I am slow! 4 hrs to wash & dress!!

[alban61]

I'm really slow! It doesn't help when I can't use a hose. It's DP 4-in-1 wash for me. It took me the longest yesterday........4 hours. And I didn't use a PC either! It was a wash/wax, and exterior detail. My body was aching at the end, but I was enjoying myself because the Explorer looked great. The worse part was cleaning up and putting everything away! It kinda went like this.......................

Filled 2 buckets in the bathroom tub. Carry it to the SUV. Back in the house for products/supplies. Greased Lightning 1:1, Nevr Dull polish to scrub, clean, and shine up the exhaust tip. Then to each wheel...... GL 1:1 spray tire, and wheel well. Scrub. Then rinse/wash with MF mitt.

Back in the house again to refill buckets. DP 4-in-1, and just water in the other.
Up the stepladder to wash the roof. Back down, move the step ladder and wash another section. It's a lot of up/down that ladder to rinse the Shmitt, back up with the Guzzler. Then back down again, move the ladder, and up again with the Shmitt!! Now half the roof is done, so it's time to drag everything to the other side of the SUV! And start again!! It's easier on the other panels because there is no stepladder involved.

Then it's time to dress the bumpers, trim, and tires. I use DG 321 for the trim/bumpers. Yesterday, I decided to try it on the tires. (DG#321-Non Silicone Dressing) I usually use Armor-All tire foam. Decided to try #321. Applied 2 coats with a sponge, and buffed with MF.

Then up/down the ladder to wax the roof with Collinite 845. Used 845 on the whole SUV. Then with a MF, I went around to all the trim, and bumpers and buffed where I had applied DG 321.

Sorry so long. But it took me that long!! After all this, wife and I drove 30 mins to her sister, brother-in-laws place. 4 bugs splattered on my windshield on the drive over! Got to their place and I pulled out the MF and QD and started to clean the windshield. Brother-in-law yelled out, "That's going too far, Al." But it got better........he and I had to run to the store. Parked and started to head in, but he wasn't behind me. He was still at the SUV, checking it out. So I went back to him. He was impressed and told me that it really shined, and couldn't see any of the swirls that I had shown him on his truck! I showed him where there were some swirls on the hood! He said that he needed to polish his truck too, instead of just wash/wax. Was that a hint??!!

P.S. I was going to post this in Paradog's thread how do you do that?
but decided against it, because it really didn't answer his questions. I guess that's called, "hijacking?". Anyway, it was just to show that if you think you're slow....I'm probably worse!!

[sneek]

Well polishing the explorer isnt going to be fun! Trust me it will take weeks, as the paint is hard as glass. None of the more mild polishes will be able to touch that paint. I think it is harder than some Audi's! It is making me think I need new rotary or a Cyclo.

[Nica]

lol..alban don't feel bad because I consider my self slowwww too. Every time I wash my SUV it takes me about 3 to 4hrs to wash only lol and about the buckets back and forth, yea I've done that too. It's hard doing it that way, takes for ever hauling buckets back and forth. The only reason I do it is because in winter there is no way I can use the water from the hose, way to cold. I've tried it my fingers go numb. I only haul buckets in the winter though.

[Surfer]

Originally Posted by sneek

Well polishing the explorer isnt going to be fun! Trust me it will take weeks, as the paint is hard as glass. None of the more mild polishes will be able to touch that paint. I think it is harder than some Audi's! It is making me think I need new rotary or a Cyclo.

Whats weird is I have a Moutaineer that was pretty easyto do, but when I did my sisters Explorer ddamn truck had a clear as hard as nails.

I've been thinking about getting a rinseless wash but if it's gonna take 3-4 hours, forget that, I'll put up witha dirty truck b/c of the water restrictions here.

[killrwheels@autogeek]

how'd it turn out ... theres no time limit to a hobby, especially when creating a masterpiece.

[Gary Sword]

I take my time when I detail my cars. I do it for enjoyment. I often break a detail up over multiple days only working on a car a few hours a day in the late afternoon or at night. When I'm done I'm done. I don't care how long it takes. If your a professionel detailer getting paid by the job it makes dollars and cents to rush the job. If I tried to rush and do it I think it would take a lot of the enjoyment out of it. You do get a lot faster with experience but I never feel a need to rush.

[ron231]

WATCH OUT WITH THAT GREASED LIGHTNING! I have personally seen it eat through the clearcoat on wheels and paint!!!

The only way to fix this is with a repaint of the wheels...

[alban61]

Originally Posted by Surfer

I've been thinking about getting a rinseless wash but if it's gonna take 3-4 hours, forget that, I'll put up witha dirty truck b/c of the water restrictions here.

It normally doesn't take me that long just to wash/dry. Usually about an hour. This time I was re-doing all the door seals, trim etc. And spent some time scrubbing away at my exhaust tip!
Gary and Sneek.....I wasn't polishing the Explorer. Just wash/wax. I will be hitting it with the PC soon though. Gotta knock out them minor hood swirlies. But you're right, Surfer and Sneek. Explorer clearcoat seems pretty tough. Couldn't get the hood swirl-free even after 3 attempts, many moons ago. I had used XMT3/Orange LC pad. I recently bought 2 Yellow LC pads. I'm ready now!!
Nica.......thanks for understanding my pain! LOL

[alban61]

Originally Posted by killrwheels@autogeek

how'd it turn out ... theres no time limit to a hobby, especially when creating a masterpiece.

Scott, it turned out pretty good. I didn't mind the work, my body minded it though!! It's no masterpiece like a 'Vette, Bimmer, Jag, or Gary's Lambo. It's my '99 Explorer, topped with Collinite 845 and PCM (original formula). Tires, bumpers, trim and running boards topped with DG#321 (non-silicone dressing), then buffed with MF towel (following Sparkie's method with DG #271). These pics were taken 1 day later (this afternoon). SUV has been to York and back, about 60 miles round trip before pics were taken.

[alban61]

Here's a pic from the front porch/deck.....the long walk. Excuse the yard and mess of sticks. Too busy with detailing for yardwork!!