Where do you get your detailing chemicals?

J

JohnC

New member
I've been looking around for detailing chemicals, since I will hopefully be starting a mobile detailing business soon.

I have looked at buying products from Premiumautocare.com, since a lot of you here seem to recommend it.
However, after I finished browsing and making up a list of what I wanted, the total came close to $600! :(

Now what I'm wondering about is, if you do buy from Premiumautocare (even if you take into account the 10% discount for detailcity members), how much does the chemical costs factor into your profits?
Or are there any other cheaper sources for your chemicals? And I don't mean buying in 55 gallon drums either, there's no way I could afford those... I'm just starting out!

Please note, I'm not trying to say anything negative about Premiumautocare... in fact, I intend to buy most of my stuff there!:)
...just adding my 2 cents!:)
 
i purchase products from a west coast based company that serves dealerships and pro detailers . i like there products but like anything it takes time and practice to get the right combo . be prepared to spend some money up front .. is this a hobby? part time biz or full time venture .. where are you located?
 
Well, I would say that all of my detailing products that Ive acquired over the years have costed me way over $600!!! Probably more like $2-3 thousand!!! I just didn't buy it all at once so it never added up to 600 bucks. For a cost effective solution, I would to try out Four Star's products (not the ultimate one, the detailer one). Ive used a few of them and they work well and are very economical in cost. Also, Poorboy's products are also economical (hence the name!), although not as much so as Four Star. But, Poorboy's products are worth their weight in gold for how easy they are to use, which is an important factor for someone who details cars often (speed is key in making a profit). I personally don't find that product cost is a big factor in detailing. When I consider the cost of the product and compare it to the time I spend using it, its really a non-factor. For example, if waxing a car takes a half hour and I use 2 dollars worth of a premium wax, it was 2 well spent dollars. While I could have used an economical wax for 1 dollar, the 2 dollar wax is easier to use, which saves me time and energy. That saved time easily pays for the more expensive product. Not to mention, the result will be better with the 2 dollar wax. So, to keep myself from babbling on at 12:45 AM, the cost of products in insignificant in comparison to the cost of my time. If a more expensive product can save me time, then its worth it. Overall, I would say that less than 10% of what I charge for a detail goes to the cost of my products! So, if you can spend 600 dollars and get enough products to get started, your doing just fine. Those 600 dollars should last long eough for you to make at least $6,000 in revenue. Now, you are faced with the hard part....GETTING CUSTOMERS!!! Good Luck!

Charles
 
bigron62 said:
i purchase products from a west coast based company that serves dealerships and pro detailers . i like there products but like anything it takes time and practice to get the right combo . be prepared to spend some money up front .. is this a hobby? part time biz or full time venture .. where are you located?
Click to expand...

Just looking to start up, doing part time/weekend work.

I'm just a college student, so I don't have much money to start up.
Maybe later on if my business is successful, I will buy more equipment etc, hopefully to one day be able to own a car wash / detailing shop. :) Among many other businesses, of course:-p:)

I know $600 isn't much to start a business, but then again, I don't have much money to play with.
By the way, I have been looking at Poorboys and 4 Star as well, seems to get a lot of recommendations from this forum.

Just wondering though... are our customers really that fussed about what products we use?
Instead of getting say, a tub of $70 Souveran... I could get a $10 tub of Megs GC at Target, and our customers probably won't be able to tell the difference...
 
You can buy in bulk (gallons) of waxes,polish,ssr,dressing from poorboys . i know he is a memeber on this site. the stuff is cheap and everyonme seems to love it . The rest of the stuff , brushes , maybe other tire shine, microfibers,buckets window cleaner etc can be bought at a wholesale place in bulk. i buy detailers pride microfiber towles in bulk , my tire shine , my buckets , brushes and all the fun stuff from wholesale clubs near my house , also wal-mart has decent tools and carries meguiars. also and auto parts store too. just some suggestions . i got started liek you and now i got my own place . i love thissite and its improved my detail time. my knowledge and kept some money in my pockets by doing things the rite way instead of the self taught way . haha. look around the site poorboys is quality stuff . im tellin you this and i haent used it yet. but look at pics and read some posts. when it comes time to restock in a week or two im ordering poorboys stuff. You can buy your pc online though , all the pads and what have you can be bought in a complete kit i believe. i forget wich site. Pm me if you have any questions or talk to everyone else they can help just as much if not more then me. good luck .
 
I would just buy a small amount of PB's (~$80 total), then do a few cars. Before you run out of product, you'll have a couple hundred to spend on more PB's products!
 
You don't need to spend a whole lot to get started. You can easily get away with some basic supplies for well under $600. I would buy in pint sizes to experiment with, then buy in quarts and gallons if you like the product.

Shopping List

Poorboy's World -

SSR2.5, SSR1
EX and EX-P
Natty Wax
Polish with Carnauba
Bold N Bright for tires
Natural Look for interiors

Clearkote -

Vanilla Moose
Carnauba Moose Wax
Quik Shine

Stoner's Invisible Glass or Eagle One 20/20
Prestone Carpet Cleaner (Red Can)
Orange Blast
Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner (APC)


Porter Cable 7424 or 7336 - Not required, but makes the job easier. People have been hand detailing for years with much success.

Microfiber Towels - Pak Shak, Autofiber, PAC, Autogeek, ec are all good sources for towels.

I'm sure I missed a few things too...
 
Congrats on trying to get your business up and running.

I really only detail as an enthusiest however Im thinking I am going to start charging some freinds to re-gain some of the costs of my hobby, and maybe even put a few bucks in my pocket.

My recomendation to you... start with a few basic details for friends and family ect. Work your butt off and do a $200.00 detail for them for $100.00 (I think you understand what I am saying) This way you can start generating the word of mouth advertising, and put a few bucks in your pocket for start up costs. As far as products go...Work with what you have on hand. If you need 1 or 2 things pick them up but don't go crazy.

Once you have done a few details and you have made some cash now its time to re-invest! Plus...you won't be out the cash if you come accross any bumps in the road!

As for what products to use! And weather or not a customer is going to be able to tell between Soveren and Meguiars! It depends...this is why a lot of guys have a lot of different products in their arsenal. However at the recent poorboys detailing day a test was done with 2 freshly preped panels on a lexus...1 panel had Soveren and one panel had Poorboys Natty's which price wise go from one spectrum to the next! Hardly anyone could tell which panel was which, and when it was discovered and looked at very very very closely they found that the Natty's was more clear then the $70.00 Soveren. So you make your decision does more $$$$ mean better products (I don't think so)...

Save your High End products for the High end Details! When someone asks you to detail their Ferrari you are going to want to use the best to acheive the best results. In the same breath though. When your detailing a White Chevy malibu I think as long as your using a good quality product your results will be more than exceptable.

hope this answers some of your questions. Start off small and aim big! Treat your customers as you would want to be treated if you were a their customer and you can't go wrong!
 
JohnC said:
Just wondering though... are our customers really that fussed about what products we use?
Instead of getting say, a tub of $70 Souveran... I could get a $10 tub of Megs GC at Target, and our customers probably won't be able to tell the difference...
Click to expand...

Some customers won't, some will. Are you willing to stake your reputation over a few dollars?
I'm not saying that you have to go for the Souveran, but using a nice wax, like s100 or Natty's will give you an edge over someone else who is using something "not as nice" and these 2 don't cost all that much. To some customers, image is important. Sure, you will likely be able to get a car looking good with GC, but some people may think that it's "just off the shelf" so anybody could do the same thing. Having something "special" may be just the thing you need to "upsell" the customer. This is of course assuming that you plan on charging different rates for different jobs.
Finally, some customers do notice differences even if they know very little about waxes. For someone like this, it wouldn't matter if you said you used Souveran, Zaino, P21s or whatever. What they'd notice is the look. As an example, I did a "quickie" on my girlfriends car :naughty using s100 (Sepc and wax) because I was pressed for time so I didn't do the swirl removal it so desperately needed (after winter's abuse). Did the car in under 1.5 hours. People at her work were coming up to her asking what wax was used, was it painted, etc. These people know squat about the differences or even brands of wax, but they noticed the look. I would guess that I used about a buck, buck and a quarter worth of product, and if I were doing it for money, this would definitely have been money well spent for the good word of mouth it garnished.

Just my thoughts. I'm not a pro.:boohoo




Edit: Hey!! I just noticed the changes by the user names!!

I can be "trusted"!!! :dancin :lmfao
 
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JohnC said:
Just wondering though... are our customers really that fussed about what products we use?
Instead of getting say, a tub of $70 Souveran... I could get a $10 tub of Megs GC at Target, and our customers probably won't be able to tell the difference...
Click to expand...

No, they mostly don't give a crap. They are more focused on results. Thats why most pros wouldn't consider using Souveran on a customers car. But, people don't use GC when they can use Natty's for 5 bucks more. Plus, the Natty's is a paste so the tub will last longer than the GC n e way. Most over the counter products, including Meguiars, are difficult to use. When you are detailing for profit, you have to fucus on working as fast as possible, without sacraficing quality. There is not one good reason to choose GC over Natty's (at least not that I'm aware of). Just give any of the PB's products a try, and you'll see why we all rave about them, especially in the ease of use category.
 
Even if you don't care about quality, I find PB's is still on average the easiest stuff to use. Spending an extra dollar or two on it could save you 1/2hr-1hr on a detail. If you make $20-30/hr, they pay for themselves.

PS-looks like I can be trusted too:band :cool
 
Scott P said:
Poorboy's World -

SSR2.5, SSR1
EX and EX-P
Natty Wax
Polish with Carnauba
Bold N Bright for tires
Natural Look for interiors
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm looking to get those, among other products.

However, do you all think it's necessary to get a range of different products to use?

On my "shopping list" I've included stuff from Klasse, 4 Star, Pinnacle, P21S, etc...
Some of the products have the same function, ie. I will end up having 4-5 different brands of wax. Does this make sense for a start-up?

Big Leegr said:
Some customers won't, some will. Are you willing to stake your reputation over a few dollars?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I don't even have a reputation... As a start-up, I will mainly be competing on price, and when I can get a foothold in the market and prove the quality of my work, then I can bump up the price.

So in the initial stages, it's going to be neccessary to cut corners here and there just to be able to survive. I don't like or want to do this, but I need to ensure my businesses survival.
I will almost certainly be using coupons & discounts to attract customers, further lowering my profits.



OK, one more question... what do you all think about liquid vs paste wax?
I've always used paste wax on my own car, hand applied. But I never had to work to a time limit either.
Is liquid or paste wax easier to apply?

Oh, and by the way... I got an email from coastaltool, my PC 7424 is being sent today! :) :) :cool
 
If I were trying to start out on a bare-bones budget, I would get the following.

SSR1
SSR2.5, both will handle MOST of the jobs that you will come across, both can be usd in the sun(you will be mobile right?_, both can be used hand or machine, both are easy to work with saving you time.

Meguiars #80 speed glaze. I NEVER leave the house without. I would use this when shade is available and save my SSR's for full sun work. Buying this in the 32 oz size would allow you to experiment with it to see if you like it, I prefer the gallon.

Poorboy's EX, easy to use, sun or shade, looks great, compatible with just about everything, durable, and smeels great.

Poorboy;s plish w/carnauba. Very versatile and a good choice for one steps and paint prep as well. Sun, shade, pretty durable, etc.

For times when I am working in the shade, I would have either meguiars #26 or NXT. either will leave a great finish and can be purchased locally. Unlike others, I find meguiars products very easy to work with.

Meguiars #40. You can dress tires, interiors, cut it 50/50 with water to dress wheel wells and motors, etc. You can buy the 16oz size to start off with, but the gallon I can buy locally for about $21.

Leather cleaner/conditioner. There are plenty of boutique products in this category that work great. I have been using Meguiars medallion leather cleaner/conditioner for years and it has always kept my leather very soft and supple. You should also be able to find this locally.

PC, it is not necessary, but having done it both ways, I would at least have a PC. Lowes sells them for $109. Pick up some pads and a BP and you are set.

Without the PC you should be able to get started for about $120. You will of course need brushes and mitts. Good luck with your venture!!!
 
So far I get my chemicals from a company that the dealership I work at gets them from. I like them alot and I am very familiar with them.
 
You may also want to look into getting either QEW or S&W for areas where you may not have access to water.

Good luck
"J"
 
I would go with an "easy on, easy off" paste wax. Liquids have more carriers (petroleum dist.) to make them liquid, so if you have the same size container of liquid and of paste, you're getting more wax in the paste.
If you were to go with Natty's, S100/P21s, etc. it shouldn't be any harder to apply and you'll get more uses out if it.
As well, just about any "beauty wax" can be used on/off without waiting for hazing. From my experience, the ones that need to haze are ones that have cleaners, or possibly amino functional silicones.

Final thought: Even though you are looking to undercut the competition, I would still look at having a "premium" wax in my arsenal. As I've said before, Natty's and S100 aren't that much more than some of the better off the shelf brands, and (IMHO) they give a more dramatic presentation. You said you're looking for a foothold, then once established, bump things up a notch. I feel that the positive feedback/referals from the "extra pop" may be well worth the nominal investment.
 
Big Leegr said:
I would go with an "easy on, easy off" paste wax. Liquids have more carriers (petroleum dist.) to make them liquid, so if you have the same size container of liquid and of paste, you're getting more wax in the paste.
If you were to go with Natty's, S100/P21s, etc. it shouldn't be any harder to apply and you'll get more uses out if it.
As well, just about any "beauty wax" can be used on/off without waiting for hazing. From my experience, the ones that need to haze are ones that have cleaners, or possibly amino functional silicones.

Final thought: Even though you are looking to undercut the competition, I would still look at having a "premium" wax in my arsenal. As I've said before, Natty's and S100 aren't that much more than some of the better off the shelf brands, and (IMHO) they give a more dramatic presentation. You said you're looking for a foothold, then once established, bump things up a notch. I feel that the positive feedback/referals from the "extra pop" may be well worth the nominal investment.
Click to expand...

The only thing that I don't like about pastes when I am mobile is the fact that I must store them in a chilled container. In the summer at least. I guess it depends on your location as well.
 
EBPcivicsi said:
The only thing that I don't like about pastes when I am mobile is the fact that I must store them in a chilled container. In the summer at least. I guess it depends on your location as well.
Click to expand...

Can you explain this further? Sorry, I'm new to mobile detailing, so I don't know anything.... Is the chilled container to stop the wax from melting?
If so, I will probably need to buy a small fridge or cooler to put in my car.

I've also decided to use Poorboy's World products as my main line, will be putting in an order with www.motorcitypoorboys.net very soon, they have 20% off!

One more thing - for those of you who get your products from wholesalers... how would I be able to get these products? Anyone want to help me out? :)
 
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