How long for a full interior detail?

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mcpp66

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The last two cars I've done interior details on have taken me between 7-8 hours. How much time do you spend on messy cars in which the owner wants a full detail? Here's what I'm doing:

* Full vacuum from top to bottom (including underneath the seats and other tight areas)
* Wipedown door panels, dashboard, center console, other areas with rubber or vinyl with an interior cleaner (including vents).
* I use my VX5000 on the headliner (low steam of course)
* Steam the door panels, dash, and center console (including the vents)
* Steam the seats and carpet (at least 2 passes)
* Run the hot water extractor over the carpet and seats (unless they're leather of course)
* Use a clean towel to wipe off the wet areas to remove any excess (if there's any excess that is)
* Apply a protectant to all appropriate areas of the interior
* Spray air freshener
* Carefully clean the interior windows

On a messy car should it be taking me that long to do all that? Bear in mind that I work solo.
 
I just did a suburban that was absolutely filthy and I spend 10 hrs on the interior alone. I just did a lexus gx SUV and it only took me 3 hrs on the interior.... it just depends on how bad it is and what needs to be done.
 
Glad to hear that my times may not be so bad. I realize that some things can be scaled back, perhaps I don't need to steam cleam with at least 2 passes and then follow up with the hot water extractor. But, I like to know I'm turning the car back over to the owner cleaner than if another detailer in my hometown would have done the job. I see so many signs posted advertising full interior details for $50-$75. In my mind there's no way a very dirty car can be properly cleaned for that price.
 
My average time would probably be around 4-5 hours for your standard size car. Big SUV's probably 5-6 hours.
 
mcpp66 said:
Glad to hear that my times may not be so bad. I realize that some things can be scaled back, perhaps I don't need to steam cleam with at least 2 passes and then follow up with the hot water extractor. But, I like to know I'm turning the car back over to the owner cleaner than if another detailer in my hometown would have done the job. I see so many signs posted advertising full interior details for $50-$75. In my mind there's no way a very dirty car can be properly cleaned for that price.
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I agree. On a clean interior where I am just touching it up so to speak then ya Ill do it for $50-$75 but on something really bad no way. If a customer doesnt want to pay then I let them go right on over to the "wishie wash" and jump all over the "Interior Special"

Im sure some jobs I could speed up as well but like you I try to make sure I get everything done properly. I have to focus even more because interiors arent my favorite thing to do.
 
I agree with the other comments... I just did a vehicle this past weekend where the interior took 6 hours with two of us on it.
 
PAR Detailing said:
I agree. On a clean interior where I am just touching it up so to speak then ya Ill do it for $50-$75 but on something really bad no way. If a customer doesnt want to pay then I let them go right on over to the "wishie wash" and jump all over the "Interior Special"

Im sure some jobs I could speed up as well but like you I try to make sure I get everything done properly. I have to focus even more because interiors arent my favorite thing to do.
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Same here -- I don't work cheap on nasty interiors, especially since I tend to get extremely OCD about making sure I've gotten everything back to like-new condition if that's what the customer is after. More often than not I spend 1-2 hours just vacuuming, let alone getting on to the deeper cleaning steps.
 
I never spend more then 3 hours on the filthest of filth suburbans

Wonder if that steamer is slowing you down? Do you try and cover the entire interior with it?
 
Wow, I thought the 3-1/2 on that grand prix, or the 5-1/5 on the traverse was long!!! But I did them for nearly minimum wage....I probably need to consider raising my prices if I get this side gig going.
 
Flash Gordon said:
I never spend more then 3 hours on the filthest of filth suburbans

Wonder if that steamer is slowing you down? Do you try and cover the entire interior with it?
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I pretty much do cover the entire vehicle with it, but I only do multiple passes on the seats and carpet. I think I know what's slowing me down. I like to get into all the little cracks and crevices and get them as perfect as I can. I get in there with the cotton detailing sticks sold here and other little brushes to get in there and clean them out. I'm sure most customers don't care about getting those little areas perfect, but when I can't get something clean it really bothers me and I don't stop thinking about that. Last weekend I did a friend's truck, the next day I saw a crevice that I missed. I told him that I'm coming over next Saturday to look over everything again to make sure I don't miss anything this time. It's OCD but I can't help being upset with myself that I didn't get it quite perfect. That's probably where I'm losing my time. But I see so many pictures posted on this site that look absolutely perfect and I want to be able to mirror those kind of results.
 
mcpp66 said:
I pretty much do cover the entire vehicle with it, but I only do multiple passes on the seats and carpet. I think I know what's slowing me down. I like to get into all the little cracks and crevices and get them as perfect as I can. I get in there with the cotton detailing sticks sold here and other little brushes to get in there and clean them out. I'm sure most customers don't care about getting those little areas perfect, but when I can't get something clean it really bothers me and I don't stop thinking about that. Last weekend I did a friend's truck, the next day I saw a crevice that I missed. I told him that I'm coming over next Saturday to look over everything again to make sure I don't miss anything this time. It's OCD but I can't help being upset with myself that I didn't get it quite perfect. That's probably where I'm losing my time. But I see so many pictures posted on this site that look absolutely perfect and I want to be able to mirror those kind of results.
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Getting the cracks and crevices is vital. You just need a different approach

Instead of using a bunch of q-tips everywhere, saturate an entire area with a water apc mixture. Then either use your fingernail wrapped around a towel or something like a lug nut brush to get in there. Then wipe clean with a dry towel and move to another area

I would skip steaming the entire interior and just save that for the tuff spots
 
Whether an interior is clean or nasty shouldn't change the time needed on it *except for extra time on the fabric portion* as this can sometimes require additional processes to properly complete. 4-5 hours seems too long on a standard sized car (personally). Even if you are scrubbing every square inch with a toothbrush like some that I know. :props:
 
Flash Gordon said:
Getting the cracks and crevices is vital. You just need a different approach

Instead of using a bunch of q-tips everywhere, saturate an entire area with a water apc mixture. Then either use your fingernail wrapped around a towel or something like a lug nut brush to get in there. Then wipe clean with a dry towel and move to another area

I would skip steaming the entire interior and just save that for the tuff spots
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Yeah, I think I'm going to use your approach for future jobs.

David Fermani said:
Whether an interior is clean or nasty shouldn't change the time needed on it *except for extra time on the fabric portion* as this can sometimes require additional processes to properly complete. 4-5 hours seems too long on a standard sized car (personally). Even if you are scrubbing every square inch with a toothbrush like some that I know. :props:
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I don't know that I'll ever be good enough to get it down to less than 4 hours, but I guess it's quite clear that I could change some things about my approach.
 
We need to come up with a standardized plan to streamline the process of a "full interior detail." I will start a thread to see what we can come up with.
 
Just keep practicing. I hate to use the term shortcuts, but you will find shortcuts along the way while still producing quality work

Just remember. A bad name travels faster then a good name. Take your time ;)
 
When I bought my used Toyota Corolla I spent two, four hour days inside it. The previous owner had been a heavy smoker. I shampooed the seats, carpets, and headliner twice and rinsed each surface until the extractor could not pull any more soap residue out with the clean water. Took two days to eliminate the last bit of smoke smell. To dry it I parked it outside and left two big box fans on inside it for three more days until it was absolutely dry. Compared to the inside the rest of the car was easy. That was two years ago and there has never been any trace of smell since then.
 
I hate doing filthy interiors! It takes me 3-4 hours on a regular sized car that is in pretty good shape.
 
I agree with mcpp66 / that's the way to do a detail. Plus if you need to work on the car's ceiling. The set of seat belt's

if you have a client that want's his hood & engine wash & detail / the headlight's / if you have water spot's on the window's & car paint

a full detail like this going solo like i do / at least 12hrs
to a day 1/2
in a full complete detail
 
I'm just glad I'm not the only one in which it takes that much time.
 
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