With respect to mechanic shops and car dealerships, I am going to mention something most people do not think about.  Aside from your poor wash (?) habits, these businesses are the source of most of the damage to your paint.  You simply need to be intentional, thoughtful, and assertive in how you deal with businesses who you may leave your keys to.  With respect to mechanic shops, that means being very discerning and communicative.  With dealerships, that means limiting unnecessary trips to the dealership and being extremely communicative.  I go to automotive repair and maintenance shop that is small business owned, with a reputation of catering to luxury vehicles.  They have on my file instructions about being careful with my car in addition to not wash it.  If I have to go to the dealership, they get two verbal requests (ideally phone and in person) along with visual signs to not wash the car.   This is a product of unfortunate experiences earlier in my car ownership at automotive shops and the dealership.

Where to park?  What requires the most effort to get to not only the store, but to park at?  I like finding corner parking areas in that spot.  Taking a picture of the area in the parking lot, if there are red flags of dangerously inconsiderate neighboring drivers parked near you.  I also prefer aligning myself with stores where people are not going to be in a hurry to shop in or stores where people are not shopping price.  It may seem snobbish to some, but there is something to shopping at grocery stores that are priced higher.  People who are more discerning about ingredients in food tend to also be more thoughtful (considerate) of the little things that do not affect them.

Less crowded areas are better.  For some there may be an intuitive awareness of when to shop, but a Google search will help.  There should be an option to show the most and least heavily trafficked hours.  Neighboring establishments can be a positive and negative for you.  I love going to a store in shopping plaza at the time a neighboring store has closed, to take advantage of that extra parking space.  I would also be mindful of restaurants nearby with limited parking space, which their patrons may park nearby.

Or the laughing emoji, passive person.

I, like many of us successful business owners, occasionally peak at your businesses to confirm your jealousy and I can understand why you attack.  What I see is even worse than I thought, and often worse than deep down you know.

The Laughing Emoji Starter Pack

An alleged business email contact ending in ‘gmail.com.’  A website exists occasionally from this crowd, but often just Facebook page and or an Instagram account.  A running special on already cheap services dated from the prior year.  No picture often, especially not a professional one.  Maybe one shiny after picture.

To the people that deal with someone like this, let this serve as a reminder that hate comes from below.  Even when you are struggling, it is a sign that you are heading upward on the right track.  Those people that decided they have nothing better to do, also decided to plateau in life.  Being uncommon amongst common people triggers discomfort in the trolls.

So back to you internet trolls.  What is really bothering you?  Are you really that altruistic about someone not (from your interpretation) polishing paint to your satisfaction prior to applying a ceramic coating?  Is that $99 detail or $399 ceramic coating advertisement really the reason why you cannot book a detail?  Perhaps you should learn to run a business!  Your problems are not unique.  I never went into a neighborhood to harass a teenager washing his parents car, to feel better about not scheduling that maintenance detail.  You say this is different, but it is not!

You complain about things for attention as well, while concealing context with people who do not know better.  Usually posts about employees, while my intuition tells me, ‘I would not work for this person.’

I see it!  I see you! When they fill the comment section of another business more than the content on their own channel.

The results show, often on both ends.

Do you remember why you left your job? Take a moment and think about that before we continue.

Do you remember all the factors that led you starting a business?  Step outside of yourself and more importantly your own ego.  Put yourself in an employee (or potential one’s) position.  I know for sure the grind of running a business, with the labor, creative struggle, the stress that comes with the role.  Even when we are prepared, we are never fully prepared for it.  They will not fully experience your business.  But that is also the point.  For your benefit, step outside of yourself and look into someone who is not invested.

I ask questions that leave clues about quality employee retention and quality acquisition.  Do you offer a job or a career?  Even if your offer is for a career, is the application process communicating a position someone is serious can see themselves growing in?  How much do you know about your employees outside of their ability to do their task?  It may seem silly on the surface, but I think you would be amazed how much more loyal an employee can be with some human connection.

When I read about complaints and struggles with employees, I leads to me questioning employers in the detailing industry.  I do wonder how quickly some people forgot where they came from.  I wonder if some people do not understand their responsibilities are not the same as the owner.  They are not getting the same long-term benefits.  Did your issues, that you seem (?) to always find fault with other people, carry over to you as the owner?

Real questions!  How much do you know about your employees?  Do you care to know?  Maybe that is your problem.  Not just whether you gave them a dollar more than the other detailing business.  Ever think what your employees, strangers, or people in your life would say about you in person?  Honestly for most of us, the collective opinion (fair or not) would shock us.

The problem with this is even deeper than what some of veterans of the industry are thinking currently. You see it all the time on beginning detailing type social media groups.

3 Obvious Problems And 1 Implied Issue

For one it is often just a bunch of pictures.  It implies that you are just doing the photographed areas, or specific (interior or exterior) parts of the cars.  We are assuming for an interior, you may or the customer is or is not expecting you to wash the car?  Perhaps or perhaps not polish?  Who knows!  Just like many of us put our hands up in frustration when consumers get upset for us not having a ready price for the question, ‘how much for a detail,’ you are doing the same thing.  Which leads to the following.

I do not know anything about your business in terms of legitimacy, but I can take an educated guess.  So can the consumers that you aspire to have!  Just starting out, is a plausible conclusion.  But are you licensed or insured?  Based on some of the groups that I see these posts in, I often guess no.  But I am not sure if you are a fully legitimate business.  But many of us who are responding our legitimate.  Though numerous are not as well.

I do not know anything else about your business.  This is the part that frustrates me more than the former (license and insured), because most people do not realize this is a bigger telltale sign of your success versus failure.  What is your end game?  How much would you like to REALLY make?  What products are you using?  How long have you been doing this?  Where are you?  Your range?  Is being profitable for this specific service important to you?  As uncomfortable as this may be, what are you and your customers’ expectations for this service?  I could go on.  Not even all of this, but no understanding that I know nothing (not even package etc), just pictures.  You also do not know anything about the people/businesses answering you!

The last part, the implication of the question is my real concern.  I do not think there is anything wrong with asking the question.  I look at competitor, regional and U.S., pricing quite often.  That is not the point.  I suspect there is a passive permission seeking element to this line of questioning.  You show us a couple of pictures of trashed interiors, that were grueling to detail and took a while to complete.  You looked at how much you charged, and your intuition screamed this was not worth your time.  But you wanted other detailers’ validation for what you are thinking.  Which I get that!  But you do not need us to do what is right for you.

• A Not So Serious Customer: “Why does it cost so much?”
• Me: “Because that is how much it costs to work with me.”

Yes, I said that over the phone. I am not suggesting you say this. That response was not calculated. In hindsight, it was a subconscious response of someone who had learned to value himself, had clarity over what kind of operation he is running, knew this customer clearly did not align with who I am targeting. Granted, listening to what he said moments prior played a role in that. Even if that was to change in the future, it was not going to be based on being apologetic for being different. My response was also by product of someone who put in the grind to invest in himself. I am also a graduate at a competitive four-year university. How would a doctor or engineer react to someone who passively questioned their worth?

When you put your own money where your mouth is, you amour yourself against people who waste your time.  It is authentic!

Not exact numbers but pretty close.

• Filmmaking course $700
• Mentorship $800
• Certifications $600
• Educational Symposiums $200

By the way, these are just recent numbers that do not include the additional costs that involved in attendance and additional materials.  This is supplemented by many hours of educational content on YouTube.  This is supplemented by several hundred dollars in books that range from business to personal development.  I know people who have spent much more.

Why can I talk to a stranger and convince him or her that I am a better choice than the person that allegedly does more for half of the money?  One, quality attracts quality.  But also, being a quality person, the best version of oneself is more than about the latest tools and ceramic coatings available.

Key to the house and car and “Rodney there is a blank check on the center console.”  How does this happen.  Quality people can feel the work you put into all aspects of life.

Roll down the windows partially after washing.  You will likely see a line.  I have missed that many times.  Many people do.

Blow and vacuum under seats.  I recommend some kind of blower or compressed air to blast areas you cannot easily see.

To this day, I have had a moment where it is forgotten.  The gas cap.  I do not think this is some kind of horrible error by any stretch of imagination.  But it is not only an opportunity to make a very noticeable difference, it is a detail that can really set you apart.

Conclusion, life is not going to end if you are not perfect or the greatest detailer.  Also, as particular as I am about my car, most people who pay good money are more concerned about two things.  Blatantly being incompetent, particularly regarding DAMAGING a car.  The other is integrity and professionalism.  Being cheaper is not going to save you from and probably encourage a picky customer.  A major reason why no one talks about it is their perception of you versus actual care about their car.  They don’t really care about their car that much, compared to the less picky enthusiasts willing to spend more.  Their anger at every little detail missed or perceived missed has more to do with their animosity that they any more at all than at one of the cheapest car washes.  That is why they also simultaneously may complain about it taking so long while demanding better results than a disaster makeover.

That is why many of us say, if you are dealing with a lot of this nonsense, do the counterintuitive thing by raising your price.

A lot of so-called professionals get more nervous working on expensive sport cars, $150,000 or exotic cars.  If not neutral, my mindset is often the opposite.  Though there are many outliers, there is often an implied understanding and comfortable investment made when a luxury car owner with disposable income books a detail.  For someone who may be in the lower middle class who genuinely gets ‘pay for what you get’, there is added personal pressure to not let that person down.  It is also true that many in the lower income category who do not get that this is a luxury service, are often in the category who will be the most frustrating to work with.  I have also dealt with wealthy individuals who have looked down on what I do as a business, by their attitudes and actions.  It is never a good idea to pick and choose when to be your best self.  Less expensive vehicles are often owned by individuals with disposable income.  They can potentially also be just as (or more) easily damaged!

There is a misconception that luxury vehicles are inherently more fragile and are the only vehicles that require special cleaners.  That is a dangerously false assumption.  But when you couple that attitude with the equally poor attitude someone with a $30,000 vehicle will care less than the person with a $200,000 car, you may set yourself up for disaster.

I hear it still to this day.  “Those services for the fancy cars.”  “Use this stuff for the nice car.”  What does that even mean!  I know, we know what they mean.  But for one who are we to say what is a nice car to someone else’s property.  But the dangerous part is suggesting to pick and choose when you are being professional.

This is how people who genuinely care about their cars, that they can barely afford, get them damaged by a so called professional.  Yes, many of those exotics have unique material that requires special care.  But think about it!  With fabric, leather, and plastic, what car is most likely going to have the cheapest version of this?  That is how that budget friendly (cheap) bottle of all-purpose cleaner, with stated instructions to not use on certain surfaces, damages a $30,000 leather seat or dashboard that may not have damaged a $75,000 car,

What most consumers and some detailers also do not understand, there are some brands that market their cars as luxury (successfully) but fall short in piecing together a luxury vehicle.  A well-known brand has a terrible reputation regarding paint quality and interior material.  It is the one brand that I have seen several detailing businesses have a waiver specifically for this car brand, that is considered a luxury vehicle.

Would I book with you?

I experience it all the time, observing people complaining on social media.  Venting or also bragging about the WRONG things!  I ask myself, what does their business look like online?  Would I book a service with them?  The answer is usually, no!

Sadly, that answer comes quickly.  Not only do I see it after asking a few probing questions, but it is also evident from minimal research, but my clients talk.  The question, ‘what made you choose me’ eventually turns into, why did they not choose other options.  Many of the problems require minimal financial investment.  Some moderately expensive investments fall under the category of the cost of being a responsible business owner and increase the likelihood of high-quality consumers taking you seriously.  I have long desired for the discouragement of referring to services as jobs, especially in an industry that carries so many negative stereotypes.  Part of the problem is so many people proudly leave their boss for independence, then proceed to avoid leadership, creativity, vision, and critical thinking that comes with being the owner of a detailing business.

Does your menu of services look like an automatic tunnel car wash menu?

What kind of people do you expect to call you then!

Do you have a website, in 2026?  Is your email address professional?  I know a lot of successful and reputable businesses that do not have either or both of those two.  But why would you sell yourself short on this, while aspiring to have the same high-quality clients excited for a consultation for services of $1,500 or $2,600 for their new car.

Follow Up

Who do you have to be to get you to where you want to go?

I want you to write down your frustrations.  Frustrations working for someone else.  What people SAID they did not like about you and also what people like about you.  Those frustrations include running a business to this date, customers, and what other detailing businesses are doing.

You now have the resources to create the following.  Now write your purpose behind all of this.  Write your vision for the future.  What is your mission?  Who is your primary ideal client and secondary target client?

If this is too much for you, I suggest an alternative.  You just created a great resume for employers who match what you aspire for.  If that makes you uncomfortable, perhaps it is time to look in the mirror about your workplace relationships.  I read and hear so many stories of frustrated business owners who really do not have the mindset and or desire to grow in this role.  And deep down they know it!  Perhaps they would make great detailers for another business owner, who embraces all that comes with entrepreneurship.  They could also take their ‘blood, sweat and tears’ into another field and achieve great success.

“You sound like this really isn’t worth it.”  A conversation with a potential client (at the time) who reached out to me excited about ceramic coatings.

To be honest I am not the best at selling ceramic coatings, at least not to people who are really not that interested in that kind of protection.  I will not say that it is an insult or compliment, for obvious reasons.  As a person who has a responsibility to put his or her best foot forward, I am constantly looking to improve in my sales process ETHICALLY.  But my struggle is in part intentional due to my focus of managing expectations.  Especially during these times I am very sensitive to overselling or letting someone oversell themself on coatings.  I also have a list of clients who have booked multiple cars and been highly recommended in the past several years.  They are happy to share that YEARS later the service still exceeds their expectations.

Let us rewind the clock back 20 years.

What if I told you this 6-month sealant would not (before social media) prevent scratches or may not last the full six months on the car that you are going to put 10,000 miles into.  You were told it will last at least a year by someone eager to sell this to you.  That is fine?  Now, let us go back 5 to 10 years.  People wanting to make a protection product look good (marketable) as possible for the coating supplier, emphasizing polishing the paint to perfection.  After a few months you got that bad taste.   Numerous people have said, “forget this!  I am going back to waxing!”  Buyers remorse did not happen because everything idealized was not received, it happened because of the level of investment.

The Snake Oil Question Is Really A Question Of Is Ceramic Coating DETAILING For You

Did you falsely assume ease of cleaning as little to no washing, or even just rinsing the car off?  Or did you appreciate, as someone who enjoyed already washing his or her car, that less dirt stuck and accumulated on the surface of your car?

Did you falsely take scratch resistance as a crutch or an excuse to treat your car nearly the same way, to act surprised the swirls and scratches came back?  Or did you appreciate that a less porous surface with dirt that does not stick, made a surface that is easier to wash safely?

Before ceramic coatings were common, were you someone who got their car detailed once and now looking for ceramic coatings to unrealistically solve all problems?  Or were you someone who got their car (paid real money) detailed every six months, and actually washed the car in between?

How someone answers those questions can easily determine if he or she falls under the category of ‘coatings are great’ or ‘coatings are a scam.’  In general, but particularly in detailing, a source of consistent consumer dissatisfaction is a byproduct of not holding customers accountable.  I had multiple clients tell me they were sold by my willingness to not tell them what they wanted to hear.

From paint sealants that were popular 10 years ago to coatings today, it is often about perspective!  In spite of that, through all generations the most underappreciated part of the detailing experience is the ACTUAL LACK OF APPRECIATION FOR THE DETAILING EXPERIENCE.  The effort to and quality of a detailing process always makes what you use in the end better.

What is real?  Is it worth it?  The truth is coatings and more importantly authentic (i.e high-end) detailing is often NOT for a majority of people.  As a business owner in a niche industry, I would love to say otherwise.  The issue is most people only care about detailing because they were told something exaggerated or even false about a coating that marginalized what detailing really is.  People who are genuinely interested in detailing, often love coatings.

Quite a few people are proud to say that the wax they put on their car once a year, that did not last a month, is evidence that ceramic coatings are a scam.  What this person is really communicating is the cost differential may not be worth it for him or her.  But to dig deeper, it is the detailing coupled with reasonable maintenance washing that this person was never interested in.  He or she may have once been disappointed, looking for validation for a ‘magic pill’, while marginalizing the importance of the detailing process.  I have seen many complaints and 1-Star reviews of other businesses over water-spots, which upon investigating I can tell the customers were properly instructed but willfully negligent.  I am not the biggest fan of warranties and some of the claims made by companies.  But from my experience in the industry, I have a good idea when many of the consumers who complain about water-spots, never read the multiple warnings about water-spots along with the tutorials on how to address them.  It is easier to blame the bottle and detailing business for the consequences of parking by a sprinkler and expecting there would be no issue whatsoever.  There is no product that will keep the surface from water spotting after baking in the sun and washing your car three to four times a year. There is also no product safe from a tunnel wash.  Paint Protection Film provides real protection from swirls, but the film can be damaged in other ways.  Rock chip protection is a lie.  Even with Paint Protection Film, it is not bulletproof.  I can limit the accumulation of swirls and water-spots with or without a ceramic coating.  From experience with and without a coating on my car, I would take the coating.  It gives me more time, less frequency of issues, and more options when bird droppings, bugs, and water deposits are on the car longer than they perhaps should be without totally detailing the car.  This is not an issue with the product, but an issue with the end user’s lack of interest in detailing.  THEY WERE PULLED INTO THIS WORLD FOR THE WRONG REASON, BECAUSE OF A PRODUCT NOT THE SERVICE.

Don’t define whether an experience is worth it to you by people who are unwilling to budget for such services or do not care about their car like you do.

“How much for your ceramic coating?”  The bottle!  Well, this cost me $200, $300, and $150.  Oh, you want (rhetorical question) me to put it on your car?  That is called a detailing service, with ceramic coating protection.  To consumers of DETAILING services, speaking on behalf of professionals, many of us consistently deal with the challenges of communicating to the consumer.  This is not going to be one of those articles that screams that ceramic coating is for everyone, because I do not believe detailing is for everyone based upon assumptions about what you believe you will automatically get when someone says, ‘ceramic coating.’  Just like someone with a blindfold calling a random restaurant, asking how much for food.  I hope this encourages you to reevaluate how you judge professionals who are quick to answer or need more dialogue before answering, “how much for a ceramic coating.”

Ceramic coating is not (by itself) making your car look great.  Though it is also misleading to say it does not play a part in the foundation of detailing that improves the condition.  It does not remove swirls, nor does the existence of swirls mean it is necessarily on or not on your paint.  It is in many ways no different than wax or sealant.   Polishing is more important to its appearance, not just because you will live with the paint in that condition longer.  People do not realize wax will often for a very brief period mimic a minimal level of polishing/ paint correction.  Some people have said the ceramic coating made my car look worse than wax.  It had nothing to do with the ceramic coating.  It was the fact that you took the prep (i.e. detailing) for granted.

Resistance to scratches, swirls, water-spots, is not what most average consumers think.  Neither is self-cleaning! That may mean a ceramic coating may not be worth it for you.  But many people love their cars ceramic coated.  They also have realistic expectations for what a ceramic coating provides.  It enhances the experience for people who TRY and especially for people who are enthusiastic about car care.

A coating won’t protect your car from negligence.  That includes not washing your car.  That also includes washing your car the same or close enough to the same way that led to swirls.   I tell DIYers to start out minimally polishing and add a sealant.  Then learn how to wash your car.  Seriously!  Once that process is SIGNIFICANTLY improved, move up to more long-term protection.

Long-term and self-healing coatings have some added benefits, but both are misunderstood.  The self-healing attribute may only be moderate or minimal. Something most people won’t say, it loses its self-healing abilities well before the end of the coating life cycle.

The self-cleaning attribute plays a major part in swirl prevention.  Though, you still have to wash your car.  It often protects you against yourself, washing your car.  Stuff doesn’t stick as easily.  Keeping you from doing things detailers often tell you not to do.  Also, what is often not talked about is the benefit of chemical resistance.  That also means instead of putting swirls and scratches back into your paint by scrubbing, you can use the seemingly endless list specialty maintenance cleaners to address bugs and water-spots.  Some of the products that would remove wax, used in moderation will have minimal effect on coatings.

This is for anyone who is new to business for the first few months.

Take at least 2 days for yourself, if not 3 days.  If appropriate for your business, make a professional post or announcement for that time in the future to allocate towards your business.  Go to your favorite big box store and grab a journal (type of) booklet.  This is your business proverbial bible.

Go on all of the detailing groups you frequented.  Type your name in the search button and look at how you framed your questions.  Key part, be honest with yourself!  Log in all of the times you asked for guidance versus purely information and opinions.  In other words, ‘hey guys what should I?’  How much would you charge for this, is a question often disguised as permission seeking.  If you can’t be uncomfortable in private, I can’t help you.

This is not going to go the way most people think.  Ask yourself how long did it take for you to detail every single car you worked on?  I do not care about your efficiency right now.  It is important, with a caveat.  Are you happy with the result (priority #1)?  Aside from what naturally comes from experience, there are healthier ways to improve your speed.  Speed is not important in this moment!  I WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY YOU (YOUR BUSINESS NET) MADE PER HOUR?  When you get that number, I want you to ask yourself how much would make you feel good about your effort.  This is that uncomfortable starting point, as there is more to this.  But intuition is a wonderful thing, and following it fixes a lot of drama.  I am not interested in your inner voice about market, your friends, or detailing groups.

Be mindful and reflective.  Every place you go to, observe what the atmosphere and customer service is like.  You will never hear me utter the word jobs to describe services booked.  It is my operation, with all of the responsibilities that come with that.  It is also not a bad idea to distant yourself from those groups, especially considering the most successful business owners spend the least amount of time participating in those groups.

Sooner than later ask yourself the following.  Your business name, does it inspire you and or serve you in acquiring ideal clients?  Will the clients, you ultimately want, be attracted to your presentation overall now?  What are you doing to attract the people you do not want?  Are the people you continue to attract, that you may be afraid to lose, going to be loyal to the new you in business?  Yes, this is a mandate and indictment on change versus doing the same things.

Have you thought about recording yourself?  It is a way to naturally teach you to improve efficiency without rushing.  Also the customers that passively want the highest quality at the cheapest price tend to be sold on before and after pictures.  The “price is not a priority” category, tend to like to see the process.

This is for consumers specifically looking for new to you vehicle ceramic protection, for consumers that wonder why they felt ripped off, or detailing business owners wanting to share educational content.

I want to answer the question, ‘why does the car that I think is perfect, not that bad, or what I believe to be brand new, need detailing?’

Contamination

That (advertised as) new car how did it get to you?  Did you fly to the factory at which it was produced and painted, witnessing the protective cover released?  Likely not!  Aside from the trip and what happened with the unloading of the vehicle, it was stored at a dealership.  I am just getting started!  Cars with embedded iron deposits from train or saltwater ocean travel.  Cars sitting under trees, brand new seeing rain and seasonal changes for months, albeit brand new they say.  What is embedded does not come off with a basic wash.  I suspect you do not want a detailer to ceramic coat a dirty car.

Storage

Families running around, spectators casually touching your future car.  The numerous test drives!  The car very likely seen a tunnel wash of brushes and possibly minimum wage employees (who are not detailers) with dirty towels in a dirty environment rubbing your brand-new car.

Polishing Need Before Ceramic Coating?

When it comes to polishing, technically in many cases there are ways around polishing new cars.  It is not the black and white description of why polishing is recommended that MOST PEOPLE tell you.  To some extent the common explanations are half-truths.  Here is the reality.  Whether near microscopic or noticeable, you may say or believe that you REALLY do not care about defects!  For one, in not all but many cases I find that to not be the case.  More on that in the following paragraph.  There are people that can clean and pull bonded contamination from a new car without the use of a clay bar in many (not all cases).  Those select individuals are very good at what they do, and command a premium price as elite detailers.  Let’s get the elephant out in the room, you likely are saying it doesn’t need xyz, to get out of paying more.  Many of the people in business who say what you want to hear about NO polishing are not skilled at surgically cleaning a car.  Many are the cheaper, non-insured, and or non-licensed types.  I can argue the chances of a very low-grade coating or no coating being used at all are dramatically higher for these businesses.  Using the clay bar leads to micro paint marring.  It may not be a big deal for those accustomed to wash, clay, and seal services.  Two things to look at from your and likely a high-end business operator’s perspective.  First, at the microscopic level ceramic coatings are glass, magnifying the appearance subtly.  Two, long-term protection means living with conditions as best as they will ever look.

Back to the polishing part.  I cannot tell you how many times the question was asked to detailing business owners about putting wax on a ceramic coated car.  After possibly discouraging the owner, the real reason was revealed.  The car does not look as good.  MOST OF WHAT MAKES A CAR LOOK GOOD INVOLVES ADDRESSING WHAT THE AVERAGE PERSON CANNOT OR BARELY SEE!  That is the essence of detailing, and the essence of what makes us different than a car wash.  That includes the clay bar but also polishing to some extent to improve the aesthetics.

For example, I ask someone what kind of atmosphere, demographic, and food will be served?  He or she responds, “I don’t know, food.”  You probably think that is a silly response.  You would also not be surprised if this restaurant struggles or fails within a year.  You may even question if this person takes starting a restaurant seriously at all.  But I just described the mindset of most detailing business owners starting out!  Even those who are a year or so in business wondering why they are unsuccessful, do not get this.

The problem as a business owner with not having clarity is always finding consumers who match that generalized thinking, who often have desires that do not align with your strengths.  Generally when things go wrong, that often involve having the wrong client, they blame you.  Even when it is clearly reasonable their fault, there is still an accountability deflection.  We call these the problem or ‘headache clients’ that were not worth the hassle, that (not always) could be avoided.  I am considered difficult to access early on by many consumers for this reason.  Oftentimes the same people that become irritated because you want to thoughtfully manage expectations and suggest an appropriate service, are THE SAME EXACT people that blame you failed expectations.  There is justice in allowing those people to shop for fast-food option while complaining about fast food experience.

I highly recommend getting inspection sheets for documentation, in addition to photographic (+video) timestamped documentation.  I do not always require inspection sheets (for regular clients), but I encourage written documentation especially if you do not have a relationship with a client writing.  The information should outline damage preexisting, agreed service and (wink) recommended service, additional notes, and quoted price.  Currently there are numerous popular software options that I encourage you to look into, especially if you are taking on higher volume or simply have employees.  At minimum, have a picture or video before and after gallery for the sake of protecting yourself.

Emotional Manipulation And Passive Attacking By Consumers

For people who have been involved in this industry for a long time, we have more effectively insulated ourselves from phone callers demanding a price under the auspices of their claim that ‘it’s not that bad.’  This is a common experience and consequence of people new to running a detailing business.

Words like correction, ceramic, and full can lead to a variety of assumptions.  Many of those assumptions may not align to what the services entail.  I am not a fan of the phrase full detail for the following reason.  But for all of the above it is especially important to provide clear expectations and document.  I will add many times it is a case of ignorance by consumers.  But many other times, through plausible deniability, it is intentional manipulation by consumers.

During this wash process I specifically used:

• Three buckets (two for washing, one for wheels)
• Bucket Inserts
• IK e Foam Pro 2
• Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam (X-Mas Edition)
• Gtechniq WM2 Microfibre Wash Mitt
• The Rag Company The Liquid8r M22 Green
• Bilt Hamber Auto-Wheel
• Detail Factory ProGrip Wheel Face Brush Riptide
• Detail Factory ProGrip Tire Brush – Standard
• Detail Factory Ultra Soft Synthetic Brush Set
• Detail Factory Mini Wheel Brush Kit

The washing and drying process is the most important step in the detailing process as it will remove dirt and grime, while setting you up for all of your further steps or detailing processes. You do not need to be a professional detailer or have an indoor shop to hand wash your vehicle either. In fact, you can properly wash and dry your vehicle in the comfort of your own driveway!

Below I will highlight everything from wash induced swirl marks, how to avoid them, to what gear to reach for and what techniques to use during this process.

What are Swirl Marks?

Swirl marks and paint imperfections are tiny scratches or defects in your vehicle’s clear coat that become visible when light hits the paint at certain angles. They are especially noticeable on dark colored vehicles and under direct sunlight or bright shop lighting. Most swirl marks happen from trapped dirt and grime in your wash media, grinding across the surface.

Some of the most common causes of swirl marks come from:

• Reusing dirty wash water
• Automatic tunnel washes or touch car washes
• Using low quality tools and techniques (i.e. shampoo, wash media, drying towels, etc.)

To aid in a much greater risk of wash induced swirls and scratches, you want to follow a few key steps:

• Two-bucket method
• Quality tools
• Proper techniques

Every time something touches your paint, there is potential for scratching. However, below I will cover each of these key steps, allowing you to properly wash and dry your vehicle at home!

Reach for Your Gear!

Starting off, we want to make sure we grab some products. Luckily we carry high-quality items here at DI, so you have plenty of items to choose from. In short you need a shampoo, wash mitt or sponge, buckets, bucket inserts, brushes, and your drying towel. You could add more or less to this list as desired, but these are the base items needed for a proper wash.

During this current wash process I specifically used:

• Three buckets (two for washing, one for wheels)
• Bucket Inserts
• IK e Foam Pro 2
• Koch Chemie Gentle Snow Foam (X-Mas Edition)
• Gtechniq WM2 Microfibre Wash Mitt
• The Rag Company The Liquid8r M22 Green
• Bilt Hamber Auto-Wheel
• Detail Factory ProGrip Wheel Face Brush Riptide
• Detail Factory ProGrip Tire Brush – Standard
• Detail Factory Ultra Soft Synthetic Brush Set
• Detail Factory Mini Wheel Brush Kit

Start the Wash Process …

One thing to keep in mind when starting your wash process is that you always want to start with the wheels. The reason we do this is due to the wheels typically being the dirtiest parts of the vehicle, and we want to remove all this dirt and grime first, before moving to the more sensitive (and generally cleaner) paint areas. Also, spraying down your wheels can cause dirt and grime to be sprayed onto the paint, over even some residual wheel cleaning chemicals. Cleaning this area first means that if any over spray happens, it is easily removed when you target the paint areas.

Make sure that you have a dedicated bucket and wash media strictly for wheels. Keep this wash media strictly for your wheels and avoid using it on your paint surfaces. There are too many abrasive contaminants on the wheels and using this media on the paint after wheel cleaning will greatly increase imperfection risk.

I started with a quick foam from the IK e Foam Pro 2 and my shampoo. This helps knock down any loose dirt and grime, allowing me to reach for the Auto-Wheel next.

Spraying directly onto the wet surface, let the Auto-Wheel dwell until you see the purple reaction from the chemical. From here, I reach for my brushes and clean all possible areas.

Rinse your brushes before dipping them back into your wheels bucket, allowing you to keep your wash water as clean as possible. Once you are finished cleaning, rinse your wheels thoroughly and move to your paint.

Using the two bucket wash method is one of the safest ways to maintain your vehicle while minimizing the possibility of adding imperfections to the paint. The two bucket method features two buckets, each for a different process.

One bucket with shampoo and water. The second bucket is just water, your bucket inserts, and for rinsing out your mitt or wash media.

As listed in the Washing and Drying section of the Detailing Guide, here are the general steps to properly wash your vehicle:

1. Whenever possible, wash your vehicle out of direct sunlight and on a cool surface.
2. Add roughly one ounce (or the recommended amount) of shampoo to your wash bucket, then fill with water.
3. Starting from the top of the vehicle, gently glide your wash mitt or sponge over one section at a time using light pressure.
4. After each section, rinse your wash mitt or sponge in the rinse bucket, rubbing it against the Grit Guard insert to release dirt and debris.
5. Repeat steps 3–4 until the entire vehicle has been washed.

When washing the vehicle, start at the top and work your way down. Wash the roof, windshields, hood, trunk lid, and then move down to the sides. I like to start by foaming the vehicle with my favorite shampoo and the IK e Foam Pro 2. This allows my shampoo to stick to the surface longer, breaking down dirt and grime for easier (and safer removal).

Dip your wash mitt into the wash bucket and clean section by section. For example, I like to start on the hood and move around the car from drivers side front door, drivers side back door, trunk/rear of the vehicle, etc. During this process you want to glide the mitt in a front to back or side to side motion (never in circles), with little overall pressure. Typically I will work in a three to four foot section before flipping and/or rinsing my mitt within the rinse bucket.

When using your rinse bucket, make sure you agitate the mitt against your bucket insert. This helps loosen dirt and grime from the mitt, dropping it below the insert within the bucket.

Move to your wash bucket as this bucket has shampoo in it, gently agitate against the bucket insert within this bucket before moving onto the next panel.

Rinse your wash mitt frequently and I would even recommend using a completely separate wash mitt or sponge for the lower areas if they are exceptionally dirty. You can also reach for any paint safe wash brushes for tight areas like exhaust tips, around emblems or within grills.

… Rinse Using the Sheeting Method.

The sheeting method is a simple process that allows you to dry most of your vehicle without ever needing to touch the paint with a drying towel. The main idea behind the sheeting method is to create a cascading effect where the water flowing onto the car combines with the water already on the surface, pulling it down off of the vehicle. Simple physics states that like particles stick together, which is why this method is so successful. When done properly, especially on freshly protected paint, you are left with only a few drops of water on each panel, which can easily be absorbed with your drying towel.

As water drops down the panel, continue to follow with your hose. You will notice the water almost pulling itself down toward the ground. Slowly follow the downward direction of the water until you reach the lower panels of your vehicle.

You will be left with less water on the surface, making the drying processes much quicker and easier overall!

Dont Forget to Dry!

Now that we are done washing and rinsing, lets move into the drying process. At this point the paint is clean, but still wet. The key here is removing all standing water quickly as if it is allowed to dry onto the paint, the higher your risk of water marks. Water marks happen when water dries on the surface and the minerals within that specific water source lightly etch into the surface. Different areas have different mineral content within the water, so it is imperative to remove standing water quickly to avoid any watermarks.

If you have a leaf blower, this can quickly move water from cracks and crevices, stopping possible drip marks. If you do not have a blower, move to drying with a quality drying towel and moving the car in the driveway once you are finished. This will move most water tucked away in a crack and crevice, causing it to drip down the paint. Remove with your drying towel and you are all set!

When using a drying towel, gently drag it across the finish to remove the majority of the water.

Finished

If you follow these simple steps when washing and drying, you will keep your vehicle not only prepped for any of your next detailing steps, but it will allow you to keep your ride looking its best at all times.

These are real statements from people who claimed to be interested in my services from my distant past.

“You will find that I am the easiest person to work with.  I would not let someone tell me how to (run my business or do my job), I would tell you how to detail.  I tried recommending you, some of these guys are so cheap.”  A new customer volunteered all of this information to me.  Guess how our future interactions went?  I experienced a lot of dissent with my suggestions, haggling over prices, doing the opposite of my instructions.  Our business relationship included numerous inquiries and a occasional booking, that led to a last-minute announcement of a loss of interest in my services.  This was a somewhat successful business owner.

I remember stopping what I was doing, frantically driving to someone’s home for an emergency detail, to find this person changing his mind once I arrived.  “Thank you!  I will definitely use you in the future.”  Never heard from this person again.

There is also the wealthy business owner who complained about not finding a replacement for his previous detailing service provider.  I had made a real effort to set expectations and inform him about pricing transparency.  He said he did not really (thoroughly) read.  Proclaimed he could not afford it, but ‘we’ll see.”  Although he sub-communicated on the phone his concern about finding detailers who provide low quality (lack of attention to detail) services, he told me about his one reliable person.  “I had a guy who would do all of this for $100 to $125, but he stopped showing up.”  Both husband and wife were hostile with their body language, but what was most telling was how his wife treated me.  Beforehand she offered me Gatorade.  After he came home.  His wife stared at me with disdain.  It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences I have ever had.

By the way, my prices are significantly more now, then they were at the time of these stories.  These are all people who lived in better neighborhoods than I lived in.  They drove much nicer cars than I could afford.  The most recent example, were likely a top 2% percent wage earner in the town.

I tell these stories because many of you have or will experience similar challenges.  You operate in environments which have people who think and act like the individuals that I described.  Some of the changes I made in my business minimized my involvement with these individuals.  To ‘keep showing up’, stay firm in regards to your rules and boundaries.

‘Only do full correction, or don’t touch it!  No wash clay and seals!  No ceramic coating without removing swirls, maybe even sanding.  No coating without polishing!  No coating without one step of enhancement paint correction!  No coating without a single stage polish (pretending it’s not a two stage without refinement)!  Only use professional coatings and the one you use is the only real coating!’

Obviously I have personal standards that align with MY business.  But there is more to unpack here.  There is this dogma amongst likely struggling business owners that ‘if you are NOT EXACTLY LIKE ME then somehow you are not a real detailer!’  More specifically, we delve deeper.  ‘If your standards are not aligned with what I am particular about, then YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED to run a detailing business!’

For one, can you imagine grown adults in a business, trying to shame and tell other grown adults in a business how to operate.  Ethics is one thing.  The problem is what is often framed as ethics is merely preference, that the complaining troll does not understand himself/herself.  It is often hiding jealousy of another business selling their services better.

Here is the irony!  Many times, I have seen someone post and brag about a week of worth of paint correction and at times generate an appropriate invoice for the service.  When someone mentions or questions the possibility of someone scratching all of that up, there is a response that ranges from apathetic to happiness.  They will frame it as job security, while proclaiming ethical superiority over people that leave any swirls.  Professionalism starts and ends beyond the detail.  The loudest voices about what a car should look like on social media with a coating, seem to be the ones least interested in realizing that.

A 21 year old young adult who bought a used Toyota Sentra, a mom of four kids who has a grocery vehicle, or the client you gush about with his every day beater car, they are not allowed to have a car that is presentable?  All or nothing?  It is not about your stance with your business, but your attitude about others providing a service.

What makes this worse is the apathy at best with AFTERCARE MAINTENANCE by many people who have such high standards, but shame others for not being like them.  You are so excited to be indoctrinated by your coating company, that after you marketed for them on Instagram you forgot to add real value and managed expectations to the clients.

It also sets poor expectations and results, as detailers scramble to incorporate a 2 part polishing process into one step.  Often the person is unwilling to pay for what they want, expect the quality of multiple step polishing.  They often do not get the correction they think they are entitled to and neither get the properly refined paint, as the detailer is doing more for less.  Nobody wins trying to match fictional standards, honestly set by coating companies so you can market their bottle with your work.

There is NOTHING without bias, as long as the human element exists.  Calm down, people who are taking this way too personally!

The irony of judgment for those that do reviews for a living.  The person someone is so confident is a shill is not as biased as people think.  The person that you love that ‘tells it like it is’, is more biased/flawed than you realize.  These are the closest two ways to reach a SOMEWHAT unbiased opinion on a product.  The first is critical thinking through multiple sources, preferably individuals with different approaches.  The second is ultimately, finding out for yourself.  Both options are still imperfect.

Here is a defense of professional and very profitable product reviewers.  What quality review are you REALLY (?) consistently getting for free, aka the goodness out of their hearts?  Can they afford the time and resources since it is not there primary source of income to give you real feedback.  Most is halfhearted feedback that ‘this is great or terrible,’ before going back to what they do for a living.  Authenticity alone is not necessarily a path to accuracy.

What about those people calling out products, aren’t they real?  People doing the ‘this is all overpriced, not good’ and are habitually negative are LITERALLY AT LEAST THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN.  But from experience I am actually more skeptical of these individuals.  They historically played on the ego of the too smart to fall for a shill crowd!  The irony.  I cannot tell you how many times I am the least surprised they have been on the verge of coming out with their own product line.  Though I am not judging what they are selling.  But it is curious how convenient the overzealous criticisms are often magically solved only with their products.

This is not a popular opinion but a reasonable assessment.  Maybe not great, but most products are at least solid.  Most products I can speak positively about and be authentic about it.  Most issues people have with products, as in service, are either and or also inflated expectations and not taking instructions seriously.  “Why does he praise so many products on YouTube?”  Because if you mess any of them up it is likely your fault.  This is coming from someone who reviews products.  10 years ago, even poor-quality products by 2026 standards, many people would find great.  20 years ago, they would be beyond our imagination.

This is what people miss out on this process.  Two buckets and two grit guards, one for each bucket.  But also, it is important to SCRUB your mitt thoroughly on the grit guard (ideally both buckets) and give the mitt a moment in the wash bucket for the dirt to settle down.

A good wash mitt is not optional.  This is the Gyeon Smoothie V2 (EVO)

Be frequently mindful of what is on your mitt before use and while washing your car.

This is a reminder of the importance of a soft wash mitt.  This versatile wash mitt can work with traditional and rinseless wash scenarios.  But it is also a reminder of the importance of proper storage.  Microfiber picks up foreign debris, that includes dust that accumulates in open and even enclosed spaces.  Even in storage containers, I place my microfiber in plastic sealable bags.  Packing a microfiber towel in Ziploc bags are one option.  But there are very good economical multiple size options on Amazon.

Foaming a car is not necessarily the be all end all of prewashing.  I will say if you are using a pressure washer (i.e. high pressure) definitely lather the paint with foam prior to rinsing.  A hose is not that much of a concern, with the caveat of the whole point of doing what is appropriate to pre rinse the car.  More times than not on a reasonably maintained car a thorough rinse with a garden hose will set you up for a safer wash process.

Most people focus too much on speed and efficiency.  I get urgency in some cases.  But there is no scenario where rushing is a better plan, even if you are concerned about water-spots.  Pick a better time to wash your car or use the NUMEROUS quick detailers and water-spot removers as an extra step.  Some of those quick detailer (drying aid) products are formulated for just that reason.  If you care about swirls, then why are you acting like a cheap detailer or the car wash, rushing from car to car?