Best wash, clay and quick wax system for the cheap customers?

Thanks for so much feedback everyone sounds like you all each have great methods.

So for the $100 and under customers why is it not suggested from some of you to not clay the car? I have been under the impression that claybarring is pretty much the standard in todays detail jobs, or no?

If you don't clay, will the wax still bond to the paint well?

For those of you that do clay, it sounds like the best method for the most part would be:
Wash
Clay (nanoskin for more time efficiency)
Spray wax top coat (Something like Meguiars D156 for example).

In the case you do the clay, if there is any light marring at all, will quicker products such as the Meguiars D156 or any others help at all with the marring, or would it need a cleaner wax 1-step to get rid of light marring?

Also, other thing about the quicker less expensive details, do most of you still do things like a 2 bucket wash method and foam, things like that? Or since you will be claying, or not claying, does none of the two bucket method even matter much???
 
JoeHotRod said:
Thanks for so much feedback everyone sounds like you all each have great methods.

So for the $100 and under customers why is it not suggested from some of you to not clay the car? I have been under the impression that claybarring is pretty much the standard in todays detail jobs, or no?

If you don't clay, will the wax still bond to the paint well?

For those of you that do clay, it sounds like the best method for the most part would be:
Wash
Clay (nanoskin for more time efficiency)
Spray wax top coat (Something like Meguiars D156 for example).

In the case you do the clay, if there is any light marring at all, will quicker products such as the Meguiars D156 or any others help at all with the marring, or would it need a cleaner wax 1-step to get rid of light marring?

Also, other thing about the quicker less expensive details, do most of you still do things like a 2 bucket wash method and foam, things like that? Or since you will be claying, or not claying, does none of the two bucket method even matter much???
Click to expand...

The time just isn't worth it to spend 3-4 hours on a vehicle to wash, clay, wax for only $100. The pay per hour isn't enough when you factor in product cost. Wax will work fine to unclayed paint.
 
af90 said:
The time just isn't worth it to spend 3-4 hours on a vehicle to wash, clay, wax for only $100. The pay per hour isn't enough when you factor in product cost. Wax will work fine to unclayed paint.
Click to expand...

I do agree with you on that for sure it is not worth the time for that price.
I had just never waxed a car before in the past without claying it first, and until recently have started to meet customers (some neighbors too) who want to be so cheap with getting a nice detail... so thats why I was unfamiliar with the bonding effects of it without clay, but thanks for confirming.
 
JoeHotRod said:
Thanks for so much feedback everyone sounds like you all each have great methods.

So for the $100 and under customers why is it not suggested from some of you to not clay the car? I have been under the impression that claybarring is pretty much the standard in todays detail jobs, or no?

If you don't clay, will the wax still bond to the paint well?

For those of you that do clay, it sounds like the best method for the most part would be:
Wash
Clay (nanoskin for more time efficiency)
Spray wax top coat (Something like Meguiars D156 for example).

In the case you do the clay, if there is any light marring at all, will quicker products such as the Meguiars D156 or any others help at all with the marring, or would it need a cleaner wax 1-step to get rid of light marring?

Also, other thing about the quicker less expensive details, do most of you still do things like a 2 bucket wash method and foam, things like that? Or since you will be claying, or not claying, does none of the two bucket method even matter much???
Click to expand...

In our profession time is money. I go by the 80/20 rule, 80 percent of the job is finished in 20 percent of the time. Claying ultimately WILL lead to marring, especially in dark coloured cars, that WILL need polishing unless you feel like explaining to a customer why their car now has scratches all through it.

Because of this it is much safer and much more profitable to skip the clay step, and possibly use that as an "up-sell" instead.

For example, if I have a customer who I inspect their car and I think it needs a clay but they just want a w+w, I will suggest "Hey, see how this all feels rough and textured? What it really needs is a clay bar treatment, have you ever heard of that?" then explain the benefits, pointing out the extra time and cost, and let them decide.

65% of the time they won't be interested, unless they really value a good job, have plenty to spend, or simply love their car but don't know how to look after it properly themselves.

EDIT: I personally use a spray sealant such as CG Hybrid V7 on low end deals for the time factor, and find that it bonds well without clay. Might not be as protective or glossy as a wax, but the customer will not notice the difference or care
 
I didn't read all the posts but I'll say this. In a nut shell skip the clay. If the customer is cheap then they most likely don't value quality. Sad to say but the majority of people won't notice the difference any way.

I love my nanoskin but I only use it if I'm doing some sort of polishing. Idk if it's getting old or its just the nature of the beast but it's been marring lately. So if I get a wash clay wax package with no polishing I use megs clay.

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Great thread, good questions and responses for a beginner like myself as well.


Real Riders said:
Are you doing just exterior details? I only do exterior details and this is what I use

ONR rinseless wash - 1oz per 2 gallons
Two bucket system with a soft all purpose sponge from Home Depot -- a sponge releases the dirt better in my opinion
clean wheels and wheel wells with diluted all purpose
Clean the bugs off the front with wash and wash mixed with warm water in a spray bottle, then rinse with ONR
Touch up with Mequiars Last Touch detail spray - no wax
Dress tires
I don't clay and the customer has never asked for it -- it takes up too much time for the low price I charge

The cars turn out great for very little product cost and I can finish an exterior detail in about an hour. Here is a Corolla I cleaned at the Post Office and took about an hour with no wax, only detail spray

Click to expand...




I see you said this is your office wash. When using the two bucket onr method, you don't have external water source to hose and rinse off correct? What materials do you use to perform the wash? A bunch of mf towels?

The rinse less wash seems great, arrive with buckets filled with water and don't even need to worry about hose source. But my concern is what media to use , mf towels or a couple of grout sponges?

Someone mentioned that it's faster to machine apply a wax than spray wax, and after using machine wax application a few days ago, it is wicked fast.

For those of you who use ONRWW, since it's a wax and wash, do you just use this to wash car, dry it and call it a done deal? Not even apply another topping of wax over it?

Thank you all for your wisdom, this is very helpful with y'all's advice on making the most profit from least expenses on supplies.

Stephan
 
When I'm just doing a wash I use ONRWW. If i tell them I'm going to wax it I always use a dedicated separate LSP even if it is just a spray wax.

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Only an hour and half? Aren't you coming across some larger vehicles or excessively dirty that need more time for what you do?
Man I need to speed up.



QUOTE=Firehouse Mike;1171855]For my "Office" packages - Megs RFW&W, wheels / tires, glass, vacuum, dash / console wipe, tire dress. Megs Final Touch where and if needed. For the extra $15 wax application, Megs D156. Whole process takes about an hour and half for $50. I can do 5 or six a day and can almost guarantee repeat business. I'll send a customized detail quote to them afterwards based on what I find with the car while I have it. This has been very successful so far. Starts off on the cheap, impress them, boom....Im the MAN[/QUOTE]
 
I haven't read all the posts but I usually do 2 different non polish packages. One with clay and one without. The clay less wash and wax is more of my maintinance wash but I have done cars that needed clay but like some have said, if the customer just wants a wash and wax, you give them a wash and wax. I usually just call it that. Takes me a hour or so to clean the tires, wash, dry, then wax. I usually just use aqua wax. If I do clay then I seal it and top with a carnauba. That takes me about 3 hours. Regular was can be 40 to 60 and a clay and wax usually is 100 to 140 depending on the size and level of filth on the car. That is determined during the estimate.

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