Just watched a Horror Show

[Coyote33]

I have a FT job in a corporate setting and detail cars on the weekend. The building I work in has a weekly "detail" service that comes and washes cars while you are at work. They charge $30 for cars and $35 for SUVs. I came back from lunch early and parked near their setup and watched them wash our CEO's new Lincoln SUV.

There were 3 people working on the car at once and they had 1 bucket (black with gunk and used all day from what I could tell) between all 3. One person had a brush/broom that he was washing the floor mats with and then went right to the top of the SUV and drug it across the entire roof of the vehicle.

The other guy had another microfiber telescoping brush that was washing the rest of the car. He set it on the ground 3 times in 5 minutes and never rinsed it off before putting it on the paint. The best was when he leaned against it with the microfiber brush down on the ground while he talked to the other guy about a girl who walked to her car. He then went right back to rubbing the car furiously back and forth down the passenger side without rinsing the brush.

The last person was working on the tires, wheels, and fender wells with a terry cloth (black because it was the same as they used all day) rag and dipping it in the same bucket as the soap for the other 2.

The dried the car with a chamois that had been drying on the generator in the back of the van because it was the only one used all day.

I nearly lost my lunch.

[TopThatDetail]

Sign me up!

[eff]

Question now is, will it cost more than $35 in compound to get all those scratches and swirls out?

[Setec Astronomy]

Now you know why the CEO trades his car in every year! And you just thought it was because he made the big bucks.

[jmfp]

Sounds like they just provided you with some weekend work

[cardaddy]

Sad thing is your boss really doesn't know, and/or CARE as long as he doesn't have to do it.

Betcha' if you told him you'd do a $150 Exterior Special that cleans the backside of his wheels, deep cleans the door jambs, uses snow foam TWICE, two bucket method, decontaminates the paint, and then you'll do a liquid wax or polymer sealant, and that'll take you a good 4 hours to do that he'll look at you like you are trying to cut out his liver with a rusty fork!

Jus' sayin....

[SYMAWD]

Where I work, cars get pressure washed (water only) then dried with a chamois every week. Sometimes they'll use a brush (looks like nylon) and dip it in one bucket of soap and never rinse it.

[cleanmycorolla]

This sounds like a great opportunity to offer your services to your boss and possibly make some personal moves/friends. Little things pay off.

[POWERMAN_]

Man..reminds me of this one time where I spend 2 days detailing my car.

@Church next day, they announce during service, that the kids are volunteering time to wash everyone's car's for free (pretty much every car parked in the church lot).

Needless to say I ran out just in time to see those kids a few cars away from mine.

Notified the person in charge of the group to ignore my car, but he seemed to distracted.
Not wanting to risk it, ended up parking away from the parking lot, just to be sure that their hose wouldnt be able to reach there.

It was pure torture I tell you.
1 Bucket / car with 8 kids clambering all over to reach everywhere..not even rinsing frequently...wheels, paint, exhaust..you name it ..using some sort of green cleaner..:eek:

[POWERMAN_]

Sad thing is your boss really doesn't know, and/or CARE as long as he doesn't have to do it.

Betcha' if you told him you'd do a $150 Exterior Special that cleans the backside of his wheels, deep cleans the door jambs, uses snow foam TWICE, two bucket method, decontaminates the paint, and then you'll do a liquid wax or polymer sealant, and that'll take you a good 4 hours to do that he'll look at you like you are trying to cut out his liver with a rusty fork!

Jus' sayin....

Quoted for truth.
A lot of people I interact with have the same reaction.

At times I have a couple of them ask me for a list of products, so that they can detail themselves.

When they see the list, they look at me like I'm crazy and say that they can only spend $25-30 tops.

My response: don't bother asking me again if your trying to cheap out...either get your car detailed professionally at a reputable place, or learn the correct technique yourself / dont cheap out on tools/products.

[Calendyr]

Man..reminds me of this one time where I spend 2 days detailing my car.

@Church next day, they announce during service, that the kids are volunteering time to wash everyone's car's for free (pretty much every car parked in the church lot).

Needless to say I ran out just in time to see those kids a few cars away from mine.

Notified the person in charge of the group to ignore my car, but he seemed to distracted.
Not wanting to risk it, ended up parking away from the parking lot, just to be sure that their hose wouldnt be able to reach there.

It was pure torture I tell you.
1 Bucket / car with 8 kids clambering all over to reach everywhere..not even rinsing frequently...wheels, paint, exhaust..you name it ..using some sort of green cleaner..:eek:

Don't hate on green cleaner. Green is a perfectly good color for a cleaner. It is the color of nature so it has to be good ;)

[A2 Auto Spa]

Sad thing is your boss really doesn't know, and/or CARE as long as he doesn't have to do it.

Betcha' if you told him you'd do a $150 Exterior Special that cleans the backside of his wheels, deep cleans the door jambs, uses snow foam TWICE, two bucket method, decontaminates the paint, and then you'll do a liquid wax or polymer sealant, and that'll take you a good 4 hours to do that he'll look at you like you are trying to cut out his liver with a rusty fork!

Jus' sayin....

Detailers are like tattoos...
Good ones ain't cheap,
And cheap ones ain't good.

[pman626]

my neighbor washes his leased black mercedes with a squeegee. Most likely drags the sand and dirt all over the car.

[jayshut11]

Definitely a horror show.

There's a similar service that will clean your car in the various parking garages here in Pittsburgh. They do a waterless wash, and claim they don't harm your paint, but I have my doubts...

I'd love to know how many microfibers they actually use on your car.

[goodinblack]

Wow. Good read.......but sickening.