Losing the detail "itch"...

MiVor

MiVor

New member
With the onset of late fall / early winter and the fact that my new (to me) truck is almost a year old, I'm losing the detailing 'itch'. I gave her a good layer(s) of sealant weeks ago and now with the cold I have barely had the urge to even wash her!
I fear I'm losing the edge and have to wonder what the long winters nap will bring. <sigh>
 
I hear you on this. Though I'm in FL and can detail year round, there are times where I will go weeks without cleaning my car. My issue is that I can't do just a quickie. My quickie wash still includes cleaning wheels and barrels, plus the car itself and then dressing the tires. Heck...I wasn't even on the forums for the past 6+ months. For some reason though, the detailing itch has kicked back in and I have a full detail planned for the 19th.
 
I have more of an issue when the personal cars all look good enough that I don't need to spend a lot of time on them. Last weekend consisted of UQW on the wife's minivan I was so desperate :-) Now the daughters car? That's probably a photoshoot once I take a shovel to the interior. She certainly didn't get her car care certification.
 
Heh heh, I lost the "itch" a long, long time ago...but just like any other chore, that doesn't mean I can slack off. Just means that cleaning up the vehicles isn't any more fun than cleaning up anything else, which actually seems perfectly sensible to me.

Note that IMO there's a huge diff between "not slacking off" and doing unnecessary work. If it's dirty, wash it. If the LSP is getting weak, redo it. If it has marring, correct it. But that's different from "stripping off the current LSP to see if this new one looks better".
 
I'm sure you'll get the urge after a few touchless washes, then someone brushes up against the truck and you see how really dirty it is.
 
Yeah, with the advent of coatings, they've surely been the nail in my coffin in terms of losing interest. I'll always do my weekly washes, but beyond that, my interest has waned.
 
I don't know if it's something we all go through, but I felt the same at one point. We had a house fire and all my supplies burned. After that it was really depressing to detail and I had no drive to do it simply because of the time it would take to detail. Slowly I got back into it. I started with simple wash and nothing else, then moved on to waxing one side of my truck every time I'd wash it. By the third wash I'd wax the entire truck but I never did everything at once. Now, I'm waxing the entire truck and getting back into it. Maybe this winter break I'll pick up the PC again.
 
tropicsteve said:
sounds like Seasonal Affective Disorder. all that cold, gray weather can depress anyone.
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I have this took a long time to figure it out but now knowing helps me combat it. The lack off daylight hours the cold days and freezing nights it just makes me angry short tempered depressed. I hate being bundled up in layers of clothing not being able to go outside and enjoy life. We are at only 9 hours of sunlight up here right now and I work 11 hours and commute 1/2 hour on both ends so I don't see my house in the sunlight till Saturday afternoon when I get home from work. That doesn't leave many good daylight hours to enjoy for personal use, I don't know how that doesn't depress you!
 
I think most of us who have to deal with winter loose the "itch" to detail. It's depressing to put all of your supplies away, watch your car get all sloppy from road salt and brine, etc. Heck its just a chore along to keep it clean the winter. I for one am not one who likes to detail in the freezing cold.

However, breaking out your detail supplies in the spring is like Christmas :)
 
Well I hope (enthusiasm) things will turn back around by spring... in the meantime, I'll be going to the coin-op spray wash and maybe doing some DG rinseless if/when the weather is warm(er). I love the truck and want to keep it as 'new like' as I can as long as I can....but don't want to be a detail slave (or 'b!tch' - lol) in the process.
 
Pats300zx said:
I think most of us who have to deal with winter loose the "itch" to detail. It's depressing to put all of your supplies away, watch your car get all sloppy from road salt and brine, etc. Heck its just a chore along to keep it clean the winter. I for one am not one who likes to detail in the freezing cold.

However, breaking out your detail supplies in the spring is like Christmas :)
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Me no understand
 
That is the main reason I am largely off from December to February. Although, I did do 3 cars in Dec. I dont turn work away. Never did and never will. I do charge a premium in Winter because I stream HOT water and heat the shop. Sounds like many have seasonal affect disorder. We all have that to some degree. I used to be motivated to work by the bills I had. Notice I say used to have. "Detailing" done correctly, can be one of the most rigorous careers "short of rock pounding" out there. It can be trying on your body and your mind. That is why I wont do over five cars per week. I pick and chose the work I do now. Lately, I wont do any interiors just because I am growing tired of 42 years of slobs. I never forget the main reason I began "paint correction" it was for me. 42 years later I still do it mostly for me, and the gratification of it. Paintxpert Shine Since 1969!
 
Happens to the best of us. I have gone through it many times and yet I still keep buying.

The warm weather with snap you out of it after a long winter. Most times I was a fairly clean car. After the winter is not pretty. They are usually pretty gunked up.
 
Try going months without buffing it, use 1 bucket and give the paint a good swirling. Then when you buff it , it will look impressive!
 
:chairdance There are times when i just dont feel up to it. But after a long week at work, its saturday therapy! And i am sure come spring, when i set up the garage, things will be so much eaiser to access. But come cold temps and winter, i all but drop a hobby i love till spring. Just been lucky here with the temps latley!
 
Somebody stick me with a fork - I'm done! Seriously, I had grown very tired of detailing and I only did it on the weekends. The money was ok, but after a while you get regulars that are friends and you hate to bump up the price. I started detailing just to pay for all the boutique products I found on line and read about in these forums; I chased that elusive best of whatever till I realized that was a stupid endeavor. Then, I stuck with the tried & true stuff that was cost effective and that lasted a long time - 9 years. This year my back decided that was enough and after surgery and a long talk from a very respected surgeon - I retired. Do I miss it? Let's see, either sweating in the summer or freezing in the winter, filth, back pain for days, friends of a friend that want a new car out of a trashed 12 year old turd and think $35 ought to cover it...
Hell no, I don't miss it!
I'll keep the wife and kids cars up, but mine will get a wash every 3-4 months - maybe! It just doesn't thrill me anymore, I've decided to spend my free time now walking, hiking and target shooting.
 
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