Form for Amateur Detailer Checklist – good idea, bad idea or already exists?

[Stark99]

Hi Mike, et al.,

I am new to the forum and have been very impressed with all the posts and people sharing information and experiences. I was wondering if you think it would be good to develop a checklist of products that an amateur detailer would need to help us “newbies” slowly build up our tools, products and knowledge? I have done a number of searches and have found similar posts but nothing someone could print out and use, like the Vehicle Inspection Form you have created.

The premise is that it would have graduated “levels” so that as we progress from entry to more advanced / “obsessed” (lol) we would add new specialized products. It could follow the steps laid out in the exterior flowchart.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-charts-graphs/20193-flow-chart.html

I am not sure if the same exists for wheels, interiors, engines, etc. Of course this would be a list of suggestions only as I am sure there are a “few” different opinions on the forum.

For example:

Intro:

Washing:
- 2 Wash pails with grit guards
- Wash mit
- Good Car detergent (not dish soap)

Interior:
- Etc

…

Intermediate

Washing:
- 2 Wash pails with grit guards
- Wash mit
- Good Car detergent (not dish soap)
- Spray Wax to avoid spots during drying process
- Fireman Hose Nozel
…

To keep it simple and workable probably best to keep it to 3 or 4 levels.

If people think this is a good idea and it doesn’t already exist I would like to contribute and I am willing to help create a word or excel template. I would need to partner with a few more experienced people as I am about as far from being an experienced amateur detailer as you can get.

Note: I am limiting this to amateurs as I would think the professionals have the knowledge already and would not need this.

Thoughts / ideas?

[Crispy]

I think if you look at any "kit" offered you get a good starting point. Once you get the basics for each area then it is mostly trial and error. I too am a newbie and over last 2 years I have got a lot of good ideas from this forum. I like to tackle one aspect at a time and then establish a list of preferred product to results list. One thing that would help would be small sample sizes (3 oz) of products so you could try many products at a reasonable cost.

[Mike Phillips]

Hi Mike, et al.,

I am new to the forum and have been very impressed with all the posts and people sharing information and experiences.

Hi Stark99,

Thank you for your feedback... we aim to always keep the AGO forum number one in helping people reach their goals as well as maintaining a friendly environment, no bullies talking down to people which is all to common on other forums.

I was wondering if you think it would be good to develop a checklist of products that an amateur detailer would need to help us “newbies” slowly build up our tools, products and knowledge? I have done a number of searches and have found similar posts but nothing someone could print out and use, like the Vehicle Inspection Form you have created.

I think newbies would like such a check list.

For us that have been doing this a long time the steps come second nature but for someone brand new to detailing they could use some helpful tips to get started and push through all the steps in the right order.

The premise is that it would have graduated “levels” so that as we progress from entry to more advanced / “obsessed” (lol) we would add new specialized products. It could follow the steps laid out in the exterior flowchart.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/product-charts-graphs/20193-flow-chart.html

I am not sure if the same exists for wheels, interiors, engines, etc. Of course this would be a list of suggestions only as I am sure there are a “few” different opinions on the forum.

For example:

Intro:

Washing:
- 2 Wash pails with grit guards
- Wash mit
- Good Car detergent (not dish soap)

Interior:
- Etc

…

Intermediate

Washing:
- 2 Wash pails with grit guards
- Wash mit
- Good Car detergent (not dish soap)
- Spray Wax to avoid spots during drying process
- Fireman Hose Nozel
…

To keep it simple and workable probably best to keep it to 3 or 4 levels.

If people think this is a good idea and it doesn’t already exist I would like to contribute and I am willing to help create a word or excel template.

I like it.

I would need to partner with a few more experienced people as I am about as far from being an experienced amateur detailer as you can get.

Note: I am limiting this to amateurs as I would think the professionals have the knowledge already and would not need this.

Thoughts / ideas?

If you build it they will come....

We have really great members on this forum and if you start just ONE checklist or work-flow diagram and then start a "dedicated thread" with a great title I'm sure others will help build on what you create to perfect it.

Then see how the first project works out.

"You never know what you can do until you try"

[Stark99]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the encouragement, the sound of crickets and the lack of posts had me thinking I was way off base. I bought your e-book and I am reading it now which is a huge help. I will start with an exterior ‘checklist’ and then go from there. Worst case is I will learn some more tips as I pull this together and share with the community. Always good to play it forward.

I like Crispy’s idea of sample sizes to try new products, I am sure a lot of people do this but if you are new like me you probably don’t even know you can purchase them.

Mike - on a somewhat related note – and for what it is worth, I think there is a good market for a more encompassing book on Auto Detailing that would cover interiors, engines, etc. I know the info is all here in the forum but there is a case to have it in book form with ‘checklists’ and easy to follow recaps. If you search Amazon you find books from 10+ years ago and a lot of changed since then. If you need a “newbie” reviewer I have done this on technical journals in the past.

Thanks again!

[sbrambo]

I think you heard crickets because people here already know these things. It's new folks coming in (like me) and trying to learn that would benefit from your idea the most. I say go for it.

[JustJesus]

It's new folks coming in (like me) and trying to learn that would benefit from your idea the most. I say go for it.

A good starting point is Mike's book, Complete Guide to... and to supplement that, you can watch the YouTube videos Mike and Autogeek have recently put out. They are great videos.