Oh, the shame! Just paid someone to wash the car!

[LenT]

I think the time has come to hang up my foam gun.

Ever since I had the car detailed with a ceramic finish, even trips to the car wash were no longer allowed.  Unfortunately, various age-related aches and pains meant that an hour or so of car washing was no longer the pleasure it once was.  So biting the foam-gun bullet, I found a local mobile valeting service to come and do the business - inside and out.

After nearly two hours of non-stop action, I have to say the result was splendid..  At least as good as anything I could achieve.  It seems a lot of his private car customers are in a similar physical position.

No doubt some here will find the thought of paying £40 to have your car washed quite ridiculous.  And some will have bred convenient children to do the task.  

But for many, this will be the shape of things to come!

[Malc1]

Aged ( getting there anyway ) owner here and with masses of monster seagull poo a very regular feature of the look of my car(s) I've resorted to a £4 hand jet and sponge wash at a local emporium .  they do full valet too and all inbetween BUT with seagulls doing their worst, or best, the £4 wash gets her admirably clean and then a drip dry on the way home

Malc

[LenT]

46 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

and then a drip dry on the way home

More of a blow job, surely.  

 

Or do you really drive that slowly?  🙂

[Linas.P]

2 hours ago, LenT said:

No doubt some here will find the thought of paying £40 to have your car washed quite ridiculous.

£40 is no brainer really, especially if work is done well. Obviously, I am considering this from London prices, which I am sure would not be £40 in London, but rather £200. Actually thinking about it, that would be at least £200, but probably more. 2h to get to you and back, 2 hours work, own equipment, £50/hour for intense labour... not many people would be doing that in London. Even horrible hand washes are now like £15, that is just pressure washing the outside and drying. In and out would be £25... and that is what 10-15min and horrible job. I reckon I spend £20 doing it myself just in consumables, so I would not even consider doing it if I could get person to come to my place for £40 and do it.

[PRT68]

1 hour ago, LenT said:

More of a blow job, surely.  

 

Or do you really drive that slowly?  🙂

I always drive slowly when having a blow job........

[LenT]

54 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

£40 is no brainer really, especially if work is done well.

My thoughts exactly, Linus.  

I would have thought his labour cost alone would be that, with operating costs and a profit margin on top.  But I don’t know how similar operations compare.

Mind you, I did supply power, water, Modesta top coat - and a mug of tea (I’m not totally inconsiderate).  

Be interesting to see if his next visit comes with a price increase.  He did say I was probably the last private car customer he was taking on at the moment, what with much of his work being agricultural and construction machinery - such as JCB, John Deer, MF and such like.

Having said that, he’ll be returning to do our other car at some time.
Where I grew up, car washing was a useful source of income when you were at school.  Perhaps not so much these days.

But then I’ve never be afraid of hard work.  I could watch it all day.

[LenT]

39 minutes ago, PRT68 said:

I always drive slowly when having a blow job........

🫢

[Sundance]

I've kept well clear of local car washing services, mainly manned by our friends from Eastern Europe, since being introduced to my local mobile valet service who comes to me.  A comprehensive 4hr inside & out detail, including a quality wax & seal cost £150 when I bought the car.  Since then my new best friend calls every 4-6 weeks to perform a 90 minute "maintenance detail" that costs me £30.

Now if I went down the road our EE friends would charge me a minimum of £12.50 for a 15-minute jet wash and cloth wipe dry leaving swirly paint & a buff surface.  To keep the car looking anything like clean I reckon the EE effort needs to be repeated every fortnight so after the initial hit it's not difficult to work out that not only am I better off financially but the bodywork is being regularly looked after by a professional ... and it looks the absolute bizzo! 😊

[Herbie]

Same here.

My back injury is the worst (pain never goes away, been told only thing left is to remove the discs but 50/50 chance of ending up in a wheelchair, so no thank you) but over the years I've broken both ankles....fractured my right calcaneus....both knees are shot and will both need replacing in the not to distant future....had a subacromial decompression of my right shoulder and a full rotator cuff repair of my left.

Having now reached 65, all these injuries are becoming arthritic and like someone said above, spending time washing/polishing and generally keeping her clean and shiny, just doesn't hold the enjoyment and pleasure it once did, hence why I spend £10/fortnight (maybe every week during winter months) to have someone elsedo it. OK, they don't put the same care and attention in like I did but at least it doesn't take me three days to recover from every wash

[LenT]

1 hour ago, Sundance said:

Since then my new best friend calls every 4-6 weeks to perform a 90 minute "maintenance detail" that costs me £30.

I appreciate that this is predominantly a cash business, but I do wonder how anyone can turn a profit at that rate.  And, of course, put in the effort to deliver a good result.

[LenT]

50 minutes ago, Herbie said:

Same here.

My back injury is the worst (pain never goes away, been told only thing left is to remove the discs but 50/50 chance of ending up in a wheelchair, so no thank you) but over the years I've broken both ankles....fractured my right calcaneus....both knees are shot and will both need replacing in the not to distant future....had a subacromial decompression of my right shoulder and a full rotator cuff repair of my left.

Having now reached 65, all these injuries are becoming arthritic and like someone said above, spending time washing/polishing and generally keeping her clean and shiny, just doesn't hold the enjoyment and pleasure it once did, hence why I spend £10/fortnight (maybe every week during winter months) to have someone elsedo it. OK, they don't put the same care and attention in like I did but at least it doesn't take me three days to recover from every wash

Good grief, Herbs!

I’m impressed you can even drive the car.  👍

 

[Sundance]

1 hour ago, LenT said:

I appreciate that this is predominantly a cash business, but I do wonder how anyone can turn a profit at that rate.  And, of course, put in the effort to deliver a good result.

Pity I can't recommend him to you Len, sadly time/cost certainly wouldn't work! 😄

[J Henderson]

That sounds decent for £30. I reckon I would be happy to pay someone else for that level of work.

I still do my own car though, and always have done. Albeit, not as often as I once did.

The physicality isn't yet an obstacle, and I quite enjoy the experience, but there are definitely a few more aches and pains afterwards nowadays. It's actually the thought of spending a good 30mins just to set everything up and put stuff away, that prevents me from washing my car more regularly.

That, plus the weather...

[Linas.P]

3 hours ago, LenT said:

I appreciate that this is predominantly a cash business, but I do wonder how anyone can turn a profit at that rate.  And, of course, put in the effort to deliver a good result.

£30-40 is very cheap so I assume there isn't much profit in it. As you said yourself, the guy who did yours is looking more at commercial jobs, so I assume private jobs are just to plug the gaps on quiet days, or maybe as well to advertise the company and develop the clientele. 

After all if he already has all the tools and chemicals are bought in bulk, then material cost isn't high. For me it costs £20, because I buy detailing spray and all other chemicals in 750ml or similar stupid sizes, so every chemical I use is like £2, per use because bottle is like £10-£14. If he buys APC and similar stuff by 20L or 50L barrels, then it may cost him 20p per car.

If he does 4 cars per day, it is still £160. As you said - if he takes cash, little tax paid, so he probably comes back with £100 per day. Not a massive amount, but probably more pleasant than working on construction site for not much more... and I assume he is always for lookout for bigger jobs, maybe mini-polish, or commercial job.

Just checked the prices around me and as expected it would be £150-240 in my area. Prices start at £90, for what they call "small car", from experience Lexus almost regardless of the model is considered "large" and then suddenly just outside costs £120. 

Finally, if I could get somebody to do my car for £40, then I would definitely use them... not because I can't clean it myself, but because for that cost I just can't beat them even doing it myself.  

 

[Sundance]

Not a lot of point quoting big figures without explaining what you get for the money.  I've shown you what I get for £30 and what I got for £150 was one hell of a lot more.  If you're paying £150-£240 for a quick wash & dubious polish then that's your choice but you need to shop around.  This detailing/valeting game is big business and highly regarded but, as with any service, there will be cowboys roaming the range to pick off the stragglers (bit of a mixed metaphor but you know what I mean 😄 ).

Also, if they ask for cash only then I doubt that they're professionals.  My guy is very knowledgeable about all things paint, alloys, interiors, dents & dings and he gets paid online.  He rocks up in a fully equipped, built-to-order (ie. water, generator, fittings etc) branded van and I often need to book him 10-14 days in advance ... so he's a busy boy.  His other vehicle is a Jag XF-R Sport so he can't be doing too badly.

That said, my account with him (including my neighbour's BMW & my son's Tesla) is nothing compared with many of his high end regulars (Ferrari, Aston, Bentley) who clearly value his quality work and help promote him, so I guess that's where his main income lies. 😉

[Linas.P]

5 minutes ago, Sundance said:

If you're paying £150-£240 for a quick wash & dubious polish then that's your choice but you need to shop around.

No, I don't think you understood what I have said. Within London £90 gets you mobile wash, not a detail. The car like Lexus IS is considered Large, so that will be £120 for JUST A WASH. If you want to get interior cleaned as well, then you looking closer to £200. Detail is like £400+... you can shop around as much as you like, but when horrible hand wash charges £25, then don't expect decent mobile wash to cost £30.

I am sure that when you go outside of M25 into suburbs, then suddenly that price halves... So I do believe you got decent wash for £30 and mini-detail for £150, but that is not the price you can get in London.

[LenT]

46 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

Finally, if I could get somebody to do my car for £40, then I would definitely use them... not because I can't clean it myself, but because for that cost I just can't beat them even doing it myself.

Well I don’t have the problems that Herbs has to overcome, but at 78 a cost/benefit v discomfort analysis definitely comes down now on the side of letting someone else do it!

I’m sure you’re right that bulk buying materials through the trade will reduce costs per job, but it’s still a low margin business.  While being mobile can be a benefit, it’s also subject to the weather.  My chap was actually scheduled for a few days earlier, but had to call it off.  As he demonstrated by emailing an image of an infrared thermometer, car bodies that day were reaching a temperature of 50C.

[Sundance]

51 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

No, I don't think you understood what I have said. Within London £90 gets you mobile wash, not a detail. The car like Lexus IS is considered Large, so that will be £120 for JUST A WASH. If you want to get interior cleaned as well, then you looking closer to £200. Detail is like £400+... you can shop around as much as you like, but when horrible hand wash charges £25, then don't expect decent mobile wash to cost £30.

I am sure that when you go outside of M25 into suburbs, then suddenly that price halves... So I do believe you got decent wash for £30 and mini-detail for £150, but that is not the price you can get in London.

No change there then Linas old bean!

Then I question your figures.  As so often your levels of exaggeration exceed no bounds. Oh, and by the way, if you agree to the IS being "large" then that's another rip-off, you tell them it's "medium" or drive away. 😉

Even a quick Google will show you that you can get an entry level mobile valet for a "medium saloon" including alloys, Ph neutral snow foam, wash/rinse, dry, polish, interior vacuum, tyre dress & glass clean for just £100 ... and that's in Kensington/Chelsea/Fulham!  You don't get much more LONDON than that!  So I have no idea where you get your costs from. 🤷‍♂️

But then as you declare as "other/nonUK" I suspect that you're way out of date or maybe even plucking figures out of the sky. 🤔

The equivalent to my £150 FULL valet/detail (not "mini detail" - no idea what that is!) in Central/SW London comes to £350.  But then that's London prices for you and yet nowhere in my regular travels to the capital have I ever come across a £90 car wash.  Where is that btw?

[LenT]

42 minutes ago, Sundance said:

Also, if they ask for cash only then I doubt that they're professionals.

Interesting point, Rowley.  My guy was quick to establish that he took payment by card or online - and was a bit surprised when I offered cash.  He also has quite a sophisticated website:

http://www.rs-autodetailing.co.uk/

I must admit that I made my original admission somewhat tongue-in-cheek - and expected a bit of joshing as a result.  Instead all the comments have been very positive in favour of mobile valeting.

As usual, I seem to be coming rather late to the party - and should have done this years ago!

[Linas.P]

58 minutes ago, LenT said:

but it’s still a low margin business.  

Ohhh, I have no doubt about that. I just as I said the private wash and vac is not their main business. And indeed - mobile detail is pretty much the most difficult way of doing it, as you mentioned there is dependency on weather, customer water and electricity, so it complicates a lot. Hence mobile usually comes at premium, so having it done for £40 is really good deal.

15 minutes ago, Sundance said:

No change there then Linas old bean!

Then I question your figures.  As so often your levels of exaggeration exceed no bounds. Oh, and by the way, if you agree to the IS being "large" then that's another rip-off, you tell them it's "medium" or drive away. 😉

Even a quick Google will show you that you can get an entry level mobile valet for a "medium saloon" including alloys, Ph neutral snow foam, wash/rinse, dry, polish, interior vacuum, tyre dress & glass clean for just £100 ... and that's in Kensington/Chelsea/Fulham!  You don't get much more LONDON than that!  So I have no idea where you get your costs from. 🤷‍♂️

But then as you declare as "other/nonUK" I suspect that you're way out of date or maybe even plucking figures out of the sky. 🤔

The equivalent to my £150 FULL valet/detail (not "mini detail" - no idea what that is!) in Central/SW London comes to £350.  But then that's London prices for you and yet nowhere in my regular travels to the capital have I ever come across a £90 car wash.  Where is that?

This just remind me why you are in my ignore list. Now you basically conflated hand wash prices and mobile detailing prices... and honestly I lost you here, I am no longer sure where you quote the price from your favourite "Eastern European" hand wash (seems little bit strange to consider/highlight where people came from, but that is topic for another time) and where from actual mobile detailers. 

Yes I know British understanding of car sizes is ridiculous and Lexus IS is basically what would be classed as medium car in normal country. Not in UK. In UK "small" literally means Smart or maybe Fiat 500, "medium" is Golf and similar, "large" is BMW 3/5-series, so Lexus IS/GS comes into same category, then there is separate category for SUVs and VANs and there are "XL" cars as well, so presumably anything bigger than 5-Series.

Drive away from mobile detailer? I would like to see how that looks like... Now indeed I have done that in hand wash, where I said "either you charge me medium price or I go elsewhere"... and they did charge me the medium price, but same trick won't work on call out detailer.

You can continue having full details for £150 in your world and I am very happy for you, but the argument ends-here. Seems like you don't even know the difference between "full-valet" and "full-detail" and I am not going to guess when you mean dirty hand wash on the corner prices and where you mean good quality mobile detail prices.

[LenT]

5 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

Yes I know British understanding of car sizes is ridiculous and Lexus IS is basically what would be classed as medium car in normal country. Not in UK

Almost the first thing I asked my guy is what he classified the IS250 as being - fully expecting it would be a ‘large’ partially influenced by the fact that ii’s also regarded as ‘luxury’.  

So I was surprised that he pronounced it ‘medium’. It’ll be interesting to see what he makes of our other car - a Suzuki SX4 which is much older and doesn’t have the benefit of ceramic coating.  

[Sundance]

22 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

This just remind me why you are in my ignore list. Now you basically conflated hand wash prices and mobile detailing prices... and honestly I lost you here, I am no longer sure where you quote the price from your favourite "Eastern European" hand wash (seems little bit strange to consider/highlight where people came from, but that is topic for another time) and where from actual mobile detailers. 

Yes I know British understanding of car sizes is ridiculous and Lexus IS is basically what would be classed as medium car in normal country. Not in UK. In UK "small" literally means Smart or maybe Fiat 500, "medium" is Golf and similar, "large" is BMW 3/5-series, so Lexus IS/GS comes into same category, then there is separate category for SUVs and VANs and there are "XL" cars as well, so presumably anything bigger than 5-Series.

Drive away from mobile detailer? I would like to see how that looks like... Now indeed I have done that in hand wash, where I said "either you charge me medium price or I go elsewhere"... and they did charge me the medium price, but same trick won't work on call out detailer.

You can continue having full details for £150 in your world and I am very happy for you, but the argument ends-here. Seems like you don't even know the difference between "full-valet" and "full-detail" and I am not going to guess when you mean dirty hand wash on the corner prices and where you mean good quality mobile detail prices.

Clearly your "ignore list" isn't very effective.  Interesting though that any hint of a pragmatic challenge or reasoned response to your often random & complex posts puts one on your "ignore list".  Probably not coincidence. 😉

Anyway, if you read again you'll see that it was actually you who quoted "£90 for WASH ONLY".  I was simply clarifying that with you and updating you on valet/detailing costs that you incorrectly quoted and still don't seem to want to revisit.  Where is that again btw? 🤔

Of course you're absolutely right that you don't drive away from a mobile detailer who arrives at your house, but then that was not in context.  I was remarking on you quoting the IS as being "large" in a car wash visit, from which you CAN drive away.

Anyways, I don't consider it an argument, those are your words.  This a Forum for open discussion ... but then if I'm on your "ignore list" I doubt that we'll have any more opportunities for polite and reasoned discussion.

Never mind. 👋

[Linas.P]

4 minutes ago, LenT said:

Almost the first thing I asked my guy is what he classified the IS250 as being - fully expecting it would be a ‘large’ partially influenced by the fact that ii’s also regarded as ‘luxury’.  

So I was surprised that he pronounced it ‘medium’. It’ll be interesting to see what he makes of our other car - a Suzuki SX4 which is much older and doesn’t have the benefit of ceramic coating.  

He is probably not ruined yet, so enjoy the service whilst you can 😄 Overtime they get smarter with the charges.

I had this argument all the time when I had IS250, I lost count how many times I was told it is "large"... and I was like... so if this is "large", then what is GS? Also "large" and if GS is "large", then what we should make out of LS... ohhh that is "XL"... but if LS is XL, then GS is "large" and then IS must be "medium"... right? And the guys in the hand was were like "yeah whatever"... now that I have GS I probably wouldn't bother arguing and just accept it is "large".

That said from detailing perspective I now see detailers simply giving personalised quotes and ignoring the size altogether. That actually makes much more sense, because for example despite IS and GS having more "surface area" than RC, the RC is absolute horror to detail, it just has so many shapes, angles and small details that it takes twice as much to detail than say GS. Because GS is just mostly flat and you can go over 90% of the car with 5" pad, but on RC I probably used 1" pad on 40% of the car and 3" pad on another 30%, so it is just so much more time consuming. 

[LenT]

29 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

I am no longer sure where you quote the price from your favourite "Eastern European" (seems little bit strange to consider where people came from, but that is topic for another time) hand wash and where from actual mobile detailers. 

I think Rowley is referring to the likes of Hand Washes that pop-up in Tesco car parks.  Unfortunately they do tend to be operated by predominantly Eastern European lads organised by someone who acts suspiciously like a ‘Gangmaster’.   

In terms of the potential damage to a car’s finish, there would be little to choose between them and a mechanical car wash.  Although the car wash doesn’t drop a drying towel on the concrete and then pick it up again to continue drying the car - as I watched one lad do!

[Linas.P]

9 minutes ago, Sundance said:

Clearly your "ignore list" isn't very effective.  Interesting though that any hint of a pragmatic challenge or reasoned response to your often random & complex posts puts one on your "ignore list".  

Ohhh don't worry - it works fine, I can choose when to read it and I just didn't expected your "macaroni" on such non-controversial topic. 

"pragmatic challenge or reasoned response"... 😄 I guess only if you say so yourself!

I suggest starting by basic syntax, then ideally reading what you posting before submitting and as a next step logical continuity would be good. Main problem with your comment (and by the way with most of your comments)... is that you very often compare "apples to oranges"... there are other ways of saying the same, but you basically compare two different things as they are equal and at that point no logical argument can continue. 

Or maybe you do compare same things and have some logic to your madness, but you just forget to adapt it to your audience... at which point you just end-up misunderstood... in the end of the day I can't read your mind.

P.S. this is by the way my honest feedback.