Auto Detailing News - January 2019 by JV

VOL. 4, NO. 1 WINTER 2019

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CONTENTS Detail Doctor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Equipping a Professional Detail Center

Stains Explained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Deadly Urine

Modern Detailing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Gift Certificates

Porsche or Pinto . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Nitty Gritty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Getting to Know Daryl Spencer

IDA News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

One More Thing ...

Letter from the Editor

Happy New Year, everyone. My New Year’s

probationary-magazine-publication-period and

resolution for 2019 is to eat more carbs, and watch

it is blue skies from here. Also, if you are located

more television. I have set the bar pretty high as

somewhat near me (I am in Upstate New York – 2

carbohydrates are a known staple in my pantry,

hours North of New York City) please invite me to

purse, car, coat pocket… Along with those two

your business. I would love to see your operation,

admirable determinations is one a bit more noble

your in-person ‘afters’ and also learn a thing or two.

and shareworthy as it involves all of you. I vow to

A few years ago, Yvan Lacroix invited me to detail

put even more blood, sweat and tears into each

a vehicle exterior. It was illuminating, fascinating

issue of Auto Detailing News. Greatly inspired by

and exhausting. I have yet to detail an interior. I am

New Membership Initiatives

those featured in this issue, such as Daryl Spencer,

willing and ready.

Fuel IDA Growth

and in past issues, I vow to pound the pavement

In other news, I got to attend the Kleen-Rite

Innovations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

and work as steadfastly as possible to make sure you

Expo in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Not only was I

In the News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

are all represented, informed and showcases. First

excited to go and purchase some scrapple (my moth-

order of business will be heading out to Orlando

er’s side of the family is from Shamokin, PA), I was

Tricks of the Trade . . . . . . . . . . 24

for the 2018 Mobile Tech Expo. At the Expo, I

also excited to see the warehouse facility with my

sincerely want to meet every single one of you. I

own two eyes. There were also fantastic seminars,

Winter Safety Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

will be there with Publisher Jackson Vahaly, and

and wonderful food.

from Osha

Cover Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

we want to hear your stories. Tell us how you got

continued ...

started, how you hope to finish. What makes you tick. Track me down, interrupt me if I am sitting at a table eating lunch (carb-filled, of course), and I will not mind one bit. Each issue keeps getting better and better and I want it to continue that way. We are now into our fourth year of production (happy anniversary to us, clink your champagne glasses) which means we surpassed the dreaded three-year

Vol. 4, No. 1, Winter 2019 Publisher: Jackson Vahaly Editor: Debra Gorgos Design: Katy Barrett-Alley Auto Detailing News is published 4 times per year and is independently owned by Jackson Vahaly. Web address is www.autodetailingnews.com

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS |

Letter from the Editor Special shout out to detailer Zoltan Revesz and Bob Kuczik of Wheel-eez . It is not very often three Hungarians are in the same space together. With names like Revesz, Kuczik and Gorgos, we were one powerful Hungarian trifecta. If I don’t get to meet or see you at Mobile Tech, then you can always reach me at debrag@autodetailingnews.com or by calling 518-598-2287. Until next time,

Join Today & Get Involved! The-IDA.com

AUTO DETAILING NEWS

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

DETAIL DOCTOR

Equipping a Professional Detail Center Bud Abraham is Founder and President Emeritus of DETAIL PLUS Car Appearance Systems, with more than 40 years of experience in the car care industry as a manufacturer, operator, distributor and consultant. He writes articles and gives seminars on the subject of auto detailing throughout the automotive industry. He can be reached at buda@detailplus.com.

By Bud Abraham buda@detailplus.com It is not enough to be a good detailer. You must know how to run a business that does detailing. If there is any one thing that plagues the detail industry it is the detailer’s inability to operate a profitable business and part of that problem is the inability to purchase equipment that will decrease the time to detail a vehicle and reduce the labor needed to complete

the job. In both cases you make money and save money. But many under-capitalized detail business owners say: “But, I cannot afford it?” To those I say, “You can’t afford not to have the equipment.” Look at it this way, you are paying for the equipment without having it. How so? Fewer cars produced per day (more money) and higher labor costs. That said, let me outline what I think you should consider in the way of equipment for a professional detail center.

Editor’s Note: While we here at Auto Detailing News admire and appreciate Bud Abraham, please note that his opinions expressed in his Detail Doctor columns do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Auto Detailing News. If you have a strong opinion about Bud’s article, feel free to write a Letter to the Editor and send it to Debra Gorgos at debrag@autodetailingnews.com.

THE MINIMUM

Before presenting my suggestions let me tell you what a huge percentage of the detail operations in the United States and the world, use in the way of equipment to operate their detail shops: ✔✔ Electric Buffer ✔✔ Portable Shop Vacuum ✔✔ Water Hose and Nozzle ✔✔ Electric Extension Cord ✔✔ Supply of Plastic Squeeze Bottles ✔✔ Supply of Plastic Spray Bottles ✔✔ Supply of Brushes of Various Types ✔✔ Supply of Diapers or Rags ✔✔ Maybe a Chamois or Two ✔✔ Inventory of Chemicals

Seriously, there are many detail shops today that operate with only the equipment I have described above. They may have more than one buffer or vacuum, but that is the extent of the equipment they utilize. At the next level you have other detail shops that might add to the above list the following equipment: Add These to the List ✔✔ Portable Soil Extractor ✔✔ High Pressure Washer ✔✔ Electric Orbital Waxer ✔✔ Detail Carts Between the Vehicles continued ...

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS |

DETAIL DOCTOR

NOW, FOR THE ULTIMATE LIST

Moving forward you will find other detail shops that take the investment of equipment even more seriously, and they will add to the above lists: ✔✔ Minimum 5Hp to 10HP Air Compressor ✔✔ Air Operated Rotary Buffer ✔✔ Air Operated Mini-Orbital Waxer ✔✔ Air Operated Rotary Shampooer ✔✔ Vapor Steamer ✔✔ Ozone Generators for Odor Elimination ✔✔ Automatic Chemical Dilution Systems Once an operator reaches this level of investment in equipment you also will see that their facility is usually first rate. Painted and in good repair both inside and out; excellent lighting in the shop, clean and orderly customer service area. Often these detail shop operators are not even doing detailing, but spending their time operating the business. The final level of equipment that a detail shop owner could invest in would be systems that provide a central distribution of chemicals, air, electricity and even remote-mounted pressure wash system. A shop that is ergonomically organized based on time and motion. That is, everything has a place and everything is in its place so that the detailer is as efficient in performing their work as an operating room surgeon.

AUTO DETAILING NEWS

THE EQUIPMENT ROOM

Such an equipped shop begins with an organized and efficiently set up equipment room. In this room you would have the following: ✔✔ Air Compressor ✔✔ Pressure Washer ✔✔ Washer/Dryer for Towels ✔✔ Automatic Chemical Dilution System ✔✔ Bulk Holding System for Chemicals ✔✔ Pressurized Chemical Holding Tanks and/or ✔✔ Automatic Chemical Dilution and Pumping System (Hydrominder System as used in automatic carwashes)

THE WASH BAYS

For example, the wash bays are set up like a self service car care facility with a hose boom on the wall or ceiling and an on/off switch to turn the system on and off. This is much more efficient and quiet than starting and stopping a noisy gasoline powered unit in the wash bay. For chemical dispensing you mount on the walls chemical dispensers with chemical lines for each chemical used. These lines are plumbed from the chemical dispensing system in the equipment room. You simply grab the line, turn on the valve; spray and that’s it. Fast, efficient, no waste and safe.

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

DETAIL BAYS – DISPENSING WORK STATIONS

The dispensing work stations are the epitome of professional, organized and efficient auto detailing. Placed on each side of every vehicle, work stations provide all the chemicals needed to clean and shampoo the interior and trunk as well as compound. They also provide the polish and wax to the exterior paint, air to power the air tools, and internal wet/dry vacuum, as well as a heated soil extractor, all within reach of the detailer as they are working on the vehicle. The work stations are supplemented by the portable detail work cart. This would have three shelves on it – one for towels, one for buffing pads, and, one for tools. In addition, it would contain a rack for all hand tools and brushes and bins for dirty towels and garbage. There needs to be absolutely nothing else in the detail bay area, but the work stations and the detail carts. However, some operators like to keep a metal cabinet in the work area to house specialty chemicals, paints, tools, etc. so that they are in easy reach of the detailer as they do their work. Everyone has an opinion about what equipment is needed to equip a detail shop. That is why I started at what I would call the base level and moved toward the professionally equipped detail shop. Keep in mind that at each level

of equipment, the detail shop becomes more organized and more efficient. It is not a case of being able to afford a Yugo vs. a Rolls Royce. It is a matter of both saving money (labor and chemical costs) and making money. You make more money by being able to process more vehicles per man-hour paid. Most detail shops are paying for the sophisticated equipment they don’t have. How? For example, if your average revenue per car is $100 and you could increase your efficiency with the equipment by one half a vehicle per day that would be an increase in revenues of $50 per day, $300 per week or $1,300 per month. This would be more than enough to make an equipment lease payment for all the equipment your shop would need. Now if you could increase by one car per day the amounts would double. Add to this the reduction of chemical waste and theft by having chemicals stored in bulk tanks and you are generating even more savings to pay for the equipment you want but don’t have. Finally, if you could reduce your labor by only one half a person, at minimum wage a day the savings are even greater. For example, 4 hours x $12 per hour = $48 per day, $240 per week or $1040 per month. Detailers must think positive not negative. They can afford the equipment they don’t have if they look at the expense of equipment as a cost savings. Good detailing and see you next issue.

STAINS

EXPLAINED

Deadly Urine …and why you should always wear gloves In a post that has made the rounds on Facebook detailing forums, a woman pleads with others to be careful and wear gloves if they are exposed to pet urine. Her husband was working on a truck in which the carpet was soaked with dog urine. Not wearing any gloves, her husband almost died and spent 30 days in the hospital due to leptospirosis. Here is her post (which she initially posted on the Facebook group Truck Mount Forums): Hey all… I’ve seen posts over the last few days with pics of carpet soaked in dog pee I thought I’d share a story. [My husband was on life] support after contracting leptospirosis from dog pee. He lifted soaking carpet … had a small cut on his hand and that’s how it started. He’s done this a thousand times before like I’m sure you all have. By Monday night he had full organ failure. They told me he had little hope of surviving. 16 days in ICU. 30 days in hospital. I could go into the horrors, but I think this covers it. Wear gloves and wash your hands. Ps: He’s made a full recovery thankfully” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

“Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. In humans, it can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which may be mistaken for other diseases. Some infected persons, however, may have no symptoms at all. Without treatment, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.”

KNOW THE SYMPTOMS If you think you were exposed to contaminated urine, know that the time between a person’s exposure to a contaminated source and becoming sick is two days to four weeks. According to the CDC, illness usually begins abruptly with fever and other symptoms. Leptospirosis may occur in two phases: ✔✔ After the first phase (with fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or diarrhea) the patient may recover for a time but become ill again. ✔✔ If a second phase occurs, it is more severe; the person may have kidney

or liver failure or meningitis. The illness lasts from a few days to 3 weeks or longer. Without treatment, recovery may take several months.

MORE FACTS FROM THE CDC ✔✔ It is estimated that 100-150 Leptospirosis cases are identified annually in the United States. About 50% of cases occur in Puerto Rico. ✔✔ The largest recorded U.S. outbreak occurred in 1998, when 775 people were exposed to the disease. Of these, 110 became infected. ✔✔ Although incidence in the United States is relatively low, leptospirosis is considered to be the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world. ✔✔ It’s estimated that more than 1 million cases occur worldwide each year, including an about 59,000 deaths.

GOT GOOD GLOVES? Of course, wearing gloves is one of the best ways to prevent an infection, but are you wearing the right ones? According

to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “If a workplace hazard assessment reveals t h a t e m p l o ye e s face potential injury to hands and arms that cannot be eliminated through engineering and work practice controls, employers must ensure that employees wear appropriate protection. Potential hazards include skin absorption of harmful substances, chemical or thermal burns, electrical dangers, bruises, abrasions, cuts, punctures, fractures and amputations. Protective equipment includes gloves, finger guards and arm coverings or elbow-length gloves.” The following information from OSHA outlines the different types of chemical- and liquid-resistant gloves which are made with different kinds of rubber: Natural, butyl, neoprene, nitrile and fluorocarbon (viton); or various kinds of plastic: polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinyl alcohol and polyethylene. These materials can be blended or laminated. continued ...

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS |

MODERN

DETAILING

Gift Certificates The gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving… By Rob Schruefer

rob@onspotdetailing.com Rob Schruefer is the owner of On The Spot Detailing out of Columbia, Maryland. He proudly serves on the board of the International Detailing Association and works tirelessly to ensure that detailing business owners receive business development support to help them achieve their goals.

Detailers often ask me how to squeeze extra money out of their business, especially during the slow season. If you do not live in Florida, most detailing businesses slow down in the winter months, and this can be difficult on cash flow. Every winter brings a struggle to pay bills, keep staff, and make ends meet. Luckily, for the detailing industry, two of the biggest holidays for detailing arrive

AUTO DETAILING NEWS

in the winter and can be capitalized on through the sale of gift certificates.

✔✔ Christmas (December 25)

have found that work well:

✔✔ Valentine’s Day (February 14)

Most detailing companies either only passively sell gift certificates and some do not do it at all. This is a major mistake and could be costing you thousands of dollars when it could be used the most. Gift certificates are a great way to receive income now and not have to complete the service until the spring or summer months (most likely). This method of getting paid and deferring work until the busy season can help support a particularly bad winter.

✔✔ Mother’s Day (May)

Social Media: Around each holiday post several times a week about your gift certificates and why they make a great gift. It is important to convey that most people really enjoy a clean vehicle and commute. Therefore, gifting such a luxury service (which they may not purchase for themselves, but would greatly appreciate) is a wonderful gift idea.

You can sell Gift Certificates throughout the year, but the following holidays are when you will sell the most and when they should be actively promoted:

✔✔ Father’s Day (June) Between Christmas and Valentine’s Day alone, On The Spot sells $75k in gift certificates. We also average a return rate of around 66%, which means 1/3 of the gift certificates we sell are never redeemed. This equates to an additional $25,000 in my pocket every winter without having to do any work at all. When put like this, it seems stupid to not sell them. The question then becomes HOW do you sell gift certificates in large amounts around the time of each holiday. There are a few ways that we

Email Blasts: Use your email list of previous customers to send out specials or discounts to already existing customers. These customers have used your service before, and therefore know of the quality service you provide and see the value in a detailing service. They are far more likely to purchase details for loved ones or colleagues than continued ...

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

Deadly Urine continued ...

MODERN DETAILING cold leads from social media. One of the specials we have found that works is to offer a $10 or $15 Gift Certificate with the purchase of a Full Detail. This deal serves two functions: It gets you in front of a new customer, but also forces the old customer to spend more money because their gift certificate will only cover a small portion of another service. Suggestive Selling: Around the Holidays each of our detailers are trained to mention to every client that they service that we offer gift certificates. Some are purchased right then, but it is in front of their mind when they are stuck shopping for a person who is difficult to buy for. Gift certificates are easy to sell, and with programs like Shopify and others like it, they are also easy to

create and maintain. Gift certificate selling programs can create unique identifier numbers and also keep lists of purchased ones for redemption later. If set up correctly, the sale of gift certificates can basically be hands off and labor free. If you do not already sell gift certificates in your business, you are making a mistake and missing out on a lot of money. If you have them, but do not actively push and market them, sales will never reach their full potential. Ask any detailer who promotes and sells them, they will tell you that not doing so will be detrimental to your long term success. And, remember, Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day is only weeks away.

BUTYL GLOVES: Made of a synthetic rubber. These protect against chemicals, such as peroxide, rocket fuels, highly corrosive acids (nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid and red-fuming nitric acid), strong bases, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters and nitrocompounds. They resist oxidation, ozone corrosion and abrasion, and remain flexible at low temperatures. Butyl rubber does not perform well with aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and halogenated solvents. NATURAL (LATEX) RUBBER GLOVES: Temperature resistant and resistant to abrasions caused by grinding and polishing, they protect from most water solutions of acids, alkalis, salts and ketones. Latex gloves have caused allergic reactions in some individuals and may not be appropriate for all employees.

NEOPRENE GLOVES: Made of synthetic rubber. These protect against hydraulic fluids, gasoline, alcohols, organic acids and alkalis. They generally have chemical and wear resistance properties superior to those made of natural rubber. NITRILE GLOVES: Made of a copolymer, these provide protection from chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene. Although intended for jobs requiring dexterity and sensitivity, nitrile gloves stand up to heavy use even after prolonged exposure to substances that cause other gloves to deteriorate. They offer protection when working with oils, greases, acids, caustics and alcohols but are generally not recommended for use with stronvg oxidizing agents, aromatic solvents, ketones and acetates.

VOL. 4, NO. 1 â&#x20AC;˘ WINTER 2019 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS |

GAMES

Porsche or Pinto?

___ 2018 Kia Cadenza ___ 2018 Toyota Prius ___ 2018 Volkswagen Golf

It’s no secret that detailers know their cars. But, let’s put the skills to the test.

___ 2019 Kia Optima

But, let’s put the skills to the test. Can you tell the make, model and year of each vehicle posted below? Answers are on the bottom of the page. Good luck!

___ 2019 Toyota Carolla ___ 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan

e. 2018 Toyota Prius f. 2019 Kia Optima |

AUTO DE TAILING NEWS

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

c. 2018 Kia Cadenza d. 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan

a. 2018 Volkswagen Golf b. 2019 Toyota Carolla

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Nitty Gritty

Getting to Know...

Daryl Spencer owner of Chariot Sprucers Mobile Detailing By Bob Kuczik

bobk@wheel-eez.com Daryl Spencer began detailing cars in New Jersey at the age of 14 when his father’s best friend offered him a job at his Elizabeth car wash. Riding his moped to work, he became a sort of “painter’s helper” and was “mesmerized as he learned how to take old cars and make them look new.” He detailed cars throughout high school and then financed his college studies each day by detailing, eventually acquiring his B.A. from Kean College in Recreation Therapy. After using that degree briefly, he switched to a full time pursuit of his true muse, mobile detailing, and never looked back. Today, Daryl owns and operates Chariot Sprucers, a one-man mobile

AUTO DETAILING NEWS

operation which services clients right outside of New York City in the state of New Jersey. Chariot Sprucers (chariotsprucers.com) currently has strong relationships with over 50 body shops and important accounts such as the Mercedes Benz corporate headquarters and Classic Car Hotel. Daryl is on the road by 4 a.m. and has had no luck finding a new “painter’s helper” willing to work and hustle as hard as he has for most of his life. Without the need for a brick and mortar setting, Daryl runs his company via word-of-mouth referrals, long standing account repeat business and he uses National Detail Pros in Utah to keep his business rolling along. With 36 years of experience under his belt — including buying and selling over 160 cars obtained as a detailer — |

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

Daryl agreed to sit down and share some of his knowledge and opinions with Auto Detailing News. Bob Kuczik: Why do you use National Detail Pros these days when you have so much on your plate? Daryl Spencer: About 2 years ago I hooked up with them because, unfortunately, there is not much repeat business these days… it’s a total 360 from the past. I think you get stale if you don’t recognize that the mobile detail business continues to evolve, and I see National Detail Pros as the “Uber” of our industry. It’s the perfect business model. Like Uber, they set the pricing. When necessary I can upsell in conjunction with what the customer needs and wants to

pay. I select the jobs I want to work on my Chariot Sprucer schedule. If the customer needs more than the package they selected, I include an upsell on the work order and they pay National Detail Pros by credit card. I only take cash, so the customer has that option, too. It has been a great relationship. They are 75% of my work now. Not just cars, boats too and cycles, RVs, almost anything on wheels or that travels. It’s all bid-based. As an early mobile detailer what advice can you give to someone starting out? Be flexible. My passion has always been for old classic cars, but technology has sped along at a mind-numbing pace. I would say that the school of hard continued ...

knocks has been my greatest advantage. For about 6 years we had the concession and I did all the prep for the Atlantic City Car Auction. For 15 years I did prelaunch prep for Mercedes USA in Park Ridge. They called multiple detail shops, and no one wanted the work, which was a lot of D camouflage and armor. It entailed in-house work and product shoots with studios in metro NY. Fun stuff! I was pounding the pavement, knocking on doors and meeting the right people. I hate to lose any job, always have, so I don’t turn much down if there is a profit and I can do it. When you don’t have a place of business outside of your home it pays to be very flexible. Everywhere I went I talked about car detailing. You are saying that you cannot count on resting on a steady flow from regular accounts, yes? The meet and greets, and mom and pop shops that I dealt with for 25 years are gone now. The dealerships are still

around, but most are cutthroat and the payment structure, the way that they work, it’s just impossible to make it work. Basically, you must float them for three months for cost of materials because they give you free spots to work. Body shops only want to pay $20 for time. The days when they would throw in a professional detail are gone because the insurance companies tell the shops how much they are willing to pay and that is limited to 20 minutes or $50 so now they run the job through a car wash for $8. I still have a couple of shops that give my number out, but they are few and far between. But you are still doing this so what makes you continue? I have a daughter at the University of Vermont which eats up my spare classic car money and I would like to work until the driverless cars hit the streets. Seriously, I always get turned on by the interior “WOW” factor when you take a real cruddy car and make heads

turn after you are done. Cars that have been beat up after long trips, paw prints on windows, 15 pounds of Jersey Shore sand in the carpets make my day. What has been your style of selling your services? I ask questions right at the start to find out expectations and the history of the automobile. Why are you detailing the car? (I went out with my buddies and trashed the interior and don’t want to tell my wife) How is this vehicle used? (I have someone who transports barn animals) What are you looking to spend? (The price range that you are both comfortable with to do the work) Do you garage the car? Is it a spare vehicle? Do you have pets who shed? How often do you bring the car to get washed? Weekly? Every two weeks? Monthly? Never?

Nitty Gritty Are you looking to sell the car? Give it to a family member? Take to auction? All of this factors in when I quote pricing and I have no set pricing … no prices on my website. By asking what a person is looking to accomplish and what they want to pay I can customize the job. And I find that this system works for me. Since 75% of your work is generated online what else is different? I ask for photos showing me the state of the car. They can email, text or send by snail mail, but the photographs are important. I want to land the job immediately, so text messaging works fast and effectively. Sales people are good customers since they use cars as offices

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VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS |

Nitty Gritty

and drink coffee, eat meals and transport their key accounts whicrh makes having the interior clean very important. I notice that most sales people have dark interiors because it is so hard to keep the tan interiors clean with all that dirt getting ground up in the leather. I quote based on time and materials. If the customer wants to provide the products I will use I will let them and just quote labor, but I dictate the product to be used and they rarely want to bring their own. People always want to spend as little as possible, so I work with them to understand the costs associated with doing the work properly. Speaking of products which materials are you using? Heat is free and it is essential to my method of detailing. Windows and wheels are most critical. Prepping the car correctly is the key. So I swear by Prepsol, which is water-based. And I go to WD-40 a lot, isopropyl and the windows are easy to maintain with these products. I have had success over the years with Mothers® products and this year I started searching for more products that are eco-friendly, non-acidic and biodegradable. I always wear neoprene gloves, especially to get rid of bugs and tar, but I don’t want to breath in toxic fumes and I

AUTO DE TAILING NEWS

prefer not to wear goggles. I need to get the wheels perfect as they are used by most to measure for the quality of the job so I have been using Wheel-eez for the past 6 months on rims and it does an excellent job removing brake dust and meets the safety criteria. Their products for cycles and boats are all effective. And I detailed about 85 boats this year as well. The profit in detailing a boat in a single day compares with my classic car jobs. Very soft hog hair brushes are the best. Any type of brush will scratch, but with the correct technique it is not a factor with hog hair. A lot of manufacturers don’t provide the rubber cup which prevents the sediment at the bottom of the bucket from harming the surface. Spend the money on the version with a dirt guard or you will do more harm than good. What about towels? I use microfiber and let them air-dry. Make sure that you don’t use the same towels for different products and keep the chemical product on one side and buff with the other. And cut off the labels and tags as they can cause scratches. This is basic stuff everyone knows, but sometimes fail to follow. Do you fix dings and dents? No, I don’t take on any body shop

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

issues. When a prospective customer reluctantly admits that they scratched a bumper or door while backing out of the garage, and since I am negotiating the job from a remote location, I ask them to use the rule of thumb test so that I can determine if the repair can be entirely fixed by sanding, buffing and polishing. A lot of people think that a scuff is a scuff and a scratch is a scratch. Today a car is a piece of sheet metal, primer, base coat with the paint color, and the clear coat. Clear coat protects the surface and many body shops only use one layer of clear coat when the manufacturer specified two and the customer is not using a paint depth gauge to see how many applications of clear coat were provided. I stick to detailing and avoid dents and dings. Why did you decide to stay entirely mobile and not have a brick and mortar location? I would rather work at the customer’s location and I prefer natural light to work in. If it’s cold I use a waterless way to clean the car. With Prepsol and solvents I also depend on heat whether it is winter or summer. I can’t use the garden hose or pressure washers below freezing, but that doesn’t stop me from working. Years ago, I would book work 2 months out, now it is two weeks out. I take all kinds of work, even flood

cars from down south like a brand-new Corvette recently. I moved to boats, RVs, and anything that needs detailing. The 5-step procedure is what I do, but people don’t always want to pay for it. Cut it, polish it, take out the scratches and swirls and compound it, fine polish, wax and glaze. There are products that say you can compound and polish together, but I won’t use them. I may be a dinosaur, but I don’t see ceramic coatings as a solution or a threat to what I do. My website has 17 pages of images with my proudest work. That is who I am and that is why I continue to work as a mobile detailer.

Bob Kuczik is Director, Sales & Marketing Cork Industries/Wheel-eez Division with corporate offices in Jacksonville, Florida and Folcroft, Pennsylvania. He is a member of IDA and ICA. Bob lives in New Jersey and can be reached at (201) 819-7937 or at bobk@wheel-eez.com.

IDA NEWS

New Membership Initiatives Fuel IDA Growth

By Erin Reyes, IDA Communications Coordinator

The Inter national Detailing Association is accelerating and shows no signs of slowing down. Indeed, 2018 has been a tremendous year for the International Detailing Association (IDA) in terms of accomplishments by and for the membership. On February 15th, the organization celebrated its first annual Love Your Detailer Day – an occasion established to recognize IDA members and increase consumer awareness of detailing professionals and the industry. April brought the IDA its 1000th lifetime Certified Detailer (CD) designee, a number which has long since been surpassed. By October 2018, the IDA counted 1,000 active members amongst its ranks, another figure which is consistently growing. Additionally, the association underwent a website redesign, launched a

logo wear store, and updated its membership and certification patches – all with the goal of enhancing the IDA experience for current and future members. But, of course, these achievements have not come out of thin air. Most have come about due to concerted efforts by the IDA Membership Committee with Chair Joe DiFiore, CD-SV, at the helm. The committee’s labors were borne from an overall successful membership year in 2017 that just fell short in a couple areas. “We concluded 2017 with membership increasing by 391 total members year over year – a 72% increase,” explained DiFiore. “However, our non-renewal rate has steadily been 30-40%, which is unacceptable. Our committee needed to find a way to further enhance and create more membership value and awareness.” So, what was the committee’s solution? In addition to the aforementioned efforts, they developed and introduced a new membership structure.

New IDA Membership Structure Membership Type

Annual Fee

Operator (Main)....................................................... $110 Operator (Employee, Unlimited)............................. $25 each Supplier – Manufacturer (Main)............................. $350 Supplier – Manufacturer (Employee, 1-4).............. FREE Supplier – Manufacturer (Employee, 5+)............... $25 each Supplier – Distributor (Main)................................. $250 Supplier – Distributor (Employee, Unlimited)........ $25 each Institutional (Main)................................................. FREE Institutional (Employee, Unlimited)........................ FREE Student.................................................................... $47.50

AUTO DE TAILING NEWS

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

“There was a real need to make membership more accessible to shop operator employees and also small distributors,” said DiFiore. “The full price of membership for all employees was just too expensive as it was.” Before the restructure, each individual had to pay the full membership price ($110 for operators and $350 for all suppliers), even if the main company contact (usually the business owner) was already a member. This cost was often absorbed by said owner, making it essentially unattainable for small startup detailing operations or distributors. If the owner could not pay for additional memberships, the employee(s) would oftentimes go without IDA membership, meaning they were missing out on valuable resources offered through exclusive member benefits that would have helped them to strengthen their skills. This ended up being a lose-lose-lose situation for companies, the association, and, ultimately, the industry. The introduction of the new membership structure is meant to alleviate that issue. Now, any company or organization – whether a detail operation, supply distributor, or manufacturer – no matter the size, can add an unlimited number of employees to their existing membership for a reduced fee (see sidebar for specifics). (Institutional memberships remain free for accredited schools, and unlimited employees can be added for no cost, as well.) With the changes, it is now easier than ever for members to get their whole team or company involved with the IDA. One of the earliest members to take advantage of the new offering is Art Baca, CD-SV, owner of Art of Detail, who recently brought two employees onboard. “I think that the employee membership option is a fantastic way to get them

involved as professionals in the industry,” said Baca. “Being members will provide my employees with the resources and networking they need to help their careers get to the next level. Their excitement to be a part of the IDA shows they truly care about the value we offer as professional detailers and members of the International Detailing Association.” In addition to being cost-efficient for shop owners and suppliers, the new structure allows employees – as Baca explained – to gain access to all the same prime member benefits, including educational content, a network of professionals, and a discount on the IDA Certification program. This not only helps the individuals improve as detailers, but also helps their companies succeed. Now when detailers are considering employment at a company, they can use the lure of IDA membership to help them decide where they want to work. “By allowing additional employees a membership at $25 with full member access, this provides the shop owner the opportunity to offer IDA membership to their employees as a benefit,” explained DiFiore. “Our committee has now created a way to grow the membership side and also create more consumer awareness, due to increased numbers.” If employees recognize that a company is willing to invest in them by offering IDA membership – a chance to learn, connect, and grow – then they will be more likely to invest their time and skills into the company and help it grow and flourish in turn. Employee membership is also a benefit for the shop owners themselves, as IDA membership reduces the learning curve for in-shop training, so employers can focus less on teaching the basics and more on growing their business. The new structure has made it easier

for members to join, while the new auto-renewal option – introduced at the end of 2017 – has made it easier for members to stay, subsequently leading to a much lower non-renewal rate. For current or new members who are interested in taking advantage of this exciting offer, please visit the IDA website at https://the-ida.com/Why_Join.

Communication Is Key Building on this year’s momentum, the Membership Committee has been hard at work to make the coming years even better. One of their primary endeavors is to improve communication with members, in order to continue increasing membership value. This past September, the committee sent a needs survey to all members,

looking for feedback on what they felt they were getting from their membership and what more they needed out of it. Impressively, over a quarter of the membership responded, and by far, the member benefit perceived as most valuable is the “association” itself – being able to associate with like-minded professionals and learn directly from experts within the industry. However, though communication between members themselves ranked highly, survey results showed that top-down communications could be improved. The committee, Board, and association at large have already taken this feedback to heart and have begun implementing plans to fill any gaps. One way the committee has already begun acting on this stemmed directly from the survey itself. Respondents were given the option to provide their contact information, if they wanted a

committee representative to reach out with more information or opportunities for them to get more involved with their professional association. The follow-up phone calls or emails gave the members – who otherwise might have been disengaged – a chance to have a personalized, one-on-one conversation with an association leader, opening the door for increased participation. Another such initiative is the addition of a biannual, member-exclusive print newsletter. While the current monthly e-newsletter helps keep members and non-member readers abreast of organization and industry news, the hard-copy publication will go further in depth on association happenings and really help showcase the work of the committees and what they are doing to help improve membership for all. Since emails and digital communications are starting to become white noise to some, the vision for the print piece is to set the IDA

apart as an organization that wants to reach all its members personally and help them succeed. Finally, the committee is working on a pre-recorded, on-demand introductory webinar to welcome new members to the association. This video will help orient them when it comes to accessing member benefits and making the most of the redesigned website. If these membership and marketing efforts sound exciting, the IDA invites those who are interested to join the Membership Committee (or any active committee) and find a way to get involved. The association is always looking for enthusiastic leaders who want to help the organization and the industry thrive. For more information, visit the-ida.com or contact info@the-ida.com.

WHEEL-EEZ® DETAIL PRO The Best Professional Wheel Cleaner

Clean the Dirtiest Wheels with Ease

“This is a Great Product that I Recommend to my Professional Detailing Colleagues!”

Mobile Tech Special: Wheel-eez.com/mtedetailer - Prentice St. Clair, IDA-CD/SV, RT; President, Detail in Progress, Inc.

WHEEL CLEANER

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS |

INNOVATIONS Advanced Paint Correction System

INTRODUCING NEW AND IMPROVED PRODUCTS FOR PROFESSIONAL AUTO, BOAT AND MOTORCYCLE DETAILERS.

Auto Magic, ITW Evercoat’s brand of professional car care products, announces the launch of its PC 1-2-3 Paint Correction System, an advanced three-step system incorporating micro-abrasive technology that cuts through paint imperfections and defects and restores the painted surfaces to like new condition. Each of the three steps in the system include materials and pads engineered to address different surface issues like sand scratches, acid rain, oxidation, and swirl marks. When used with a DA polisher and pads that are specifically designed for each step in the process, the painted surface is left with a brilliant, deep gloss, and swirl-free finish.

Water Study from the ICA

Water-powered Brush from Brush Hero

In the latest research release from International Carwash Association, a new study on Water Use, Evaporation and Carryout in Professional Car Washes is now available for download. A comprehensive study, as well as individual versions broken out for In-Bays and Conveyors, are available. The individual reports are a great tool to use in conversations with a water authority about water use. Demonstrating a carwash owner’s role as a water steward is increasingly important as drought continues to be an issue in municipalities. Being proactive in telling a story can lead to cost savings with the utilities, but also a partnership that will help protect a business when faced with drought restrictions.

Brush Hero is a water-powered cleaning and detailing tool designed for easy, shopquality DIY car care. It’s perfect for rims, tight wheel spokes, the engine bay and all the nooks and crannies on a motorcycle. It easily cuts through brake dust, grease and road muck. No batteries or electricity required, Brush Hero simply hooks up to any standard garden hose and scrubs with an impressive amount of torque. As avid cyclists and car guys, founders Glenn Archer and Kevin Williams were looking for a way to get at those wheel spokes without jammed up, scraped up knuckles. With a soft brush, a stiff brush and now an entire line of specialty brushes, soaps and accessories, the Brush Hero brand offers a fun, fast and efficient way to clean just about anything. While our mainstay is the automotive aisle, we’re delighted to see that customers are using Brush Hero to clean just about everything — boats, grills, garden tools, pottery, pumpkins, potatoes, koi ponds, lawnmowers, golf clubs, rain gutters, and vinyl siding.

Publication for Pressure Washing Launching January January 2019 will welcome a brand new quarterly magazine for the pressure washing industry! As the proud publishers of Self Serve Carwash News, we’re looking forward to expanding our grass-roots approach to trade journalism into yet another exciting industry of independent entrepreneurs. We personally built a database of over 4,300 pressure washing operations across the United States, and will be mailing 4X per year. Please get in touch with Jackson Vahaly at (jacksonv@pressurewashnews.com) if you’d like any additional information!

AUTO DETAILING NEWS

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

EVENTS CALENDAR

2019 Mobile Tech Expo - Orlando JAN 10-12, 2019

Orange County Convention Center Orlando, Florida www.mobiletechexpo.com

Autogeek’s 2019 Detail Fest & Car Show

MARCH 9-10, 2019 Palm Beach County Convention Center West Palm Beach, Florida www.autogeek.net/detail-fest.html

The Car Wash TM Show MAY 13-15, 2019 Music City Center Nashville, Tennessee www.carwash.org

Mobile Tech Expo – Las Vegas

In the News A United Approach CETA and PWNA host a first-ever co-conference in Orlando by Drew Ruble The Cleaning Equipment Trade Association (CETA) and the Power Washers of North America (PWNA) held a co-conference/trade show in October 2018 in Orlando, Florida. The event marked the first joint conference in the nearly three-decade-long existences of the two primary associations serving the pressure washing industry. Bringing together the manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors of pressure washing equipment with the operators out in the field doing the dirty jobs was clearly considered a win-win. Each of the organizations has since agreed to co-locate again in 2019. The conference covered a lot of pertinent information and proved to be a “must attend” for anyone serious about growing their profile in the industry. Attendees of all experience levels, though, benefitted through education and peer conversations with the people that make up these two associations. Entrepreneur and business consultant Paulette Sopoci of Strategic Coach, a

world-renowned business coaching company, was CETA’s keynote speaker at the October 2018 co-conference. Sopoci introduced attendees to the theory of “multiplication by subtraction.” It’s a business concept and book written by Sharon Waller, her colleague at Strategic Coach, that promises business growth as a result of “weeding out” problem employees. Sopoci said not unlike a plant, businesses are living organisms too. “Sometimes you have to break down in order to break through,” she said. “That’s multiplication by subtraction.”

Areas of business that are not contributing to the primary vision—namely, Sopoci said, “wrong-fit” employees— must be pruned. This can be tough. For instance, a business owner may need to prune a high-level producer who pulls in a lot of sales but who displays poor work habits and poor teamwork. Or they might have team members that have gotten them to a position of strength in the market but who are not going to take the business to the next level. Overcoming a sense of continued ...

SEP 5-7, 2019

South Point Hotel Las Vegas www.mobiletechexpo.com

SEMA Show 2019 NOV 5-8, 2019

Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas www.semashow.com

Car detailed after spending 10 years in the forest Detailer Larry Kosilla went out on a limb and tackled one heck of a mess when he decided to take on a 1994 Eagle Talon which had spent 10 years abandoned in a forest. On the YouTube series, Drive and Protect, Kosilla states the car is, “[one of] the most disgusting interiors known to man.” Including dead rodents, mold, dust, spiderwebs and bacteria, Kosilla had to first purchase a

respirator mask and full body Tyvek suit in order to work on the car’s interior. Kosilla is able to restore the car and make it shine again and safe for mechanics to get it up and running. To see the footage, visit “BIOHAZARD Detailing Dirtiest Car Ever! First Wash in 10 Years” on YouTube. It has been viewed almost 2.8 million times.

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS |

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INDUSTRY NEWS

A United Approach continued.... loyalty to do what’s best for the business and cut such employees loose, Sopoci said, is a tall order. What do you do, though, once you’ve finally fired an employee that has been dragging you down? How can you ensure that you make the “right” hire the next time? Dr. Michael W. Mercer, an industrial psychologist, was the PWNA keynote speaker at the Orlando event. Mercer has created a series of pre-employment tests used by companies to help evaluate and select job applicants who are more likely to become productive and low-turnover employees. In addition to assessments and tests Mercer recommends, he stressed that the interview process as a key to making the right employment choices. Rule No. 1 in interviews, according to Mercer, is only ask open-ended questions. It’s the only way you’ll get lots of information and be able to get a true feel for your job candidate. Simply get someone to talk like in natural conversation. This should feel natural. Plus it’s easy. Just ask an open-ended question and then commit to listening for three to five minutes. Encourage your applicant to tell you more or elaborate on something if they stop talking. “You are finding out about their thoughts, needs, goals, feelings, opinions, experiences—all the things you need to find out about in order to hire the best and avoid the rest,” Mercer said. The opposite and less-effective approach is talking too much, talking about

your company, what you want, what you need, and never really listening or getting a true feel for the applicant. Next, Mercer advised conducting a work simulation or role play with the applicant. “Would you buy a car without first driving it? Likewise, would you hire a job applicant like an inside sales person to do over-the-phone work without listening to them over the phone first? Listen to them do things over the phone. They may be great face to face but not over the phone,” Mercer said. Or what about an outside sales person? “Have them try to sell something to you,” Mercer advised. “Do they focus on what you need? The benefits of the product, or just the features? How do they handle objections? Do they overcome them well?” Mercer’s final bit of advice may be a difficult pill to swallow but he said is key to making the right hire and experiencing the future business success you crave. “Never ever, even if you are desperate, settle for someone second-best,” Mercer stressed. “If someone doesn’t do well on your tests, don’t hire them. If you don’t feel the trust after the interview, don’t hire them. If you don’t like the work simulation or role play, don’t hire them.” As the title of Mercer’s latest book states, Hire the Best . . . and Avoid the Rest. Don’t be desperate if you have a hard timing finding applicants, he said. Keep getting the job done on your own

until you find the right person. Attendees at the conference were also brought up to speed on many technical and legislative activities impacting the cleaning equipment industry. One key update was with regard to California’s controversial Prop 65 law. The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, more commonly known as Proposition 65, is a regulation out of California requiring businesses with 10 or more employees selling products in the state to provide warnings, typically in the form of labels or signs, for exposures to chemicals that cause cancer or reproductive harm. California maintains a list of chemicals it has determined present these effects, which currently holds more than 800 substances. The aim is that by requiring this disclosure of this information, the state’s citizens can make informed decisions about their exposure. Prop 65 does not require companies to reduce chemical concentrations, just to disclose the risk. All products manufactured after Aug. 30, 2018, require some type of warning. For the pressure washing industry, the expense of applying warning labels to each and every product is one major concern about Prop 65. Another concern is the liability implied by any such label. Getting fined and/or sued by the state is another obvious concern. In the past year, many manufacturers and suppliers in the cleaning equipment industry have been getting notices regarding failure to comply with Prop 65 as it relates to their California oper-

ations. It’s been more than an inconvenience. It means they are going to get fined, possibly sued, and probably need to hire an attorney. CETA officials explained at the conference that businesses don’t have to have Prop 65 labels on their equipment -- so long as they do have an exposure risk assessment on file in their business. CETA poured significant funding into a comprehensive study of what exactly should be covered in an exposure risk assessment. At issue were explanations of things such as what exactly do pressure wash operators touch on a spray gun or couplers and for how long, what chemicals they might be coming in contact with, etc. CETA eventually put together a workbook based on this exposure risk assessment workup, which contains a screening level assessment for indirect hand-to-mouth exposure to Prop 65-listed chemicals, as well as a screening level inhalation exposure assessment. This workbook also includes a tool to determine the concentration of Prop 65-listed chemicals in product components that would pose a “significant risk” under Prop 65 based on expected use scenarios of average consumers. Additionally, this workbook contains a template for how to evaluate Safety Data Sheets and Materials Analysis information from a Proposition 65 perspective. Drew Ruble is the Editor of Pressure Wash News, a publication serving the pressure washing industry.

Mini golf + detail shop opens in South Carolina Customers at Eva Car Solutions in Florence, South Carolina, can play mini golf while their vehicles are detailed, according to scnow.com. The business, which opened in December, offers interior and exterior detailing, window tinting and 19 holes of golf. Owner Dr. Enomba Ekwoge said in the story,“Being new in the country, I

went back to get my doctorate. I started a car-wash business and when I finished school, the plan was to drop it. It just grew and I continued to run it.” A similar business is located in Hartsville. Along with the golf course, Eva also offers a waiting room. “We’re always looking to grow,” Ekwoge said in the story.

“Clients have some kind of perspective when it comes to my industry. They don’t want to stand there and wait. We were looking for something that would keep a family, the clients, busy. So, mini golf came in that picture. We thought it might be a little bit more family friendly than just sitting in a waiting room and watching television.”

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS |

INDUSTRY NEWS

Another SEMA Success

Report: Auto soap, detergent market to see significant growth According to a press release from themarketmirror.com, the automotive industry is one the prime contributors to the overall GDP, which is anticipated to increase significantly in the foreseeable future. “Factors such as increased vehicle population, growing disposable income of consumers leading to consumer inclination towards improved car care services are driving the demand for auto detailing among consumers across the globe.” An industry-wide report by Future Market Insights, which can be found at https://www.futuremarketinsights. com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1861, states that the car wash detergents and soaps market in North America is anticipated to witness significant growth in the next five to six years. “This is attributed to new product launches and technological advancements by car wash detergent

and soap manufacturers, catering to the demand for consumers. Owing to increasing consumer inclination among consumers for car washing, Asia Pacific excluding Japan is expected to be potential market for car wash detergents and soaps market in the foreseen future.” The press release also states that global-wide, awareness of improved car washing methods have led to surge in consumer database especially for commercial car washing services. “This is in turn anticipated to drive the demand for car wash detergents and soaps among consumers.” According to the report, some of the players in the detergents and soaps market include Meguiar’s Inc., Griot’s Garage, Chemical Guys, 3M Co., Yac Chemicals Limited, Mothers and The Armor All/ STP Products Company.

THE

24/7 DETAILERS ROUNDTABLE 22

AUTO DETAILING NEWS

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

The 2018 SEMA Show, which took place October 30-November 2, 2018 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, drew more than 70,000 domestic and international buyers. SEMA (which stands for (Specialty Equipment Market Association) also awarded ITW Evercoat, OPTEX Color Changing Body Filler and Putty with the number one best new product award in the collision repair and refinish product category. The award is given each year to the most innovative and cutting-edge automotive aftermarket products that will be consumable in 2019.

Nearly 3,000 products were entered into the 16 different Showcase categories to be considered for a SEMA New Product Awards this year. Winners were selected based on a variety of factors that included superiority of innovation, technical achievement, quality and workmanship, consumer appeal and marketability, and more.

The runner-ups were Bonding Solutions, Like90 Gun Cleaner and Scangrip, NOVA-UV S. Next year’s SEMA Show will take place November 5-7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Mobile Tech Expo – Orlando is here A new year, and a new Mobile Tech Expo is here. Growing bigger each year, the 2019 MTE promises a substantial amount of educational sessions, networking opportunities and exhibitors to satisfy attending detailers. Along the January Expo at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, another Expo is being offered in Las Vegas for West Coast operators in September. As for the Orlando show, there will be 150 booths, the annual Dent Olympics and over 40 education sections covering six different tracks, including: ✔✔ Digital Marketing ✔✔ Marketing ✔✔ Business Solutions ✔✔ Product Classes ✔✔ Detailing including courses from IDA ✔✔ Paintless Dent Repair including courses from NAPDRT The Business track, according to the Mobile Tech Digest, consists of eight sessions including “Increase Your Profits With Mobile Software”, presented by Jody Sedrick of Zenware RoadFS. Marketing and businessmanagement expert Tom Shay is presenting four sessions, among them:

Creating a Business Plan or Planning to Fail. The Detailing track includes nine sessions centered on new surfaces to tackle, new and improved products to achieve superior results, and proven techniques to becoming a master detailer. Mike Phillips, Autogeek director of training, will share his knowledge and expertise in a series of six sessions, including, Become the Recognized Detailing Expert In Your Home Town.” The Digital Marketing track, according to the Mobile Tech Digest, is covering the topics of, “Proven Digital Marketing Tactics to Grow Your Business” and “How to Market Through Branding.” Paul Apollonia, Martin Brosman, and Robin Werling, with, “A Comprehensive Web Marketing Training Program” to learn the tips and tricks to running your business’ web presence. International Detailing Association (IDA) has developed ten session including, “The Many Worlds of Detailing,” presented by Rob Schruefer of On the Spot Detailing, an IDA board member and columnist for Auto Detailing News. Other sessions include “Bullproof Mindset,” with Art Baca and “Benefit of Education Through IDA,” with Joe DiFiore.

TRICKS

BEFORE THE INK DRIES...

OF THE

Closing on a [business] soon and have the option to put title in LLC or personal name what does everyone else do? I am leaning to put into LLC to reduce personal liability but not sure if there are downfalls to this?

TRADE

APW: I have my three washes in three

Presenting some of the best discussions from the Detailing and General Discussions sections of Auto Care Forum. To view more posts discussing some interesting and common problems as well as some of the best and brightest solutions,

different LLCs.

JGINTHER: Due to a hundred years worth of work by thousands of attorneys and case-law, you can sign one document with a pen that magically makes the liability go from everything you personally own to just whatever is owned by the other name you wrote on the document. Due to this logical system and by extension - you would want to remove liability exposure by creating as many of those magical documents as possible...

visit AutoCareForum.com (Note: Some posts feature minor edits for readability.)

MJWALSH: My thoughts are based on what my long term CPA told me ... since courts can override and still hold an individual’s personal assets in cases ... sometimes just asking for higher liability limits from your insurance company... can make the most sense.

MAKING THE

BAND(WITH) OURTOWN: We have DSL that is about 12MB download and about 1MB upload and use it for Cryptopay and cameras. So far we have 9 of our 16 4MP 2K cameras installed and it works okay on standard resolution but is very choppy on my phone or computer if I use the higher resolution. We are waiting on installation of cable from another company that is supposed to be up to 100MB down and 10 up. Upload speed is what is more important. ROZ: We have 100MB up and down as the

variable cost from 50 to 100 is low. Would not go below 50 as we set our cameras to

AUTO DETAILING NEWS

porating as though you were buying an insurance policy - insurance against losing something you have in a lawsuit. What assets do you have, what risks do you have. E.g. if you live in litigious cold Massachusetts and dont have floor heat, incorporate, and do it fast! If you are in Arkansas, dont have a McMansion and a fishing boat, run a very tight operation, and your courts are business friendly, buy insurance. JGinther is correct - incorporating reduces your liability. (reduces, does not eliminate). Mike is also correct - in many cases, simply increasing your liability limits on your insurance is usually cheaper and can make more business sense. Both have costs, initial and ongoing. I’ll also go out on a limb here and say

that since LLC’s have significantly reduced the costs of being a corporation, the majority of car washes are becoming an LLC. If you did a survey I think that would be the majority.

WAXMAN: I’m an S Corp. This is my car wash, detail and used car business. My apartments are in an LLC. CAR_WASH_GUY: LLC then Trust. ROZ: I was always advised to put the property into a real estate LLC and the business into a separate LLC, car wash or any other business where you own the property too. Supposedly it may make any litigation harder and offers more protection. A little more paperwork but provides more peace of mind.

What up speed is everyone using for their internet? I am trying to determine what speed to go with at my new location for the security cameras and cc processing. I know cc’s are pretty much a non factor but I have 16 4mp cameras and would like to view on my phone. What are you using as far as speed, camera resolution, and how is it working for you?

the highest resolution so you can see things. The cameras are useless if you cannot see anything when viewing remotely.

OURTOWN: Wow. I have not heard of those speeds. Who is your ISP?

ROZ: Comcast but Verizon has that as well

as higher too. Waiting for google to bring the tsunami to the area.

BOYWONDER: 1 Gig Download/30MB

Upload speed

MAIN STREET CARWASH: How much are you guys paying for said plans? Com|

PAULLOVESJAMIE: ...Think of incor-

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

cast quoted me $101.85 25/5, $151.75 75/15, and $196.80 150/20. These include an analog line for phone and 5 static IP addresses.

OURTOWN: Currently we have AT&T

phone and DSL internet 12/1 with 2 static IPs and it is about $100/month. When we get our cable from Spectrum phone and internet 100/10 no static IPs is $80/ month. We are going to try it without static IP first but I think they charge $15 each. I have 16 HD security cameras on site. I am not very tech savvy. Can someone help me with how fast my internet connection

needs to be (mbps)?

MEP001: Your camera system should

work with any speed of internet, but viewing will get choppy if it’s too slow. You need to have a good upload speedat the site, which is usually a much lower number than the advertised speed. FWIW I’ve been viewing cameras for years at a horrible .4 Mb/s upload speed at the site and it works fine (Not HD though). I’d shoot for at least 2 Mb/s upload speed for high-res.

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Winter Safety Tips from OSHA OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) does not have a specific standard that covers working in cold environments, but employers have a responsibility to provide workers with a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards. Cold stress factors can vary across different areas

of the country. In regions that are not used to winter weather, near freezing temperatures are considered factors for “cold stress.” Increased wind speed also causes heat to leave the body more rapidly (wind chill effect). Wetness or dampness, even from body sweat, also facilitates heat loss from the body. Cold stress occurs by

driving down the skin temperature, and eventually the internal body temperature. When the body is unable to warm itself, serious cold-related illnesses and injuries may occur, and permanent tissue damage and death may result. Types of cold stress include:

IMMERSION/TRENCH FOOT

FROSTBITE

Trench foot is a non-freezing injury of the feet caused by prolonged exposure to wet and cold conditions. It can occur in temperatures as high as 60°F if feet are constantly wet. Injury occurs because wet feet lose heat 25-times faster than dry feet. Symptoms include: • Reddening skin • Tingling, pain • Swelling • Leg cramps • Numbness • Blisters

Frostbite is caused by the freezing of the skin and tissues. Frostbite can cause permanent damage to the body, and in severe cases can lead to amputation. The risk of frostbite is increased in people with reduced blood circulation and among people who are not dressed properly for extremely cold temperatures. Symptoms include: • Reddened skin develops as gray/white patches in the fingers, toes, nose, or ear lobes • Tingling, aching, a loss of feeling • Firm/hard, and blisters may occur in the affected areas

FIRST AID 1. Call 911 immediately in an emergency; otherwise seek medical assistance as soon as possible. 2. Remove wet shoes/boots and wet socks. 3. Dry the feet and avoid working on them. 4. Keep affected feet elevated and avoid walking. 5. Get medical attention.

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VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

FIRST AID 1. Follow the recommendations described for hypothermia. 2. Protect the frostbitten area, e.g., by wrapping loosely in a dry cloth and protect the area from contact until medical help arrives. 3. DO NOT rub the affected area, because rubbing causes damage to the skin and tissue. 4. Do not apply snow or water. Do not break blisters. 5. DO NOT try to re-warm the frostbitten area before getting medical help, for example, do not use heating pads or place in warm water. If a frostbitten area is rewarmed and gets frozen again, more tissue damage will occur. It is safer for the frostbitten area to be rewarmed by medical professionals. 6. Give warm sweetened drinks if alert (no alcohol)

HYPOTHERMIA Hypothermia occurs when the normal body temperature (98.6°F) drops to less than 95°F. Exposure to cold temperatures causes the body to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up the body’s stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. Hypothermia is most likely at very cold temperatures, but it can occur even at cool temperatures (above 40°F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or immersion in cold water. Mild symptoms include: • Uncontrollable shivering, which should not be ignored • Although shivering indicates that the body is losing heat, it also helps the body to rewarm itself. Moderate to severe symptoms of hypothermia include: • Loss of coordination, confusion, slurred speech • Heart rate/breathing slow • Unconsciousness and possibly death. Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia particularly dangerous because a person may not know what is happening and won’t be able to do anything about it.

FIRST AID 1. Call 911 immediately in an emergency: 2. Move the worker to a warm, dry area. 3. Remove any wet clothing and replace with dry clothing. Wrap the entire body (including the head and neck) in layers of blankets; and with a vapor barrier (e.g. tarp, garbage bag) Do not cover the face. 4. If medical help is more than 30 minutes away: 5. Give warm sweetened drinks if alert (no alcohol), to help increase the body temperature. Never try to give a drink to an unconscious person. 6. Place warm bottles or hot packs in armpits, sides of chest, and groin. Call 911 for additional rewarming instructions.

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT (WHEN NECESSARY) Co-workers trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may help a person suffering from hypothermia that has no pulse or is not breathing: 1. Call 911 for emergency medical assistance immediately. 2. Treat the worker as per instructions for hypothermia, but be very careful and do not try to give an unconscious person fluids. 3. Check him/her for signs of breathing and for a pulse. Check for 60 seconds. 4. If after 60 seconds the affected worker is not breathing and does not have a pulse, trained workers may start rescue breaths for 3 minutes. 5. Recheck for breathing and pulse, check for 60 seconds. 6. If the worker is still not breathing and has no pulse, continue rescue breathing. 7. Only start chest compressions per the direction of the 911 operator or emergency medical services* 8. Reassess patient’s physical status periodically. Chest compression are recommended only if the patient will not receive medical care within 3 hours.

How to Avoid Overexertion Employers should train workers on how to recognize the environmental and workplace conditions that can lead to cold stress. Also, employers and employees need to:

• Monitor workers’ physical conditions. • Schedule frequent short breaks in warm dry areas, to allow the body to warm up. • Schedule work during the warmest part of the day. • Use the buddy system (work in pairs). • Provide warm, sweet beverages. Avoid drinks with alcohol. • Provide engineering controls such as radiant heaters.

Dressing Properly for the Cold

The following can help protect workers from cold stress: ✔✔ Wear at least three layers of loose fitting clothing. Layering provides better insulation. • An inner layer of wool, silk or synthetic (polypropylene) to keep moisture away from the body. Thermal wear, wool, silk or polypropylene, inner layers of clothing that will hold more body heat than cotton. • A middle layer of wool or synthetic to provide insulation even when wet. • An outer wind and rain protection layer that allows some ventilation to prevent overheating. ✔✔ Tight clothing reduces blood circulation. Warm blood needs to be circulated to the extremities. Insulated coat/jacket (water resistant if necessary) ✔✔ Knit mask to cover face and mouth (if needed) ✔✔ Hat that will cover your ears as well. A hat will help keep your whole body warmer. Hats reduce the amount of body heat that escapes from your head. ✔✔ Insulated gloves (water resistant if necessary), to protect the hands ✔✔ Insulated and waterproof boots to protect the feet

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS |

MAD

WAX How detailing chemicals have evolved, & solved today’s detailing problems If you want to know more about the chemistry of detailing products (specifically wax and sealants), then look no further than Kim Wilson. Why? Well, for starters, he majored in chemistry and math in college and then went to work for Ashland Chemical. Several years later, after leaving Ashland, he went to work for U.S. Chemical & Plastics. That was in 1983 and he worked there for 30 years, most of which was as the Manager of Research and Development.

AUTO DETAILING NEWS

“U.S. Chemical was unique in that they produced a wide range of products including adhesives, automotive paints, automotive repair,appearance and cleaning products for many industries including detail and carwash for both retail and commercial use worldwide,” Wilson stated. “Many of the products my lab developed are still widely used today. We developed the newest automotive paints and the products to repair, clean, and protect them as well. Having the

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019

knowledge of automotive paint chemistry allowed my lab to understand and perfect products to work on these paint systems. A unique situation not available to other manufacturers.” Currently, Wilson is retired, but has kept abreast of some of the newest technologies and marketing claims because he continues to consult with former customers both in the U.S. and Europe. Needless to say, Wilson is a perfect source for an article on detailing chemicals. And, if that mini biography

doesn’t cut it, how about this quote from the man himself: “When I was in the lab I wanted to REALLY know what worked and what didn’t work. It was the only way I could develop performance products that did what was claimed. I used unbiased test methods, so I knew for sure how products performed. It was the only way possible to arrive at the best.”

WAX DEFINED

HOW CHEMICALS HAVE EVOLVED

Chemicals utilized in the detail industry have changed to a large degree over the past 10 years more because of regulatory changes rather than new chemical developments, according to Wilson. “Formulators were forced to change. Except for a few exceptions, chemicals used today have been available for many years. Regulatory laws have dictated a change in the type of solvents used and the total amounts used in each product (less aromatics, less glycol ether types, etc.).” And, just as paint chemistry has evolved into more water-based paint systems, so has the development of higher water content detail products, added Wilson. Additionally, over the years, much less abrasives and softer abrasive types are used in products today.

TRENDS TO WATCH

I believe the aforementioned trends will continue, but at a much slower pace, according to Wilson. “Once you’ve eliminated much of the solvent content and abrasives, there isn’t a whole lot else to remove. The industry in the future will depend on new raw material developments, or, equally important, will be the product development team to find and utilize existing raw materials from another industry; similar to today’s utilization of silanol which has been used in the ceramic industry and others for a while.” Discovering that a material gives a special property to detail products is the magic of discovery and invention, Wilson stated. “Today’s trends have been focused on ‘nano’ and ‘ceramic’ marketing claims. I’ll discuss that in more detail later on in the article.”

THE ULTIMATE CART

Wilson admits that he has never been a professional detailer and thinks it might be a bit presumptuous to tell others what they should have on their detailing cart. However, as a chemist formulator he continued ...

The International Detailing Association offers the following definition (for a comprehensive listing of detailing chemical definitions, visit: https://the-ida.com/page/Chemical_Glossary): Waxes form a broad category of organic (contain carbon) materials that do not fall into any one chemical family but are generally classed as lipids (for lack of a better place to put them). A material is called a wax if it 1) is a solid at room temperature, 2) melts at a fairly low point (called thermoplastic) and 3) does not fall into the category of polymer. The properties of waxes cover a large span of specifications but the “specs” that are important to automobile waxes are 1) hardness, 2) melting point 3) water repellency and 4) resistance to breakdown by environmental factors. There are many waxes available that fit the specifications for a good automobile wax. They include vegetable waxes (carnauba), animal waxes (bees wax), mineral petroleum waxes (paraffin and microcrystalline), mineral fossil waxes (montan), and (despite the apparent contradiction) synthetic waxes (short chain ethylene polymers).

SEALANT DEFINED

The International Detailing Association offers the following definition (for a comprehensive listing of detailing chemical definitions, visit: https://the-ida.com/page/Chemical_Glossary): The term “sealant” has different meanings for different groups. Detailers expect their sealant products to have extra durability, forming a protective film over the paint. Body shops and automobile painters call a product a sealant if 1) they cannot repaint the area after using the product, or 2) it will impair the solvent evaporation from a newly painted surface. Lastly, paint manufacturers call a product a sealant if the product will stop “bleed through” of undesirable properties from lower layers of paint or substrate to the newly painted surface, such as a primer. For a detailer, a sealant product would be one that contains ingredients that will form a durable film over the surface of the paint, creating a barrier on the surface, such as a cross-linking polymer like amino functional silicones. Paint sealants have very little paint surface repair properties.

SMELLS LIKE CANDY? Why does carnauba have a candy smell? Because it comes from the leaves of the Copernicia prunifera of Brazil. “The wax is obtained by beating the wax off of the dried palm fronds and then refining it for use. The pure wax is yellow in color,” states ThoughtCo.com.

CARNAUBA WAX CONSISTS OF: • • • •

Fatty acid esters (80-85%) Fatty alcohols (10-16%) Acids (3-6%) Hydrocarbons (1-3%)

“It is around 20% esterified fatty diols, 10% methoxylated or hydroxylated cinnamic acid, and 6% hydroxylated fatty acids,” according to ThoughtCo. “Carnauba wax has a very high melting point of 82-86 °C (180-187 °F). It is harder than concrete and nearly insoluble in water and ethanol. It is non-toxic and hypoallergenic. It can be polished to high gloss.”

POLISH DEFINED The International Detailing Association offers the following definition (for a comprehensive listing of detailing chemical definitions, visit: https://the-ida. com/page/Chemical_Glossary):

A light grade abrasive product using abrasives on the low end of the scale (6 Mohs) with lower percentages and smaller particle size. In many cases, the powders used in polishes would not be considered abrasive particles. On very soft surfaces such as paint, they have abrasive qualities and will remove very small surface defects such as oxidation and swirls (very fine circular scratches from compounding). Polishes will many times include waxes, silicones, resins or other protective ingredients found in finish products to create a finished look and durability.

INTERESTING TIDBIT Benjamin Hirsch, a chemist who dropped out of college during the Great Depression, invented a liquid car wax called Plastone-by hand in his family’s bathtub. With the help of his wife, and an investment of $500, he sold the wax to gas stations in and around Chicago. That wax is known today as Turtle Wax and the corporation is run by Hirsch’s oldest daughter, Sondra Healy.

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS |

MAD WAX confidently suggests the following items he would have on his: • A light duty buffing compound • A wheel cleaner • A product to add shine to tires and dashes (etc.) • A very good all purpose cleaner (if you find a great one it can also be used for upholstery and carpets). If not, then separate cleaners for upholstery and carpets would be needed. • Here’s the tricky one... a wax and/or sealant (see sidebar)

FACTS ABOUT WAX

How do waxes vary, opines Wilson. “Let me count the ways! I could write a book on the subject.” • Types & amounts of waxes used. • Type of emulsion (i.e. water out

emulsion or solvent out emulsion. Make a big difference in application properties). • Solvent type (aromatic or aliphatic) & amount used. All types of combinations. • Silicones types & amounts (endless variations- maybe none at all). • Abrasive types & amounts (maybe none at all). • Numerous other additives available for property claims (i.e. UV additive, scratch removal additive, application ease, longevity, etc. Also, fragrance, color, etc.)

THE TRUTH ABOUT PAINT SEALANT

Similar to waxes, paint sealant can vary dramatically, says Wilson. “Some are solvent only based, some claim to be water

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based and some are a combination. Most contain some type of silicone, silicone resin, or some other silicone relative.” The current rage in the industry is to use solvent-based products containing silanol, says Wilson. This new silanol application provides for a very high water beading product and leads me to one of the biggest myths in the industry.

CHEMISTRY MYTHS DEBUNKED MYTH 1: I can always use wax as a sealant THE TRUTH: A wax can be a sealant and a sealant can be a wax! However, some waxes can’t be a sealant and some sealants can’t be waxes, states Wilson. “Hope that makes sense. Many detailers will not understand that because many in that industry are very set on separate products without really understanding the chemistry.” Wilson had developed a product that contained a wax and was tested as one of the best sealant products available. It is still sold around the world today. “Some sell it as a wax and some sell it as a sealant. It’s all in the tricky nomenclature.”

MYTH 2: Carnauba is the best wax to use

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THE TRUTH: This is not necessarily true, says Wilson. “It depends on what it is being used for. If just for shine then carnauba is one of the better. However, if you are looking for ‘protection’ then carnauba is not the best. Carnauba is used because it produces nice shine, is relatively inexpensive compared to some other waxes, is readily available, and emulsifies easily so is easy to use in formulations. Since it is easy to emulsify, it comes off the vehicle easier than some other waxes. Additionally, carnauba quality varies greatly from year to year and is dependent on nature which of course is not controllable.”

MYTH 3: Always trust those nano technology THE TRUTH: Nano technology is utilized and adds measurable benefits to a product, says Wilson. “For the most part it is some of the latest marketing hype and is often NOT TRUE. Discussed more in detail later.”

MYTH 4: Water beading indicates protection THE TRUTH: Water beading indicates that the paint surface might be protected, states Wilson. ”Water beading shows that there is something on the surface causing the water to bead. Nearly any silicone can provide the same effect and many of them do not offer much protection (except against water).”

MYTH 5: Silanols are ceramics THE TRUTH: Another big myth today concerns “ceramic” coatings, says Wilson. “These are not really true ceramic,” he states. “The silanols used are not ceramics. The silanols are in fact ceramic building blocks used in the ceramics industry to make ceramics.” Be sure to always ask your suppliers for more detailed information about what you’re using or looking to use.

MYTH 6: It’s coated in Teflon! THE TRUTH: Another myth in the not too distant past (and actually still used somewhat today) is the “Teflon” claim, states Wilson. “It is true that there are variations of the “Teflon” chemicals that were made water soluble so they could be added to sealants or waxes so a “Teflon” claim could be made. However, this is not true. Those “Teflon” coatings are applied utilizing extremely high temps. The only benefit from the water soluble version is some added surface slip. Not really much

MAD WAX protection in that.”

MYTH 7: Sealants last for years

THE TRUTH: Sealants do not last for years, according to Wilson. “Sealants that advertise that they are permanent would be detrimental. New paint warranties could be voided by such a product. Many are advertised that they cannot be removed with solvents. Sealants need to be removable in case of paint repairs being needed when accidents happen. Otherwise new panels would always have to be replaced at a much higher repair cost.”

PET PEEVES FROM A CHEMIST’S POINT OF VIEW:

I have spent many years debunking many of the sales and/or marketing claims

rampant throughout the detail industry, states Wilson. “Being a chemist, these guarantees of 5-year protection, “nano” technology have bugged me to no end.” Here are some chemistry facts: • Sealants do not protect paint for more than about 6 months at best. • There is virtually no beneficial UV protection in waxes or sealants. “Yes, formulators add UV inhibitors to their products but you can’t put enough in to be of any real benefit. These are just added so that marketing can make claims that they contain a UV inhibitor,” states Wilson. They don’t tell you that it provides no benefit. The detailer makes that assumption on their own. Any UV protection is already in the paint. • No “nano” technology developed has shown any measurable benefit to waxes or sealants, claims Wilson. “Some ‘nano’ abrasives are

available and tested but have not been proven to provide measurable benefit. If they did, they would be too expensive to incorporate anyway. Something may eventually find its way into detail products, but I have neither seen not heard of anything to date. ‘Nano’ verbiage is used as the newest marketing hype. It’s a ‘buzz word’ that caught on and since most people don’t even know what it means, it was perfect for use by the clever marketing people.” • As mentioned earlier, silanol is used as a chemical building block to make ceramics. Silanol itself is not ceramic, states Wilson. It is used in products to provide water beading and some protection... however, not as a ceramic would and as implied by sellers. It does make for a nice product and a terrific demo can be shown using it, but since

the general public is familiar with the word “ceramic” as they were with the word “Teflon” it becomes a perfect marketing/sales tool to use. • Some manufacturer’s testing methods and outcomes are devised (sometimes rigged) to provide a positive outcome with their product.

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

Now as a chemist, Wilson offers the following advice to detailers: “Most detailers are an intelligent lot that knows their businessand that can tell you what works and what doesn’t work. If you find something that works for you, KEEP USING IT! …However, keeps your eyes and ears open to new technologies and an open mind to trying new things but in the end YOU decide what’s best.”

VOL. 4, NO. 1 • WINTER 2019 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS |

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