Really needing help !!

P

Pontiacfan

New member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
My biggest problem is with interiors. I cannot seem to ever get them very clean. I feel confident in my exterior skills , but wayyyy need help inside. My other issue is simply time. It takes me 6-7 hours to wash , wax and interior. Heres what I have. I vacuume with a Metro VacnBlo purchased from here , I dont feel it gets things very clean , just my take. It seems to leave a lot behind. I follow that up with a interior cleaner , right now its Wolfgang that was on the bogo this week ( I try to take advantage of the bogos to save money) and scrub it with a heavy bristle scrub brush. Then I follow that up with a Bissell I bought from their website for automotive use. I use an interior cleaner to spot clean the plastics with a soft bristle brush. I then protect it with a protectant , Im currently using a poorboys product. I spot clean headliners with a cleaner and a scrub brush on problem areas then wipe clean/dry with a white cloth. Then windows. I have heard of people blowing out vents and window switches and seat cracks with airhoses and water , would this be better ? I just wonder what you all do. I would like to point out that I only do this as a supplimental income. I dont need to , but the money helps if you all know what I mean :). I would like to know what you all do to save time , and get a good clean , as well as your brand of cleaners. Thanks all. And does the book Autogeek has explain things like this ? I hate to see new clean vehicles getting detailed. I can already to them fine. I want to see an 8 year old soccer moms suv getting detailed. Thats the ones I have trouble with. Thanks all...
 
Hi Pontiacfan

I run a small sideline detailing business for extra cash like yourself. I really think you've got the right idea when it comes to your process. One major thing you can do to really help with your timing and results is to maybe offer full interior detailing as a separate service. I also struggled to do everything in 6 hours and I was also working really long and hard for little money combining the exterior and interior.

For me when I do anything from a multiple stage correction to a wash and wax I always include a interior vacuum, surface wipedown, and glass clean. If they want more they've got to pay for it IMO. Hope this helps!

Mike Honeyman
Distinct Image Detailing
www.distinctimagedetailing.co.za
 
If it takes 6-7 hours it takes 6-7 hours. I think thats actually pretty quick for someone who doesn't do this full-time. Are you charging a set price or by the hour?
 
Id say my 6-7 hours may seem good because I am not doing good enough on the interior. LOL.

Thanks for the link , I will give that a watch here in a second.

Hopefully Im on the right track... I just feel like 7 hours nonstop is extreme for $125. Maybe not ? Maybe I dont charge enough ?
 
Pontiacfan said:
Id say my 6-7 hours may seem good because I am not doing good enough on the interior. LOL.

Thanks for the link , I will give that a watch here in a second.

Hopefully Im on the right track... I just feel like 7 hours nonstop is extreme for $125. Maybe not ? Maybe I dont charge enough ?
Click to expand...

$125 for all that is for the birds. Your gonna kill yourself for nothing. Charge by the hour instead

Practice makes perfect
 
as noted above, if it takes 6-7 hours, then so be it. Figure out what you're comfortable with per hour and aim for that.

also as noted, $125 for all that is for the birds

you mentioend something about the AG detailing book. its amazing for info regarding exterior work, but has essentially no info on interior work.

are you brushing the carpet with a stiff brush to aid in your vacuuming? this along with an old toothbrush for tight spots should improve your vac results

your using a brush on all of the interior plastics to spot clean? a lot of times a liberal spraying of APC, with a little dwell time, then worked well with a cheap MF towel, will clean more then you might think.

do yourself a favor and grab a gallon of the megs apc or apc+ when your wolfgang stuff runs out. much cheaper if you're doing production work on any level. also the APC / APC+ is great for stuff around the house. I use it all the time. and for dirty interior work, get some dedicated cheap MF towels from big lots or costco for that grunt work. save your good towels for when they're needed

not sure i'd include the carpet shampooing with the bissell every detail. make it an upsell.

and if someone has a filthy interior you know will take more time, then let the client know up front and charge for it. or tailor your exterior work so the total hours roughly works out to the same you had in your head for the price. as long as the client understands everything up front then you're good.

everything gets faster with repitition. develop a little system for yourself. then try to improve on it / make it more efficient. its an ongoing learning process IMO

good luck to you.
 
Gurge said:
you mentioned something about the AG detailing book. its amazing for info regarding exterior work, but has essentially no info on interior work.
Click to expand...

Yeah sorry about that...

To be honest, a really GREAT interior how-to book would be dedicated for just the topic of interiors, not interiors and everything else.

When I wrote the book I chose the topic that the majority of people want to learn more about and that's about removing swirls and creating a show car finish. There are more people on this forum or any detailing forum asking about how to work on their car's paint than there are asking how to clean a carpet.

It's incredibly detailed about all the topics it covers and I wrote it that way so any and all questions about how to detail the outside of the car are answers... no stone unturned so to speak.

Also, the majority of people, that is the largest market for a how-to book are moving from working by hand to working by machine and the machine of choice for people new to machine polishing are,

  • Porter Cable DA Polisher
  • Meguiar's DA Polisher
  • Griot's DA Polisher
It's 123 pages and just the right size for a paperback version. The next version will be on the next most popular topic and that's how to wetsand, cut and buff using rotary buffers and DA's for machine sanding. There won't be any interior info in it either.

I'm sure there's a market for a book on how to clean carpets, doors and headliners but from all the years I've been doing this the one thing I know is that most people wan to work on their car's paint.

Someday though... I hope to have a complete series...


:)
 
Flash Gordon said:
$125 for all that is for the birds.
Click to expand...

I hope by me saying this I didn't offend you. I think everyone who is in this business started out not charging enough for their services. I know I did

When I first started I charged $35 for EVERYTHING
explode.gif
 
Flash Gordon said:
I hope by me saying this I didn't offend you. I think everyone who is in this business started out not charging enough for their services. I know I did

When I first started I charged $35 for EVERYTHING
explode.gif
Click to expand...


Same here. I meant no offense either. just trying to give you a little awakening. rattling your cage as the late earnhardt senior would say.

and my comment about the AG book was not a put down at all. Just a fact that it does not cover interiors. but its an invaluable resource regarding exteriors
 
Yeah dude, there NO WAY I'm messing with shampooing and headliner in a regular package. That's gotta be adding a couple hours to your job! As mentioned before, a stiff brush makes the vacuum job much easier and a much better finished product.
 
Thank you all for your input. I searched these forums for hours last night. I really learned alot , and a lot about products , and that I should probably not be charging people yet.... Only one person was not real satisfied , and I know this guy , so I simply said no charge. He was fine then , lol. So , I know I need to do more practice before charging.... Thanks again all. Mike , I would totally buy an interior book. I noticed lots of posts that most people feel the interior is the biggest area to work on , as far as customer satisfaction.
 
Pontiacfan said:
Thank you all for your input. I searched these forums for hours last night. I really learned alot , and a lot about products , and that I should probably not be charging people yet.... Only one person was not real satisfied , and I know this guy , so I simply said no charge. He was fine then , lol. So , I know I need to do more practice before charging.... Thanks again all. Mike , I would totally buy an interior book. I noticed lots of posts that most people feel the interior is the biggest area to work on , as far as customer satisfaction.
Click to expand...

If everything Mike knew was jammed into Volume I there would be nothing left for Volume II ;)

I think a sub-forum for interiors would be a great idea
 
I don't like interiors either that's why I'm setting up my business to not do much past just a quick vac and wipe of the vinyl. I don't own an extractor and I'm not buying one. I'm going to do more of an express/quick detail. I someone wants a full interior detail I'm going to give them the number of a guy I know and He's going to give me some of the wash and wax he dose not want to do. maybe get to know some of the detailers in your area and try to work out a deal.
 
rustytruck said:
I don't like interiors either that's why I'm setting up my business to not do much past just a quick vac and wipe of the vinyl. I don't own an extractor and I'm not buying one. I'm going to do more of an express/quick detail. I someone wants a full interior detail I'm going to give them the number of a guy I know and He's going to give me some of the wash and wax he dose not want to do. maybe get to know some of the detailers in your area and try to work out a deal.
Click to expand...

Sure he will....not

Thats the oldest trick in the detailers book. What he will do is end up with your customers. They're not going to want to have to take their car two different places to have it detailed.

Not trying to be a pretengious prick or anything...
 
I tell every guy I've ever trained...that it's all about ROUTINE! You have to find yourself a system. After that, everything falls into place.

Things I have that I feel save time are as follows...
-Extractor
-magic sponges
-steam cleaner
-pressure washer
-various brushes and picks
-2 gallon pump sprayer

There's probably more. But, I'm coming off a 73 hour work week...it's time for bed.
 
We are both mobile operator's we serve the same geographic area he's near the southern end and I'm near the northern end. he would prefer the full two step some wet sanding etc etc. for him he would rather set up and spend a good part of the day in someone's driveway. I prefer to do an express one step aio and be out of there in a few hours. what I'm saying is i refer him a big job i didn't want to undertake he throws me a few hand washes or quick wash and waxes up in my neck of the woods. You should be able to have a good working relationship with some of the guys in your area. I'm not talking about $40 Craigslist guys but there are professional detailers around.
 
I agree with alot of these guys. I do this on the side as well and I'll just reiterate what some of these guys have said:

- Definitely get into a system that works. What I normally do is vacuum, then do all the exterior, then jump back into the interior. And while the wax is curing, I go to doing windows. Try and multi-task whenever possible.

- Also, I DEFINITELY agree with the brushes while vacuuming. I use my Mother's interior scrub brush that I got from AG while vaccuming and it knocks alot of stuff loose for the vacuum.

-And as Mike says - KISS - Keep It Simple Simon. Try to upsell some of the standards you are offering.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top