A number of folks have posted in here asking for what I’ll call “first timer detailing advice.” A number of us who have been at this game for a bit longer have been (and continue to be) gracious enough to respond with helpful hints. One thing struck me over the weekend though. (Actually, two things struck me, but one was a golf ball.) In any case, I thought it might be helpful (and entertaining) to list the top things not to do in your first attempts at detailing. We’ve all made mistakes and learned, right? So, here’s a few of my favorites. Feel free to add yours.

· Rotary Buffers: although capable of doing amazing things in the hands of an experienced operator, this tool can cause more havoc than it’s worth for a beginner. I’ve seen some amazing transformations here - like from dull paint to shiny (bare) metal! Resist the urge!
· Miracle Products: We’ve all seen them. The stuff that promises to transform a junkyard relic into a show winner - in one easy application. Trust us, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
· Fingernail Removal: You know when you spot that little spec of tar on your otherwise beautiful truck and just can’t resist the urge to pick it off with your fingernail? Well, resist the temptation. You might remove the speck, but you’re almost guaranteed to damage your paint.
· Towel Usage: We all have our favorite towels for drying our trucks. If you don’t wash your towel(s) after each use though, you risk rubbing dirt (and scratches) right back into your paint.
· “Reptile” Wax: OK, so I didn’t use the real product name, but I think you guys know what I mean here. With detailing products, you pretty much get what you pay for. All you get with a cheap wax is a cheap wax job.
· Effort Equals Results: Even with the best products, if you don’t follow the directions or put any effort into the job, it’s not going to come out as good as if you did it the right way.

So, got anything to add?

 

Great list! Mine is change the water in your bucket when you go from your wheels and trim to your paint.

I watch my neighbor regularly use the same bucket of water to go over his entire Corvette. He starts with the wheels and ends up washing the car in the same water he used to clean brake dust off the wheels.

 

My neighbor changes his water, but uses the same sponge. Its also the sponge he used to clean the grout on his tile floor.

 

This thread got me thinking.

Drove by a middle school a couple of weekends ago and saw the kids out there trying to raise money by washing cars. After reading all the good advice on this forum it got me thinking about these fundraisers. I think we can agree the kids don't have a clue what they are doing and are probably unintentional damaging the paint on these cars.

I wonder how the guys on this forum, the ones that detail their ride every chance they get, feel about these fundraisers. Do they speed by like its a bad accident they can't stand to look at? Do they get out and tell the kids how to wash a car properly? Do they call a friend at the local body shop to come by so he can hand out his card?

How about a new fundraiser...Get your car detailed for $100. Teach the kids how to do a basic detailing job. You think people would put up a $100 bucks?

 

I have tried to explain the process and the benefits to my younger neighbor but he could care less.

I would not let a bunch of kids wash my truck, however when I was 17 I did let a group of cheerleaders wash my explorer.

 

Follow this old saying... "Don't believe anything you here and only half of what you see"!

Seriously, here's how NOT to detail...

Be worried far more about products than process... if you spend all that money, it better work no matter how you use it... right?

Don't buy the best and detailing tools... pinch pennies wherever you can... who needs that good stuff anyhow?

Don't take care of good tools... you can always buy some cheap stuff anyway!

Don't pay attention to what you are doing... just follow the steps that somebody told you... it worked for them... it better work for you! If it doesn't, blame the product... and do so publicly so everybody can hear how "much" you know!

Don't read and follow the manufactures directions... what do they know? Besides, reading directions is for "dummies"!

And most importantly... NEVER, EVER listen to that "nutty" Boss_429 character... he doesn't have a clue.

 

Sorry 2stroked... but I love this thread! It's my VENT thread!

 

I have a client who was explaining her car wash technique to me last Friday.

She does wash it every morning, here's the procedure.
1. Spray car with hose
2. Take a broom and go over the whole car to loosen dirt
3. Spray car with hose again
4. Drive to work, letting the air dry the car.

She uses no soap, nothing but a broom and water. She says because her car is white, you'll never see the scratches anyways.

Since she works for a car company, she gets a new leased car every 12 months or 12K miles (whichever comes first). Given her long commute, she gets a new car every 4-5 months, and they are always white.

 

Virtually all 'fundraiser' carwashes will use dish soap. I've also seen lots of them with some fairly aggressive chemicals in spray bottles (Bleche-White), going after whatever they can spray. If you notice, most vehicles owned by parents with teenage kids all look like crap. And if they are more than 3 years old, the paint and trim are all fading. I'll wash my own, thank you very much . I'd stop and give them a few dollars without washing my truck, but I hate to encourage them to have even more car washes to raise funds.

 

Wash truck with Dawn soap - It will look so good that putting wax on it will just cloud up that great shine!

 

Those bug scrubber pads rock!

Better get a couple in case one wears out... if only they made a really big one so I could wash my truck in record time!

 

I remember trying to teach my clueless, but well-intentioned, little sister-in-law the basics of detailing a car. She had just gotten her first job, and used her first "real" paycheck as a down payment on a new vehicle.

Always impressed with how clean my cars were kept, she cajoled me into sharing some tips. I remember her coming out to the driveway with her newly-purchased cleaning supplies and proudly filling her bucket with warm, sudsy water. The first thing she did was lather her wash mitt in the bucket, and proceed to drop it on the ground next to her. When I told her that the mitt could now never touch the surface of her paint, she looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

The lesson only went downhill from there.....

 

I find that the more and more people ask me about truck and my explorer and how nice they look, they have no idea what's going on. I mention to them about polish and wax really being to different processes, and they look at me like I don't know what I'm talking about. Most people in my subdivision make fun of me or have smart remarkes about the time I spend detailing. They all think I'm crazy for washing early in the morning or after the sun goes down.

 

A few weeks back I took my wife grocery shopping and opted to wait in the truck for her. By the corner gas station was a "fundraiser" car wash going on full blast and the atrocities I saw commited made me cringe. Dropped mitts/sponges/chamois, same wash water being used car after car (they just added dish soap and water to the same bucket), tire brushes being used on body panels, hoses being dragged accross the hood. I realize these kids are out to make an honest buck for charity, band, churches, etc. and hats off to them, but I just cant see how theyd get any return business.

What was surprising was the number of vehicles (read victims) lined up to be washed(?).

 

Jeez Boss, you scared me with your reply - at least until I figured out you were joking.


You were joking now weren't you?