How fast can you wash an "average" size car?

[Mike Phillips]

I'm always looking to find out way to wash a car more quickly. Including getting supplies out and back, I think I can do it all in 30 minutes, inluding wheels and drying off the car with a leaf blower and then a quick spray wax as I dry the last bit of water.

Want to hear from folks that are faster, how do you do it?




Here's the deal....


There's a HUGE DIFFERENCE between washing your own car that you regularly wash and clean, including the wheels, behind the spokes and the wheel barrows, and washing a stranger's car, like a customer's car that I most case... is neglected.


Make sense?


To wash my own car - I can do it in about 30 minutes. At least if the car is small. Now days, I'd say about an hour, but that's because the car is no longer small. Here's my article on this topic,


Wash and dry a car in less than 30 minutes! (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/ask-mike-phillips-your-detailing-questions/97622-wash-dry-car-less-than-30-minutes.html)





To wash a stranger's car, or customer's car that is NOT regularly washed and detailed, including the wheels that have NOT been thoroughly cleaned like I clean my own wheels, then 2 hours minimum.

To wash and clean just 4 wheels and tires is a minimum of 1 hour. If they are extremely covered with baked-on brake dust and your goal is to get them as clean as possible without removing the wheels, then it will take longer than an hour.


I go over this in my detailing classes. I go over a ton of topic in my detailing classes.



:)

[WaxMaster1]

Here's the deal....



To wash and clean just 4 wheels and tires is a minimum of 1 hour. If they are extremely covered with baked-on brake dust and your goal is to get them as clean as possible without removing the wheels, then it will take longer than an hour.



:)

Exactly! With my wheel procedure alone.....

Spray tires with APC type product
Spray wheels (face and barrel) with wheel cleaner and let dwell
Agitate tire sidewall
Speedmaster or Wheel Woolie on barrels
Special mitt for face and behind spokes
Lugs
Rinse thoroughly
Mist McKee's Hydro Blue or silmilar on Barrel and face, then rinse

and three more times takes a lot of time. For me at least.

[TTQ B4U]

My own personal cars take :45 to 1:00 to complete regardless of whether it's a bucket and hose or rinseless. All depends on how detailed I get, especially around the barrels of the wheels.

On customer cars, I allot for 1:30 to 2:00 max to get the vehicle completely cleaned, decontaminated and dry so that it's ready for the polisher. That's all-in everything. Usually it's about 1:30 on the average poor condition vehicle. All this is with a bucket and hose method. I often find the original condition when it's brought to me as the money making opportunity when it comes to saving time. Many times the vehicle is in fairly good condition where I'm not spending a ton of time removing tar, baked on brake dust, etc. If I can get it done in less than 2hrs, I'm golden.

[dcjredline]

Just like I thought, most here arent TRYING to make it faster. Autogeeks usually worry more about quality than speed. Of course speed is a factor but not the first consideration. Most times I give myself 1-2 hours for a real wash on a neglected car, I can do it much faster on my own cause 1 I dont have to be as picky and 2 its usually kept better than most already.

[mc2hill]

I mostly do Rineseless washes and clean the body & wheels in 20 minutes. And after 18 months of ownership there are no swirls. 2 buckets, only a Grit Guard in the rinse bucket, high quality Microfiber wash mitt, 370 GSM towels to damp wipe, Detail Spray to extra shine and GG 16x16 PFM towels to dry.

I will quote myself to make this clearer. I can clean the car and wheel faces in 20 minutes, but that does not include the setup, just the wash. And if I 'deep clean' the wheels (scrub tires, clean wheels with a wheel cleaner) it takes much longer. And I keep the car protected, so it is much easier to clean this way. We rarely drive on anything but paved roads, and we don't have bad winter weather.
I don't claim to be nearly this fast with a clients car, but if I am polishing I will do a rinseless wash, clay towel, dry, and wipe with with Eraser panel by panel, so that takes about 30-40 minutes.

[snowracer21]

It takes me a minimum of 2 hours for the smallest of cars, and over 3 hour for larger trucks & SUVs, to complete a full 100% wash. It seems the last 5% takes the longest, and is the most labor intensive... You know, cleaning baked on bug guts off the plastic pieces around the grill, headlights and fog lights... little brushes and q-tips galore!