TRIED to give products away at work. Interesting.

Every once in a while you will see a car you walk by and see wax that has touched the edge of the trim over most of the vehicle

It was obviously hand waxed by someone who at least tried.

Mostly it’s just people who pay a couple more dollars for the “fast wax” option at Crew car wash. Stuff seems to be like a spray on rinse off product.

Cars look pretty good and have reasonable beading honestly

But alas probably more than 50% just hope for the free car wash at the dealer if they get a recall, repair or oil change type service once every 3-6 months

I remember in the 90s all the gas stations that would give free car washes with a fill up. Those were great in the winter. Bristle brushes of love


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The vast majority of people I know pay somebody else to clean their homes and to do every other chore that they don`t want to do (and those supposed "professionals" do a terrible job IMO). And as I keep posting, *nobody* that I know IRL keeps his car decently detailed by Autopian standards. Nobody. Not even the guys with rooms full of concours trophies.

Dan- I can`t quite bring myself to do Craigslist...with all the "Craigslist killer" concerns I`d have to set up a meet at the local PD and figure out a way to keep Mr. Buyer from learning more about me than I`d want him to know...like my phone#/email/etc.
 
Accumulator said:
The vast majority of people I know pay somebody else to clean their homes and to do every other chore that they don`t want to do (and those supposed "professionals" do a terrible job IMO)
Click to expand...


Yep sounds like my neighbor who doesn’t lift a finger unlike yours truly who mowed his lawn this morning.
 
Bill D- Heh heh, I`d probably tell myself that he has some heap big important stuff to attend to instead...if I liked him. Otherwise he`d just be a lazy so-and-so :D

OTOH, there`s one guy in our neighborhood who mows his lawn *all the time* and I don`t mean just twice or three times a week...if he weren`t such a [jerk] I`d tell myself he`s doing it as a diversion to keep sober or something, but eh...
 
Wow, he’s a real outlier! Too bad he doesn’t detail his cars all the time like that huh?
 
Bill D said:
Wow, he’s a real outlier! Too bad he doesn’t detail his cars all the time like that huh?
Click to expand...
Eh, if he does *anything* the way he mows that lawn it`d just be more neurosis IMO.

Can you tell he made a, uhm...certain impression on me?!? :D [Freakin` jerk]...at least he doesn`t want any part of trouble with me and (now) knows exactly where the property line is. In all fairness, he`s nice to my wife..but I saw his true colors before he realized he needed to get all nice and friendly.
 
Accumulator said:
The vast majority of people I know pay somebody else to clean their homes and to do every other chore that they don`t want to do (and those supposed "professionals" do a terrible job IMO). And as I keep posting, *nobody* that I know IRL keeps his car decently detailed by Autopian standards. Nobody. Not even the guys with rooms full of concours trophies.

Dan- I can`t quite bring myself to do Craigslist...with all the "Craigslist killer" concerns I`d have to set up a meet at the local PD and figure out a way to keep Mr. Buyer from learning more about me than I`d want him to know...like my phone#/email/etc.
Click to expand...

I usually meet the person at a grocery store or other out in the open place.

You are right about nobody doing anything themselves. We have lots of stay at home moms in our neighborhood and they have cleaning services as well as lawn care. They are all so busy doing not a damn thing.

I`m the polar opposite of that. I have to do everything myself. I was proud of myself for getting an electrician out to do some wiring work that previously I`ve tackled myself.

Bringing it back to keeping cars clean, these super busy people spend more time driving to the carwash and waiting in line than it would take for them to do it themselves.
 
It’s laziness all over the country. I smile when I get a sense of satisfaction out of doing something myself not to mention the money I save.
 
That would be a good topic for some thread some day...the satisfaction of a job well done and how it factors in to the whole Detailing thing.

I dunno...guess I`ve become a bit jaded about it in the Detailing context, now it`s just "the norm" to have the vehicles the way I want them; I`m more likely to experience *dissatisfaction* if something could be better (well, something that I care about).

I guess that happens with most things I DIY...once I`ve done it a few times I`ve BTDT and then it`s the New Normal with no justification for continued self-congrats nor excuse for backsliding. I set the bar awfully high for myself when it comes to feeling genuinely laudable accomplishment.

As far as saving $, I dunno...I spent so much on facilities, especially building the current shop, and on Detailing Stuff in general over the years, that I doubt there`s any financial justification. If we had decent Pros in my area I bet I could`ve saved a bundle by having such stuff done for me.

Heh heh, if everybody DIYed their Detailing, the Pros here would be in trouble!
 
Another question might be, Where did these "friend/coworkers/neighbors learn or better yet, not learn how to take care of their expensive possessions? Maybe the same place many of us learned the importance of and how to take good care of yours. IMHO detailers have just taken the responsibility of taking care of their vehicle to a higher level. So high, that they have turned that "passion" into a business. I believe that we are influenced by what we learn or observe at home. We learn the true worth of things at home and or, how hard we had to work for the item, or if we had to work for it at all. Some people just don`t give a crap about their car/truck. Their to lazy, busy, old, etc etc etc to take care of it and if that is true why should they learn anything about the process. There is always someone that will do the job for them, at a price. If we assume that anyone except a professional detailer has the same interest in keeping their vehicle "nice" we are most likely going to be disappointed I believe. If you get to know people well enough and can identify someone that may be a "weekend warrior" detail enthusiast I think they would be thrilled at the idea of a professional wanting to give them some of their lesser used products away, I know I would!
 
Eh, IMO most people don`t take proper care of *anything* if it takes effort/self-discipline. Including themselves and other stuff that`s a lot more important than any vehicle.

I`ll make myself even more popular here (yeah, that`s sarcasm there... ;) ) by again posting that I hope everybody with a nicely detailed vehicle does everything else in life to the same high standard. If somebody`s car is perfectly detailed but [some other aspect of life] is messed up, then something`s wrong.
 
Today is my off day, but one way I take care of myself is to go walking many miles. People who know I’m a car but are shocked I seem to walk more than I drive and to an extent they are right. I mentioned I do my own lawn. I also trim all the shrubs and of course I clean the house myself. One thing I splurge on is having someone do my taxes though. He’s a very competent tax attorney who never lets me down.

Other than that, I do most things myself but I do have a handy man to help me. He was the contractor who built my house so I have a long history with him. Just last week we installed a replacement garbage disposal. Seems like they go every ten years.
 
Heh heh, noting that I earned a BS in Accounting, there`s no way I`d try to do my own taxes, takes greater expertise than I possess and I simply hate expending my time on such stuff.

I DIY tasks when I have a reason to (Saturday it was replacing a faucet and this week it`s clearing fallen trees), but life is short so I`m careful how I spend it, and I don`t mind outsourcing stuff to the right Pros. Anybody can do some chores, but only *I* can do other things (nobody else can learn/exercise/experience life for me) and there`s only so much time.

[INSERT my usual heresy of "If I could only pay somebody to do the all that Detailing for me"...]

Bill D said:
Today is my off day, but one way I take care of myself is to go walking many miles.
Click to expand...

Good on you for that! I too walk many miles (in addition to the real Cardio) and consider it downright essential for good health and successful aging. Humans are designed to walk.... a lot.
 
That`s the "mode of operation" with many people now-a-days. Too much "outsourcing", too little saving for the future. Too many short change their talents and would rather write a check and lay on the couch watching golf.

I worked as a construction manager after college and part of the interview checklist for new laborers was to walk outside and look at their vehicle. A vehicle reflects how a person will take care of company equipment and their organization qualities. You were not concerned about how new it was...... you looked for how tidy it was. Clean windows and a trash free interior speaks highly about the pride the owner has.
 
Accumulator said:
I`ll make myself even more popular here (yeah, that`s sarcasm there... ;) ) by again posting that I hope everybody with a nicely detailed vehicle does everything else in life to the same high standard. If somebody`s car is perfectly detailed but [some other aspect of life] is messed up, then something`s wrong.
Click to expand...

We all have friends who are at the extremes of both ends of that spectrum. But I have to admit.... the people I call my closest friends are all "doers" who are/were successful in their careers and take pride in their homes, cars, and relationships. The old adage about "birds of a feather flocking together" seems to apply.
 
Accumulator said:
Eh, IMO most people don`t take proper care of *anything* if it takes effort/self-discipline. Including themselves and other stuff that`s a lot more important than any vehicle.

I`ll make myself even more popular here (yeah, that`s sarcasm there... ;) ) by again posting that I hope everybody with a nicely detailed vehicle does everything else in life to the same high standard. If somebody`s car is perfectly detailed but [some other aspect of life] is messed up, then something`s wrong.
Click to expand...

If everything is not as clean as my car then somethings wrong.... what if some other aspect being messed up is why they escape to their hobby cleaning their car. That’s great assertation of yourself but doesn’t apply to everyone.....


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Accumulator said:
Eh, IMO most people don`t take proper care of *anything* if it takes effort/self-discipline. Including themselves and other stuff that`s a lot more important than any vehicle.

I`ll make myself even more popular here (yeah, that`s sarcasm there... ;) ) by again posting that I hope everybody with a nicely detailed vehicle does everything else in life to the same high standard. If somebody`s car is perfectly detailed but [some other aspect of life] is messed up, then something`s wrong.
Click to expand...

I enjoy detailing my vehicles (and trying out new products), but I don’t enjoy cleaning the house or yard maintenance. Stuff gets done, but the car stuff is way more enjoyable and relaxing.

My wife does our taxes and volunteers in the community to help others who have English as a second language.
 
I`m pretty sure I`d recive a similar response if I tried the same thing at work.

Besides a couple guys who restore cars as a hobby and take pretty good care of their daily drivers, most barely know the color, brand name and model of the vehicle they drove to work that morning and I`d bet most don`t know the size of the engine, number of gears in the transmission, or even the brand of tires currently mounted on their car.

Around here the masses flock to the automated car washes with the brushes, or the tunnel washes with brushes which also add the guys doing the drying and "wipe down" with semi-clean, scratch towels. My neighbors just frown and shake their heads when they see me washing our cars. No one gets it any more.
 
[Original post, all three versions of it, DELETED to avoid giving (even greater) offense :o ]

This whole Detailing "to relax" or "for enjoyment" topic is why I consider myself an Autopian Heretic.

Different people deal with Life differently.
 
I’m one of those different people. If I didn’t enjoy detailing and find it relaxing I’m sure I’d just wash my car with a bucket, old rags, and dish soap and call it a day.
 
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