Pressure Washer & Sheet Rinsing

[JBlack151]

I wanted to get all of your opinions on this. I do detailing the side and generally my jobs are vehicles that are classic, luxury, exotic, or well kept daily drivers. I do your standard dirty ones as well that need some extra attention (mainly the interiors do). Recently I was in a discussion with someone about the fact I do not use a pressure washer. My reason for this is because the vehicles do not have extreme amounts of dirt and junk on them. I do use the 2 different wash mitts for the upper and lower ends of the vehicles that removes everything safely and brushes on anything else not on the paint (wheel-wells, etc). Also, I love the sheet rinsing technique after I complete the washing process that I learned from Adam's. This person feels I am not providing the proper detailing services that customers expect.

 

Now I can see his point, however I just feel there is no need for the pressure washer for the majority of the vehicles I detail. Occasionally I will detail some vehicles in the winter months here in CT, and on those I will generally use a pressure washer to remove the snow, salt, and other crap from the roads.

 

Your opinions, thoughts, comments, trash talking?

 

Thanks in advance!

[dipolley]

Brendon that is a great piece of advice. As an owner I have to be the expert on everything and exude confidence in every decision. A little bit of ego comes into play sometimes as well. I am the expert, I get paid to do what I do best. If I am not the expert I find one, and pay them to do what they do best. This works pretty well I think.

 

For the OP, I use high presure washes to blast vehicles and to rinse, but only because I have a 4-bay car wash at my disposal. It isn't required to do the job and I am perfectly capable of getting the same results using a garden hose (I have gotten the same results with no hose at all). I am going to just agree with what Dave said; education can go a long way.

[Bunky]

I've used both............and rarely get the pressure washer out now when doing customers cars. It's too much a PITA to drag it out every time.

 

Are you using gas or electric? Gas is a pain compared to an electric. It is not any extra work compared to getting out the master blaster if all your connections are quick disconnects.

 

Pressure washers may have an advantage at times of using less water to pre-rinse and then rinse the soap over a hose/sprayer combo especially if you do not rinse until the end like Adam has advocated. A lot can depend on your sprayer choice and local water pressure situation.

 

In the end, it should not matter but like many things people have ideas on what is best and the smart detailer / businessman can address their concerns without telling them they are stupid like some detailers I have seen do.

[Team Adam's]

Dylan, I believe his assumption is the pressure washer is the superior choice, and does not know about much other techniques to wash or detail.

 

The person who was questioning my process was my good friends cousin. I did not show any weakness when providing him my reasoning for not using a pressure washer. We were simply in a conversation about detailing cars because I was giving my good friend some of my business cards when we began this disagreement. Wouldn't say it escalated to an argument.

 

A short while later when we were leaving the house he was really impressed with how wet and amazing my freshly cleaned black SS looked. So maybe I should of brought him out to my truck to begin with instead of saying anything

 

I just was curious if there is any other people out there who may have the same feeling as he did about pressure washers being the expected choice when detailing.

 

Thanks for the responses so far guys.

 

I think a lot of people assume a pressure washer is the "right" choice simply b/c thats what they see detailers using most of the time, but this actually isn't a result of 'better vs. worse' or any kind of process improvement. Its a tool used out of necessity.

 

Unless you have a shop the odds are you're working mobile (theres tons of mobile detailers out there) in this situation a pressure washer is the only means of effectively delivering water to the vehicle... gravity fed from the tank on your trailer isn't gonna get it done. Because of this many people associate "professional detailer" with "pressure washer".

 

In reality theres no big benefit to a pressure washer when it comes to regular washing, especially on a car that is probably barely dirty in this specific case. In circumstances where there are layers of caked on road grime, salt, mud, etc. then a pressure washer makes sense, but it sounds like that wasn't the case here.

[Z71_Denali]

i don't use my pressure washer as often as i expected i would when i bought it. the fact is, its not always needed. if your cleaning trucks that just got done mudding, or cars that drove through a swarm of bugs, then it really comes in handy! other than that, any film of dirt that can come off without touching the paint, will come off with the fire hose nozzle.

[3PedalMINI]

 

The person who was questioning my process was my good friends cousin. I did not show any weakness when providing him my reasoning for not using a pressure washer. We were simply in a conversation about detailing cars because I was giving my good friend some of my business cards when we began this disagreement. Wouldn't say it escalated to an argument.

 

 

i wasnt implying that you showed weekness, I just see this all too often when im on a jobsite and contractors fall all over them selfs when asked a technical question. Then im the guy that gets asked if they are doing the job correctly, like i know what they are suposed to be doing

 

I also get that question asked sometimes directed at me. Nothing urks me more then that and especially the tone they ask that in. But i do also understand that they are just wanting to know that you have the confidence in what your doing.

 

ill admit there were times i didnt know a question when asked, and instead of pulling it out my a$$ i explain that i do not know but will certainly find out and get back to you asap. This happens more in the discovery/planning stages though.

[suke]

I've used both............and rarely get the pressure washer out now when doing customers cars. It's too much a PITA to drag it out every time.

[dipolley]

A short while later when we were leaving the house he was really impressed with how wet and amazing my freshly cleaned black SS looked. So maybe I should of brought him out to my truck to begin with instead of saying anything

 

Yeah next time just take him over and point at the SS and walk away. You won't even have to speak and win that arguement.

[JBlack151]

Was there any justification for his thought process or was it just purely assumption that using a pressure washer was superior?

 

Dylan, I believe his assumption is the pressure washer is the superior choice, and does not know about much other techniques to wash or detail.

 

The person who was questioning my process was my good friends cousin. I did not show any weakness when providing him my reasoning for not using a pressure washer. We were simply in a conversation about detailing cars because I was giving my good friend some of my business cards when we began this disagreement. Wouldn't say it escalated to an argument.

 

A short while later when we were leaving the house he was really impressed with how wet and amazing my freshly cleaned black SS looked. So maybe I should of brought him out to my truck to begin with instead of saying anything

 

I just was curious if there is any other people out there who may have the same feeling as he did about pressure washers being the expected choice when detailing.

 

Thanks for the responses so far guys.

[07RS4]

interesting, i never heard that using a pressure washer can remove wax. I use a pressure washer/sheet rinse for every single wash and i haven't noticed a degration of wax...I use a 40 degree nozzle and it doesnt seem that harsh.

 

Could wax stripping by a pressure washer be mis interpreted with towel drying? (which i dont do any more)

 

your the "expert" in this situation. if your customer was such an expert then why has he hired you to do his car

 

Every now and again i get asked on my methods or told by a client that read a consumer way of installing av gear and question if my way is the right way or its the right product. This also comes in a condescending tone from the client, When this happens i explain to them why i do it this way and why this is better then the way they read on a hackers DIY forum, i also make sure that in a polite manor i explain to the client that i am the expert and if you know so much then why did you hire me (again in a polite way and reworded different) This usually ends in a laugh and "ill leave you be"

 

What i have found is that people are either looking for a fight or wanting reassurement in the confidence of your work and that they hired the right person. NEVER SHOW THEM YOUR WEAK OR ACT LIKE YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING

 

Great point...almost transpires into one of the most important characteristics of being a good leader. No matter what decision you make...good, bad, whatever. You stick to your guns no matter what...as long as you are prepared to take the heat for the outcome.

 

The worst leaders are the ones that can't make a decision...the flip-floppers so to speak.

[3PedalMINI]

interesting, i never heard that using a pressure washer can remove wax. I use a pressure washer/sheet rinse for every single wash and i haven't noticed a degration of wax...I use a 40 degree nozzle and it doesnt seem that harsh.

 

Could wax stripping by a pressure washer be mis interpreted with towel drying? (which i dont do any more)

 

your the "expert" in this situation. if your customer was such an expert then why has he hired you to do his car

 

Every now and again i get asked on my methods or told by a client that read a consumer way of installing av gear and question if my way is the right way or its the right product. This also comes in a condescending tone from the client, When this happens i explain to them why i do it this way and why this is better then the way they read on a hackers DIY forum, i also make sure that in a polite manor i explain to the client that i am the expert and if you know so much then why did you hire me (again in a polite way and reworded different) This usually ends in a laugh and "ill leave you be"

 

What i have found is that people are either looking for a fight or wanting reassurement in the confidence of your work and that they hired the right person. NEVER SHOW THEM YOUR WEAK OR ACT LIKE YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING

[Team Adam's]

Was there any justification for his thought process or was it just purely assumption that using a pressure washer was superior?

[Team Adam's]

Why would it matter if i spray your car with a hose off a fire truck or if I spray it one water droplet at a time? The results are most important.

 

I'd tell this "person" to take a long walk off a short pier.

[BlueGenCoupe]

I personally like washing with the pressure washer. I live in an area where water pressure isn't that great, so if I were to use the fire hose nozzle it wouldn't really rinse off any bird crap or dirt/mud. Another reason why I like the pressure washer is b/c I use a foam cannon and it suds up my car 1000x better than a foam gun. Now since im using the foam cannon and the pressure washer is already out, I just rinse off the car with it.

 

Like Frank mentioned above, It "MAY" rinse off any wax, but I always apply a fresh coat of Americana every month of 2.

[TK427]

Besides all that, the customer has to realize that some pressure washers have such a high PSI, it's like washing your car with little many sand beads, "in a sense"! Bye Bye wax, that's been my experience.

[mc2hill]

It can be an education for the customer. If they are wanting results - be sure to focus on the results and not your particular process.

 

Completely agree with you on this. Good choice of words!

 

Very well said Dave. Educate them on the benefits of your process over the use of the pressure washer.

[JBlack151]

It can be an education for the customer. If they are wanting results - be sure to focus on the results and not your particular process.

 

Completely agree with you on this. Good choice of words!

[DaveVY]

It can be an education for the customer. If they are wanting results - be sure to focus on the results and not your particular process.

 

I rarely use the pressure washer, only when the dirt and grime is too much for the fire hose nozzle. I don't want to be bothered getting the pressure washer out and setting it up. I don't think the pressure washer has been used on a car in a few months now... But if a customer really wanted a pressure washer to be used then I would accommodate that.

 

Oh, and if I was up north again I would use the pressure washer too, to clean the undercarriage of the salt spray.