First Detailing Job

[tjnizzi]

Well this is my first post here! I have spent some time detailing my own car (1994 Firebird Formula, red, abused before I bought it), my friends cars, and my parents cars.

I have lurked this forum for a few weeks now and finally feel confident enough to take on my first detailing job. My customer has a newer BMW 325i, silver, that he is preparing to sell. He wants the most focus on the interior of the car.

My questions thus far:
1. Would Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax suffice or should I break that up into both of its parts, a separate wash and a separate wax? If so, would Gold Class suffice for both of those?

2. Without having yet determined the condition of his paint, should I assume that it will need claybarred, and if so, how much should that add to the cost?

3. What interior products can I absolutely not go without for this particular application?

4. Are there any particular tips for maximizing the appeal to a potential buyer that I could do for this customer?

5. Which glass cleaner should I use? Every product I have used has left streaks and fogged. Could that be my technique? If so how can I improve it and which material should I use for the application and the removal of the glass cleaner?

6. The plan so far, without having determined the entire condition of the car includes:

Wash/wax or Wash then wax
SwirlX over entire car
ScratchX where necessary
Wheel Clean, includes hubs
Tire Clean and shine
All glass surfaces cleaned
*Possible claying
All surfaces vaccummed
All cloth surfaces shampooed
All applicable interior surfaces cleaned with suggested interior cleaner

Is there anything I should add or remove to that list? Modification to such suggestions?

7. And finally, as difficult as it may be to properly answer this, what range should I be looking at for cost? More than half of the supplies will need to be bought beforehand with the assumption of more work beyond this first customer.


Thank you and I apologize for the long winded post!

EDIT: Does Meguiar's have a sponsored site for detailing supplies and products? If not, and if it complies with site rules, where else is a cost effective place to buy detailing supplies and products?

[tjnizzi]

Re: First Detailing Job

Another edit:

With the gold class wax I use, I notice severe wax dusting for several days.

What causes this?
Is it avoidable?
Will I get wax dusting with Ultimate Wash & Wax?

Also, as an addition to my detailing plan before, I will go over the car with a quick detailing spray.

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

Re: First Detailing Job

Quite a list of questions...you sound like me lol.

Well lets see...from what ive usually seen...outside is 1 price...inside is another price. I think any good carwash would work fine...i dont think a car wash/wax in one really constitues as a true 'wax job' if you know what i mean. Basically, if you say your going to wax it, i think you actually have to wax it...not just use a wash and wax in one car wash.

Ive never used gold class but have always heard good things about it. I use Megs Shampoo plus which is a step or 2 up from gold class...and i love it...so im sure gold class would be a great choice.

Quick question, are you doing this all by hand or PC or rotary?

The art of glass cleaning, i dont know that anyone is perfect at this lol. Heres a few tips for your technique...first off...if the glass is REAL dirty, you may want to clay it also...just something to keep in mind.

Secondly, ALWAYS use a clean MF...doesnt have to be a 'glass' MF or even a super expensive one, personally ive been using ones from Sams club that come 24 to a pack for $10, and they work fine. Just make sure your glass is COOL (hot glass will streak), be sure you clean all the heavy dirt/grime off first...and THEN get the streaks out with a totally clean cloth, may want to even use a couple...just make sure its clean.

For product, ive heard good things about Stoners Invisable Glass...personally if you have clean water..it will work fine...1/2 and 1/2 water and alcohol has been used...for myself i just use water mixed with some concentrate stuff that some door to door salesman guy sold me like 4 years ago...its basically just a concentrated cleaner..and i just add 1 cap of the stuff to my 32 oz and it actually works really good...the other cool thing is it repells finger prints for a week or 2

For clay barring...usually only flat surfaces (hood,trunk,top) need clay barring...you will know if you need to do it or not after you wash it (carefully of course) and then just feel the paint..if it needs to be clayed you can leave the paint wet from after you washed it, and then just use your clay and a detail spray as extra lube and you're good to go.

Interior products...hmm well..depending on how dirty it is...most times if its not like GROUND IN dirt, you can vacuum up the loose dirt, then do a wipe down with a damp MF or terry cloth (i usually use the left over clean soap water from when i washed the car..or just straight water) and then just put your dressing on it. If you dont want to invest a lot into an expensive product... you can use a nice Meguiars interior detail spray...Personally i use Megs Hyperdressing because first off i use it at home quite a lot ...and i use it on jobs too...
I just bought the gallon (its kinda expensive..$30 for the gallon)...but you can dilute it down to the sheen you want...i use it 2:1 for tires and 3:1 for interrior...works great..smells pretty nice and in the long run you save money because you can dilute it down (as opposed to buying a bottle of 'whatever' for 6-8$ a pop.)

I would also recommend you have an APC (all purpose cleaner). I use Megs APC+ (the orange stuff) diluted down 10:1 for cleaning tires...and if there are some nasty spots on the inside...i spray it one...gently rub it with a soft tooth brush or some sort of soft bristel brush...then wipe it off right away while its still wet....you will see when it dries it will be TOTALLY clean and sort of have a 'dry' look to it (as the APC pulls out all dirt and oil)...but then when you go over it with your dressing (be it hyperdressing or whatever you choose) it looks EXTRA clean because your dressing just the surface it self...NOT putting dressing over a still dirty pannel or dash board.

As far as maximizing appeal...just do your best work i think is the best advice. Treat it like you would if it were your own..dont let it 'just' be a job...as long as you have true passion and pride in your work, you'll know what you need to do and if its right or not. Thou Scratch X/ Swirl X are over the counter products...ive seen Swirl X do a great job even by hand. For really bad areas..Meguiars Ultimate Compound is like $8 at wal mart or somewhere like it...its a really good compound for over the counter...use it on bad spots...follow it up with your Swirl X and you should have a pretty good finish.

Note these will not be the type of 'show room' PERFECT finishes you see on here a lot of times, but it will make a very big difference. Apply a nice wax on top and you're good to go...I think you will be pretty pleased and im sure the owner will be too.

I'm sure you've read a lot of Mike Phillips articles on here...they have a lot of good advice in them...he's posted a lot on AutoGeekOnline.com as well...they're worth reading...and he has vids too...
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/...-phillips.html ...go there to check em out.

Well I think I outdid your lengthy question with a MORE lengthy reply lol but i hope it goes well for you. Do some good before and after pictures...ESPECIALLY before pictures...so you can really show what a big difference your work made...it will help you built yourself a nice portfolio...post the pics online on here or other detail forums...explain what you did, how you did it etc and it should help you get more business.

Oh yeah...as far as the wax dusting...I'm not sure why your getting that if your doing it by hand...if your doing it by PC...your probably over working it...just remember wax is like a sealant, your not getting rid of any swirls or marks or anything...its just like a protective layer over the work you just did (with compounding and polishing). So dont over work it and you shouldnt get dusting...hope this helps....if you have anything more to ask or any ?'s about what i advised just ask away, I can answer or a million other people on here coudl give great advice too

[Mary S]

Re: First Detailing Job

Welcome to MOL!

Off the bat, it feels to me from your questions that it might be early for you to be taking on a job where they want a focus on the interior, without much experience doing interior detailing.

Be that as it may, it would probably be better if you break your questions down into no more than 3 per post. That is the guideline that the site recommends.

To answer a couple of your questions, http://www.autodetailingsolutions.com and http://www.properautocare.com are good sites to purchase detailing equipment, and they both carry Meguiars. ADS has the bigger selection of Meguiar's. Properautocare.com also has a lot of helpful articles that might help answer some of your questions. They have a sale going on now. ADS is in Arizona, PAC is in Florida, so which ever one you are nearer too you will get the product faster. I should add, Walmart and Target, Pepboys, Advance Auto, and O'Reilly's are possible places to find consumer Meguiar's products locally, depending on where you live.

Also, http://www.autogeek.net has some good articles on detailing technique and carry many Meguiar's products but they really push their own product lines which are expensive. I'm not saying they aren't good, just letting you know.

And as far as a good product for the Vinyl parts of the interior, I highly recommend Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for any scuffs or hard to remove marks. Also, M40 is good for light cleaning and dressing at the same time. It will leave a shine unless you go back over it with a towel after applying. For more heavy duty cleaning, there is the Magic Eraser as well as you can use 1:10 All Purpose Cleaner, but do not let this product dwell on any surface, you should wipe it off immediately or it may cause discoloration.

Again, for your remaining questions, please break them up into posts of 3 questions or less.

Again, welcome to the forum, and good luck with the upcoming detail for money

[techjazz]

Re: First Detailing Job

Welcome to Meguiar's Online!

By now, I hope you're familiar with the 5 Step Paint Care Cycle:

5-Step Paint Care Cycle

To more specifically answer your questions:

A wash and wax product, such as Ultimate Wash and Wax, is not designed to replace your waxing step. It's more of a booster in between wax applications. Ultimate Wash and Wax contains some synthetic polymers while Gold Class conditions paint conditioners. Go with these washes and make sure you finish up with either Gold Glass Carnauba Wax Plus, or NXT Tech Wax 2.0.

With any detail job, it's safe to assume that the car will need to be clayed. Claying will remove the bonded contaminants that washing will not remove, and leave you a perfect, prepared surface for your polishes and waxes. Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay Kit is just under $20, but contains enough clay to last you a good while, and comes with a microfiber towel to boot!

For the interior (if the consumer line is your only option) definitely go with Quik Interior Detailer Cleaner. It does wonders and it's a great product to not only clean all interior surfaces, but give them protection and a like new appearance. If it's really dirty, check out #39 and #40 in the Mirror Glaze line.

For maximizing your appeal for more customers, ALWAYS go the extra mile. I'm not saying to go ahead and try to remove every single defect if the customer didn't ask for it, but really put your heart into it and do the absolute best job possible. One big thing for achieving this is taking your time and making sure that each step in the process is being carried out perfectly. And of course, this is detailing, so it's all about the details. If you see something that isn't clean... clean it. (Ex. door jambs, trunk jambs, behind wheels, wheel wells... that stuff adds up but you'd be amazed of the difference the little things make)

Did I mention take your time?

Glass is a pain. I admit it. Invest in microfiber towels that specify for glass. I use two of them. I spray the glass cleaner onto the glass and then spread with one towel, then dry with the other. The first one will get pretty wet after a while, but that's what the second towel is for. I don't think Meguiar's has a consumer glass cleaner (2011, perhaps?) but I use Eagle One 20/20 Glass Cleaner.

The process looks good! I usually do the interior first, and then move on to the 5 step cycle. That way if the car is hot when delivered, it gets a chance to cool off in the garage.

Ever hear the phrase "You have to spend money to make money?" Well, for most cases, its true. However, by buying quality products (and going the extra mile) referral is the name of the game. Pretty soon, the money you have spent on supplies will be overtaken by the amount of money coming in from detailing. You can even step up to a Dual Action Polisher, and get even more clientele advertising defect removal too. And it's a good skill to have for your own car as well.

Hope that answers all of your questions! Have fun!

[tjnizzi]

Re: First Detailing Job

Thank you guys very much for your answers! I do feel that my lack of experience with interior cleaning will be a disadvantage but I shall invest my time very heavily in reading the articles that Mary S. provided and practice on the cars at work. (I am a car prep at a national car rental corporation).

Ill definitely take in your suggestion of claying regardless, along with the strict attention to detail. I have noticed that many of the commercial places fall into a habit of almost a cookie cutter approach to auto detailing, in the process missing many of the places and really help bring it all together.

In an effort to comply with the board standards, I only have 3 questions this round:

1. If I go with Gold Class Wash, should I stick with Gold Class wax or might there be a better alternative for a silver car that is being prepped for being sold?

2. Is a leather cleaner and conditioner irreplaceable or can I get by with Meguiar's interior wipes?

3. Which of the Meguiar's products give the best show-floor shine with less regard to durability?

[Murr1525]

Re: First Detailing Job

1. UW&W could be a possibility for a customer wanting a 'weekly touchup', but would be a waste of money if you were to follow up with a spray wax, or detailing after.

3. APC is definatley a must-have. #40 is a good choice for a dressing, since it can be had in bulk for those 'business' folk.

5. Nxt Glass Cleaner is great. The D-Line Glass Cleaner Concentrate is also very good. Glass isnt really that hard to do well.

6. Plan:

Wash
Clay
ScratchX bad spots
SwirlX everything
Wax

Interior as needed

7. ADS is a good site to shop.

1. You can mix wahses, waxes, etc. No big deal. Being in business, you may want to look at #21 2.0.

2. I wouldnt bother with wipes. The Gold Class Leather Cleaner/Conditioner is solid. And APC can be used for stronger cleaning before hand.

3. I'd just get #21 2.0 for your wax.

[Fly Bye]

Re: First Detailing Job



Wow!!!


Only 6 post's, (make that 7) and this is quite a read

[tjnizzi]

Re: First Detailing Job

So with regards to the above post by 1525, I will be purchasing Meguiar's Rich Leather Foam Cleaner & Conditioner and dropping the wipes, sticking with the NXT Glass Cleaner, and dropping the Gold Class wax in favor of the #21.

Thank you for the tips! ADS is definitely my place to go. Next three questions:

1. Correction to my last question, I had meant to type which tire shine product gives the best show-floor shine with less regard to durability since the car is being sold?

2. If it stick with my original plan but include the modifications so far, what range of price should I be looking at?

3. On a silver car, should I include a polishing step and if so, which product would you guys recommend for a hand application?

Sorry for all the questions, I have alot to learn and the passion to back it up!

[Murr1525]

Re: First Detailing Job

I have not used the gel or foam yet to compare, just the cream, wipes and spray.

1. Highest shine is Nxt Insane Shine, and All Season Dressing is close. The shine wont last real long, but still keeps a nice rich blak for a while. Be sure to clean the tire well before applying, and can dab off excess with an old terry as well.

2. No idea.

3. SwirlX is a cleaner polish, and on a silver car, probably wont see a big enough improvement to worry about a seperate polish, esp when the customer isnt worried.

[tjnizzi]

Re: First Detailing Job

Thank you all for your answers, the properautocare and autogeek sites have been unbelievably helpful and I will read over all the articles.

[tjnizzi]

Re: First Detailing Job

Thank you MrWillsi3 for your post, for some reason it didn't show up for me till I just checked it now!

Really helpful hints and suggestions.

I for some reason have always had a bad problem with wax dusting. It takes about a day for it to be noticeable and is yellow/brown in color. A quick run-over with a microfiber cloth usually gets it all up, but I don't want that burden on a customer. I wonder if im placing too much product on the surface? With the gold class, once I apply it and let it dry, the haze is barely noticeable under normal lighting conditions. When applying, I can tell where my progress is by using the angle of a light source but its too thin to notice from normal light.

I wonder if I go over it with the Quick Detailer if maybe that will help?

On a newer car, should I worry about SwirlXing the entire car or should I invest in a different paint cleaner?

[Murr1525]

Re: First Detailing Job

SwirlX would be fine for general cleaning, and a smooth foam applicator.

As far as dusting.... Wax dust would tend to be whitish. Are you sure you arent seeing lots of pollen/dust in the air?

[tjnizzi]

Re: First Detailing Job

I would assume that it was pollen but it only happens on car surfaces that I wax. It did it with my old turtle wax and really badly with the Gold Class. I also noticed it on my girlfriend's mom's avalanche that got detailed by a shop. It's the oddest and most annoying problem.

[Murr1525]

Re: First Detailing Job

Some people have mentioned they seem to get more of a static build up than others. Could attract some dust.