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Londoner

Mobile car wash
« on: November 18, 2007, 08:25:47 am »
I was cleaning the windows of a house in Rickmansworth (posh area) yesterday morning when a van pulls up at the house next door. The bloke gets out and starts rolling out some hose. Ah ha I thought, another window cleaner. But no

He started cleaning the car parked in the drive. I  watched him work and he was very quick. Then he rinsed it off with a pressure washer, he had a tank in the van the same as we do.

This got me thinking. Is there any money in this idea? Presumably he has a weekly round so a lot less customers are required. Has anyone else seen this done?

ronnie paton

  • Posts: 3245
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2007, 08:38:39 am »
there are loads about there is decent money in it just like window cleaners, i would think its more like monthly but i would guess its not as regular has window cleaning

Londoner

Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2007, 08:50:40 am »
Don't get me wrong, I am not about to go and do it but it is a similar operation to ours and possibly that is an opportunity some people would be interested in exploring.
I raised it as a general interest subject. 

Stevie G

  • Posts: 440
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2007, 09:04:42 am »
vince did he dry it off or just leave it to dry.

nat

  • Posts: 993
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2007, 09:42:50 am »
i wash my own car with pure water and the results are fantastic, but i used to have a valeting operation ages ago, trust me guys there is not as much business and it takes you longer to clean a car and earn money than to get a wfp system out and clean a house...in other words there ain't as much cash in it.

Sir Squeaky

  • Posts: 8341
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2007, 10:14:42 am »
i wash my own car with pure water and the results are fantastic,
If you like tiny scratches all over it, and taking the polish off. ;D

nat

  • Posts: 993
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2007, 10:39:10 am »
hows tiny scrathces? use a pressure washer, sponge and soap, its the same principle as using normal methods. but you don't need to dry it!

what actually strips the car of its polish squeaky?

Ian_Giles

  • Posts: 2997
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2007, 10:53:58 am »
Pure water = rain water...and rain water doesn't strip the polish off! So pure water most certainly won't!!
And if you have a vikan brush it is the same brush that originally started out as a brush for cleaning cars with!
And the same goes for just about every brush used in WFP, the bristles are not going to scratch your vehicle, car paintwork is pretty robust stuff.

My paintwork certainly has scuff marks, but they are mostly caused by hedges and so on.


Ian
Ian. ISM CLEANING SERVICES

nat

  • Posts: 993
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #8 on: November 18, 2007, 10:57:58 am »
i wouldn't use the brush heads on your car Ian, it may leave tiny swirls where it may scrath through the lauquer, but they will polish out!

i'm intreaged to know what squeaky thinks will strip the paint work? there are no chemicals, and as you say rain water will not strip polish (well it will over a period of time), as long as you polish the car as you would cleaning it normally it will be fine.

Ian_Giles

  • Posts: 2997
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2007, 11:03:17 am »
Nah, that lacquer is very hard, the brush may well leave tiny marks in un-lacquered cars (like my van), but I regularly put my van through the car wash to no ill effect, but as you say, if I go over it with a polish, those marks disappear anyway. ;)

Ian 
Ian. ISM CLEANING SERVICES

Sir Squeaky

  • Posts: 8341
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2007, 11:08:06 am »
Wrong I'm sorry Ian.
Who's the experienced valeter? ::)

Not by just rinsing with pure it won't do too much harm.
But by rubbing pure water in with your wfp brush you will take the polish off, and hence take the protection and gloss from the car.
If it's takes grease and grime off a filthy window it's not going to have any trouble with a layer of polish!

I've tested it out myself, and there's definately less shine after wfp.

Also I can see tiny little scratches all over my van from where I've been lazy and wfp'd it.
But I always try to polish it once a week at least to counter this.

If you look at any company car (like a BMW 3-series) you see little scratches and swirls from where it's been through car washes, using brushes.

Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2007, 11:09:30 am »
I was my van everyday with it  ;)
not seen any scrathes as yet  :-\

nat

  • Posts: 993
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #12 on: November 18, 2007, 11:10:13 am »
it depends on what colour as you say, like sliver cars have so much laquer on they really don't need much polish, and will normally look no different from polish or just soap and water, but then if you use a brush on a black car, it will show up every inmpercfection posible, it will then need cutting!

better to be safe than sorry, don't use the brush espeacilly if you have a decent motor.

i am quilty of using it on the vans though, quick easy and white, no drama!

nat

  • Posts: 993
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #13 on: November 18, 2007, 11:11:59 am »
Wrong I'm sorry Ian.
Who's the experienced valeter? ::)

Not by just rinsing with pure it won't do too much harm.
But by rubbing pure water in with your wfp brush you will take the polish off, and hence take the protection and gloss from the car.
If it's takes grease and grime off a filthy window it's not going to have any trouble with a layer of polish!

I've tested it out myself, and there's definately less shine after wfp.

Also I can see tiny little scratches all over my van from where I've been lazy and wfp'd it.
But I always try to polish it once a week at least to counter this.

If you look at any company car (like a BMW 3-series) you see little scratches and swirls from where it's been through car washes, using brushes.

my applogies squeaky i thought yuou were talking about pure water itself not the brush!

Sir Squeaky

  • Posts: 8341
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #14 on: November 18, 2007, 11:13:24 am »
No, just pouring the water on should be ok.
Wouldn't scrub it in though, as like I said it takes the polish or wax off.

nat

  • Posts: 993
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #15 on: November 18, 2007, 11:16:06 am »
use it in a bucket of water with soap, soap the car up as normall, then rinse pure water through with a pressure washer and it will not leave any marks once you've left it to dry, plus th glass is crystal clear with no dirty cloth marks!

nat

  • Posts: 993
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #16 on: November 18, 2007, 11:17:08 am »
No, just pouring the water on WILL be ok.

 ;) ;D

Sir Squeaky

  • Posts: 8341
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #17 on: November 18, 2007, 11:19:56 am »
tap water would take wax off a car if you scrubed it,
Not if you use wash-and-wax.
It acts as a lubricant, so you glide over the top of the polish and leave it intact. :P

And car washes only use the pure water to rinse it, not to wash it.

Next question? ;)

nat

  • Posts: 993
Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #18 on: November 18, 2007, 11:21:31 am »
exactly squeaky, we are on the same wave length read my post about soap and rinse!

Re: Mobile car wash
« Reply #19 on: November 18, 2007, 11:26:37 am »
Don't you just love a debate, squeaks you have to be top banana at starting them off  ;)