When starting a car detailing business, or just detailing your own personal car, there are a few car detailing supplies that are needed to get the job done properly. The first step in detailing a car is give the car a basic wash, preferable with something that will strip any residual wax that the car may already have on it, that way you start your detailing from scratch.
Now it is time to start detailing, and some needed car detailing supplies to have on hand are:
-sponges
-microfiber towels
-A good paste or liquid wax
-wax applicator pads
-drying towels
-detailing brushes for the interior
-carpet cleaner
-shop vacuum
-interior plastic dressings
-tire dressing
Many of these items can be obtained from automotive specialty stores or local hometown stores that have an automotive section. Many new products are available to make car detailing easier as well as to give a better shine. Manufacturers of liquid wax now offer “synthetic wax” which is very easy to remove and gives a deep shine. Wax typically should be applied at least twice a year, one before summer and once before winter.
Cotton towels are now being replaced with newer microfiber towels, which are said to not leave scratches on painted surfaces. Wax applicator pads are now available in both cotton and microfiber styles. A good set of quality 100% cotton or microfiber drying towels should be used to thoroughly dry the car before applying any wax. These towels should be kept for automobile use only and washed separately from household towels.
Having a proper area to clean and detail automobiles will make the job go by much more efficiently. It is best to wax/detail a car under a shaded area, with a garage being the ideal place. Working indoors will prevent unwanted contaminants such as dust from falling on the car while you are working on it. A person with a car detailing business should have multiple garage bays, that way more than one car can be worked on at once. It is also to have storage racks and shelving to put your entire car detailing supplies in one area so you know where everything is at and how much you have left of it.
A shop vac for cleaning the interior of vehicles will come in handy for picking up large particles inside the car. A car business may have several heavy duty coin operated vacuums by their business for self serve customers.
There are several detailing supplies on the market and it is best to try them out to find the right combination of price and quality for your liking. An individual may spend more money on products while a business may focus more on getting product at a lower price, as long it meets the company’s personal requirements. Repeat customers are very important to a car detailing business, and with many happy customers may come expansion into other areas as well as franchising your business.
By: Edward Dean
Posts Tagged ‘Automobiles’
Necessary Items to Detail Automobiles
January 30th, 2010Should You Buy Auto Parts From a Salvage Yard?
January 26th, 2010
One of the advantages of keeping your older vehicle is that you’ll avoid the high cost and monthly payments associated with a newer car (not to mention the depreciation). Having said that, components wear out after tens of thousands of miles and several years of use. Finding replacement parts that will put your vehicle back on the road at a price that doesn’t blow your budget can be a challenge. A lot of motorists look toward junkyards as a reliable source of used car parts. But, is it a good idea to buy them there?
This article will explore some of the advantages and drawbacks of purchasing used components at salvage yards. I’ll explain how these vendors have changed over the years and offer a few tips for chasing down the auto parts you need. We’ll also take a realistic look at the potential cost savings.
It’s Not Your Father’s Salvage Yard
If the last time you visited a junkyard was more than a decade ago, you may be surprised by the changes. Long ago, the carcasses of automobiles were strewn lazily throughout a plot of dirt. If you needed to find a particular component, you would spend time looking through the wreckage hoping to stumble upon it. Asking an employee for help was a hit-or-miss proposition; they would often be unaware of the items within their inventory.
Today, everything is computerized with each item stored within a database. Every radiator, passenger seat, water pump, and stereo knob can be accounted for with a few clicks of a button. If you need to find a specific item, you won’t be forced to spend hours digging through a dirty lot. Just ask an attendant to check the database. What’s more, a lot of salvage yards are now connected through a network. If one location cannot find a component in their database, they can check the databases of other locations.
How Much Money Can You Expect To Save?
Every junk yard is a little different with regard to pricing. And the amount you can expect to save will vary based on the type of item you’re looking for. For example, car seats may carry higher savings than fuel pumps. As a general rule, you should expect to pay 40% to 50% less than you would for a comparable new unit. A brand new “straight-from-the-box” alternator might cost $200. At a junkyard, you should expect to pay $100 to $120 for the same brand and model.
An important point should be made here. Buying certain components from a salvage yard is risky because you won’t know whether there are defects. If you’re purchasing a replacement rear bumper for your car, there’s little need for concern. However, brake systems, water pumps, alternators, and catalytic converters are more difficult to judge. One small defect can lead to a failure. I always recommend buying auto parts that meet OEM standards. They’re far less likely to fail. Whether they’re new or remanufactured, the peace of mind they offer is well worth the higher price.
By: Lawrence Reaves
Tips on Using Carpet Cleaners For Auto Detailing
December 12th, 2009
Mainly two types of machines are used in auto detailing: pressure washers and carpet cleaners. Pressure washers are used for cleaning the exteriors of an automobile, such as the engine parts and metallic body. Carpet cleaners, or carpet extractors, are used to clean the internal areas of automobiles, such as the carpets, floor mats, and seat upholstery.
Why There Is No Single Machine for Auto Detailing?
Many people ask this question: Why do suppliers not provide a single machine that can be used to clean both the interiors and exteriors surfaces of an automobile? There is a simple reason for this. These two very different types of surfaces require different levels of cleaning power. A pressure washer used on the vehicle’s interior would damage upholstery and leave carpets too wet to dry in a reasonable amount of time.
On the other hand, carpet cleaners are inherently not suitable for cleaning hard surfaces of automobile parts and components. The extraction capabilities are designed to remove stains from deep within carpet fibers, an entirely different surface than an automobile’s painted exterior. Top suppliers often offer a combo promotion, allowing auto detailers to purchase both a pressure washer and a carpet cleaner at one low price.
If you are considering the purchase of a carpet cleaner alone, here are some useful tips to guide in you in finding the right machine
Know Your Requirements
You need to be perfectly aware of your requirements. Heated and non-heated carpet cleaners are available to handle applications with varying degrees of difficulty. For example, heated carpet extractors are ideal for the most challenging interior car cleaning applications.
Opt for Devices that Use Less Water
There are two important considerations for auto detailing. The first is the quantity of water used in the process and the second is the times required for the surface to completely dry.
The general rule is to use low quantities of water. This reduces wastage of water and frees the operator from the burden of finding a suitable place where sufficient facilities for water run-off are available. Moreover, using less quantities of water reduces the drying time required for the surface. For any auto detailing professional with limited storage space for vehicles to dry, drying time is paramount.
For ensuring that the quantity of water used is low and the drying time is as short as possible, one has to opt for a carpet cleaner equipped with low flow technology. This makes sure that very low quantities of water are used for auto detailing. As a result, wastage of water is low and the drying time is short – often as low as two hours.
By: Lauren Zwiebel