some one said before clean up as you go! helps out to a quick exit if you have other jobs.
Aliengotpsi
New member
Heres what I do for a detail..
Pull car into wash bay, they open all doors, hood, truck, degrease them all along with wheel wells, then put on tire and white wall cleaner onto the tires, scrub if needed.. spray engine bay, 2 times if needed. then grab an air gun and blow out engine ( pull spark plug wires out and make sure not water got in the head..) After you have done that, dress engine and shut hood.
Spray door jams, trunk jams, gas door ,wheels,tires,
Hand wash rest of car.. use the water blade and MicroFiber to dry and pull forward.. Blo-n-vac carpets seats.
I quit this is taking too long to write, I could have cleaned a car by now..
Pull car into wash bay, they open all doors, hood, truck, degrease them all along with wheel wells, then put on tire and white wall cleaner onto the tires, scrub if needed.. spray engine bay, 2 times if needed. then grab an air gun and blow out engine ( pull spark plug wires out and make sure not water got in the head..) After you have done that, dress engine and shut hood.
Spray door jams, trunk jams, gas door ,wheels,tires,
Hand wash rest of car.. use the water blade and MicroFiber to dry and pull forward.. Blo-n-vac carpets seats.
I quit this is taking too long to write, I could have cleaned a car by now..