Products for detailing

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Monsterdetail

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So I am unsure if I am posting this in the right spot but was hoping I can get some opinions. I am starting a detailing business next month with a friend we both have a little knowledge of detailing. These are the products we plan on getting to start out:

Foam Gun
A cheap bissell steamer to start off
Ridgid air Vac
Tornado (unsure about right now)
Chemical Guys ACCS38 - Show Car Wheel and Rim Detailing Brush
Chemical Guys ACCS91 - The Best Detailing Brush, Boars Hair Soft Detailing Brush
Chemical Guys CWS_402 - Mr. Pink Super Suds Shampoo & Superior Surface Cleaning Soap (1 Gal)
Chemical Guys HOL_113 - Leather Lovers Kit - 5 Products (16 oz)
Chemical Guys HOL131 - Premium Chenille Microfiber Car Wash Mop And Heavy Duty Extendable Pole Kit For RVs, Trucks, And Large Vehicles (3 Items)
Chemical Guys MIC_702_01 - Waffle Weave Huge SUV Microfiber Drying Towel, 35" x 26"
Chemical Guys MIC_708_1 - Glass and Window Waffle Weave Towel, Blue 24" x 16"
Chemical Guys MIC35303 - Workhorse Black Professional Grade Microfiber Towel, 16" x 16" in 4 different colors for different purposes
Chemical Guys MIC_781_01 - Waffle Weave Gray Matter Microfiber Drying Towel, 36" x 25"
Chemical Guys ACC_S95 - Long Bristle Horse Hair Leather Cleaning Brush
Chemical Guys MIC35003 - Happy Ending Edgeless Microfiber Towel, Blue, 16" x 16" (3 Pack)
Chemical Guys CWS_301 - Citrus Wash & Gloss Concentrated Car Wash (1 Gal)
Chemical Guys CLD_997 - Diablo Gel Wheel & Rim Cleaner (1 Gal)
Chemical Guys BUF503X - TORQ TORQX Random Orbital Polisher Kit (8 Items)
Chemical Guys WAC21064 - Extreme Top Coat Carnauba Wax And Sealant In One (64 oz - 1/2 Gal)
Chemical Guys CWS203 - Foaming Citrus Fabric Clean Carpet & Upholstery Shampoo & Odor Eliminator (1 Gal)
Chemical Guys MIC29602 - Monster Fluff Exterior Premium Microfiber Applicator, Blue, 3" x 5" x 2" (2 Pack)
Chemical Guys CLD_202 - Signature Series Glass Cleaner (1 Gal)
Chemical Guys AIR_SPRAY_1 - Black on Black Instant Shine Exterior Spray Dressing
Chemical Guys SPI_663 - InnerClean - Interior Quick Detailer & Protectant (1 Gal)
Chemical Guys ACC_G05 - Chemical Resistant Stiffy Brush, Blue
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[TD="class: v65-cart-details-text v65-cart-details-cell, bgcolor: transparent, align: left"] Chemical Guys ACCS96 - Premium Select Horse Hair Interior Cleaning Brush for Leather, Vinyl, Fabric, and More [/TD]
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Monsterdetail said:
So I am unsure if I am posting this in the right spot but was hoping I can get some opinions. I am starting a detailing business next month with a friend we both have a little knowledge of detailing. These are the products we plan on getting to start out:

Foam Gun
A cheap bissell steamer to start off
Ridgid air Vac
Tornado (unsure about right now)
Chemical Guys ACCS38 - Show Car Wheel and Rim Detailing Brush Get the Speedmaster Wheel Brush or Wheel Woolies
Chemical Guys ACCS91 - The Best Detailing Brush, Boars Hair Soft Detailing Brush
Chemical Guys CWS_402 - Mr. Pink Super Suds Shampoo & Superior Surface Cleaning Soap (1 Gal) Ok - I'd recommend Optimum Car Wash or CarPro Reset
Chemical Guys HOL_113 - Leather Lovers Kit - 5 Products (16 oz) Never tried before
Chemical Guys HOL131 - Premium Chenille Microfiber Car Wash Mop And Heavy Duty Extendable Pole Kit For RVs, Trucks, And Large Vehicles (3 Items)
Chemical Guys MIC_702_01 - Waffle Weave Huge SUV Microfiber Drying Towel, 35" x 26" Get the Griots Garage PFM Drying Towel
Chemical Guys MIC_708_1 - Glass and Window Waffle Weave Towel, Blue 24" x 16" Never tried before
Chemical Guys MIC35303 - Workhorse Black Professional Grade Microfiber Towel, 16" x 16" in 4 different colors for different purposes
Chemical Guys MIC_781_01 - Waffle Weave Gray Matter Microfiber Drying Towel, 36" x 25" Get the Griots Garage PFM
Chemical Guys ACC_S95 - Long Bristle Horse Hair Leather Cleaning Brush
Chemical Guys MIC35003 - Happy Ending Edgeless Microfiber Towel, Blue, 16" x 16" (3 Pack)
Chemical Guys CWS_301 - Citrus Wash & Gloss Concentrated Car Wash (1 Gal)
Chemical Guys CLD_997 - Diablo Gel Wheel & Rim Cleaner (1 Gal) Total Crap. Try McKee's 37 Wheel Cleaner
Chemical Guys BUF503X - TORQ TORQX Random Orbital Polisher Kit (8 Items) Total Crap. Get the GG 6" Random Orbital or Porter Cable
Chemical Guys WAC21064 - Extreme Top Coat Carnauba Wax And Sealant In One (64 oz - 1/2 Gal) Don't waste your money. Get a good sealant like Jescar PowerLock + or Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant
Chemical Guys CWS203 - Foaming Citrus Fabric Clean Carpet & Upholstery Shampoo & Odor Eliminator (1 Gal) Never used before
Chemical Guys MIC29602 - Monster Fluff Exterior Premium Microfiber Applicator, Blue, 3" x 5" x 2" (2 Pack)
Chemical Guys CLD_202 - Signature Series Glass Cleaner (1 Gal) Get Stoner Invisible Glass
Chemical Guys AIR_SPRAY_1 - Black on Black Instant Shine Exterior Spray Dressing Total crap. If you want a spray dressing try McKee's 37 Trim Detailer. I'd avoid spray dressings unless needed for honeycomb grills or similar applications
Chemical Guys SPI_663 - InnerClean - Interior Quick Detailer & Protectant (1 Gal) Works ok but there are a lot of better options available.
Chemical Guys ACC_G05 - Chemical Resistant Stiffy Brush, Blue
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[TD="class: v65-cart-details-text v65-cart-details-cell, bgcolor: transparent, align: left"] Chemical Guys ACCS96 - Premium Select Horse Hair Interior Cleaning Brush for Leather, Vinyl, Fabric, and More [/TD]
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Some options entered above for you if you are just starting out. It will save you some time and money in the long run.
 
lane5515 said:
Some options entered above for you if you are just starting out. It will save you some time and money in the long run.
Click to expand...

So I should be ok to start off with these products. I know there are debates on here about chemical guys but I found them to be the cheapest with starting up. The one thing I was very unsure about is the sealent/wax.
 
I'll make some suggestions if you're dead set on buying CG products. If you want a good sealant, buy Jet Seal not the Extreme Top Coat. For glass cleaner, we use Sprayway aerosol. For drying towels, search Amazon for the 24x63 No. 1 Premium Drying Towel. About the same price as what you're looking at and one towel can easily dry an entire car. In fact, they work better when they're wet. We have 12 of them and we can dry cars all day long with them. I would buy a better quality polisher, but honestly probably not something you're going to need right away. The window towels, same thing, you can get the best Korean waffle weave towels on Amazon for like 5 pack/$22. The best. As far the Diablo being "total crap", I can't understand that statement at all. We use it. I buy a gallon, dilute it 3:1 and use a foaming sprayer. It works great. It's fine. Is it the absolute best wheel cleaner? Probably not. It works very good. Mitts? Amazon. Buy one mitt with the mesh side for cleaning bugs off the front of the car. Get some bug and tar remover. We use Shine Supply Bug and Tar. The Shine Supply also gets gum out of carpet, which is nice. I don't see a dressing on your list. If you're stuck on CG, their VRP is excellent. Darren Priest says it's the best tire dressing. We use it. We also use Shine Supply Decked Out. For spray trim, the CG is too expensive and not that great. We use Stoner's Trim Spray aerosol. It's awesome for intricate black trim, wheel well plastic, rubber mats (again intricate design), etc. It's like $5/can in a 6 pack. For carpet and fabric, I've found that old school works better than any "fabric" cleaner. Flood the area, gently diluted APC, scrub, scrub, scrub, flood, vacuum, towel dry, repeat as necessary. There's almost no stain you can't get out with that method. The fancy cleaners don't work as good as good technique. I will add one thing to your list and suggest you trim the fat with redundant items. CG Non-Sense. It's awesome for cleaning dashes, buttons, switches, knobs, etc. You can spray it on liberally, hit it with your boars hair detail brush and wipe everything down with a towel. It's not sticky, it's colorless, it has no odor and it leaves no residue or streaking. Unless there's some major grime removel, again use APC, it's the only thing we use on dashes and center consoles.

Rambling sorry I'm on my phone.
 
Oh, a couple more things. Don't get black towels as your workhorse towel. You can't see if you're getting dirt and grime out. When you're scrubbing stains out of the carpet, with a black towel you can't see if you're actually getting it clean. CG has a yellow towel with black edging that is fine nap and plush on the other side. Those are really good workhorse towels. And you're going to want to add some general purpose terry towels. Nothing works for removing heavy, heavy soiling like terry. If you get in a situation where you're cleaning up throw up, dog poop, food spills, etc (been there done that), you'll want a cheap absorbent throwaway towel to get the majority of the mess up before starting your real cleaning.
 
I would not use chemical guys to run a business. They are mostly knockoffs or under preforming and the customer service from them is horrible. Meguiars has better everything on their bulk pro line.

Also,the little knowledge part sounds bad. I would not want someone working on my car with little knowledge
 
A lot of guys use Chemical Guys to run a business. They make a lot of good products and some duds, like everybody else. The other comments just sound like sour grapes because like them or not they're pretty successful. And Meguiars is the same, some good, some crap, certainly not the best of hardly anything.
 
Why is the Torx machine “total crap”? You’ve actually owned 1 of those?
 
I don't do this for a living like some of these other talented and amazing folks here but I will agree with some of what they are saying. It can be easy to jump into 'things' quickly... heck, it's exciting for those of us that have this kind of passion. I was one of those folks that bought a bunch (not as much as you) of CG products. Flashy, cheap, cool videos, etc. Then I found AGO and wow. It's hard to explain but the experience of using products that are not CG was just amazing.

Again, like others have said, some things you will figure as you go and others you won't need. I won't comment on all the products but will say that if you can, gallons are helpful. Of the things that I think work well are the JetSeal. Pretty good stuff. There are much better rubber/vinyl protector/cleaners and you will figure that out. Nonsense is also very good as they have said. Cleans well for the INSIDE and the no odor is awesome for everyone. Brushes and stuff you will figure out. Microfiber of different piles, etc. Good work there. Waxes and sealants. Again the JetSeal if you are set on CG but there are others. Concours 50/50 is pretty darn good. Smells killer and goes on and comes off like magic.

Again, you're doing well with starting I'd say. You will see, guarantee, that if you eventually go with some of the other products here on AGO you will notice a big difference in how the products work for and with you as well as what the vehicles or projects look like. you can see the difference in how the other products just work better and look better. Overall, a good start and best of luck to you.
 
I would highly recommend looking into the optimum line of products. Many multifunctional products that are easy to use and people safe. Fewer products = lower start up costs.
 
Goonie75 said:
I don't do this for a living like some of these other talented and amazing folks here but I will agree with some of what they are saying. It can be easy to jump into 'things' quickly... heck, it's exciting for those of us that have this kind of passion. I was one of those folks that bought a bunch (not as much as you) of CG products. Flashy, cheap, cool videos, etc. Then I found AGO and wow. It's hard to explain but the experience of using products that are not CG was just amazing.

Again, like others have said, some things you will figure as you go and others you won't need. I won't comment on all the products but will say that if you can, gallons are helpful. Of the things that I think work well are the JetSeal. Pretty good stuff. There are much better rubber/vinyl protector/cleaners and you will figure that out. Nonsense is also very good as they have said. Cleans well for the INSIDE and the no odor is awesome for everyone. Brushes and stuff you will figure out. Microfiber of different piles, etc. Good work there. Waxes and sealants. Again the JetSeal if you are set on CG but there are others. Concours 50/50 is pretty darn good. Smells killer and goes on and comes off like magic.

Again, you're doing well with starting I'd say. You will see, guarantee, that if you eventually go with some of the other products here on AGO you will notice a big difference in how the products work for and with you as well as what the vehicles or projects look like. you can see the difference in how the other products just work better and look better. Overall, a good start and best of luck to you.
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I didn't want to go with CG to start a business i want to go with a more high end company. I only chose them due to the fact that they have a lot of videos on there products and there start up cost like you said is cheap and reasonable in my budget. I do want to find a better place for microfiber towels i feel like for the price i am not getting enough. But from the cart i have listed is there anything i miss or should remove in your opinion? i really appreciate the in put a lot thank you.
 
Bill1234 said:
I would not use chemical guys to run a business. They are mostly knockoffs or under preforming and the customer service from them is horrible. Meguiars has better everything on their bulk pro line.

Also,the little knowledge part sounds bad. I would not want someone working on my car with little knowledge
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I am only saying i have little knowledge because of how much you guys know, and my interior cleaning skills are not the best because i never had good enough products or not the right ones. Also never really fully detailed rims like the way you guys have but before we launch we are running throught the entire steps on our own cars. I have detailed my own car and families cars. i might not be the best but for the past 2 months for 6 hours a day i have been on these forms from trying to figure out how to run my trailer set up to the proper way to detail a car from step to step.
 
Monsterdetail said:
So I am unsure if I am posting this in the right spot but was hoping I can get some opinions.
Click to expand...

This is the right place to post it but if you read the forum rules you're not suppose to link to outside stores as Autogeek $$$ pays $$$ for this forum to make it appear and endure and for people like me to answer questions, it's all apart of our customer support for our customers.

Here's the link to the forum rules,

Forum Rules


See the first rule.


:)
 
Mike Phillips said:
This is the right place to post it but if you read the forum rules you're not suppose to link to outside stores as Autogeek $$$ pays $$$ for this forum to make it appear and endure and for people like me to answer questions, it's all apart of our customer support for our customers.

Here's the link to the forum rules,

Forum Rules


See the first rule.


:)
Click to expand...

Thank you and sorry about that
 
Looks like you're getting plenty of suggestions and feedback...

As for the tool you listed, I checked it out, it's a copy of the Porter Cable. Any free spinning orbital with a 8mm orbit stroke length is a copy of the original and the original is the Porter Cable.

I've never used this tool but I did watch one of the videos on the page for the tool, cool to see so many videos sharing all the info and techniques that I'm pretty sure I'm the original source for...


The pads they show are the hexlogic and to me these are on the thick side. But then I coined the term,

Thin is in

So maybe just all thick pads look thick to me. I'd take a look at this tool and the backing plate and pad recommendations I make in the article.


Here's what you need to get into machine polishing - Recommendations for a beginner by Mike Phillips


Be sure to scroll down and watch the video we made on using the PC, in it I include ALL the techniques that I started and wrote about at least 14, 15 years ago including the one about marking your backing plate.


Also, if you're doing daily drivers and NOT charging a lot of money, the do yourself a huge favor and get a bottle of BLACKFIRE One Step and a bunch of foam polishing pads for whatever polisher you buy. KEEP the correction side of your business SIMPLE or you'll invest a lot of time for a little money.


I'm pretty confident I'm going to have one of our Roadshow Detailing Classes in New Jersey, I'd highly recommend you and your buddy both sign-up and attend, you will learn a TON of info an techniques, class outline here,

Autogeek Roadshow Detail Class - June 8th & 9th at Indianapolis Motor Speedway


:)
 
Mike Phillips said:
This is the right place to post it but if you read the forum rules you're not suppose to link to outside stores as Autogeek $$$ pays $$$ for this forum to make it appear and endure and for people like me to answer questions, it's all apart of our customer support for our customers.

Here's the link to the forum rules,

Forum Rules


See the first rule.


:)
Click to expand...

Sorry as well Mike. Sometimes it's hard to stay within the bounds when people start asking what you use and asking for recommendations. You want to give honest recommendations and the only way I can do that is to talk about my personal experience with certain products. I use many products that you sell, I've purchased products from you as well, but not everything I use can be purchased from your store.
 
Eldorado2k said:
Why is the Torx machine “total crap”? You’ve actually owned 1 of those?
Click to expand...

I haven’t owned one as I was lucky enough to see friends and several acquaintances use one and replace after a short amount of time. If you like it, good for you, I hope it keeps performing well for you over time.


Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
sudsmobile said:
Sorry as well Mike.

Sometimes it's hard to stay within the bounds when people start asking what you use and asking for recommendations.

You want to give honest recommendations and the only way I can do that is to talk about my personal experience with certain products. I use many products that you sell, I've purchased products from you as well, but not everything I use can be purchased from your store.
Click to expand...

I hear you...

We don't enforce this rule hard like we used to so I use it when I see a new member posting like they've never seen the forum rules.

It's just a friendly reminder.


:cheers:
 
Monsterdetail said:
Thank you and sorry about that
Click to expand...


Just a friendly reminder.

There's no such thing as a free lunch although our politicians like to make people think there is. As a person gets older they will come to understand this is a universal truth.

There's a cost to hosting a forum and a cost for good, helpful and accurate information to be provided and provided consistently over time.


I always get a kick out of the people that buy their stuff on Amazon, eBay or Harbor Freight but then come HERE to learn how to use it. Kind of like taking your car to a mechanic and bringing your own parts.

At the end of the day... it all works itself out. I'm not really a good Moderator, in fact I've NEVER claimed I was good at being an online policeman. I'm more of a how-to guy and share "education". Sometimes the education is simple good netiquette.


:cheers:
 
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