# washing neighbor's cars??



## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Im out of work at present and looking to earn a bit of cash by washing my neighbor's cars. Im planning on putting leaflets through their doors but cant decide on:what to charge, how much work to do and how much time to spend. I thought Id give two options: a basic wash and a wash, polish, wax. I obviously dont what to come across as im going to use fairy liquid and sponge in a bucket but cant say Im a professional or even near to one either. I also dont want to slave over cars for hardy any money but do want people to 'bite' and think they're getting a good deal.

This is what Iv got so far:

Hello neighbor,

I live at number 'X' and am a 27 year old car detailing enthusiast. By profession I am a 3D computer animator however times are hard and I thought Id hopefully earn a little extra cash by cleaning fellow neighbor's vehicles. I have been interested in car detailing for a few months and learnt a lot in terms of how to properly clean a car and how to best avoid swirls and light scratches. I use Industry approved products, mainly Autoglym, and everything is done by hand.

Basic Wash 

Rinsed and washed using a Lambswool Mitt and Super Slick Shampoo Solution (PH Neutral) which will not strip the vehicle of any wax or sealants previously applied leaving a shiny/glossy finish. Dried using Microfibre Towels. All exterior trim is then treated to darken black plastics/rubbers and form a water resistant barrier.

Time: 1hr+

£8

Wash Polish Wax

As above however after the car has dried it is polished and buffed before a single layer a wax is applied. Alloy wheels are sealed to protect from brake dust and any exterior chrome polished.

Time: 3 hrs

£20

what do you think about the work provided time and rates?


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## steveo3002 (Jan 30, 2006)

sounds fair 

id drop the detailing bit and replace with car cleaning , most peeps wont know wtf a detailer is

also need a hoovering option


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## Knight Rider (Jun 17, 2008)

Yeah, sounds fair.

Also replace neighbor with "neighbour" :thumb:

As Steve said, add in hoovering, car will then smell fresher inside too. (I hate it when I do my car, looks all shiny, then get into a dusty/grubby interior)


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## wstrain87 (Jan 26, 2009)

Good idea. But do you think you can do the whole wash, polish and wax in 3hrs? I would be inclined to charge slightly more for the wash, polish, wax.

On the other hand, I thought maybe the basic wash was a bit dear, as joe public won't see the difference between what you offer and a £3 wash at their nearest filling station.

Maybe don't publish your prices and play about with the services you offer a bit. Allow a bit of flexibility to see what your customers want from you and what they are willing to pay.

I wouldn't bother with too many leaflets either, as the best recommendation you can get is word-of-mouth and people seeing your finished work.


Hope it all goes well for you.


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## wozza-vrs (Apr 8, 2008)

Im in the same position and done the same as you. I also gave them an option for interior. Every car Iv done the customer has wanted the interior done as thats the biggest pain for them to clean. I have done a few now and explained about machine polishing and they all seem interested which is looking good!


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## steveo3002 (Jan 30, 2006)

prob want to add a bit that its extra for 4x4 and large people carriers

id recon most mums would be happy with a good hoover , wash and tyre shine


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

takes me about 4 hours to detail (including claying) a small car like my fiesta - not including setting everything up


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

I wouldn't mention about only being involved in it for a few months - it might be the truth, but you don't really need to tell them that as it could well put them off imo. I'd just not put anything about this and if they ask you in person what your experience is, then cross that bridge as and when, be honest but obviously try and sell yourself at the same time :thumb:

Also, who is supplying the water and electricity (if required)?


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

steveo3002 said:


> sounds fair
> 
> id drop the detailing bit and replace with car cleaning , most peeps wont know wtf a detailer is
> 
> also need a hoovering option


Initally I wanted to stay clear of the interior but by the sounds of it thats quite a silly idea. Agree with replacing detailing with cleaning :thumb:



BDazzler said:


> Yeah, sounds fair.
> 
> Also replace neighbor with "neighbour" :thumb:
> 
> As Steve said, add in hoovering, car will then smell fresher inside too. (I hate it when I do my car, looks all shiny, then get into a dusty/grubby interior)


duh! thanks for picking that one up



wstrain87 said:


> Good idea. But do you think you can do the whole wash, polish and wax in 3hrs? I would be inclined to charge slightly more for the wash, polish, wax.
> 
> On the other hand, I thought maybe the basic wash was a bit dear, as joe public won't see the difference between what you offer and a £3 wash at their nearest filling station.
> 
> ...


I know, thought I may be pushing it time wise but was just thinking about my puma and how long that takes, didnt even think about 4x4 and the like!  not sure I can bring the basic wash down to a fiver esp then treating all the trim and products used..

Really good idea about not publishing prices and playing around with services seeing what they want first :thumb:



wozza-vrs said:


> Im in the same position and done the same as you. I also gave them an option for interior. Every car Iv done the customer has wanted the interior done as thats the biggest pain for them to clean. I have done a few now and explained about machine polishing and they all seem interested which is looking good!


cool. looks like hoverings a must then :thumb:



steveo3002 said:


> prob want to add a bit that its extra for 4x4 and large people carriers
> 
> id recon most mums would be happy with a good hoover , wash and tyre shine


yea like a said above kind of forgot about different sized vehicles :lol:



fiestadetailer said:


> takes me about 4 hours to detail (including claying) a small car like my fiesta - not including setting everything up


well I can easily get a shampoo and trim treatment in an hour, but as mentioned I'll be extremely lucky if I can get the rest in 3, most likely rush it but thats just not me rather spend longer than I need to to get a proper job done. Thats why I was worried above the time spent as I could easily run over but couldnt charge any more if its already down on paper


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

Also bear in mind if its for a little cash, a neighbour might in some way be involved with Tax..... Sort a takings book and receipts just in case they come knocking futher down the line.

Cheers

PaulN

I dont see why you could set up a little cleaning round... Our window cleaner does well out of it.


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## 306chris (Jan 27, 2007)

Dont want to put a downer on the idea, but are your neighbours going to interested in swirl reduction/prevention. Also are your neighbours going to have the first idea about what it meant by _car detailing enthusiast_ I knbow none of mine would have the first idea they just know me as the guy who spends too long washing his car.

Do you 100% get on with your neighbours as it only takes one to report you for making cash on the side e.g. tax or if your out of work the benefits office. IMO if you are going to wash cars for a living/extra cash then I'd look at setting up a proper business

As said I dont want to put a downer on the idea I just think it needs reworking.


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## MattDuffy88 (Apr 6, 2009)

Hello neighbour,

I live at number 'X' and am a 27 year old car detailing (cleaning) enthusiast. By profession I am a 3D computer animator however times are hard and I thought I'd hopefully earn a little extra cash by cleaning fellow neighbour's vehicles. I have been interested in car detailing for several months and learnt a lot in terms of how to properly clean a car and how to best avoid swirls and light scratches. I use Industry approved products, mainly Autoglym, and everything is done by hand.

Option 1 - Basic Wash

Rinsed and washed using a Lambswool Mitt and Super Slick Shampoo Solution (PH Neutral) which will not strip the vehicle of any wax or sealants previously applied leaving a shiny/glossy finish. Dried using Microfibre Towels. All exterior trim is then treated to darken black plastics/rubbers and form a water resistant barrier.

Time: 1 hr+

Price upon inspection and agreement by you.

Option 2 - Wash, Polish & Wax

As above however after the car has dried it is polished and buffed before a single layer of high quality wax is applied. Alloy wheels are sealed to protect from brake dust and any exterior chrome polished.

Time: 4 hrs+

Again, price upon inspection and agreement by you, although will cost more than option 1.

Is that any better?

May be a good idea to include some pics as well 
Matt


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Pit Viper said:


> I wouldn't mention about only being involved in it for a few months - it might be the truth, but you don't really need to tell them that as it could well put them off imo. I'd just not put anything about this and if they ask you in person what your experience is, then cross that bridge as and when, be honest but obviously try and sell yourself at the same time :thumb:
> 
> Also, who is supplying the water and electricity (if required)?


Myself, Iv ask them to park infront of my house while the cleaning is done.
ok I'll leave that out, thought some background info may make them trust me rather than the normal (e.g CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS) type leaflets that you get stuffed through the door


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

adding something like "time taken: 3 - 4 hours depending on vehicle size/condition" might be an idea as it gives you some breathing space if you've got a small car to do thats filthy


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

PaulN said:


> Also bear in mind if its for a little cash, a neighbour might in some way be involved with Tax..... Sort a takings book and receipts just in case they come knocking futher down the line.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> ...


very good idea, im not on any benefits of any kind but good to cover my back. cheers.



306chris said:


> Dont want to put a downer on the idea, but are your neighbours going to interested in swirl reduction/prevention. Also are your neighbours going to have the first idea about what it meant by _car detailing enthusiast_ I knbow none of mine would have the first idea they just know me as the guy who spends too long washing his car.
> 
> Do you 100% get on with your neighbours as it only takes one to report you for making cash on the side e.g. tax or if your out of work the benefits office. IMO if you are going to wash cars for a living/extra cash then I'd look at setting up a proper business
> 
> As said I dont want to put a downer on the idea I just think it needs reworking.


Agreed about the reporting issue, like I say im not on any benefits and will keep a record of taking and get signed reciepts that way I can declare tax if needed. I know of two neigbours that are definitely interested in what I do as im outside my house a lot cleaning the motor and get all kinds of questions asked, the last one was 'what is that your doing?' 'claying' I replied. he was dumbfounded abd just said 'thats a new one for me'



fiestech said:


> Hello neighbour,
> 
> I live at number 'X' and am a 27 year old car detailing (cleaning) enthusiast. By profession I am a 3D computer animator however times are hard and I thought I'd hopefully earn a little extra cash by cleaning fellow neighbour's vehicles. I have been interested in car detailing for several months and learnt a lot in terms of how to properly clean a car and how to best avoid swirls and light scratches. I use Industry approved products, mainly Autoglym, and everything is done by hand.
> 
> ...


Excellent, thanks for that!!



fiestadetailer said:


> adding something like "time taken: 3 - 4 hours depending on vehicle size/condition" might be an idea as it gives you some breathing space if you've got a small car to do thats filthy


yea definitely, thanks my man.


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## Stevoraith (Mar 15, 2008)

I disagree with leaving out prices. If I get a leaflet offering a service with no prices I won't bother enquiring. It can feel awkward to phone up someone and ask and then go "ah, ok then, I won't bother thanks", or equally I might think "that'll be expensive, I won't bother enquiring".

I would put something along the lines of "guide price, may change depending on vehicle size/condition"

Good luck mate, it's good to see someone using their head and getting off their **** instead of relying on the dole. :thumb:


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

This would also a good opportunity to sharpen up your selling skills, if you have any grumpy oldgit neighbours (that's me) they will want to close the door in your face asap, when confronted with the prospect of a non sale offer a big discount even a freebie introduction wash for first timers.

Good luck:thumb:


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

Put price on but write From £8 or £20 etc


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## Glasgow_Gio (Mar 24, 2008)

If there is a £5 drive in-drive out place nearby you may find yourself up against it. 

I also think the takings and receipts book is a great idea. It doesn't matter whether you're on benefits or not.......it could be classed as a second income which the tax man will want his share of.

I would turn the "hard times" around from you needing the money to them saving time and money.........I wouldn't like my neighbours to think i was in need of extra money.


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Glasgow_Gio said:


> If there is a £5 drive in-drive out place nearby you may find yourself up against it.
> 
> I also think the takings and receipts book is a great idea. It doesn't matter whether you're on benefits or not.......it could be classed as a second income which the tax man will want his share of.
> 
> I would turn the "hard times" around from you needing the money to them saving time and money.........I wouldn't like my neighbours to think i was in need of extra money.


interesting.. the hard times bit was really to show I wasn't a sale-pushing con-man and that my intentions/reasons are honest


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## steveo3002 (Jan 30, 2006)

id have no intrest if you are in work /wanting spare money /previous jobs etc

if the price is right for you to clean the cars thats all that matters

id go with 

hello im joe blogs from such n such street , im offering a car cleaning service at your/my home

basic wash and tyre shine £xx

wash wax , plastics treated ,tyres £xxx

interior clean add £xyz

4x4 and large people carriers extra

i can taylor specific packages to suit your needs, just phone


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## wozza-vrs (Apr 8, 2008)

also hide an air freshener under the seat as a little touch! Works every time :thumb:


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

steveo3002 said:


> id have no intrest if you are in work /wanting spare money /previous jobs etc
> 
> if the price is right for you to clean the cars thats all that matters
> 
> ...


I understand what your saying but Im not exactly starting up a real business here, lol
just wanted to see the kind of interest id get just on my own street to start with and then go from there maybe. I may be completely wrong but I thought a bit off background info may habour more interest and hopefully produce a more personal relationship with protential customers and as im on the same street as everyone they could always knock on my door any time



wozza-vrs said:


> also hide an air freshener under the seat as a little touch! Works every time :thumb:


hah you sly dog


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Grayfox, if you are taking money, you should really get yourself registered as self employed from the outset.

You are printing leaflets with your services so immediately the tax man will have evidence if needs be.

Unfortunately keeping a receipt book "just in case" won't be good enough when it comes to fining you a penalty for not registering your business.

More info here - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/selfemployed/


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## R1KK1 BFG (Jun 17, 2009)

what about doing a taylored valet ? that way you can charge accordinly to the neigbours needs , ive typed up a booklet for which i will be showing my neighbours and other clients to be if your interested then pm me and ill email you the litte booklet . the Taylored valet would be unique to the customer


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Shiny said:


> Grayfox, if you are taking money, you should really get yourself registered as self employed from the outset.
> 
> You are printing leaflets with your services so immediately the tax man will have evidence if needs be.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the link, I expect in no way to recieve the amount of money earnt for which tax would need to be paid but its always good to be one step ahead :thumb:


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## dawkinsrover (Mar 4, 2008)

Good luck greyfox. Hope it goes well for you.


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

Shiny said:


> Grayfox, if you are taking money, you should really get yourself registered as self employed from the outset.
> 
> You are printing leaflets with your services so immediately the tax man will have evidence if needs be.
> 
> ...


What happens if the fee is just to cover materials?


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

PaulN said:


> What happens if the fee is just to cover materials?


you need to account for it eg show costs and then revenue, and show if there are any profits or not.

As soon as you are paid to do something you open up a minefield of complexities officially. It doesnt matter if its just to earn pocket money or not, its an income, as as such needs to be accounted for and declared.

Regardless of the amounts you intend to make you need to:


register with HM Revenue & Customs as self-employed
complete a self-assessment tax return every year
Pay Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance contributions (NICs)


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

PaulN said:


> What happens if the fee is just to cover materials?


I'm no expert on these matters, but i guess you would have to be able to fully demonstrate that to the tax man to the penny if investigated.

Grayfox, i'm sure that if your earnings are below the taxable threshold, then you will be OK as far as tax is concerned when you fill in your self assessment form. I don't know how you stand with NIC though.

The trouble is, if you don't register and you get investigated or found out, you get fined a penalty for not registering as self employed, as well as being torn apart by the tax man.

I know a chap who put an advert in a newsagent window "trailer for hire". As it happened, he sold the trailer not long after he bought and never hired it out. He had a visit from the tax man and the tax man pulled out a photo of the shop window...

I just think that your exposure to potential problems will be quite high by producing leaflets etc and actively promoting a "business" as such.


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

it is certainly posing a problem, and I am very law abiding but its obviously hassell for such low earnings, if I was already registered as self-employeed would I have to register again does anyone know? :wall:


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

nope - I believe you just register once - how many different things you do to earn money is irrelevant. The key is they send you a tax assessment and you pay the right class of NI contributions.

A few jobs here and there might be a low risk, but as Lloyd says, once you start advertising you are asking for trouble. One grumpy neighbour, someone that works in the IR, a local valeter etc or anything else might just spark more hassle than you really need.

If I were you I'd ring the IR and ask them what to do, stating you will earn almost nothing. IME they are always very friendly and helpful and you dont need to give your name etc for a simple enquiry :thumb:


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

^^ Yes BP's right, you just register the one time as self employed (regardless of what you do) and then pay either the minimum compulsory Class 2 NI contributions of either £9.60 or £12.00 per month (depending on the number of sundays in the month as to which one). Or you can also pay the voluntary Class 3 which is quite a bit more (don't know the figures off the top of my head for this but it's about £50 per month).

You can get exemption from paying the Class 2 compulsory ones as well if you earn under a set amount.


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## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

No one has mentioned insurance?

What happens if you clean a car, and that vehicle gets damaged in anyway? The customer claims it was you etc etc etc blah blah blah!

Personally I think what you looking at doing is an excellent idea, when I clean my car regularly I get looks from the neighbours etc, have had a few ask me if I would do theres for some money but I have always aid no, as I dont want to get involved in it all.

It might be worth having a word with some of the pro's on here as they will point you in the right direction with regards to the insurance rates etc etc

Good luck with it anyway, I just wish I had teh balls to bite the bullet and do it 

James


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

james_19742000 said:


> No one has mentioned insurance?


This is true, but it has to be legitimate business before you can get insured....


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## dawkinsrover (Mar 4, 2008)

was just going to mention insurance. I'm sure you would need some sort of public liabilities insurance. All these outgoings need to be applied when working out your charges ie

Tax
Nat ins
Ins
cost of products
your time

Quite a lot to think about!

But as I said earlier, good luck. Let us know how you get on.


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

I do my neighbours cars,I do a spartan kitcar,a pug 206 and Ive got another neighbours volvo s80 to do sometime.Just through word of mouth.I charge £30 for wash,polish with srp and a coat of wax.Glass,hoover and dress interior.This is as a hobby though as they all hate cleaning them so i do it for them.I have a full time job and arent planning on dropping it to clean cars.


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

What type of hoover do people use/recommend?

I have a home hoover but its an upright one with a short rubber hose, I also have a hand-held 12v vac that plugs into the lighter socket but its pretty rubbish at picking anything up to be honest

Doing my research and ringing around today as well as printing. Im also starting up an ebay shop selling custom acylic paintings on canvas. Im gona be busy


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## outcastjack (Apr 20, 2009)

a second hand henry or george hoover, they are cheap and more or less bullet proof.


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

To be perfectly honest, if you were just doing a few cars for neighbours, I honestly don't think they're going to expect you to have insurance. 

You could, I suppose, get a basic public liability insurance. I had to have this as a mandatory clause of having a market stall in York city centre several years ago, and even for £2m cover it was next to nothing cost wise.

This wouldn't cover you for damage to the cars of course, but as I said, for just doing neighbours cars as nothing more than a small 'sideline' as supplementory income, I'd be very, very suprised if they expected you to be carrying full specialised insurance for working on vehicles.


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## dawkinsrover (Mar 4, 2008)

But.....what happens if he makes a complete 'hash' of a wing or bonnet? I certainly would be looking for recompense!


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## Knight Rider (Jun 17, 2008)

dawkinsrover said:


> But.....what happens if he makes a complete 'hash' of a wing or bonnet? I certainly would be looking for recompense!


I don't think he's correcting paintwork so probably wouldn't be too much of an issue regarding hashing paintwork. And, if you explain to the neighbours that there is no insurance I'm sure it wouldn't pose a problem.


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

BDazzler said:


> I don't think he's correcting paintwork so probably wouldn't be too much of an issue regarding hashing paintwork. And, if you explain to the neighbours that there is no insurance I'm sure it wouldn't pose a problem.


Agreed, I mean how much of a 'hash' can you make handwashing and hand polishing/waxing really when you know what you're doing? Breaking out machines and so on and working 'blind' so to speak with no PTG is a whole other ball game.


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## dominic84 (Jan 27, 2007)

To be fair RE: insurance, how many of these ex petrol station car washes has insurance? Very few probably and it doesn't seem to bother the people who use them.


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

I wouldn't work on any car without having complete confidence of what I was doing.

Turns out its a lot easier than I thought to cover myself tax and NI wise as im already self-employeed I can 'fairly simply' add on takings. Spotted a second hand henry hoover for 35 but was brought just minutes before me.. 

Made a good use of the 3 for 2 at halfords today so I have a good arsenal to tackle the cars. Got AG fast glass, megs hot shine and a alloy wheel brush just like the EZ one, also grabbed some dashboard wipes :thumb:

Is there a good place (online or not) to pick up packs of air fresheners??
Halfords only sell them singularly and for 1.50 which is a bit rich I think


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## weemax (Sep 30, 2008)

Totally agree with pit viper. Tell em youve been an enthusiast the past 5 years or summat lol otherwise good


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## Phill_S (Mar 30, 2009)

I think it's a great idea and I applaud you for doing it, I'd love to do something similar, as I finish work at lunch time every day and could do a car or two a week.

There has been some superb very helpful replies in this thread for you and it was always going to be the case of the legalities creeping into it somewhere - I mean hell you can't do anything these days in this bonkers world we live in!

I can't add anything further to help you but I will just wish you all the very best with it:thumb:


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## stuart1164 (Jun 9, 2009)

Grayfox I have been doing the neighbours cars for a long time with no insurance as I told them and it was not an issue. 

I love doing it as my hobbie and they love there cars glowing so all satisfied.

With you having the good sense to ask for DW opinions you are already way ahead of where I was.

You are going to do brilliant.

Stuart :wave:


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

I've got my first customer!

she has a black metallic 2005 ford focus, its covered in scratches and scuffs, 90% which pass the fingernail test and she said she would like a once over inside and out but, but an important thing would be to tackle as many of the scratches as possible.

All my products Iv brought so far have been brought for a light silver car so Im not sure the best way to tackle the black focus. Plus how to affectively deal with the huge amount of scratches/scuffs (as I reminder all the work is done by hand)

Can someone recommend out of the LSP's below (that I have) what the best would be to work on the black paintwork??

OCW
PB's Natty's Wax (Original)
OOS

As for polishes I only have

SRP
ScratchX
Lime Prime

Im basically after a product that will be the fastest and most affective at dealing the quite deep scratches.

would it be worth investing in a t-cut product for effectiveness on this occasion and maybe some PB's black-hole Glaze?

what do you think and if someone could get hold of any samples of recommended products that would be fantastic!! its not booked in untill sunday.

:thumb::thumb::thumb:


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## adam87 (Dec 11, 2008)

grayfox said:


> Im basically after a product that will be the fastest and most affective at dealing the quite deep scratches.


A rotary 

I thought this was ment to be simple wash and waxes? I think maybe you should leave the scratches alone. Obviously give them a good polish with an abrasive polish by hand followed by some finer polish(AG Paint renovator and SRP could work well) but i wouldn't go any further with little or no experice on someone elses car. :thumb:


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

if you can feel them then forget it - even with a machine you'd likly have no luck, but by hand you'd be into a 12 hr polishing session with limited results. You might try something like Autobalm that would hide some. Otherwise just clean it and use any of your products - I put OCW, OOS and Nattys Blue on a black A4 yesterday and all look cracking.


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Well like I say most of them will come out with polish by hand but it will be tons of work so I thought about a more intense 'spot' polisher on this occasion for white marks on black paintwork or just a good filler/masker. 

I'd like to make the best first impression as i can.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

grayfox said:


> Well like I say most of them will come out with polish by hand but it will be tons of work so I thought about a more intense 'spot' polisher on this occasion for white marks on black paintwork or just a good filler/masker.
> 
> I'd like to make the best first impression as i can.


my bad - thought you said most could be felt by a fingernail....

personally, to leave a good impression I'd be VERY clear about what you can and cant do. If you're charging £30 or so then no way do you want to be trying to hand polish  Thats hours of hard work and just crazy IMHO. Surely set her expectation on a good clean and wax and deliver that and a little bit extra


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## adam87 (Dec 11, 2008)

You won't get a better filler than SRP which you already have :thumb:

For the marks, you might just have to spend 5 -10 minutes or so working on a single mark/scratch at a time. I find rather than the usual circle motion, rub it in lines back and forth first and it's much more affective, you'll need to apply a fair amount of pressure when rubbing if using SRP.


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

grayfox said:


> interesting.. the hard times bit was really to show I wasn't a sale-pushing con-man and that my intentions/reasons are honest


Hard times easy times. Some money or extra money all they need to know is you want to wash their car and its gonna be far better than the pikeys for a fiver. All you need to do is sell the premium nature of the service, check out some of the gumph on ebay that makes some old shed of a car sound like the best car ever and take tips  . They dont need to know your private situation and do you really want them too?. 3 quid over the dirty rag for a posh wash is probably something most would consider. Deffo quick before and afters on your flyers.


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Danno1975 said:


> Hard times easy times. Some money or extra money all they need to know is you want to wash their car and its gonna be far better than the pikeys for a fiver. All you need to do is sell the premium nature of the service, check out some of the gumph on ebay that makes some old shed of a car sound like the best car ever and take tips  . They dont need to know your private situation and do you really want them too?. 3 quid over the dirty rag for a posh wash is probably something most would consider. Deffo quick before and afters on your flyers.


Yup, agree, didnt add that bit to the flyers in the end, before and afters is an excellent idea


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

looking forward to grabbing loads of tips and techniques from the north west meet the day before :thumb:


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

adam87 said:


> You won't get a better filler than SRP which you already have :thumb:
> 
> For the marks, you might just have to spend 5 -10 minutes or so working on a single mark/scratch at a time. I find rather than the usual circle motion, rub it in lines back and forth first and it's much more affective, you'll need to apply a fair amount of pressure when rubbing if using SRP.


Autobalm has been shown several times to spank SRP for filling - have a check of the posts from me and others


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## adam87 (Dec 11, 2008)

never used it :thumb:

I shall proceed to have a look


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## lock974 (Sep 16, 2008)

steveo3002 said:


> prob want to add a bit that its extra for 4x4 and large people carriers
> 
> id recon most mums would be happy with a good hoover , wash and tyre shine


I agree


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## Danno1975 (Mar 30, 2009)

grayfox said:


> Yup, agree, didnt add that bit to the flyers in the end, before and afters is an excellent idea


Good luck mate. Hope it works out.


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

grayfox said:


> I wouldn't work on any car without having complete confidence of what I was doing.
> 
> Turns out its a lot easier than I thought to cover myself tax and NI wise as im already self-employeed I can 'fairly simply' add on takings. Spotted a second hand henry hoover for 35 but was brought just minutes before me..
> 
> ...


If your after a henry (I would go for a george myself with added carpet cleaning) then Screwfix do a Karcha one for 40-50 quid. Really good and very small.

Cheers

PaulN


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Bigpikle said:


> I put OCW, OOS and Nattys Blue on a black A4 yesterday and all look cracking.


OK great, would you suggest putting anything between the SRP and OOS to seal in the fillers?

Im guessing this is always a good idea? Im thinking TW Platinum Extra Gloss or has someone got any other ideas?

This is my plan of attack for exterior, any suggestions?

APC wheels, tyres, arches, door shuts 4 : 1
(AG Clean wheels - if bad brake rust)
Rinse car
Wash 2 bucket method - ***** / Wheels with Supagard foam wheel cleaner
Rinse
Clay - BH Soft
Wash 
Dry
Seal wheels - Supagard wheel sealant/OOS
ScratchX - spot scratches
SRP
Treat Trim / Tyres - AG Bumper Care / Megs Hot Shine
Glass - AG Fast Glass
Polish Exterior Chrome - Autosol
QD - OID
OOS
(when maybe a layer of OCW or wait half hour after the OOS and QD again with OID)


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## David 1150 (Jun 6, 2009)

Just wondering if you could offer snow foam? It'd certainly give an obvious lift of your service above a "routine" car wash. I've heard it said several times that when neighbours see it being done, they'll ask for their car to be done, too...

If it helps, I've just had my car snow foamed (Valet Pro pH neutral), arches done with VP Orange pre-wash and wheels with VP Bilberry Wheel Cleaner, the latter two just sprayed on and left for a few minutes. The car was then hosed off and came up a treat, 15 minutes maximum including leaving the snow foam for a few minutes. Then a 2 bucket wash with Z**** and dried with a Miracle Drier (?) towel, and a quick spritz / buff with Citrus Bling (used neat) and the car looks great. For a "Level 1" wash/wax, I'd have been more than happy.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

David


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## Fin2982 (Feb 20, 2009)

Looking to Hijack the thread........got a couple of hatches to do and its been a while since I did anything so small........tis mainly scrub the interior(non leather) hoover, foam, tbm, clay, Lime prime then wax. wandering how much I should charge for a Punto and a Escort cabby


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

David 1150 said:


> Just wondering if you could offer snow foam? It'd certainly give an obvious lift of your service above a "routine" car wash. I've heard it said several times that when neighbours see it being done, they'll ask for their car to be done, too...
> 
> If it helps, I've just had my car snow foamed (Valet Pro pH neutral), arches done with VP Orange pre-wash and wheels with VP Bilberry Wheel Cleaner, the latter two just sprayed on and left for a few minutes. The car was then hosed off and came up a treat, 15 minutes maximum including leaving the snow foam for a few minutes. Then a 2 bucket wash with Z**** and dried with a Miracle Drier (?) towel, and a quick spritz / buff with Citrus Bling (used neat) and the car looks great. For a "Level 1" wash/wax, I'd have been more than happy.
> 
> ...


Definitely want to advance to snow foaming when I can (when I have some money to splash about with) looking forward to it as it looks fun and like you say attracts attention, would you mind telling me what snow foaming offers the paintwork that washing doesn't?


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

so would any of the pro's recommend putting anything between the SRP and OOS to seal in the super resin goodness? or will OOS do this alone?


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## David 1150 (Jun 6, 2009)

I'm a newbie so maybe not the best for giving advice yet, but snow-foam would appear to remove a lot of dirt from the car prior to washing, and without contact so reduced chance of swirls. Then wash the car with 2BM, I was pleased to see a pro using a Z**** sponge on the upper half of the car and an MF mit on the lower half and arches - like wot I do.  The 2BM wash did take an extra bit of muck from the car, but being very gentle with the sponge so little chance of swirlage.

I think the main advantage of snow foam for your purpose would be the visual effect - it's pretty impressive and an obvious difference to "just" a bucket and sponge, so maybe would give customers some confidence they're getting something for their cash that they couldn't just do themselves? And it's fun!


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Yea agree with you there, even the word snow-foam sounds fun :lol:

As of 5 mins ago I now have my second customer who would like the works on a vw jetta yaaaayyyyyyyyyy


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

but also remember that the run-off from snow foam (and any other washing process) is classed as trade waste when you are detailing for money. As such it legally needs to be contained and disposed of in the correct way (NOT allowed to run off into drains etc) and while it might seem I'm being a party pooper here, you would be responsible if it attracted the kind of attention you might not want....

Seems many people are happy to ignore their responsibilities in this area but you ought to be keeping this in mind when you choose the tools and process you are going to use.


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Bigpikle said:


> but also remember that the run-off from snow foam (and any other washing process) is classed as trade waste when you are detailing for money. As such it legally needs to be contained and disposed of in the correct way (NOT allowed to run off into drains etc) and while it might seem I'm being a party pooper here, you would be responsible if it attracted the kind of attention you might not want....
> 
> Seems many people are happy to ignore their responsibilities in this area but you ought to be keeping this in mind when you choose the tools and process you are going to use.


Couldn't agree more.

Thanks for the info, much appreciated :thumb:


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## David 1150 (Jun 6, 2009)

Bigpikle said:


> but also remember that the run-off from snow foam (and any other washing process) is classed as trade waste when you are detailing for money. As such it legally needs to be contained and disposed of in the correct way (NOT allowed to run off into drains etc) and while it might seem I'm being a party pooper here, you would be responsible if it attracted the kind of attention you might not want....


This is very true, I should have mentioned this myself  Your local Environment Agency office will be able to advise you on what you can (and more importantly, can't) do.

I did a training exercise (spill containment) with the Fire Brigade last year. They used a neat inflatable decontamination unit (effectively a big paddling pool) which acted as a bund to contain contaminated water. Something like this may be possible to contain soapy water, i.e with the car parked within it, but you'd still have to dispose of the water; foul sewer may be a route if you got authorisation /consent from your Water Authority.

It all adds to your expenses of course, if you still wish to consider this, maybe a local business who already dispose of waste water might be able to take yours too, for a nominal cost (or detail the MD's car!)? Sorry to be a bit negative, but better to find out now that the hard way. Good luck. :thumb:


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## Judas (Jul 3, 2008)

306chris said:


> Dont want to put a downer on the idea, but are your neighbours going to interested in swirl reduction/prevention. Also are your neighbours going to have the first idea about what it meant by _car detailing enthusiast_ I knbow none of mine would have the first idea they just know me as the guy who spends too long washing his car.
> 
> Do you 100% get on with your neighbours as it only takes one to report you for making cash on the side e.g. tax or if your out of work the benefits office. IMO if you are going to wash cars for a living/extra cash then I'd look at setting up a proper business
> 
> As said I dont want to put a downer on the idea I just think it needs reworking.


i agree with this - the neighbours think I'm mad and a chap who spend more on polish/ wax than the cars worth.....lol

its not true - I dont drive a ford............hahaha


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

Judas said:


> i agree with this - the neighbours think I'm mad and a chap who spend more on polish/ wax than the cars worth.....lol
> 
> its not true - I dont drive a ford............hahaha


whats wrong with a ford?


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Think it might have been a cheeky stab at me for driving a ford, not that I mind


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## Judas (Jul 3, 2008)

fiestadetailer said:


> whats wrong with a ford?





grayfox said:


> Think it might have been a cheeky stab at me for driving a ford, not that I mind


where do i start m8 - LOL

its a poor mans vauxhall........come on......!!!!!


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

Judas said:


> where do i start m8 - LOL
> 
> its a poor mans vauxhall........come on......!!!!!


so because i own a fiesta, im poor? i could say vauxhalls are rubbish, but i can't justify that as ive never driven or owned one. like i take it you've never driven or owned a ford


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## Judas (Jul 3, 2008)

fiestadetailer said:


> so because i own a fiesta, im poor? i could say vauxhalls are rubbish, but i can't justify that as ive never driven or owned one. like i take it you've never driven or owned a ford


oh ffs - its a joke........step away m8.........:thumb:

cool ya jets..........!


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

Judas said:


> oh ffs - its a joke........step away m8.........:thumb:
> 
> cool ya jets..........!


why slate another make of car you have no experience with?

(not getting annoyed, just wondering - if i said vauxhalls were rubbish - i think there pretty nice cars actually, you would'nt like it either)


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## Judas (Jul 3, 2008)

fiestadetailer said:


> why slate another make of car you have no experience with?
> 
> (not getting annoyed, just wondering - if i said vauxhalls were rubbish - i think there pretty nice cars actually, you would'nt like it either)


m8 - you can say what you want you obviously know deep down you're driving a piece of **** otherwise you wouldn't care either.....!!!!!

its a free world m8 - if you dont want people to say anything negative - then move to fu*king CHINA................

do me a favour and click these button in this order.......START.......TURN OFF COMPUTER......TURN OFF...........of course I'm only joking........or am I.


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

I think its generally best that nobody on this forum regardless of stature or experience criticizes (in a pot-shot way) a make of car as its obvious that someone who reads it will own one of its types, and take a little, if not great pride in it. This being (generally) a car enthusiast's websites is not a good combination and invites unnecessary dispute accompanying possible ruckus. I just come to take it with a pinch of salt as im used to online forums.

anyyyyyywaayyyyy...

prep'd all my gear ready for tomorrow morning. Will post in the showroom befores and afters :buffer::thumb:


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## Judas (Jul 3, 2008)

exactly and I must remember that some of us can't take a joke regardless of how insignificant the comment was.....

here we go - I apologise for trying to have a laugh, no.......I'm not actually......!

Grayfox - good luck with tomorrow....cheers.


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## grayfox (Apr 15, 2008)

Thread now up in the showroom.


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## scj172 (Dec 19, 2008)

good luck mate, sounds like a good idea to me


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