Are you a simple, High, or OCD detailer?

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animescreen

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I guess my whole point of getting into auto detailing is to keep it nice and shiny and to preserve as car payments aren't cheap and it's good learning experience to maintain your items. Detailing cars, really take a lot of time and I don't know why sometimes i even spend 3-4 hours, washing, waxing etc.. when i should be outside playing sports.. But I don't know how extreme you guys are in detailing your car and wanted to know what kind of detailer are you in MY DEFINITION (remember this is just how i see it cause i'm a "simple" detailer and if i were to go deeper i would but, that's gonna take lot more time off my hands and plus i'm just starting out so i dont know how extreme you guys are).

Simple detailer (Washing car once a week, claybar 3-4 times a year, wax once a month, clean glasses once every two weeks, clean rims once every two weeks, bug/tar remover every two weeks, vaccum, dust, once a week, dressing on panels every two weeks, Tire dressing every two weeks. )

High detailer (Everything Simple detailer does but more increments and spent more time on details, additional does things i don't know about .. maybe you can share so i can include it in my regime as well)

OCD detailer. (Everything High detailer does or more, then goes through every nooks in cranny in the whole car, goes places like where it's non visible (underneath car, hood to clean etc..) and cleans ... I would like to know what specific stuff you do so I probally won't do it cause it's out of my time constraint but interested in knowing as if it's important I WILL DO IT.. :props:
 
I'll say I'm a... Hybrid of those. I'll be an "OCD detailer" to get it real clean, then it's easy to maintain by being a "simple/high detailer". At least until it's OCD time again :D.

Since I found AG, it first became "the quest for perfection", but I soon realized that my daily driver is under too much stress to ever keep it "perfect". I quickly (a year) came to terms with the difference between a Daily Driver and a Garage Queen/Show Car and I don't go chasing every RID, but still keep it polished swirl-free. Now I feel like when I do have a Garage Queen, at least I'll know how to properly take care of it.
 
I would say I'm in between a simple and a high detailer. I like doing more than just the basics, but at the same time I don't go overboard. Of course, I have to take care of both my car and my parents' 4 Hondas, so it is enough to keep me busy. My biggest problem is deciding which products in my arsenal to use (i.e., which wash mitt, which shampoo, which glass cleaner, which tire dressing, etc.). :rolleyes: Very tough decisions, don't ya know? :p
 
CieraSL said:
I would say I'm in between a simple and a high detailer. I like doing more than just the basics, but at the same time I don't go overboard. Of course, I have to take care of both my car and my parents' 4 Hondas, so it is enough to keep me busy. My biggest problem is deciding which products in my arsenal to use (i.e., which wash mitt, which shampoo, which glass cleaner, which tire dressing, etc.). :rolleyes: Very tough decisions, don't ya know? :p
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what total 5 cars? man you must be a shaolin monk that is very focused. I always want to clean my dad's car etc.. but man one car is enough.. but i should actually start washing it for him since i feel like a freeloader.
 
I'd have to say i'm OCD...I typically wash and vacuum my truck 2 times a week (wednesday afternoon and sunday), and I dress everything cleaning every nook n cranny once a week(sundays 8-noon), clay once a month(I wax every time I clay...first sunday of every month), every new scratch or swirl that gets in my paint gets polished out within 24 hours. My gets engine and undercarriage steam cleaning once a month(first sunday).
 
Depends on my mood and what I'm into at the time. At the moment, I'm more into modding my car, so I'm just a simple detailer, but 2 months ago I was ALLLL about detailing!! haha! So like I said, just depends on what I'm focused on at the time..
 
JonMiles said:
I'd have to say i'm OCD...I typically wash and vacuum my truck 2 times a week (wednesday afternoon and sunday), and I dress everything cleaning every nook n cranny once a week(sundays 8-noon), clay once a month(I wax every time I clay...first sunday of every month), every new scratch or swirl that gets in my paint gets polished out within 24 hours. My gets engine and undercarriage steam cleaning once a month(first sunday).
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ok but detailing is your job i am assuming.. so it must be less a chore and more fun for you... newbies like me it's tends to be like slave labor at times.. but man 2 times a week? That's a lot.. but i see you are in florida so weather is sunny so i probally would be doing that too..
 
Somewhere between simple and high. I can't get too crazy. I have two daily drivers which I keep very clean.
 
animescreen said:
what total 5 cars? man you must be a shaolin monk that is very focused. I always want to clean my dad's car etc.. but man one car is enough.. but i should actually start washing it for him since i feel like a freeloader.
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Yup, 5 cars. My charges:

1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera SL (my daily driver)


1990 Honda Accord LX (daily driver)
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2000 Honda Odyssey LX (garage queen)
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2000 Honda Accord DX (daily driver; this is the best pic I have of this car - will be posting some better ones)
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There is also a 2001 Honda Accord LX (garage queen) with about 30,000 miles on it. I'll post pictures of it, as well as updated pics of the Odyssey and the 2000 Accord some time hopefully in the not too distant future. The 2000 just got a full detail and I will post a thread on it next week.
 
I have 2 cars and a truck and one gets a thorough detailing each week and sometimes I do two in one week. I probably fall into mostly High but depending on the time of year and time available sometimes simple fits as well.
 
Started below simple (target supplies, no clue what I was doing). Bored surfing the net one night. The god of detailing (Mike) spoke to me through my laptop (videos). I was introduced to detailing heaven (AG) and its been history ever since. I try not to step into OCD range but it is so hard to stop. It's like an addiction. I need AA for AG!

Seriously, I'm in your serious category but need to back down on my DD.
 
a high most of the time with clients but i keep my own and wifes car as show quality even here in oregon with the damn rain. best part of being an old fart is that i am semi retired and have the time to do all this. couple of hints undercarriage spray is great for wheel wells, quick detailer is godsent, all tire dressings sling (old tibetan proverb i think)
 
I attempt to be the model OCD detailer for my customer's but only a few of them are willing to pay for that so sometimes I end up being a simple to high detailer with OCD...It's tough because I want to do more and I want not just good work, but spectacular work associated with the name Tuscarora Dave's Mobile Auto Detailing but I have to do what I am getting paid to do. As for my own car I just keep the outside looking great as the inside is always full of tools and products.
 
i'm definetly on ocd detailer. i wax my car once a week. wash once a week, but always, always use a qd'er followed with a spray wax EVERYDAY. this everyday routine also includes re-dressing the tires, cleaning the windows, and cleaning the wheels and wheel wells. engine bay gets detailed once a week. i have alot of chrome and carbon fiber in the engine bay. chrome gets polished, carbon fiber and painted surfaces waxed in the engine bay. as for the interior, it gets vaccumed, everything gets dressed with protectant and leather conditioned, and aluminum polished once a week.

so yeah, i'm a little ocd lol.
 
I think I am a simpler experimenter.

I like to try different products rather than prove how long my LSP last as some seem to do or worry excessively on getting the most bang for the buck. It is a hobby as long as I can tolerate the effort. I like the toys (special applicators) and various task specific products (like not tryingt o use ONR for every conceivable purpose).

By using different products, I get to wonder why people have such strong opinions (dismissing some products over others).
 
At work I have to be an OCD detailer or the bills don't get paid haha but at home.. I would say high. I was thinking OCD but I sure don't clean under my car.
 
Simple detailer. Except that I clean my rims every week. When I work on other people's cars, I definitely ramp up the effort and detail. However, I do pamper my car with the best products I have, like Souveran Paste Wax!
 
As I have gained age (and weight) my sites have dropped a bit. I've gone from total OCD to simple. I don't have the strength or the endurance that I once did. On my own cars good is enough. On those that I still do for $$$ there is no compromise.......my best is what I offer, every time. It kills my old butt at the end of the day but I won't cut corners when I'm doing your car. My old time work ethic will not allow anything less than my very best when someone is paying for it. Funny how some of us old bastids are that way.
 
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