I'm getting paid $10 to wash and wax new cars at a Nissan dealership

I just can't see how using Optimum for this kind of work is a good idea...



After all, the look is in the prep, so what's the point of using some [relatively] expensive spray wax?



Also, you can put a lot of spray waxes on a wet car and they'll work just fine (Meguiar's Quik Wax, EO WAUD, etc..)
 
I should add that I have to wash the car then dry it then remove the glue lines before waxing it. Can Optimum Car Wax be sprayed on a dry car without any wiping needed? What about overspray on the windows and trim?
 
Five Star said:
purchasing optimum by the gallon



ONRW is about .47 cents a wash bucket,



OCW is roughly around .75 cents per car
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Where did you get those numbers?



1 gallon of ONR = 128 washes for $34, or 26.6 cents per wash

1 gallon of OCW = probably around 200 wax jobs at least for $32, or 16 cents per wax job
 
Definitely what was mentioned. Optimum no-rinse or QEW, spray OCW on, dry/wipe off. Move to next car.



You should EASILY be able to push out two cars an hour this way, if all you're doing is a wash and wax.
 
602rwtq said:
I should add that I have to wash the car then dry it then remove the glue lines before waxing it. Can Optimum Car Wax be sprayed on a dry car without any wiping needed? What about overspray on the windows and trim?
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Having to remove the cosmoline is a deal killer no matter what you use. Even if you can turn out 2 cars an hour you'll go through lots of towels everyday and have to clean/care for all of them at the end of each day. Do you have to supply the equipment and products?
 
SpoiledMan said:
Having to remove the cosmoline is a deal killer no matter what you use. Even if you can turn out 2 cars an hour you'll go through lots of towels everyday and have to clean/care for all of them at the end of each day. Do you have to supply the equipment and products?
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I supply equipment and products.



The nice thing is they have an automated car wash. It wets the car, you wash it with a mit, and it rinses it off. Then you chamois dry.



The glue on these Nissans is very light. 90% of it washes off in the car wash.



So, with a spray wax, I apply it while the car is wet, then dry it with towels? How long do I let the wax sit? What if I dry with a chamois?
 
If the cosmoline is getting you, trying mixing a little Meg's Safe-D-Greaser in the wash water. I think that'd make a big difference, I often use a little diluted APC in wash water on really greasy/bad cars and I've had no ill effects so far.
 
I'd be surprised if Safe Degreaser removes the cosmoline but I guess you don't know until you try.



Would this be including Titan's and Armada's?
 
SpoiledMan said:
I'd be surprised if Safe Degreaser removes the cosmoline but I guess you don't know until you try.



Would this be including Titan's and Armada's?
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Titans and Armadas are $10 each, just like Sentras. :furious:
 
How many of those $10 trucks do you think you can do in an hour? You have the responsibility of all the products and towels etc. Ask yourself how many of those you honestly think you can complete each hour. Figure out the fastest way that you can get them done and don't forget time to move them around unless you will be at the mercy of porters that could slow you down significantly. Do you need to pay your own insurance for this or are they covering you?



Be careful or you could end up paying them to wash their cars.
 
Let's all calm down. I've been getting paid $20 each new car to remove plastic covering on the seats, fenders, and hood, plus vaccum the interior, clean the windows, and wash the car. The dealer is now paying me an extra $10 to wax the cars and dress the tires. Each car takes about 30 minutes with a materials cost of about $3. Hourly profit: $54 ($30/car x 2 cars - $6 cost).
 
The way you explain it now is just a little different from "I'm getting paid $10 to wash and wax new cars at a Nissan dealership." So it's an additional $10 and to that I'd say go with the OCW. Get a nice fine mist spray bottle and wax away.
 
602rwtq said:
I've been getting paid $20 each new car to remove plastic covering on the seats, fenders, and hood, plus vaccum the interior, clean the windows, and wash the car. The dealer is now paying me an extra $10 to wax the cars and dress the tires. Each car takes about 30 minutes with a materials cost of about $3.
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You can remove plastic covering on the seats, fenders, and hood, plus vaccum the interior, clean the windows, and wash the car in 30 minutes?! $54 an hour to do this to two cars? Jeez, I'm in the wrong business!



What product are you using to remove the cosmoline before you wash it? What products are you using to wash the car and dress the tires?



If you are already doing this for a dealer, you have to be getting your produts somewhere since you are able to calculate your cost per car. Why don't you just get a spray wax from the place where you get your other supplies? What spray products do they have?



To answer your question, any decent spray wax can go on wondows, plastic, trim, etc...



Sparkle Auto sells Eagle One Wax As U Dry for $19.99 a gallon. I'd use that since you apply it while drying the car. Seems to be the cheapest of all the recommendation and a more effective use of your time. With an ounce or so a car, you can get theoretically 128 wax jobs from the gallon (or 16 cents a car).
 
602rwtq said:
I've been getting paid $20 each new car to remove plastic covering on the seats, fenders, and hood, plus vaccum the interior, clean the windows, and wash the car. The dealer is now paying me an extra $10 to wax the cars and dress the tires. Each car takes about 30 minutes with a materials cost of about $3.
Click to expand...



You can remove plastic covering on the seats, fenders, and hood, plus vaccum the interior, clean the windows, and wash the car in 30 minutes?! $54 an hour to do this to two cars? Jeez, I'm in the wrong business!



What product are you using to remove the cosmoline before you wash it? What products are you using to wash the car and dress the tires?



If you are already doing this for a dealer, you have to be getting your produts somewhere since you are able to calculate your cost per car. Why don't you just get a spray wax from the place where you get your other supplies? What spray products do they have?



To answer your question, any decent spray wax can go on windows, plastic, trim, etc...



Sparkle Auto sells Eagle One Wax As U Dry for $17.99 a gallon. I'd use that since you apply it while drying the car. Seems to be the cheapest of all the recommendations and a more effective use of your time. You mentioned you used a chamois. You'll need a microfiber drying towel instead.
 
Spilchy said:
You can remove plastic covering on the seats, fenders, and hood, plus vaccum the interior, clean the windows, and wash the car in 30 minutes?!
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:nervous: Respectfully, I'd be weary of a dealer where all that is done to a car in that time frame. There's simply too much room for marring the vehicle. Then again, the overwhelming majority of customers are ignorant of such matters, therefore, the practice continues.
 
Bill D said:
:nervous: Respectfully, I'd be weary of a dealer where all that is done to a car in that time frame. There's simply too much room for marring the vehicle. Then again, the overwhelming majority of customers are ignorant of such matters, therefore, the practice continues.
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Not if your using two workers per car!!!
 
It's still tough to do if you are under pressure to crank out as many jobs as possible. In this situation, volume is the name of the game. Thoroughness is still is at risk of decline, at least to standards desired by the folks here. But again, this is a non issue for the dealer and for the 99.9999% of its customers.
 
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