Mobile Detailing Help!

R

rmccall6

New member
I dont know whether to give this a good or a bad review. I think its a fine product, i just had my expectations set to high. I bought this mainly for my bro but thought i give it a shot. My test wheels hadnt been cleaned in a week anad a half, but theese are japaneese (lexus) brakes, not the incredibly dusty mercedes/BMW kind, so they werent awefully dirty. After wetting the wheels, i sprayed the cleaner on the wheels and tires. I let it sit for 20-30 sec and then sprayed off with a strong stream. The wheels looked noticeably brighter but when i ran my finger across the wheel, i got dust. There seemed to be a thin layer of dirty grime still left on the wheel. Now given, a spray on, spray off wheel cleaner is hard, if not impossible to find, and id say that for spray on, spray off purposes, this cleaner is more well suited than the EF-Hi, but if you really want your wheels clean (dont we all), you are going to have to do some scrubbing, and the EF-Hi is well suited for this task, pluss its cheaper.
 
After becoming used to using EF HI on tough BMW wheels, I too, had my expectations set a little high for Sonus. Good product if you have minimal dust, but anything after that, I will take EF HI any day.
 
The Sonus really isnt bad, i think, and i need some more testing, could be a better wheel cleaner than EF...but, its more for the enthusiast who details rarely. I love the big 32oz EF, and i seem to go through wheel cleaner quite rapidly (if only cutomers would bring there cars in more often they wouldnt have black wheels), pluss the EF is more versatle, and is plenty stong.
 
Sonius was and OK wheel cleaner but not for the price they charge IMO.



It cleaned as well as some cheapos I have used like Meguiars and TW.
 
Used the Sonus wheel gel for the first time today. Got it free with my purchase of the Blackfire kit (thanks Terry!!).



I usually use Eagle One A2Z acid-based wheel cleaner (I know, I know..... trust me, I know what I'm doing with wheel cleaners). The A2Z does a great job of removing 95% of brake dust and road grime after one application. No agitation, no follow-up wiping, just spray on and hose off - literally. I typically apply A2Z to a dry wheel and hose off almost immediately.



The Sonus isn't quite so aggressive. I rinsed the wheels as directed which removed approx 50% of the brake dust. I sprayed on the Sonus liberally and let it set up for about one minute. I used a high pressure spray to rinse off completely.



The wheels looked good and I decided not to wash them with car washing soap as I usually would with the E1. I wanted to see how much grime was still on the wheels after one application.



The wheels were still slightly dirty when I started the post-wash drying. After a quick wipe down with a terry towel which picked up a good amount of grime, I QD'ed the wheels to finish them off.



So, I'd have to say the Sonus wheel gel is a good light duty wheel cleaner. It certainly is safe and I think would be a great choice for the owner who washes their car weekly and needs a good quality wheel cleaner to help them maintain a hard-to-clean wheel (like a BBS type mesh wheel).
 
It's kind of hard to not love the EF Hi Intensity. You can buy it by the gallon and put in 32 oz. spray bottles and dilute it 50/50 with water. You can dilute it any way you like and you get an incredible amount of cleaner at a very economical price. Hard to beat. Laters
 
Hey everyone, I am new here and somewhat new to detailing. I am a 17 year old car enthusiast and just recently started taking care of my parents' 2008 BMW 335i and 2009 Audi Q7 TDI. I have been told I do such a good job for my expertise and age that i should do other peoples cars. So I have sought out on a journey to start my own mobile detailing business. :D

I have come on this forum to seek help and advice on how to further my knowledge on detailing cars and running my business. So any advice to either is greatly appreciated.

I have already done a few friends' cars and such, but i still want to take my services more public. But before I do that, I want to have the right materials that balance in good price and good results. So in order to make this post as short as possible, I will cut to the chase. I already have a Porter Cable 7346 and Lake Country Pads. However, I need information on what compounds, polishes, and glazes i will need to being a smile to my customers faces. Apart from the buffer and pads, I believe I have a decent enough inventory of materials and chemicals to handle detailing, but I may be wrong. D:

Also anyone who has experience doing mobile detailing and can offer advice or tips on what equipment and services to provide, I will greatly, greatly, greatly appreciate your help!!!

Thank you,
Gimlet
 
Welcome aboard. Whereabouts are you located?

Angelo can help you choose what products will need.

As for mobile detailing, you should probably see how much people are charging in your area. Develop a pricing point and stick with it. Best advice I can give is keep your business and equipment organized. Your work will speak for itself and get you more customers from referalls.

I think most people here are on the meguires 105/205 combo.
 
Hello. I am from Arizona, the Scottsdale/Phoenix to be precise. (So I have lots of rich potential clients with BMWs, Audis, Lexuses, etc)

I currently already have a Excel Spreadsheet with a list of the jobs I have done, my inventory, and my expense/ income info. And I have dedicated part of my garage to hold my inventory until i need to load up the Audi.

As of now I have 4 services: Basic Wash for $20 which speaks for itself (a wash, tire and window cleaning and vacuuming), Basic Wash w/ Interior for $30 (which includes seat and carpet care, etc), Full Detail for $80 (adds on clay bar, polish, wax, and minor defect remvoal, etc), and a Premium Detail for $120 ( which includes machine compound, polish, glaze, and wax, and more attention to detail). And of course trucks run $5- $10 higher. I also hope to add headlight restoration and heavy scratch removal soon.

Hopefully this idea works out for me, and thanks for the help. And of course any other tips would be amazing! :D

Gimlet
 
Gimlet said:
Hello. I am from Arizona, the Scottsdale/Phoenix to be precise. (So I have lots of rich potential clients with BMWs, Audis, Lexuses, etc)

I currently already have a Excel Spreadsheet with a list of the jobs I have done, my inventory, and my expense/ income info. And I have dedicated part of my garage to hold my inventory until i need to load up the Audi.

As of now I have 4 services: Basic Wash for $20 which speaks for itself (a wash, tire and window cleaning and vacuuming), Basic Wash w/ Interior for $30 (which includes seat and carpet care, etc), Full Detail for $80 (adds on clay bar, polish, wax, and minor defect remvoal, etc), and a Premium Detail for $120 ( which includes machine compound, polish, glaze, and wax, and more attention to detail). And of course trucks run $5- $10 higher. I also hope to add headlight restoration and heavy scratch removal soon.

Hopefully this idea works out for me, and thanks for the help. And of course any other tips would be amazing! :D

Gimlet
Click to expand...

You can also join the chat (you can join by clicking the 'join our chat' button on the bottom of the forums. People usually get on around 8 p.m. eastern every day:)
 
Welcome to Truth In Detailing Gimlet, for your product needs I always like to start on out with Meguiar's Detailers Line which comes in gallons and can be diluted so you can make more for your hard earn money and get more products in your quest in becoming a full time detailer. There is one question for you....are you going to use a polisher or not? and do you have a license and insurance? Those last 2 items are very important for you and your customers. So check in to it and protect yourself. But any products your need please be free to call me at PAC @ 800-628-7596 EXT 005...................Angelo
 
Hi Gimlet.
Welcome to TID. This is absolutely the place to get good advice.
As a mobile detailer, you might want to concider the following.

Optimum No Rince - if you don't have access to a hose.
Megs 105/205 - Compound and finish polish
Optimum Hyper Compound Spray $ Polish Spray - Works in sun or shade.
Menzerna PO85rd or 106FA - Final Polish
4" Polishing Pads and 3.5" Backing plate
A good variety of brushes for wheels and wheel wells
Quality wash mit
Many MF towels
A good Sealant (Blackfire Wet Diamond)
A good QD (you can use the ONR at QD strenght or Optimum Instant Detailer & Gloss Enhancer)

I am sure there is more, but that is a good start.

As Drdetail said, call Angelo and he will hook you up.

Good luck with the new business.
 
Hey guys, thanks for the warm welcoming. I am really liking this site. :D

@ Angelo. In response to your two questions... Yes I will use a polisher. I have a Porter Cable 7346SP (is that a polisher?) and several Lake Country Pads. However, I do not have the experience yet that I would like, so I guess I will go out and practice on the BMW once I order my Meguiar's compound, polish, glaze, etc. And on the insurance one, thats one that really is hard to decide. I definitely want to for the long run, but I am only 17 and my funds are limited. So I have composed a check sheet that has a diagram of a car and I label all noticeable blemishes and scratches. I then have the owner sign and date the sheet. I hope this will be able to save my behind if someone decides to sue because of a scratch they find. @-) But until I have enough money to secure a business license and insurance, I am hoping my honest prices and work, as well as my charming good looks :biggrin: help stop any ideas to sue me. Does that sound like its a good substitute for now? or anything else you guys can tell me to help on that side?

@BMW5531. Nice to see a fellow BMW enthusiast! :D Thanks so much for that list. You have no idea how much it helps. I currently have a few products that I picked up from my local AutoZone. Those will last me a little while until I have the money to invest into those, which i sure will order off PAC. I'm hoping my prices can still put money in my pocket for school, and also allow me to replenish those items. Wish me luck!

Thank you so much guys. I got A LOT more help than I expected. Again, if anything else pops into your head, then please let me know. I'm very excited to slowly get my business going and also being a part of this site/forum. :)

Gimlet
 
Hi, Gimlet. Welcome to TID!! You came to the right place for advice and product research.

As mentioned earlier, ONR is IMO a must have in your arsenal. It's a very versatile product and is great for doing mobile work. Another product to get is Optimum Car Wax. OCW can be sprayed on to a panel that was just washed with ONR to help reduce the chance of getting water spots. Not only that, but you can wax as you dry, thus helping you eliminate a step in your process. Also, you might consider getting some Optimum Opti-Seal. It's a wipe on, walk away sealant that looks great topped on OCW.
I would also suggest that you get a couple of five gallon water jugs to carry around filtered water for your washes.

Before you jump into doing mobile work, do a lot of research. Structure your prices better and better describe each package you offer. For example, your basic with interior package states that $30 includes seat and carpet care. Does that mean that you are going to work on heavily soiled interiors for $30? Have you ever had to deal with a car that was full of pet hair and stains? Are you going to vacuum and shampoo and dress the whole interior for $30? If so, you're cheating yourself out of money. Take your time and do your homework. Call around and see what local detailers are charging in your area.

BTW, Menzerna Power Finish is a great product!! I just started using it and I kick myself for not having tried it sooner. Look forward to seeing your write-ups in the future.
 
Welcome to TID Gimlet! :clap:

To begin with, you might want to focus on doing the basics while you're starting off and uninsured. I would suggest having three basic service packages, with a 'plus' option available for all three.

1) Hand Wash (exterior only service), this would be a top to bottom hand wash, with wheel and tire cleaning, glass cleaning, and exterior trim treating.

2) Wash and Wax (exterior only service), same as the hand wash, but with a coat of hand applied wax.

3) Deluxe (exterior only service), same as the Wash and Wax, but with an extra step of paint prep before waxing (paint cleaner or clay bar) and two coats of wax.

Each of these can become a 'plus' package for an added fee, the plus is to include light interior work.

I wouldn't suggest offering some of the more professional services just yet (IE paint correction), as professional services come with professional responsibility and liability, which is something you might not want to get into just yet. Although becoming a legally recognized and insured business doesn't cost a whole lot (for me it was ~$1600), it can be a big step to take and might not be something you can afford just yet. Doing this will work to cover your ass in the event of a mistake or accident, as well as show your potential clientele that you're serious about what you do.

I think as long as you do work for familiar faces (friends and neighbors, or close referrals) and market yourself as a young guy who's trying to make some money for school you won't run into any legal issues. (knock on wood!)

While the more intensive detailing process may be "glamorous" (with regards to internet forums), you shouldn't have any issue making a few hundred dollars per day selling the packages described above.

When buying products don't limit yourself to what you can find at your local auto parts store, it may be cheaper and more convenient but your results will definitely suffer. With that said there are definitely some good stand-out OTC products.


I wish you the best of luck with your business, and don't hesitate to post up any questions you might have. These guys at TID are a good group and won't razz you too much! :wizard:
 
@ Rusty Bumper. Thanks a lot for your insight! Everyone is helping me so much. I really feel like in a few months I can have this business up and running to earn some money that will help with my college education. :D Sorry for this total noob question, but what is ONR? And about the OCW, I heard from some people around my area that spray wax is inferior to the liquid and rub on versions. But I can see how it saves time. Can you explain what you mean by the jugs? Like instead of a hose? Or to use with the wash mitt?

I have also been very uncertain with my prices. :( I went to Danny's Car Wash and discovered to get our Audi Q7 completely detailed it would cost above $200 :banghead: And even at BMW and Audi North Scottsdale, a detail costs over $100 WITH A COUPON! I was pretty disgusted with these prices since I do a better job myself than them. We always have water spots, steaks, swirl marks left over. I think that eveyone is entitled to have their care detailed whether you drive a Toyota, a BMW, or Bentley. So I really want to make my prices stand out especially with the quality I put into each car as if its my own. But I do understand your point. I have had only lightly soiled to medium soiled cars. I dont want to imagine whats out there...:w00t: So I will definitely look around for more local detailers and possibly raise my prices. I just do not want people to think I am unfair especially because I do not have the expertise as some professionals do...yet :D

And I have looked into Menzerna. The results looks unbelievable, however I want to limit my budget, because I have already put a good amount of money into my supplies. So hopefully in a few months when i turn a profit, I can have some extra cash and get to play with the big, expensive chemicals :clap:

Thanks a lot,

Gimlet
 
@ CH. Detailing. I really like your idea to add a "plus" feature. I think I may actually use it. But before I decide, can you help me with my prices, I know it may vary on area, but what prices would you associate with each? I am trying to be as honest as possible, and do not want to cheat myself or my customers.

$1600 is not a whole lot for a business opperating fee, but with college on the horizon, I may hold onto that cash for now. So I think I will just make some business cards and fliers to give to my neighbors and some friends I have that are well connected. I cannot even dream of doing the paint correction yet, but in the future, I think it will be neat to have a detailing service on the side.

And I will definitely not limit myself to AutoZone or Checker. I really like PAC, and just ordered some Meguiar's polish, glaze, and wax! I will be sure to detail our BMW this week and I will post some pics so you guys can tell me how I did, and offer some advice to get me going the right way.

Thanks a whole lot. You really helped. :)

Gimlet
 
In reference to the packages I posted, I would suggest you charge the following amounts.

1) Hand Wash, $30

2) Wash and Wax, $45

3) Deluxe, $60

With the 'plus' option being an additional $15, which would cover vacuuming the carpets and upholstery, as well as cleaning and protecting the interior surfaces.

These prices are your starting point, for an average sized car (your BMW for instance) in decent condition. For excessively filthy vehicles or vehicles with alot of surface area don't be ashamed to charge more money.
 
To echo Connor, don't be afraid to charge extra for heavily soiled vehicles, especially trucks. I remember seeing a few Zoni's driving around in lifted trucks that were just covered in mud, when I had to go out there for work. Remember that heavily soiled vehicles may require you to do a pre-soak, resulting in more product use, so charge accordingly.
 
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