How many times do you walk around a car on a detail? The less, the quicker you can get done. Thus improving your hrly rate. What techniques/tools have you done to improve your efficiency? OPT polishes dont need to be wiped off? how much time do you spend wiping? Im not talking about full correction jobs. Those rounded wheel blocks so your cords dont get stuck. Worth it?
This is going to be a great thread - I've been meaning to post something along these lines for a while, I just never did. I have no idea how many times I walk around one on a job. I'd probably be shocked to find the actual number. One change I've made is saving the interior for last, so I can do it while waiting for the LSP to cure (if it's a LSP that requires this). Also, if a car is pretty new and in decent shape, I don't bother with the power washer. Seems like it takes more time to get it out, get it hooked up, and fuss with that hose (which I HATE) than the time saved by using it. As for the electrical cord getting hung up on tires, I've found a workaround for that too. When I first get the cord out, I wind it around the car. As I work the buffer, I "unwind" the cord in the opposite direction. Try it - it works. Here's one that'll prove unpopular, but I'll say it anyway. I don't (yet) bother with a foam cannon. Seems to me you're still going to wash the entire car with mitts, so I have a hard time with the idea that using a cannon is a big time saver. Either way, you're still washing, and then drying, the vehicle. One time saver that I tried that seems to work very well is as follows. If I've got a car that's got a lot of black plastic trim to be dressed, I do that first, before anything else. Stoner Trim Shine stands up to some washings, so I can dress the plastic, and then in any subsequent washing, I take care of the overspray. That's been a big time saver for me.
The foam cannon works really well if a vehicle is especially dirty. I don't bring it out all of the time due to the time it takes to set up, meaning I don't bring out the power washer either. If I feel a car is a little dirtier than a maintenance wash but not filthy enough where I wouldn't feel comfortable not pre-washing, I'll add a bit of ONR to help with the encapsulation process of washing. I try to limit the amount of steps such as washing and rinsing the car, then right to claying instead of adding another step of drying. I also try to rewash the car instead of removing the polish and such by microfiber. Of course, I'm open to suggestions. Do these two time savers seem safe?
I like to do interiors first, so I dont bring any water/dirt into the iterior after the wash process. just my opinion of course.
LOL, how many times I walk around a car during a detail? A shit load...waaayyy more than I need too. I need to find ways to cut back on time. I often find myself walking around cars mid-detail for the hell of it, maybe to break up the monotony of hours of staring at an intensely illuminated panel while polishing. :cig: One thing I don't get that is probably a big time waster is how when people will use a foam cannon on a trashed car to prevent furthur marring of the surface. If the car is full of grime and dirt, then yeah, but when I see clean cars filled with marring, what is the point? I mean, I have never come across a car with little enough marring that *my* careful 2BM washing would create a significant enough increase in defects that would change the process any. Some of the half-baked logic I read on some threads (on various forums) boggles my mind, and there is simply no way I could ask them WTF were they doing in a nice way, so I don't say anything.
I gave up using a foam gun. I switch out the nozzle when I would be done with it, plus cleaning out the foam gun eats up a little time. I just rinse the car very well, and use a 2BM and multiple mitts/sponges so as not to cause any more defects. Works for me.
i find the foam cannon DOES NOT save time but rather makes for a safer wash by lifting off the heavy grime prior to the actual bucket wash........plus i just love my pressure washer and foam cannon for cleaning...i actually find the foam cannon with APC in it works wonders on wheel arches and door jambs..... i too will wrap the cord around the car prior to polishing to eliminate tangles...it definetly helps.... to be honest i really havent found too many tricks that really save alot of time...unfortunetly what we do takes time..LOL.....although i need to try some stoners trim shine first to help with that process....
I also do interiors first, after washing, but before clay and polishing, to prevent any interior cleaners/whatever from getting on polished paint. Oddly enough, I've found my detail time dramatically increase once I started doing this. Probably a psychological thing, rationalizing spending a bit more time making sure the interior is pristine because the time deadline seems far off. By the time I get to the outside, I'm like, oh shit, better kick things into high gear or I'll never finish! :thud: When I did exteriors first I never had this problem, oddly enough.
If I'm doing a full detail, I do the interiors first so that there's some extra time for the interior to thoroughly dry. If a vehicle requires paint correction, I usually clay as I wash, meaning I wash the panel using the two bucket method and once the panel is washed without rinsing, I clay the panel. After the vehicle is clayed, it's rinsed and air-blown dry. This definitely saves some time.
I leave it, but I'll pass over it when I do the actual wash just to make sure it looks nice and even. This trick has saved me an enormous amount of time. Now I don't have to be fiddly and careful when doing stuff like mirror housings and body cladding. The overspray washes right off paint and glass, and the trim still looks great.
I have always rinsed and then clayed? How about process? ??trim?? (All purpose cleaner first???) -engine (I have been cleaning- rinsing- blow drying and then dressing, shut the hood then wash the rest of the car) -wheels & wheel wells (I spray all the wheels and wheel wells then go back and scrub, so thats 2 trips, I could spray as I go and only go around once, but then the chemicals wouldnt have time to work) -exterior -interior (1vacuum, 2wipe, 3windows) My idea for interiors is (which I have yet to do) get a cart with all the supplies on it, razor blades, steel wool, carpet brush, dash vent brush, cleaners, microfibers etc. Maybe the metro vac and a steamer. Then you do everything to each section at once vac, wipe, windows, next. So theoretically you would only go around one and done on the interior. This also saves from moving the seats back and forth 3x's. comments please if anyone has an extra snap on cart they just dont need I'll take it! what if you could seriously go around the car one time??? With 1500 heads we ought to be able to come up with something!!! Think outside the box.
well, if you washed and clayed the car with ONR, taped off each panel, polished and waxed after wash and clay, its possible to go around the car in one trip. a cart to put everyting on would be great, but not all of us have vehilces to cart a cart that big around, and I'm small so it would be a struggle for me to try and do that.
My pressure washer is fed by my water tank so its faster to use it then hooking up a hose. I just press the start button and I'm off. As for the foam cannon...its not supposed to be a time saver. Its to get rid of any loose grit etc before you take a mitt to it to prevent marring. As BIGPOPPA said, there is no point in foaming a trashed car...but its fun!! Do the engine and door jambs before washing so any slop that gets on the paint gets washed off. I always do the interior as the LSP dries. 99% of my clients get a sealant so it can sit on the paint with no worries. By the time the interior is done, its so dry a light breeze will clean off the residue. I always clay after rinsing, before drying.
Great thread. I also clay as i wash but it really depends on the car condition. I do get car that is so heavily sandblasted that i require 4 hours of claying. Each panel I clay actually scrap off some light brown liquid which will dry up if i leave it on for some time. Once the brown liquid dried up, for some reason a normal wash could not clean properly. End up better off clay and dry panel by panel. For me, I do the exterior first right up to applying LSP before doing the interior. I always take off footwear before doing the interior. I don't use a cart but a pail to put all my equipments. Just carry the pail around whenever i need it.
If you foam the car first it can prevent damage from degreasers and APCs on the paint while cleaning the door jambs and engine compartment. Presoak the wheel wells first thing with a degreaser or APC so that it has time to dwell while you was the vehicle. Most people do not want to hear it but if you want to cut a lot of time do not tape and just polish carefully and foam and rinse the vehicle after polishing. It is not for everyone but you can cut time. Over time I just learned to pick my battles with masking tape and only tape what is neeeded. After I do serious correction I will foam and power wash a car to remove all excess dust and residue. I have also found sometimes it is better to run your extension cord underneath the vehicle rather then have it tail you. Really you should only need to move your extension cord twice if planned carefully. I use two carts. One is set up for interiors with my APC, prep solvent for shoe scuffs, leather cleaner and conditioner, carpet shampoo(s), and a liquid and gel water based dressing. I have all of the bottles mounted on the side of the cart so that there is plenty of room to have a hot bucket of wash and rinse water for doing interior clean ups. Compressed air will help cut down on time when paired with a good APC. I have been using a vector cordless LED for cleaning interiors to help spot problem areas. In most cases if it is soiled spray it on and let it dwell as long as it will stay wet. (safety glasses are a good thing) On my exterior cart I keep a 15 foot air hose with an adjustable regulator for running any air tools needed. Inside of the exterior cart I keep everything needed for any touch up work and sanding work(PTG also). All of the bulk bottles of polish are kept underneath for speedy refills. Bottles are mounted on the side to keep plenty of room for having polisher laid out. It helps to have a lot of pads and microfibers available too.
it was actually taking me about 20 mins longer with a pressure washer and a foam cannon.. rinsing takes forever with a pressure washer. imo..maybe i need a better karcher. Also quick connects would speed things up..but flooding rinses things better than the pressure washer.. i found i was getting more spots with a PW and over half the time after i thought i got all the soap off i would see large area and be like wtf? how did this happen? never ever happens when i just use a hose... i LOVE the foam cannon and i LOVE Pressure washing wheels.. if i had a proper setup and could quickly change to flood i would be a happy camper.. or in are's where water is tight you use a lot less. just my pro's and con's.
