going to start a part time detailing business this summer... input please

BWG707 said:
If you do use the clients water it might be a good idea to bring your own hose with a good nozzle. It will look like your are thinking ahead and a bit more professional.
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yeah thats a great point, I already have a firehose nozzle, just need to pickup some hose :props:
 
What makes meguiars cleaner wax a 1step, and what does that offer over say just some carnuaba wax, or a sealant?
 
T3 AutoDetails said:
It all really depends on your preference. There are alot of good products on this site. :dblthumb2:

I would say for the wash & wax interior express style services to have

Rinseless wash
Some shampoo wash for traditional washing
Tire cleaner/some dressing
Window cleaner
A good apc for interior wipe down
Spray wax/carnauba wax (good way to upsell)
A Lsp
Some sort of dedicated leather cleaner/conditioner

You can always add to this list, it never ends!!!!LITERALLY

The stuff mentioned above you cannot get by without. Just depends on how anal tentative you are, but those are the basics
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i dont have any rinseless
i have a ton of shampoo but I have a question.. if its a washa nd wax shampoo.. should I apply a cleaner wax afterwards? also will this hurt the results of my clay barring? I don't really understand this concept, because I know a lot of people do IPA wipedowns to get rid of any left over wax etc
is simple green a good apc? or zep citrus? i have some adams apc left, not much though
]what are some good spray waxes?
what is an lsp?
i have a ton of tire shine, roughly how many vehicles do you guys get out of a bottle?
whats a quality leather cleaner thats bang for buck? meguiars I guess?

and to adding to the list, trust me i know Im the MAN
 
storm100 said:
For the interior just get some APC and dilute 10:1 for interior and 4:1 for heavier cleaning. Get some concentrate glass cleaner for cost. A good brush to get into hard to reach places and a good stiff brush for the carpets while vacuuming. Good luck.
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for a glass cleaner.. what should I go with? stoners? adams (never tried)
 
elias101a said:
for a glass cleaner.. what should I go with? stoners? adams (never tried)
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Stoners is good. I keep going back to it when I try other things. And it's readily available anywhere now. You want another tip about glass? Use news paper. Ball up a sheet and spry it down with stoners and clean your window. Then ball up a dry sheet right after and remove all residue. No lint. Perfect.
 
elias101a said:
i dont have any rinseless
i have a ton of shampoo but I have a question.. if its a washa nd wax shampoo.. should I apply a cleaner wax afterwards? also will this hurt the results of my clay barring? I don't really understand this concept, because I know a lot of people do IPA wipedowns to get rid of any left over wax etc
is simple green a good apc? or zep citrus? i have some adams apc left, not much though
]what are some good spray waxes?
what is an lsp?
i have a ton of tire shine, roughly how many vehicles do you guys get out of a bottle?
whats a quality leather cleaner thats bang for buck? meguiars I guess?

and to adding to the list, trust me i know Im the MAN
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you should do a little more research, on forums or google. washing the vehicle will not affect clay barring as its purpose is to remove embedded contaminants that a wash simply is unable to do. I personally use Optimum Power Clean as my APC. LSP is last step product, such as a wax or sealant. I have a gallon of Optimum Tire Bond and I can see that lasting me my entire life lol , no joke. It is water based and I only have to use very little to get great results n longevity from it. I might be biased, as I love Optimum products, and I hit leather with Power Clean and then Optimum Leather Protectant.I don't really see a point for a dedicated glass cleaner unless you are cleaning the windows only (in my opinion), but I do an Optimum No Rinse wash and use it on the glass, and when I finish the exterior up with Optimum Detailer I treat the glass and they come out super clean and sharp looking.
 
Kris R said:
Stoners is good. I keep going back to it when I try other things. And it's readily available anywhere now. You want another tip about glass? Use news paper. Ball up a sheet and spry it down with stoners and clean your window. Then ball up a dry sheet right after and remove all residue. No lint. Perfect.
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it wont leave any ink type residue or anything?
 
conthedon said:
you should do a little more research, on forums or google. washing the vehicle will not affect clay barring as its purpose is to remove embedded contaminants that a wash simply is unable to do. I personally use Optimum Power Clean as my APC. LSP is last step product, such as a wax or sealant. I have a gallon of Optimum Tire Bond and I can see that lasting me my entire life lol , no joke. It is water based and I only have to use very little to get great results n longevity from it. I might be biased, as I love Optimum products, and I hit leather with APC and then Optimum Leather Protectant.I don't really see a point for a dedicated glass cleaner unless you are cleaning the windows only (in my opinion), but I do an Optimum No Rinse wash and use it on the glass, and when I finish the exterior up with Optimum Detailer I treat the glass and they come out super clean and sharp looking.
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no i know washing wont, but wash&wax products, as if the built in wax could sort of armor the built up contaminants if that makes sense to you

lol yeah i sense a slight bias, but if you like it and it works, perfect!
 
Kris R said:
Stoners is good. I keep going back to it when I try other things. And it's readily available anywhere now. You want another tip about glass? Use news paper. Ball up a sheet and spry it down with stoners and clean your window. Then ball up a dry sheet right after and remove all residue. No lint. Perfect.
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Coffee filters work really well too!
 
V3AutoDetailing said:
Sounds like you have alot of learning to do before you start this for money. research and read everything you can. Then go out and detail your car, freinds and familly.
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You shut your dirty mouth! Ahem! No please go out and "detail" as many vehicles as you can get your hands on! Please! LoL the experience will make you better and will generate more business for me when I get the call to fix mistakes! Lol

Seriously though. I applaud your enthusiasm, but that's exactly why the detailing world is such an intimidating place for consumers. It takes NO money or time or knowledge to start a "detailing" business. People figure since they can wash a car they are detailers and prematurely go out and open shop. There are more of those kinds of detailers out there than there are those that understand the process which is why those like my self have no problem making a name for themselves fixing the mistakes of
Others. No one has a problem teaching you the process or helping you to become better. But it's way to early to start doing this for money.
 
As for waxes I haven't had the oppurtunity to use a lot of different ones but so far my favorites are XMT 360 and Meguiars Ultimate Quik Wax. And for windows Stoners is good but if your windows are not very dirty I've found some unique micro fiber window towels that work just using water and they are completely lent free. Good luck with your endeavor.
 
I agree with some of the previous posts! The majority of questions your asking are easily available using the search feature. Its ok to ask questions, because at one time or another EVERYONE was at your level.

I would say before detailing for any money to READ READ READ these forums and get some knowledge on products to make your venture a hell of alot easier in the future. Part of someone paying you for a job is knowledge in the products and why some are better than others and vice versa. Knowing the products and what they do/can do will also make you sound more professional when you get a client that "whys that" to everything. When you have the answer and are confident in your response, more than half the time you sold your KNOWLEDGE to the consumer, hence the job!

Take a look at the how-to section and let that be your foundation, also the search feature should be your new best friend.
 
elias101a said:
I like waterless for decently clean vehicles, but I'm sure I'll get some pretty dirty customers and then I'll be losing a lot of product dont you think?

I suppose I'll just use their power for vacuum and hose for water, I might go foam however to seem more professional? plus its better anyway
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I think that you can get the answers to your questions by using the search feature.

Check out your competition, pricing, demographics, and financials for your business plan. Businesses have a high rate of failure in any economy, especially this one.
 
if i wanted to use the search feature I would have. i've down a ton of research already, im not new to forums, I like personal opinions not more of general things you usually find through searching and I also like to have a collection of things to refer back to.
 
this is a small thing for now, depending on how well i can get it to take off, i work full time, go to school full time. I plan to sub the time I use school related to detailing this summer, right now I just want to get some more exposure, get my name out there, build my clientele, bigger and better every year, it's something I'm interested in and enjoy doing
 
elias101a said:
if i wanted to use the search feature I would have. i've down a ton of research already, im not new to forums, I like personal opinions not more of general things you usually find through searching and I also like to have a collection of things to refer back to.
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Well the very same questions your asking you can find in the search feature and find EVERYTHING related to your question, not just the ones from your thread. Best way imo to get the answers you seek.
 
elias101a said:
What makes meguiars cleaner wax a 1step, and what does that offer over say just some carnuaba wax, or a sealant?
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Cleaner wax does more than just shine. It will remove some contaminants, and has the ability to polish out some light scratches. I use it as my one step and couldn't be happier with the results. It lasts a LONG time, too. My hood was still beading up after 3 months when i stripped it off to try some other stuff.
 
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