Modified Two Bucket Wash System

[scrub]

I've learned alot about detailing the past few months. I still have tons to learn. Today I went to a local detail shop and discovered the next wave in car washing. Its what I call "The Modified Two Bucket Wash System" or method.

Let me just say I've seen a variety of ways to wash a car the manual spray and brush, the small maybe 2 gallon pail method, a windshield squeegee, glass cleaner and towels, single 5 gal bucket, 2 bucket method, 3 bucket method (my new way), even someone who wants to try the 5 bucket method... You get my drift.

On to the system, all you need is 2 buckets filled oh say about 1/3 of the way full of soapy water, scrub brush, worn out terry towel, and a wash sponge. The beauty of this method is the efficiency involved. 2 buckets means you and your partner can work both sides at the same time.

Next you'll need to wash one car. After drying move on to the next car with same materials but don't washout or refill simply rinse the vehicle off, apply purple power and scrub the muddy lower portion below the belt line with your terry towel and old soap n water bucket left over from previous wash. Make sure to rinse your terry towel sometime. After the lower body wash move on to wheel wells with a sponge then work your way up the paint to the roof. Then rinse with your 2300 psi pressure washer.

After the exterior wash take that same bucket and terry towel and hook up the interior. Don't forget the door jams with the same terry towel and bucket. After the jams, give a quick wipe down of the dash, doors and cup holders with the same dirty terry towel.

The nice thing about today was a customer watching this (this customer owned the car that was washed first) and told me not to go up the road to the auto carwash with hand dryers and detail shop as this will lead to scratches on my car...

This shop had a line of people and I ended up pressure washing my grandparents porch due to no clients today!!!

How does that work??

True story thanks for the lending ear.

[travisdecpn]

It takes a different breed of people to understand all of the problems this method will create. The sad part of it is that most people figure that if it's cheap and fast, what's to lose? I wish all people could appreciate a nice detail job, but unfortunately that's not the case. In a world where faster has become better, most people have forgotten about all the little things that really matter in the end.

[2000]

uneducated..no make that miseducated people. with advise like "you never need to wax clear coat paint" and all the other bull horns out there.
good news is that Detailing Aiken with soon strighten out the town and make everything shiny again. you should thank that car wash, with all the swirl marks that they're making to all your future clients. you should just stand at the exit and hand out your card.

[scrub]

Originally posted by 2000
uneducated..no make that miseducated people. with advise like "you never need to wax clear coat paint" and all the other bull horns out there.
good news is that Detailing Aiken with soon strighten out the town and make everything shiny again. you should thank that car wash, with all the swirl marks that they're making to all your future clients. you should just stand at the exit and hand out your card.

That's some good stuff !! I thought about what you said but it just seemed those are the customers I can't get my hands on. They want quick and cheap. I want work efficiently but make a fair price. I guess I could go for that segment of wash n go folks..

travisdecpn

You hit the nail on the head. Luckily there are still some people out there that will want true detailing service. I've just got to get them to stop by.

[Aurora40]

So, isn't this a one-bucket method? You only have two buckets so two people can do it at once. But that's really two people using a one-bucket method.

Also, you didn't really explain how the top part of the 2nd car gets cleaned. Do you (hopefully) rinse and refill your bucket for that? If so, does that really save much time?

I personally treat all the paint the same. I wash the lower half of my car as carefully as I do the upper half. I don't want that part to be hazed or swirled either. Though, I don't allow it to become very dirty, either. I don't think I would want the bottom half of my car washed with the dirty wash water from another car. But I'm not a pro, and the moving/staging of cars to wash them takes me more time than refilling the bucket would.

[scrub]

Originally posted by Aurora40
So, isn't this a one-bucket method? You only have two buckets so two people can do it at once. But that's really two people using a one-bucket method.

Also, you didn't really explain how the top part of the 2nd car gets cleaned. Do you (hopefully) rinse and refill your bucket for that? If so, does that really save much time?

I personally treat all the paint the same. I wash the lower half of my car as carefully as I do the upper half. I don't want that part to be hazed or swirled either. Though, I don't allow it to become very dirty, either. I don't think I would want the bottom half of my car washed with the dirty wash water from another car. But I'm not a pro, and the moving/staging of cars to wash them takes me more time than refilling the bucket would.

Some points to ponder

1. This is what I observed not what I practice.

2. Correct this is the one bucket half filled to wash two cars method times 2 (as you correctly pointed out).

3. To wash the top of the 2nd vehicle they used the same half filled buckets that have not been rinsed and refilled with fresh soap and water (even after rinsing the terry towel used for the bottom of the muddy car in the same bucket and water).

4. As for the lower half I agree about minimizing swirls, so I wash from the top down.

The whole issue was the fellows are in a shop. They stay pretty busy. As for me, I use this and other forum's detailing techniques and don't have near the customer base. It's just weird what kind of service customers are paying for. Those people don't know I exist yet, but they will.

[Aurora40]

Originally posted by scrub
The whole issue was the fellows are in a shop. They stay pretty busy. As for me, I use this and other forum's detailing techniques and don't have near the customer base. It's just weird what kind of service customers are paying for. Those people don't know I exist yet, but they will.

Ah, gotcha. You said it was the wave of the future. I thought you were being serious...

[scrub]

Originally posted by Aurora40
Ah, gotcha. You said it was the wave of the future. I thought you were being serious...

Only as serious as how they really wash a car. You're right this isn't a true new method. Just kind of an observation of what some business do out there..

[JG_Detailing]

You know some people rather wash their car themselves. I know I do. The reason I do is because that I like to make sure ever part of the car get's washed. I do agree with the 2 bucket system. Because I did read a thread on here about it and it does help with washing a car. You use one bucket for washing and the other for rinsing the sponge out. I use to use a terry sponge, now I use a microfiber sponge.

[2000]

scrub,
your sarcasm was not lost on me.

[scrub]

Originally posted by 2000
scrub,
your sarcasm was not lost on me.

Thanks... I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this happen at the shop.