Should I thoroughly clean a customer's rims in a $20 regular wash?

**JICs Auto Detail** · 05-09-2018, 01:53 PM

Lately I've been wondering if I'm over working myself for $20. I wash the vehicle, clean rims thoroughly of brake dust and road grime, dress tires, wipe down interior and if center console is dirty I clean it, windows in and out, and a thorough vacumm the car as well. I do the same for trucks and SUV's but for $30. Can you guys give me any tips of what I should and shouldn't do for that amount of money?

**DMW** · 05-09-2018, 02:29 PM

IMO, nothing is "thorough" for $20.

**DBAILEY** · 05-09-2018, 02:32 PM

At $20, just stick to the exterior wash and drop the interior stuff. At that price though I would only clean the wheel faces and then tire dressing. Add a spray wax wipe down If you are feeling like you are shorting them.

**TMQ** · 05-09-2018, 02:52 PM

Not me...! I wouldn't even look at the car for 20! That's is just to look!!! Grin...

Your material cost is probably more than $20....!

Tom

**TTQ B4U** · 05-09-2018, 02:54 PM

IMO washing a car for $20 isn't something I would do at all. $50-75 is my goal and I'm not budging from that.

**JICs Auto Detail** · 05-09-2018, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by DMW

IMO, nothing is "thorough" for $20.

DMW what would you do for that price or how high would you put it to make it fair for me? I live in southern california

**JICs Auto Detail** · 05-09-2018, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by DBAILEY

At $20, just stick to the exterior wash and drop the interior stuff. At that price though I would only clean the wheel faces and then tire dressing. Add a spray wax wipe down If you are feeling like you are shorting them.

Would you still vacumm?

**JCDetails** · 05-09-2018, 03:00 PM

If you're doing all that in 30min or less, sure $20 is fair.

As stated, on a typical exterior wash and dry your product cost alone (soap, wheel cleaner, tire dressing, interior detailer, glass cleaner) is probably at least in the area of $5 and that's IF you have excellent dilution control over cheap bulk products, which in most detailers is rarely the case.

To do what you describe would be a maintenance wash for my business model, and would run $40-60 depending on the vehicle and would include a spray wax wipedown on the exterior and glass.

**JICs Auto Detail** · 05-09-2018, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by TMQ

Not me...! I wouldn't even look at the car for 20! That's is just to look!!! Grin...

Your material cost is probably more than $20....!

Tom

What would you recommend TMQ? I barely started this business and got my business license and all my equipment and don't want to see it fail

**Calendyr** · 05-09-2018, 03:11 PM

For 20$ here is what I would do:

1. Spray Meguiars Wheel Brightenener or any acid based cleaner on the wheels
2. Pressure rinse the rimms and tires
3. Pressure rinse the car
4. Wash the car with ONR
5. Towel dry with the cheapest spray wax I could find (Megs D156 Xpress Spray Wax most likelly)

I would not even bother about details either. At that price, when you remove the cost of your products you are making about 19$... so for me that is 30 mins of my time, max.