Does anyone wash dealer lots by themselves?

[Real Riders]

So wait, you're doing a conventional wash? And using ONR as a drying aid? Have you thought about using ONR for the wash and whether that would speed things up? Do they pay for the wash soap and ONR?

Thanks for the tip and I have washed a few cars using ONR and a pump sprayer (no hose) and it seems to be slower. There is lot dust , bird droppings and pollen on these cars so the hose is a must for knocking off the dirt before starting the wash. If I spray the car off first and use ONR it does not seem to speed up the process. ONR does help for the cars the hose will not reach. I have to pay for soap and ONR so the soap is much less expensive. I have been using Armor All soap. I bought it on sale and it does not have a lot of suds which is good but still has lubricity. Using a good quality soap with lots of suds seems to be a slower process since it takes to long to rinse the car

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I have washed a few cars using ONR and a pump sprayer (no hose) and it seems to be slower. There is lot dust , bird droppings and pollen on these cars so the hose is a must for knocking off the dirt before starting the wash. If I spray the car off first and use ONR it does not seem to speed up the process. ONR does help for the cars the hose will not reach. I have to pay for soap and ONR so the soap is much less expensive. I have been using Armor All soap. I bought it on sale and it it does not have a lot of suds which is good but still has lubricity.

But that's using ONR like a waterless instead of a rinseless. I know Yvan from Optimum advocates getting ONR a lot dirtier in his shop than us hobbyists would, and one of my problems with that is that if the leftover solution on the car is dirty, then the drying media is getting dirty.

So right now you are hosing off the car, then doing a conventional wash, then hosing it off again, then spraying ONR and drying...so you are using a single bucket? I'm just wondering if it's worth thinking out a rinseless regimen, that gets you out of both hose steps and no more dragging the hose around, plus you don't have to spray the ONR because it's already on the car. It's also great for working in the sun as far as water spots. Downside is you might have to change the wash bucket more than you do now or use more drying towels.

I'm guessing if you need a lot of ONR you may be able to get a bulk deal from PBMG, or I'm guessing you might be able to get a 5 gal carboy direct from OPT.

 

[Real Riders]

Not like saying it but major cheating has to be illustrated in his situation.I would skip every other one and no roof.Down here they don't bother with that,cars stay cleaner longer due to great weather.when you go to a dealer here in south Florida you pick the car you are interested in,then the salesperson pulls it around back to a touch less automated wash and presents you with a acceptable clean car.

I appreciate the tips on how to be more efficient but why would you skip every other car? How would that be a benefit? Also the roof has to be washed since most cars have bird droppings on the roof

 

[Real Riders]

But that's using ONR like a waterless instead of a rinseless. I know Yvan from Optimum advocates getting ONR a lot dirtier in his shop than us hobbyists would, and one of my problems with that is that if the leftover solution on the car is dirty, then the drying media is getting dirty.

So right now you are hosing off the car, then doing a conventional wash, then hosing it off again, then spraying ONR and drying...so you are using a single bucket? I'm just wondering if it's worth thinking out a rinseless regimen, that gets you out of both hose steps and no more dragging the hose around, plus you don't have to spray the ONR because it's already on the car. It's also great for working in the sun as far as water spots. Downside is you might have to change the wash bucket more than you do now or use more drying towels.

I'm guessing if you need a lot of ONR you may be able to get a bulk deal from PBMG, or I'm guessing you might be able to get a 5 gal carboy direct from OPT.

Yes thanks again for the advice. I wasn't very clear on my process using ONR. I am using ONR as Rinseless using two buckets , a wash mitt, and a sponge for the lower parts of the car. I am using the pump sprayer as pre soak. I pre soak the whole side of the car , wash, then dry with the Water Sprite

 

[Real Riders]

But that's using ONR like a waterless instead of a rinseless. I know Yvan from Optimum advocates getting ONR a lot dirtier in his shop than us hobbyists would, and one of my problems with that is that if the leftover solution on the car is dirty, then the drying media is getting dirty.

So right now you are hosing off the car, then doing a conventional wash, then hosing it off again, then spraying ONR and drying...so you are using a single bucket? I'm just wondering if it's worth thinking out a rinseless regimen, that gets you out of both hose steps and no more dragging the hose around, plus you don't have to spray the ONR because it's already on the car. It's also great for working in the sun as far as water spots. Downside is you might have to change the wash bucket more than you do now or use more drying towels.

I'm guessing if you need a lot of ONR you may be able to get a bulk deal from PBMG, or I'm guessing you might be able to get a 5 gal carboy direct from OPT.

On the tradition wash I am using two buckets with Grit Guards

 

[Real Riders]

But that's using ONR like a waterless instead of a rinseless. I know Yvan from Optimum advocates getting ONR a lot dirtier in his shop than us hobbyists would, and one of my problems with that is that if the leftover solution on the car is dirty, then the drying media is getting dirty.

So right now you are hosing off the car, then doing a conventional wash, then hosing it off again, then spraying ONR and drying...so you are using a single bucket? I'm just wondering if it's worth thinking out a rinseless regimen, that gets you out of both hose steps and no more dragging the hose around, plus you don't have to spray the ONR because it's already on the car. It's also great for working in the sun as far as water spots. Downside is you might have to change the wash bucket more than you do now or use more drying towels.

I'm guessing if you need a lot of ONR you may be able to get a bulk deal from PBMG, or I'm guessing you might be able to get a 5 gal carboy direct from OPT.

Doing Rinseless Washes without the hose right now seems more tiring than the traditional wash and seems to take longer but it is great for cars the hose will not reach

 

[Real Riders]

Here is how I dry the cars with ONR. I wait until the car is almost dry and then mist th whole car with ONR from the pump sprayer and dry with a Water Sprite

 

[Real Riders]

But that's using ONR like a waterless instead of a rinseless. I know Yvan from Optimum advocates getting ONR a lot dirtier in his shop than us hobbyists would, and one of my problems with that is that if the leftover solution on the car is dirty, then the drying media is getting dirty.

So right now you are hosing off the car, then doing a conventional wash, then hosing it off again, then spraying ONR and drying...so you are using a single bucket? I'm just wondering if it's worth thinking out a rinseless regimen, that gets you out of both hose steps and no more dragging the hose around, plus you don't have to spray the ONR because it's already on the car. It's also great for working in the sun as far as water spots. Downside is you might have to change the wash bucket more than you do now or use more drying towels.

I'm guessing if you need a lot of ONR you may be able to get a bulk deal from PBMG, or I'm guessing you might be able to get a 5 gal carboy direct from OPT.

I agree, If I could figure out how to wash the cars with ONR (no hose) efficiently it would be a great process. I may just need more practice

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Doing Rinseless Washes without the hose right now seems more tiring than the traditional wash and seems to take longer but it is great for cars the hose will not reach

I agree, If I could figure out how to wash the cars with ONR (no hose) efficiently it would be a great process. I may just need more practice

When I conventional wash it's with a foam gun and a single rinse bucket. Usually when I do a rinseless, I do 2BM so I hear you on being more tiring. However, the "company line" from Optimum is to only use a single bucket for ONR, and since we're talking about something less than perfection here, perhaps that's something to look into.

Single bucket with a dolly and the new washboard, Big Red Sponge...I dunno, if you could work it out it seems like less lost motion, you know when you're doing rinseless, you are working on one part of the car, and then you're done, because you're washing then drying, no splashing the rest of the car, or adjacent cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGmCZj-vdXk

 

[HUMP DIESEL]

Man, I commend you on getting out there and working, but I do feel like this is going to be a deal where you are going to burn yourself out quickly for a small amount of money. Your cost in materials and labor is far more than the $5 per car you are making.
This is my opinion. Don't think about this as the same as a retail customer. I would find the most efficient way to knock a car out in about 15 minutes or less. ONR comes to mind, and using it as it was meant to be used. You can knock the loose dust off, but that would be the end of a conventional wash for me. At such a low price, you have to be ultra efficient to turn a profit. Being busy for busy's sake is not the way to be here.
I would also consider possibly hiring a couple of guys to do this and pay them them and set an expectation that the full lot is done in a day or less.

If you can get each vehicle down to 15 minutes, your net revenue is $20/hr, and once you take out your chemical cost and time spent getting there, your profit per car may be closer to the $1.50-$2.00 per car. And that is if you are getting it finished in 15 minutes or less.

HUMP

 

[Real Riders]

Man, I commend you on getting out there and working, but I do feel like this is going to be a deal where you are going to burn yourself out quickly for a small amount of money. Your cost in materials and labor is far more than the $5 per car you are making.
This is my opinion. Don't think about this as the same as a retail customer. I would find the most efficient way to knock a car out in about 15 minutes or less. ONR comes to mind, and using it as it was meant to be used. You can knock the loose dust off, but that would be the end of a conventional wash for me. At such a low price, you have to be ultra efficient to turn a profit. Being busy for busy's sake is not the way to be here.
I would also consider possibly hiring a couple of guys to do this and pay them them and set an expectation that the full lot is done in a day or less.

If you can get each vehicle down to 15 minutes, your net revenue is $20/hr, and once you take out your chemical cost and time spent getting there, your profit per car may be closer to the $1.50-$2.00 per car. And that is if you are getting it finished in 15 minutes or less.

HUMP

I agree with the entire post. Rinseless Washes with ONR still seems like the best way to go as long as I can get the process down in less than 15 minutes

 

[Real Riders]

When I conventional wash it's with a foam gun and a single rinse bucket. Usually when I do a rinseless, I do 2BM so I hear you on being more tiring. However, the "company line" from Optimum is to only use a single bucket for ONR, and since we're talking about something less than perfection here, perhaps that's something to look into.

Single bucket with a dolly and the new washboard, Big Red Sponge...I dunno, if you could work it out it seems like less lost motion, you know when you're doing rinseless, you are working on one part of the car, and then you're done, because you're washing then drying, no splashing the rest of the car, or adjacent cars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGmCZj-vdXk

Yes this seems like the best way to go with ONR, one bucket, and a Big Red Sponge which I have. As long as i can get it down to 15 minutes a car or less without a hose it will be great. The reason why I use two buckets is the wash water turns yellow/brown from pollen so fast that I use the rinse bucket to release the pollen and the bird droppings and then the ONR lasts longer. You are correct, Optimum recommends one bucket with ONR.

 

[Real Riders]

The best thing about using ONR and no hose is the setup time -- loading and unloading is way faster so it saves a lot of time. Plus there are no limits where you can wash on the lot unlike a hose that may not reach way out on the lot so you would have to buy an extra hose which takes up room, costs money, and is heavy to drag around the lot. I was using a 50ft Pocket Hose for extra hose last week to get farther out on the lot but it blew up in two days but it was lightweight

 

[RPM_BR]

You take a lot of care and love in your car wash for a 5$ a piece, like two buckets, good products etc. Nobody does that.
Congratulations.
You are probably the best 5$ car wash in all north america, your boss must love what you do.
I really wish you the best future ever, since you seem a hard work type of guy, and humbly accepting this extremely gruesome and tiring job, you sure deserve a better future. Dirty hands, clean money.
I'm sure you'll get a break real soon. And the experience and practice you achieved, everything will be a piece of cake after that.
Best regards.