# Running an ONR valeting business.



## bushnellk (Jan 20, 2013)

Hi all,

anybody running an ONR method valeting business? Thinking of this myself but not sure if you can clean multiple cars.

Do you need anything extra for arches? What kit would you need?

I look forward to the replies.


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## shakey85 (Aug 20, 2013)

Good thread here regarding kit

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=328860

With regards to multiple cars. If using a 1BM method and sponge I dont know how dirty you can let the same water get before it becomes too dirty for ONR to handle if that makes sense.

Personally I would think you need a fresh bucket of ONR + water each car, maybe 2. More experienced people will correct me.


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## bushnellk (Jan 20, 2013)

Cheers Shakey.

Thinking I may need a water container on the van. Trying to avoid that though. On a drive could make up solution from customers tap. At work customers may be different. I had the thought of buying a mobi cordless low pressure washer and having pre mixed solution in there.


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

It might be worth search for the Garry Dean method on Youtube


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## bushnellk (Jan 20, 2013)

Thanks mate.

I have seen that and made contact as he has this trailer know. He said he could ship to the uk for £800. I think though a cordless pressure washer would do the same job.


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

As far as I can see the biggest downside of the Garry Dean method is the high volume of towels. I have no knowledge of running a detailing service so there may be many things I am not aware of. Having said that I can clean most things on my car with ONR or with their waterless wash Opti-Clean. I use their APC (Power Clean) when a little more umph is required.

Not sure if you have seen the ONR FAQ but this has lots of good info. It might also be worth asking this question on the Optimum forums http://optimumforums.org


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## mattsbmw (Jul 20, 2008)

with the best will in the world, if you are asking questions like this, your not ready for running a business yet.


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## bushnellk (Jan 20, 2013)

Thanks Matt. The service i'm looking to offer is a basic wash and dry and tyre dress clean glass and dress plastics with an optional vac and polish. The purpose of my post is to establish feasibility on whether you can successfully operate this service without a van full of pressure washers and genies. ONR ticks the boxes for a convenient express wash at home or work. It has to be better than a side of the road service or supermarket clean. Non scratch service using the best products. I understand the difference between a clean and a detail and detailing is a skill that I won't be venturing into.


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## JB052 (Mar 22, 2008)

There must be some potential as my local filling station is offering a waterless wash service, its replaced the old jet wash that they used to have.


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

I'm guessing you haven't used ONR before going by the first post?

I'd say you're best to start with buying a bottle and trying it hands on with a few cars, then work out whether it's feasible for you as a business, vs a regular method.


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## alan hanson (May 21, 2008)

bushnellk said:


> Thanks Matt. The service i'm looking to offer is a basic wash and dry and tyre dress clean glass and dress plastics with an optional vac and polish. The purpose of my post is to establish feasibility on whether you can successfully operate this service without a van full of pressure washers and genies. ONR ticks the boxes for a convenient express wash at home or work. It has to be better than a side of the road service or supermarket clean. Non scratch service using the best products. I understand the difference between a clean and a detail and detailing is a skill that I won't be venturing into.


understand as we all do one here the non scratch service, but will your customers? ONR isnt that cheap is it and as said towels would be an issue, a heavily soiled car me personally i still wouldnt go near it with ONR to start.

Wish you luck though sure you will get the help you need, hopefully some of peeps who do it for a living will comment as there the peeps with real world experience.


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## bushnellk (Jan 20, 2013)

Absolutely! I have a few lined up for free of charge cleaning in exchange for honest reviews.


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## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

bushnellk said:


> Absolutely! I have a few lined up for free of charge cleaning in exchange for honest reviews.


It's not reviews that I was focusing on. ONR will/does work and to an extent most of your customers won't particularly be interested what product you use to clean the car. Clean is clean is clean.

You need to see whether you get on with the product, as many simply don't and there are other rinseless products available that you might find work better than ONR for you. Which washing technique is the right one for what you're doing. Dilution ratios and consequently a breakdown of what each wash will cost you in time, equipment & money.


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## bushnellk (Jan 20, 2013)

Thank you. I already offer interior steam cleaning that is popular but my customers are always miffed as to why I don't do the outside. Reason being is I don't want to have to take up more space with pressure washers etc. If I can offer it with minimal equipment and achieve acceptable results i'll be happy. Just now i'm researching products such as pearl waterless, garry deans method, petes method,and ONR products. All replies greatly appreciated.


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## 3dom (Oct 30, 2012)

First and foremost, I genuinely wish you the best of luck. I think anyone starting out on their own needs all of the good quality advice and support/encouragement that they can get.
Ok, my two penneth. I found that far too many of the cars that I see would be way beyond what could safely be cleaned or worked upon with something like ONR. This would mean that I would have to politely decline these jobs or take the risk with their paint, which I would never do. I think the concept of an ONR style service as a business model is applaudable but maybe more viable once you've already been trading for years in more conventional valeting, and you're able to specialise or divert your clients if you see what I mean?

Once again, I wish you the best of luck with your plans. Starting up is so exciting


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

3dom said:


> First and foremost, I genuinely wish you the best of luck....


Good point, forgot to say good luck with the business. :thumb:


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

3dom said:


> I found that far too many of the cars that I see would be way beyond what could safely be cleaned or worked upon with something like ONR.


That's a very interesting statement - can you please elaborate as to how and
why you claim this? My experience is that people often under-estimate the 
capabilities of ONR as much as exaggerate them - either or both without real
justification. I've lost count of the times when I've been "encouraged" to use
alternatives, when in fact it has not been necessary.

The biggest proof of just how good a cleaner it is came when I first started
using an ADS clay cloth. I started with a clean solution, but had to change it
half way through and that was _after_ I had washed the car! The car had 
been rinsed with the farm's power washer. Still, my belief was that I started 
with a clean car, though it is a farm mule that gets no love whatever
between my periodic details.

I have yet to be faced with any car where I would decline washing it with
ONR and that farm mule in the linked post has got pretty filthy in its time!

Regards,
Steve


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Most touch less detainers and car washes have gone out of business here, seemed a great idea but the commercial reality did not make the money.


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## 3dom (Oct 30, 2012)

Lowiepete said:


> That's a very interesting statement - can you please elaborate as to how and why you claim this? Regards,
> Steve


Hi Steve,

I have read your threads with interest many times, and know that you're a big fan of ONR.

I can only base my work on my experiences of the daily driven cars where bonded contaminants have been present or just plain old mud and dirt. I have found that soaking these pre-wash cleaners prior to pressure washer rinsing is the only way of safely removing loose surface materials prior to a two bucket wash. I have tried ONR and Duragloss waterless wash on my own works van having followed video and manufacturer tutorials (Mike Phillips and your own videos) and always found that I mark the paint when viewed under Halogen or LED lighting. I fully accept that this could be me needing to refine my technique but I've tried it about 4-5 times and found the same thing each time (poor old Vito  ) Yes I could easily polish these marks out but as I don't need to use a waterless wash technique style product, I simply go to my 'usual' method and avoid the marks in the first place.

If my cars had little to no mud or bonded contaminants on them I'd happily persevere with ONR or similar, but as it is I'll leave it my armoury just in case I need it.

Respectfully I hope that answers your question. I am sure that many people will get on very well with ONR but for me, and I suspect the OP and his suggested business model, it isn't something that I can or would solely rely upon.


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## alan hanson (May 21, 2008)

Lowiepete said:


> That's a very interesting statement - can you please elaborate as to how and
> why you claim this? My experience is that people often under-estimate the
> capabilities of ONR as much as exaggerate them - either or both without real
> justification. I've lost count of the times when I've been "encouraged" to use
> ...


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## Lowiepete (Mar 29, 2009)

alan hanson said:


> it may not be questioning ONR in all situations, but may be more the dirtier the car the more careful you need to be with it?


...but doesn't that apply to any cleaning approach? I don't _always_ use ONR
in all situations, in fact for really dirty cars I often prefer CG HFE. That's still
a rinseless wash liquid, but I just find it works better when I feel the need to
use more water than usual.

There's a fallacy in the belief here that I don't use ONR with a bucket - I do, 
but the next stage up the scale, for me, is to use HFE, or even a pre-spray of
ONR, followed by HFE in a bucket and a noodle mitt in my hand.

My point is that whilst I would enthuse about ONR in most situations, there 
are dangers in both under and over estimating its capabilities. Even after nearly 
5 years, it still has the capacity to blow me away with its cleaning power!

Regards,
Steve


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## bushnellk (Jan 20, 2013)

Lowiepete said:


> ...but doesn't that apply to any cleaning approach? I don't _always_ use ONR
> in all situations, in fact for really dirty cars I often prefer CG HFE. That's still
> a rinseless wash liquid, but I just find it works better when I feel the need to
> use more water than usual.
> ...


I feel now that people are wary of this product and some education/experience is needed to explain the process and how it works. That gives me an idea to have a diagram on on the website to inform customers how the product works without damaging the paint surface.


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

I too am a big fan of ONR, however unlike Steve I don't have the confidence to provide a good safe wash to a really caked cruddy car and that's what the OP would get a fair few of, if his business is to be profitable, speed is essential whilst balancing that against the risk of damaging paintwork. I watch our valeters at work every day, they get given little more than fifteen minutes to do the service wash inside and out, a pressure washer seems essential to me.


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## Ge03 (Jul 19, 2011)

I was impressed by the Chemical Guys video using their waterless wash on a really cruddy car
CG waterless

I use a waterless wash (Pinnacle concentrate) most of the time on my cars, only getting out the buckets and pressure washer when I have the time to give one a really thorough clean and dry. I've been using it on two of my cars from new and I find that it leaves no more marks than drying does. I do use five microfibres on average though so that might be the biggest problem for commercial use.


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## bushnellk (Jan 20, 2013)

Thanks all. Bit more research needed.


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## Kimb (Oct 4, 2011)

I am using ONR on most cars for mobile service maintanence and quick wash, also the more dirty ones.

My advice to you from my own experience is, make a calculation of the time you need to wash a car with ONR vs price and also make an comparison at the time it takes to setup all the gear to wash it the normal way and also vs the investment in machines, equipment ect.

Then buy some ONR and do a lot of testing to how long it takes you to wash a car with ONR, including pre-spray, drying, waxing ect.

I read that you also offer steam service for interior, why not combine this, as for the very dirty muddy caked, cars, start with prespray, use steam and then ONR.

In the end its up to you to make money, but you only make money if you can get paying customers and at the same time use as little time as possible..

I normally do a quick wash and wax this way:

Inspect car
Prespray
(Steam) dirty areas such as front, wheels ect.
Wash car with ONR - spray opti-wax and dry at the same time.
Dress tires
Clean windows inside and doorjams - also use ONR 

Takes me aprox. 45min in all from start to finish on a middle size car.

ONR as a mobile wash is not most expensive way to start, as it does not require alot of mahcines ect. You can get a long way with ONR, Opti-wax, Powerclean and some mf towels and cloths.

If you need any further advices just ask


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

S63 said:


> I too am a big fan of ONR, however unlike Steve I don't have the confidence to provide a good safe wash to a really caked cruddy car and that's what the OP would get a fair few of, if his business is to be profitable, speed is essential whilst balancing that against the risk of damaging paintwork. I watch our valeters at work every day, they get given little more than fifteen minutes to do the service wash inside and out, a pressure washer seems essential to me.


Just about sums up my thoughts.

Ive used it in the past, it has its place, but it just cant comete with a proper wash, we did a 50/50 Pressure washer & 2BM One side Vs ONR the other side on a black 4 x 4 at the first Leicester Meet way back.

Both sides looked ok, but the ONR took longer and left the kit dirtier. On a fellow DW ONR can compete but not on a regular car.


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## panama (Mar 2, 2014)

Do any of you guys in business believe in steam cleaning as a viable option for cleaning the car entirely? With or without the assistance of ONR etc?

I'm contemplating starting a detailing business in a few months and have been impressed by the industrial steam machines.

There's a company operating out of a Tesco carpark near me who are advertised as an Eco wash and I believe this is how they operate.

Here's an example from youtube:











And I have no affiliation whatsoever to any company, I'm just posting the above as an example. Thanks.


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