My achin' back.......

You might look into some sort of rolling seat.

I am only 22, so I havnt started feeling to bad yet. Although after a long day of polishing my back sometimes feels pretty tight.

Any rolling seat would make a huge difference. Being 16 I probably don't ache as much as you. But one thing that helps me is stretch out before doing any big detailing such as polishing. Take a break during the process and loosen up your muscles. It makes a difference for me.

I would second a rolling seat. If you are bending over to do anything, you are likely aggravating the situation. You can buy padded stadium chairs to sit on the ground or low profile rollers for wheels and lower body panels. A rolling seat can help with mid to upper body sides.

Dear ssnobrakes

My wife bought an inexpensive Torin Big Red rolling chair for me a few years ago for photography. I believe she said she paid around US$20 for it. It helps a bunch.

I'm forty-two years old and have dealt with Arthur, the worst of the Ritis boys, since my twenties. I hurt after half an hour of detailing.

I'm up here in Buford. I see you're in Alpharetta. Maybe we can get together sometime.

(I was browsing your old posts and saw one you wrote to me that I don't believe I'd read. No, I haven't been to the Caffeine and Octane car shows. I'll tell my father-in-law about it and maybe we'll go together. He's the car guy.)

ssnobrakes said:

I love to detail my 2 cars and bike as a hobby. Im 54 years old and have been washing/waxing/detailing for 40 years now. Over the last year or so I have started to get alot of aches/pains/stiffness in my ankles, knees and back. Im not about to take my car somewhere to keep it clean and I will not stop cleaning my vehicles until you can take the microfiber wash mitt from my soggy, blistered fingers...........Im curious as to the ages of members of this forum, if you get aches and pains, and what you do to make detailing easier on the body........... Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

Hi there Young Man...

Each year it gets a little bit tougher for me, as well, to:
Keep going 'round&'round, and 'up&down'...But, like you, I'm going to hate to turn my vehicles over to someone else to be detailed!


These are handy to have around.

@Harbor Freight:


Definitely my next 'big' detailing item:




Bob

I'm 68 and still enjoy detailing mine and my wifes car, using a roller chair helps on the sides

Boozman said:

I'm 68 and still enjoy detailing mine and my wifes car, using a roller chair helps on the sides

Click to expand...

:dblthumb2:

{PS: Nice Looking Corvette!!}



Bob

I know your pain. I'm 49 and had back surgery a few years ago and rely on rolling stools. They make doing the low work alot easier.

I'm 46 and I fight thru the pain when detailing my or my wifes car. I'm not far away

from the roller chair.

FUNX725 said:

Hi there Young Man...

Each year it gets a little bit tougher for me, as well, to:
Keep going 'round&'round, and 'up&down'...But, like you, I'm going to hate to turn my vehicles over to someone else to be detailed!

Click to expand...

Sounds like the Winnie the Pooh stoutness exercises.

ssnobrakes said:

I love to detail my 2 cars and bike as a hobby. Im 54 years old and have been washing/waxing/detailing for 40 years now. Over the last year or so I have started to get alot of aches/pains/stiffness in my ankles, knees and back. Im not about to take my car somewhere to keep it clean and I will not stop cleaning my vehicles until you can take the microfiber wash mitt from my soggy, blistered fingers...........Im curious as to the ages of members of this forum, if you get aches and pains, and what you do to make detailing easier on the body........... Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

40. A long session isn't kind to my bones either. A rolling seat is very handy for these sorts of things. I have a $20 harbor freight model. They like to remain indoors when not being used, ahem. Consequently I need to repair one of the casters on mine or just get a new one. A must for working on wheels. A Gamma Seal lid on a 5 gallon bucket makes a great seat as well. Bucket dollies cost more than $20, so I haven't broken down and bought one yet. I like my dollies cheap, lol! So, my bucket seats don't roll.

I imagine a raised platform not only makes it easier to do the roof, but is more comfortable then standing on your tippy-toes.

A Master Blaster for drying your car will not only safe wear and tear on your paint, but on your body as well. It's hard to put a price on that.

You may or may not like these Hose Blockers. They work for me and I love 'em. They help keep hoses and cords from getting stuck under the tires. Saves futile attempts at freeing said water and electricity delivery devices with tugging and cursing. Saves some wear and tear on the arms and on the neighbors' ears.

I am 56 and I have a full time mobile detailing business. I work from 8am to 5pm, sometimes 7 days a week. I have been detailing 40 foot RVs most of the season... getting up on the roofs, polishing rims, standing on a ladder and scaffolding much of the day. I have serious back issues - I have good days and bad days. I'm on no meds and take Advil (which helps) about once a week.

The work keeps coming and I rarely get anytime off. I stretch every day and use an inversion table weekly which also helps a lot.

I'm the same age as you (54) and have had 2 back surgeries. The one thing I use the most is a cushion that I throw on the ground to kneel on and sometimes sit down on. I also use a small step stool and sometimes knee pads. After every wash I'm out of commission for about 2hrs, but it still worth it to me and I don't see myself stopping for quite a while.

63 years here. all the lifted 4 x 4s i do kill me. did a 40 rv and never again. knee surgery has slowed me down. use good ladders and stop and stret ch throughout job. i forget this and pay for it. have arthritis in knees and one tennis elbow but i still love doing this. now wear a ace strap on elbow when polishing and it does work. boy do i give the jacuzzi a work out.

I can definitely relate, my knees are killing me after a few hours. I guess I've just given them too much hell over the years with running, moto's, cycling, etc. I've found that standing on concrete is the worse thing for your knees and back. I use a rolling stool, rubber mats and even carpet remnants to try to help. Doc told me to take fish oil and glucosamine and it seemed to help a little.

Mark

66, growing older by the day and feeling it. I am just a hobbiest, so have the luxury of detailing a car only when I want to and can take my time doing it, usually two days. To help my aching lower back, I wear a "warehouse worker" lower back support from Wal-Maart. Detailing actually seems to help the arthritis in my shoulders. I couldn't do without my rolling mechanics seat. Mike Philips has some great tips on proper posture, etc when detailing, especially when using buffers.

FUNX725 said:

'round&'round, and 'up&down'...

Click to expand...

Rix6 said:

Sounds like the Winnie the Pooh stoutness exercises.

Click to expand...

Naw...It was a reference to:
"Peppermint Twist" ~ Joey Dee and the Starliters



Bob

Hi I'm 51 and I do it as a hobbyist and a car crazy guy as Mr Maguiar calls us. I've had 3 lower back surgeries my lowest 4 lumbar are fused with bone, plates, and screws. I also have 2 levels fused in my neck and have extreme pain in my right shoulder blade that they can't find the cause of. On top of all that I developed real bad tennis elbow in my left arm and I'm a lefty. This caused me to curtail drumming for a few months. When I do detail I wear a fitted back brace. It's similar to the OTC ones but has a rigid plastic piece confirmed to my back. I also were a arm band for the tennis elbow. To polish the low parts I use a small rolling garden card that holds supplies. I also stretch often. After a job I apply an iced hell pack wrapped in a small towel to the aching parts. Sit in my la-z-boy recliner with massage and before the job I take naproxen which is an anti inflammatory. The best cure I've found for my chronic pain is a massage from a medical massage therapist. He has been a great help. Also I have a handheld Homedco percussion massager that my wife uses on my back and shoulder. It's a God send. I've been on 24x7 narcotics and other meds since 2000 after a failed surgery increased my pain. Been everywhere and they can't fix it. But after 10 years the narcotics are like a Tylanol to me. I would love to make detailing a business and not just a hobby but at this stage im glad to be able to do my own. I would also be playing out every weeked also if not dor pain and insomnia. And now you see why I go by Spiney.

Im 29 years old but am aching all over :/ - But this may be from a combo of trainging Muay Thai religiously and being the only person the cut/polish within my company ( cutting into RV's, Aircraft, and buses is super demanding on the joints!) I haven't found an "easy" way to detail, but with that said - I believe a rolling chair, wrist and knee braces, and the proper tools will make it much easier for you to detail your ride :dblthumb2:

I'm 27 years old and had 40% of my L5-S1 disc removed March of 2011... I was detailing slowly/lightly by October... I'm excited to get into it, and am a LARGE advocate of stretching/light exercise TWICE a day. Morning/Early Evening. I've also heard great things about the inversion table. Gotta stay loose and use/stretch muscles, but also really schedule time to relax them. Good luck!