# Making detailing easier on the body



## stealthwolf (Sep 24, 2008)

14 years ago, when I first learned about detailing, I could detail my car and feel well enough to just go about my day. As I near the age of 40, I feel my body aching after a simple maintenance wash. 

Today was the first wash after “winter prep”. I swapped my wheels over from winter wheels to summer ones. Washed both sets of wheels off the car. Used citrus prewash, Snowfoam, 2BM, towel dry, and some QD (BSD) over the car. Not a huge amount of work but my knees and legs are still aching, and I’m stiff. 

What can be done to make detailing easier on the body?
What adaptations have you made?


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## HEADPHONES (Jan 1, 2008)

When I was heading towards 40 I found I would pull a muscle around my back sometimes just lugging around buckets of water........ especially first thing in the morning.
So if it's soon after waking up, I'll literally warm up a bit as if I'm at the gym.


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## Coatings (Feb 10, 2020)

Get a creeper seat to clean wheels. Also use to rinseless/waterless and applying coatings and sealants

This one i have and it is great. This from Griots from US but alot of detailing outfits rebrand this one so may be able to find in UK.










Love that it has large wheels so easy to run around drive way or garage.

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## lijongtao (Dec 1, 2017)

I bought the plastic piano movers from Lidl (not for pianos but you get the just) I put my buckets on these and wheel them around. Far easier on the back. I installed a hot water tap instead of cold so it's easier on the lands. 

Anything to make life easier. I have avascular necrosis in my hip now so need all the help I can get when it's cleaning day.


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## BillyT (Jun 22, 2008)

I cant do detailing anymore due to poor health and i am trying to get my young 17 year old interested so he can do it for me. Only problem he wants paid.


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## acrebo (Jul 30, 2006)

It's a right pain... I don't feel it at the time and then the following morning I'm like an old man!

Something that has helped significantly is taking up cycling. Not saying you should do it just to alleviate the post car cleaning ache, but it's strengthened up my back and shoulders a lot.

Definitely get a little stool to sit on when doing lower sections and I also put down a padded gym mat. Stops my knees hurting when I'm crouching down and also allows me to move a bit more freely in those awkward positions...


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## Derek Mc (Jun 27, 2006)

I find this thread enormously reassuring!! 

I am 57 in May and I too find especially after the long winter halt, I feel it quite physically after a day like yesterday, with a full wash twice, tardis then sealant spent about 4 hours quite hard effort and have a few aches and pains in the knees back etc. Glad I'm not the only one ha ha ha ha


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## bellguy (Feb 4, 2021)

Lol wait until you guys get to my age then you will feel it after all the bending down and twisting around :detailer:


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## grunty-motor (Aug 11, 2016)

Feeling similar to many here

I sometimes do the wheels one day and the body another. 
I have set the garage up so i dont have to lug equipment or water buckets about
I now spray the shampoo on through another Foam Cannon
1 bucket and more than 1 mitt
Water sheet after PW hosedown to leave car as dry as possible to minimise towel drying

Some of this is a trying to get round the car quicker, but it is less physical too.


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## gishy (Feb 24, 2018)

59 at end of year little bit of arthritis taking its toll.nice day yesterday so wheels off decontam ,cleaned and sealed and calipers repainted.paying for it today all aches and pains,good job only once or twice a year :lol:


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

This may sound silly but cold damp temperatures don’t help our creeking bones at this time of year. That’s why I usually wait until the spring when temperatures are much milder, that’s when I crawl around under the car, get wheels off etc. Maintenance washes are just about bearable for me when washing in colder weather. :detailer:


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## westerman (Oct 12, 2008)

This thread is excellent, I think a large percentage of detailers can associate with the problems of the OP.
I will be 81 in April and for some time now this symptom of body fatigue has been a problem.
First I would say try to manage some of the OCD we all have

As age takes a hold we have to manage it and accept we simply can't do what we used to or what we'd like to do.

I have stopped using the DA for full paint correction though I may do the odd panel if there's the odd mark that triggers the old OCD!
I try to avoid putting extra swirls into the paint and the ones that are already there I try not to look :lol:
I can still decon, wax and or seal and still LOVE to keep my car looking good. The wheels are a bit of a problem, I always think the manufacturers should fit them a bit higher for convenience.
Fortunately I don't find using a MF hard work. I have a little folding stool for reaching (roof, middle of windscreen) so I don't have to exert. I sit on the stool to do the lower parts, though getting up is hard, But as long as I make sure I have something nearby I can hold on to it's fine.

I still do my two Daughter's cars, A Seat Arona and a Saab, soon to become a Jeep Compass, as I love doing them.

It's all about knowing your limitations and managing them without worrying and making sure you enjoy what you do. :thumb:


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## pt1 (Feb 8, 2014)

westerman said:


> This thread is excellent, I think a large percentage of detailers can associate with the problems of the OP.
> 
> I will be 81 in April and for some time now this symptom of body fatigue has been a problem.
> 
> ...


Hope im still detailing at 80 👍🏻

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## TonyH38 (Apr 7, 2013)

Yes it gets harder at 82 the mind is willing but the body won’t play ball.


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## m500dpp (Feb 17, 2006)

Excellent thread. I subscribe to a couple of detailers on youtube (everyday detailer, and autoshine) I really don't know how they do it day in day out. At 67 I'm finding washing our cars hard enough even without the polishing etc. I have taken a few steps to make things easier:
- Hose wall mounted on reel, easy to get out and put away
- bought a long hose for pressure washer which can reach all my 5 cars without moving the unit
- have 5 metre hose on my Henry so I can do a whole interior without moving the vac
- suffice with one bucket to wash, use warm water which is kinder on my old hands. I also use a prewash to loosen the dirt
- I seek out easy to use products, most recent addition is sonax BSD which works great if applied with a damp cloth. other favourites are spray wax and megs ceramic sealant.
- I have 3 random orbit polishers, one battery the others with leads long enough to reach all the cars on the drive

As a final thought, everyday detailer wears a mask whenever doing an interior. In my view anyone detailing regularly should do the same. It's one thing doing 1 car quite another working everyday, the effect of the chemicals we use can build up.

Detailing/valeting is not an easy way of earning a living............


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## Del-GTi (Mar 31, 2007)

Know what you mean. Turned 40 last year and my arms and back ache after a cleaning session.

Take your time (if you can), plenty of breaks, cups of tea in a thermos mug, wrap up warm, use warm water in the buckets, wear rubber gloves. All helps the body.

Retractable hose reel, pump sprayers etc to make life easier. Maybe set up a trolley or bench to lay everything you need out on. I use one of those seat-creepers too. Maybe look at products to save time and effort.

See, this how it amazes me when people say they don’t understand why anyone would want to use spray-on/rinse-off sealants etc. This is one of the very reasons why! They are great if mobility is restricted or you struggle with the constant bending down etc and you want to get back into the house to be warm as soon as you can. My dad is 60-odd, doesn’t keep that well but still likes to be active and clean his car but it takes him hours! I bought him 26JPN Hydro Coat and he loves it. Uses it on the wheels and lower half of the car especially and saves so much time.


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## Lovethefusso (Apr 12, 2021)

I'm 42 and by trade I'm a tree surgeon. Climbing has destroyed my back and my hands are literally wrecked throughout winter so cleaning the cars is painful . Warm water is a must and totally take your time. Normally when I'm done I hobble back into the house.

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## muzzer (Feb 13, 2011)

I have to carry everything up and down stairs - live above a shop - so i have the B&Q buckets so they are a bit lighter once full. 
Rubber gloves are a must as is warm water.
Soft ish shoes are also something i think about as i get older. Funnily enough Jon from Forensic and i both have the same brand - HeyDude - and they are great but not really waterproof.

Decent bodywarmer for when the wind is playing up
Wooly hat


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## Danjc (Dec 1, 2013)

I found a while back cleaning my wheels was nailing my back so bought a little fold up stool for £10 off Amazon so I could sit down while cleaning my wheels. It folds up flat and takes up no space at all. 
Short trigger gun and wheel bucket next to me and all sorted.










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## BolgOfTheNorth (Dec 19, 2011)

I'm a couple of years off 40 and doing my post winter clean nearly kills me, I haven't got the strongest back though as I was a full time valeter/detailer a few years ago. As someone mentioned above a good stool is pretty essential for all sorts of detailing jobs but something I got recently that made changing the wheels over a lot easier was a wheel alignment pin. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07T19Z8DW/?coliid=I3LJ3IMHEMSCKK&colid=OCOGBKTAWTUP&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it I don't know about you but when putting the wheels on I rarely get the wheels aligned up properly straight away, sometimes I could spend 5 minutes faffing about trying to get one on which is draining. With this it just goes straight on no problem at all, wish I got one years ago.


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## cangri (Feb 25, 2011)

Go more often to the gym. Do regular exercise to keep the movement going.


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## cangri (Feb 25, 2011)

westerman said:


> T. The wheels are a bit of a problem, I always think the manufacturers should fit them a bit higher for convenience.


Get a big car with stupid huge rims, and just wipe on top, roll the car and so forth


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## TonyHill (Jul 28, 2015)

Danjc said:


> I found a while back cleaning my wheels was nailing my back so bought a little fold up stool for £10 off Amazon so I could sit down while cleaning my wheels. It folds up flat and takes up no space at all.
> Short trigger gun and wheel bucket next to me and all sorted.
> 
> 
> ...


If that ever breaks, just try your local Quality Save/Home Bargains.....the same ones are £3.99 :thumb:


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## ridders66 (May 24, 2019)

acrebo said:


> It's a right pain... I don't feel it at the time and then the following morning I'm like an old man!
> 
> Something that has helped significantly is taking up cycling. Not saying you should do it just to alleviate the post car cleaning ache, but it's strengthened up my back and shoulders a lot.
> 
> Definitely get a little stool to sit on when doing lower sections and I also put down a padded gym mat. Stops my knees hurting when I'm crouching down and also allows me to move a bit more freely in those awkward positions...


I spend five days a week detailing, I usually spend all Saturday gardening, cleaning my own car and general tidying up, and go out on my bike every Sunday. I commute to work by bike too, so ride six days a week. Even if I've had a really busy week at work I can still comfortably manage to ride 70-90 miles in the morning. I find cycling is excellent for general fitness, and it is non impact and aerobic too. I'm 55 in a few weeks and I think I'm in good shape considering what I do.


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## ridders66 (May 24, 2019)

Best thing I bought to save time is a BigBoi Blowr Pro. I use it on my bikes too.


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