A friend of my dad was on six months' paid leave between jobs. Looked out of the window on day one and saw how dirty his windows were, so got out bucket, chammy etc. Up the ladder, and a little old lady calls up and says "when you've done this one you can come round to no. 36. You haven't been for ages".
So he went to no. 36, and cleaned her windows and she gave him the money. Before long he was working at it full time with his son who was waiting to go to uni.
Sold the round for a fair few bob when he had to go back to work.
So, yes, if you offer a good service at a good price, and do it when you say you will, you'll get business.
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Our local wheelie bin cleaning outfit has to have a licence from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, and is not allowed to put waste water into the drainage system.
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what do they do with the old water then old navy?
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They have a collection tank in the back of their van. I dont know where it goes from there. Somewhere legal I hope.
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"not allowed to put waste water into the drainage system"
So what are the drains used for, then?
I didn't know the lunatics really had taken over the asylum...
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The waste water from bin cleaning is dumped into the sewage system which is treated. The surface water (rain+car wash water) is discharged untreated.
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I'll hand wash my car maybe four times a year just to check on paint chips etc.
Never polished my present car.
If the car needs washing will go through the local automatic for £3. No obvious paintwork damage over the years.
Usually got more pleasurable things to do at the weekend than getting wet.I used to clean the car more regularly as a precursor to tidying up the perennial rust bug.
If you enjoy it carry on.
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Have to admit I love washing my own car, then getting the autoglym out and giving him a proper shine, and finally doing the wheels with the wonderwheels. It's so satisfying.
However, since I've had Gunther he has had that treatment about four times (and two of them were in the first week of ownership when I was trying to prove a point about industrial fall out to VW) - he's had quick washes but not the full works. He has, however, been through the car wash twice, and it breaks my heart to see the swirls when the light falls on it in a certain way. I think I'll take him home to mum and dad's and use their driveway this weekend for a proper winter clean, as there's a good covering of dust and skank on the inside too.
I don't think washing the car in the street is a strange thing to do. We used to do it with watering cans when we lived in a flat. There's something a little strange, to me at least, about doing it every week. Still, whatever floats your boat!
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"it breaks my heart to see the swirls"
I'm glad you said that, PG. I was beginning to think it was my compulsive obsessive disorder! Seems particularly noticeable on dark metallics, but I think any lacquered finish is susceptible. I blame those pesky environmentalists who don't want us to enjoy the smell of proper paint any more...
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I nearly caused a riot last year in a little French town called Contrexeville, which is famous for its spa water - supposed to keep you slim if you believe that sort of thing. Well, I guess if all you drink is water you'll stay slim...
Anyway, I digress. One morning, in full view of all the people in the hotel dining room - most of whom were drinking Contrex for breakfast, I walked across the road to the spa building, filled a few bottles with the celebrated liquid from the free tap outside (most French spas give it away if you go there in person!) - and washed the Prelude with it while the believers watched, aghast.
Sure enough, the car lost about 2lb straight away (but only in accumulated road muck).
PS: if you think that story is pathetic - and I wouldn't blame you - I was in the Pyrenees a month ago and thought the car was running a bit rough. After calling in at Lourdes and watching thousands of pilgrims buying the local water with its miraculous healing powers I stopped off at a nearby jetwash, gave the car a blow over - and it's been going like a train ever since...
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The difference between clean & dirty on my car is increadible though - it just had a full respray, new hood, new lights & 4 wheel refurbs - when it's clean it looks brand new! I'd do it it twice a week if I had a driveway!
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Good for you perleman, nice to hear someone else who takes a pride in and looks after their goods in this throw away world.
Bet i'm worse than most though, cos when the roads have been salted i wash under the car as well very often 2 or 3 times a week.
Let the onlookers carry on being amused, when you come to part with your cars bet they are easier to sell than some neglected rust bucket.
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Seems to me it's washing one's car that's unusual, regardless of whether it's in the street. I seem never to see anyone else doing it.
But Perleman, how do you manage 25 mins??? It's taking me ever longer:
Rinse
Foam
Do wheels thoroughly
Hose away foam/rinse wheels
Wash with mitt (two-bucket method)
Hose off
Pour on water from rose-less watering can to get rid of droplets
Dry with drying towel
Dry door shuts and wheels with synthetic chammy
Hour. :-(
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I think you will find that it is against some byelaw that you you are not allowed to wash vehicles in the street.I seem to remember many years ago a nieghbour of ours was finned for doing just that
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rustbucket (the original)
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I often think its a precarious pratice washing cars in the street from a legal point of view ( as a valeting business ), but I use exclusively eco-friendly chemicals so if anyone did ask I wouldnt be using any naughty chemicals.
As it is though, most of my customers have big driveways so I never worry about it that much. People complain more about noise than chemical useage.
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finned
LOL, did he grow gills as well, it must have been all that water ;0)
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2005 Ford Mondeo Zetec 2.0 TDCi 130ps
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WOW! What a routine, I clean & dry the panels sequentially instead. While it does create some re-work as panels overlap, it all adds to the general cleaness. It's also quite a small car hence the faster time. As I do it every week, & only drive on urban routes, I don't seem to need to rinse first as there's only ever a light layer of dirt, instead I wet the car with the foamy water, then mitt it. The alloys in particular, take about 1-2 minutes each max to get looking like new. To be fair I probably take closer to 35-40 mins to complete the operation, not the 25 mins I quoted. I also use a synthetic chammy to dry the car with but what is this drying towel you speak of - is it better than the chammy?
The funny looks may well be due to the time I do it at although I do wear a pair of old Paul Smith jeans to do the work in, to help keep the area's fasionable appearance up!
Finally, I wasn't aware of drainwater being unprocessed although it does seem obvious now. I will endeavour to buy some ecologically friendly products, to offset the damage my 2.5 litre engine does to the environment
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but what is this drying towel you speak of -is it better than the chammy?
I use a Cobra Guzzler MF drying towel. With only a few residual drops of water left (see watering can routine), you can drag off/soak up the water from a large area (the area of the towel) with one action. There are plenty of products, but drying towels are what all the obsessive car detailers (er, that must include me...) use. It minimises the risk of dragging grit around and marring the paint.
The detailer's objective is maintaining original-quality paint finish - or even improving on it, and then maintaining it. See www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/index.php, and see www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=48...5 in particular. My motors are pictured there to in the Showroom section.
However, you don't have to be obsessional. But once you start thinking about how to get better results it's difficult to stop. Hence why I've spent £00s over the last six months or so on shampoo, foam, clay, polishes, glaze, sealants and waxes. And... But when I've time, the BM and the Cooper S look FANTASTIC!
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i bet you wear an anorak aswell?
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'snuffink wrong with anoraks - just look around this website ;>)
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...... just think how much damage soapy water can do to drains!
I use Zip Wax which, according to the manufacturer, is "totally bio-degradable".
--
L\'escargot.
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