<HTML>I agree that factory finishes are not designed to be wetsanded. If you are absolutely determined to try, I would stick with 2000 grit paper. If a little bit of rubbing with the 2000 doesn't remove the imperfections, it's best to stop sanding before it's too late! Sanding scratches can be removed using a wool buffing pad and a heavy duty compound. If this doesn't wby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>For old, heavily soiled carpeting, there is nothing like removing the carpet shell and pressure washing it. You will blast out dirt that no carpet cleaning machine could ever pull out. Keep blasting and rinsing until the water dripping out is crystal clear, then hang it up in the sun to dry. Now you can replace the jute pad and clean the floor boards before reinstalling the carpet sheby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>What most detailers don't understand is that for every person that happily spends $175 on a full detail, there are literally hundreds of consumers willing to pay $40 or $50. This presents a tremendous profit opportunity for the carwash industry. For a large carwash, adding an express detail center does not significantly increase overhead. Basicly, the carwash pays the rent. Theby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>I cannot seem to find the article on PC&D's website. Which issue was it? I think the lack of response to your post is typical. Many detailers don't consider "express detailing" to be a legitimate form of detailing. I disagree. Express detailing offers the benefits of detailing to consumers that cannot afford or don't have the time for full-service detailiby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Grumpy, I think a better solution is to have procedures in place for proper polishing using the correct pads, products, speeds, and techniques that virtually eliminate the possibility of having swirl problems in the first place. We check our cars for swirls before and after the detailing process in the direct sunlight. I find that cover-up glazes won't survive the first wash anby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>The canopy protects us from the rain and sun and the buildings surrounding us give us some protection from the wind. We process cars 7 days a week rain or shine except for major holidays.</HTML>by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>We have 6 outdoor production cells under a canopy for express and full service detailing. Each cell has two central vacuum drops, 2 air pressure guns, spray wax guns, and detail carts with towels, cleaners, supplies. Our two full-service detailing bays have air-powered orbital buffers, a Ninja carpet extractor, and a high speed buffer. We can process cars very efficiently with two-perby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>I think a device like that would be handy for getting the water out of the cracks and crevices. At the carwash our tunnel has a 9-nozzle 90 horsepower blower system that dries the car in about 20 seconds, but it still cannot get the water out of the mirrors or door handles completely. For that we use air pressure guns by hand. Without using some kind of air purging, you cannot get a cby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>You are all wrong. The best way to clean leather is with a mixture of gasoline and hydroflouric acid. Pour it on and brush with a brass-bristle brush. Then rinse with a 3000 PSI pressure washer with a zero-degree nozzle. Dry the leather with leaf blower and then top it off with your favorite leather conditioner.</HTML>by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>You're not going to get a car clean with just pressure spray alone. You need to hand-wash the car and use the pressure washer to rinse. A pressure washer is a great tool to speed up rinsing and help remove bugs, mud, etc., but it is not going to clean the car for you.</HTML>by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>I have tried turpentine, solvents, tree sap removers, rubbing alcohol, denatured alcohol, and many others but I found that denatured alcohol is the fastest and best solution for pine sap. If you have deposits that are old and hardened, you can soften them up for easy removal by laying a towel across the surface or cotton balls on the individual spots and saturating with the alcohol.by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Pro's Leather Cleaner is a great product for cleaning dirty leather without streaking, color removal, or any other damage to the leather. You spray it on, scrub with a carpet brush, and wipe. The leather looks like new and is ready for conditioning.</HTML>by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>That may be your definition, but it all depends who you ask. Some companies use the term "glaze" to mean a body shop safe polish (for example 3M's Machine Glaze). Some companies use the term "polish" to mean a sealant (for example Zaino Bro's polish). Some companies make "polishes" that are just cover-up products that you would call a glaze. Likby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Some people cannot be educated no matter how hard you try. They see a carwash as a place to get something for nothing. Don't let customers take you for a ride. Do your best to fix problems you are sure you are responsible for, but don't be suckered into going beyond what is reasonable. It's not reasonable to expect a dark-colored car to stay in showroom condition if itby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Honda GC is a residential-duty engine and Devilbiss pumps are paperweights. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.</HTML>by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Robert, Have you ever been to a self-serve car wash or seen the pressure washers in action at the prep area of a full-service wash? These are all wall-mounted belt-drive pump units powered by electric motors. They can produce as much PSI and GPMs as required. We are talking about industrial plunger pumps and industrial electric motors, not Home Depot fountain pumps!</HTML>by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>You are likely dealing with the clearcoat failing. The only way to fix it is to repaint.</HTML>by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>I am from the New Orleans area. We have love bugs so bad the fronts of cars are black. After a few minutes soaking with a Bug remover chemical, my pressure washer melts them right off. My pressure washer is calibrated to have exactly 1000 PSI in the line. If I'm wrong about the ideal pressure, so is nearly every carwash in America. You would think businesses who clean the bugsby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>3000 PSI is way too much pressure for a car in my opinion. Pressure is subjective, anyway. The PSI rating of a pressure washer is just the maximum PSI the pump can tolerate. The actual pressure you are applying to the car depends on the pressure in the line as well as the size and spray pattern of the tip and the distance from the nozzle to the car. GPM's are what clean, not preby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Gel Coats are much thicker, harder, and more forgiving than conventional paint finishes. You can buff and wax them using the same basic techniques you would use on a paint finish, but you may have to use more agressive products, pads, and buffer RPMs depending on the condition of the gel coat. Meguiar's #50 (Boat/RV Cleaner/Wax) is an excellent wax for boats. So is 3M's Maby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Bud We use those 2.5 gallon brush applicators at the carwash. Ours are called Swabbies. They are certainly the most efficient way to dress tires I've ever used. The work especially good on tires with textures that make pad application almost impossible. The dressing we use is from Pro and it's a very sticky water-based product. This is the only water-based protectant Iby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Throw away units? I disagree. I bought an "Excell" pressure washer from Home Depot with a Honda GX 6.5HP engine and an AR pump for $700. After three years of one-pull starts and problem-free service, the pump oil still looks like the day I poured it in. Any unit with a Vanguard OR Honda engine and either a Cat, General, Comet, or AR pump should give years of satisfactory peby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Top reasons a pressure washer is more efficient for car washing than a garden hose: Pressure washers quickly remove caked-on mud from wheel wells and lower rocker panels Pressure washers remove bugs without a bug sponge Pressure washers use less water than a garden hose Pressure washers rinse soap faster than a garden hose Pressure washers are the most effective way to clean floor maby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>It all depends on what type of defects we are talkng about and how deep they are in the clear coat. If we are talking about light scratches, stains, or oxidation that can be removed with a light or medium duty compound, I see no reason to tell the customer they can't be removed. That's what compounds and high speed buffers were created for. If we are talking about repeatedby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>You can safely clean headliners by spraying a water-based cleaner onto a lint-free towel and rubbing it briskly on he headliner, then rubbing again with a dry towel. Surgical towels work great; so do microfiber towels. Never spray the headliner directly or you will risk releasing the glue that holds it up. I would try a fabric shampoo or all-purpose cleaner. If those don't work,by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Joe, Most people misunderstand the meaning of the word marketing. I think it's great what you are doing to get added exposure for your business, but the right words to use would be publicity, promotion, advertising, exposure, or prospecting. Marketing is the way a business delivers their products or services to the marketplace. It's a complete package consisting of developby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>27</HTML>by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Nothing wrong with seeking professional help.</HTML>by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>Bud, I think Scott hit the nail on the head when he said that most ONE MAN mobile detailers are lucky to have a NET income of $25,000 - $30,000 per year. There are some serious challenges with a one-man operation. First of all, one man can only do so much work and gross so much in a day. Secondly, factors like weather and scheduling confilicts usually make it impossible to have a fuby Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts
<HTML>"However, keep this in mind, it wil be difficult to grow beyond a "one-man" operation if you continue to try and do everything. That is proven in the annals of American business history." That's a very, very, VERY good point.</HTML>by Gary Giffin - Auto Detailing: Secrets of the Experts