Knowledge, experience and skill are your primary weapons in the war against stains, poor finishes and time-consuming operations.
When archivists began looking for companies to help restore the first Air Force One, they quickly selected—drum roll please—an auto detailing company. Specifically, they hired Attention to Detail, a Hailey, Idaho, -based auto and aircraft detailing company. The significance of their choice certainly wasn’t lost on auto service professionals who realize that all vehicle services—whether performed on cars, boats, planes or national treasures—are related and share one key factor. They all require knowledge, experience and skill.
Shops need to take heed of this fact. Detailing has gone far beyond simply washing, polishing and preparing a vehicle for return to its owner. Professional detailing, like collision repair, requires skilled, trained technicians intensely interested in the newest trends and solutions.
If your shop offers detailing, you’ll need such top-notch professionals who can handle a variety of detailing services, all of which involve their own unique challenges. Consider the following common detailing dilemmas and the knowledge and skills required to solve them.
One false move: Detailing solutions to be handled with care
Chemical residues, tars, sunlight, hard water and organic compounds have for years proven to be the toughest adversaries vehicle surfaces face. Removing their damage is often impossible simply because they can penetrate surfaces. Removing them often means removing precious materials, thereby damaging the surface—until now. Detailers have begun employing clays and acids to eliminate surface blemishes. These solutions, however, carry with them a host of problems. Mainly, if misused, they can do more harm than good.
Renny Doyle, owner of Attention to Details, offers the following tips:
Clay:
Begin by creating a baseball-sized piece of clay. Break-up a clay bar into quarters and roll the clay between your hands, creating a ball shape (Fig. 1). Again, using your hands, flatten the clay into a pancake shape (Fig. 2).
Make certain the area to be clayed is clean with no signs of dust, dirt and soil, which can become embedded in the clay and damage the vehicle surface when the clay is applied. Use a wetting agent (lubricant) on the surface. Manufactures offer specialized products for this purpose, but you can also use clean, soapy water. Always apply the lubricant in the direction of airflow. Make sure the surface remains wet throughout the claying process.
Start claying at the high point of the vehicle and work down. Rub the clay back and forth, removing imperfections as you go (Fig. 3). Avoid rubbing in circular motions as this will produce swirls in the finish. Also, continually turn the clay, rolling it back up and re-flattening it; this will help keep the clay clean.
Acids:
An acid wash is essentially the last process used to remove stains—usually hard water stains—and should be performed only by skilled technicians. Doyle explains safety is the key when performing this work. Be sure to wear eye protection, protective clothing to prevent any skin from contacting the acid and use the proper chemical resistant breathing apparatus.
Begin by diluting the acid. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Spray the acid onto the paint surface. Wipe lightly for 30 seconds and then repeat with a wet soapy towel, removing the acid from the surface. Wipe the surface again with a wet towel. Be sure to dispose all of the towels in an environmentally safe manner.
Doyle notes that traditionally, acid washes required rinsing with water, but environmental regulations now outlaw this practice. Instead, follow up the acid wash with a quality wax cleaner to make certain all the acid is removed. This step is critical because leftover acid will damage the painted surface. Spray on the acid again and wipe gently for 10 to 30 seconds. Rinse with wet soapy towels. Never let the acid dry on the surface and avoid working in direct sunlight. The finish is now ready to be waxed or polished.
Child’s play and expert work
One of the first commandments of parenthood surely is, “Thou shalt abandon thy carpeting.” Whether it’s spilled sodas, crayon-colored juices or sugary sweet dairy confections, children and teenagers rage a constant battle against flooring. The big losers here are mothers and fathers who watch upended liquids—often in mere minutes as they start to dry—become permanent parts of their home’s décor. Any wonder why most parents celebrate their children’s transition to adulthood by installing new, attractive carpeting?
Pity, then, the poor detailer tasked with removing week-, month- and years-old stains that have long since taken up residence in the carpeting of minivans and other family haulers. Detailing professionals like Anthony Orosco point out that all is not lost if detailers carefully follow developments in their industry and search for ways to use new products. Orosco, owner of Ultimate Reflections Auto Detail in San Antonio, Texas, recently used a stain remover to eliminate a bright-red, sports-drink stain from the carpeting in a late-model Honda Accord. Orosco used the following steps:
- Apply the stain remover directly to the stain and let it sit a few minutes.
- Apply a damp, white terry-cloth towel over the stain and press a hot steam iron on top of the towel until the water in the towel begins to boil over. The heat draws the dye in the stain to the towel, lifting it from the fabric. For older stains, repeat this process several times.
- Thoroughly clean the entire area using an extractor or steamer.
How well does this process work? Compare the before and after pictures (Fig. 4).
Stuck dealing with stains that also carry strong odors? Doyle suggests finding a cleaner/deodorizer designed specifically for the type of stain. Doyle notes that manufactures are bringing to market new lines of advanced cleaners and deodorizers designed to handle specific detailing challenges.
Some of the most common—and oftentimes the worst—of these odors are produced by spilled dairy products that seep into carpeting and turn sour. For protein-based odors like these and other natural smells, Doyle suggests using an enzyme-based cleaner.
Need help locating the appropriate product quickly? Consult with your vendors or contact manufacturers. Always follow their usage suggestions thoroughly and extract or steam clean to remove any remaining product.
New products, new challenges
As with collision repair, some of the toughest challenges in detailing come with implementing new products. Without training, proper guidance or experience, installing these products can turn into costly trial-and-error productions that can leave even your most loyal and devoted customers ready to take their business across town.
Such can be the case with paint protection films—plastic finish protectants that have started hitting the aftermarket. Resembling clear plastic food wraps, these products are applied directly to vehicle finishes, providing protection from salt, road debris and flying objects that dent and damage vehicle front ends, along with other vulnerable vehicle areas. Not only are these products effective, they replace vinyl front-end masks (or bras as they are sometimes called) popular in the 1970s and ’80s, thereby offering motorists the chance to protect their investments without sacrificing their vehicle’s inherent good looks.
Installing paint protection film correctly can be difficult. It requires time, skill and a certain level of expertise. One misstep or miscalculation, and you could find yourself starting over—costing your shop time and materials. Sean Heiland, president of Ultimate Auto Care, uses a method that other shops can adopt to perform this exacting, and profitable, work right the first time.
Clean the vehicle surface with a cleaner that does not leave a residue (window and glass cleaners are suggested). On repainted vehicles, paint must be thoroughly dry and completely cured. Air and application surface temperatures must be between 55 and 90°F (13-32°C). Surfaces may be heated in order to raise the surface temperature. Use a portable heater, heat lamps or hot water.
A wet application is required to produce a clear appearance. With a solution of soap and water, spray the application area on the vehicle, the adhesive side of the film and your fingers. This process allows you to move the film into the necessary position. Continually re-wet the film, the vehicle and your fingers with the soap and water solution throughout the application process. Follow the film manufacturer’s guidelines for the correct soap to water ratio.
Secure the film in place with a solution of 25 percent isopropyl alcohol and 75 percent water. Note: Some state volatile organic compound (VOC) regulations may restrict or prohibit the use of this alcohol/water solution without a permit. Check with your state environmental department.
Since it’s easier to work with half a piece of the film at a time, move the film in place on the first half (Fig. 5). Then, move the other half. Raise the film up to the half-way point, and spray both sides of the film and vehicle with the alcohol and water solution. This solution helps wash away the soap solution and allows a squeegee to slide easily over the film. To make repositioning easy, keep the adhesive wet.
Secure the film into the desired position (Fig. 6). It may be necessary to stretch the film (Fig. 7).
Use the alcohol and water solution and a squeegee at the far end of the application to lock the film into place.
Spray the film again with the alcohol and water solution. With the squeegee, work from the inside and slide the squeegee toward the edges of the film. This motion pushes out any remaining soap and water solution as well as any air bubbles that may have formed.
Wipe the film off with a clean detailing cloth (do not use a shop rag or other materials which can scratch the film) to get a clear look at your application. There may still be some water pockets or air bubbles remaining. Re-wet the surface and your fingers with the alcohol and water solution, and re-squeegee.
If some air pockets remain, lift the film. (Be sure to first re-wet the film, the vehicle and your fingers.) Use the same squeegee technique, starting at the middle of the film and sliding the squeegee to the edges of the film.
Repeat this procedure on the second half of the film.
After application, tell your customers to wait at least 24 hours before taking the vehicle to an automated car wash (Fig. 8 & 9). This film typically requires no special care. Wax buildup along the film edges can easily be removed (when dry) with a soft brush, for example an old toothbrush. Do not use any waxes containing dyes or waxes that are not recommended for urethanes. Abrasive polishes and/or rubbing compounds shot not to be used.
Final word
What can a professional detailing department do for you?
Consider one of your first goals as a repairer—returning a vehicle to its pre-damage condition. What if you could raise the bar—set yourself apart from the competition—by restoring vehicles to better than pre-damage condition? Consider the impression you could make upon customers when they get their vehicles back minus the juice and coffee stains they’ve learned to live with for years. Think about the business possibilities you could explore if you offered film paint protection to luxury or new car owners. Or, along with paint and dent repairs, what if your shop provided convenient, affordable, high-quality finish repairs that remove oxidation and hard water stains? You’d be inviting in a whole new clientele of vehicle owners who want to beautify their vehicles without going to the expense of paying for a new paint job.
In all these cases, you’ll have added new revenue streams that also help bring customers back to your more traditional business offerings. It all starts with a professional detailing crew capable of resolving the tough—and all too common—detailing challenges shops and customers face everyday. The lesson here: in the worlds of collision repair and detailing, knowledge isn’t just power. It’s the foundation success is built upon.
