With most of the car wash and detailing services being outdoors, your surroundings, especially the weather will often dictate how the service is performed. Fail to recognize weather and climatic conditions and you could risk thousands of dollars in damage to your customer’s car. Find out what you need to know about running your car detailing business under rollercoaster weather conditions in our guide below.
Working In Sunny and Hot Weather
First, you should always seek a shaded area to wash or detail a car, or better yet an indoor area such as a garage, car park or carport. Having the sunbeam directly on to the car paint will cause it to heat up and when this occurs, it means any liquids such as shampoo, polish, and waxes can dry on to the paint. Even leaving the water to dry on the paint can be a problem, because water contains mineral deposits in it when the sun dries up those water droplets, the deposits get left behind and can etch into the paintwork. If you haven’t discovered yet,
So, what should your Detailers do during these hot summer days where shade is non-existent and there is no shelter available?
Glad you asked!
- Of course, safety first – slip, slop and slap some sunscreen and put on a hat
- Regularly rinse the car to keep it cool and lubricated
- Wash the car panel by panel
- After each shampooed panel, be sure to rinse it off thoroughly to ensure no residue is left behind to stick
- Use a large Microfiber Drying Towel to dry the vehicle and reduce the likelihood of water spots
- As an indicator, always keep an eye on the car surface as you can usually see when it gets too hot eg. Water evaporating looks like steam – a good cue to lubricate the surface.
To avoid all this, we tend to organize our bookings earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon where it is cooler and not directly under the sun. Especially with Daylight savings during the hotter seasons (we’re based in Australia), it is still bright to the later hours of the day.
If you do decide to wash the car in an indoor area such as the garage or sheltered car park, be sure to have your Detailers equipped with enough lighting. Investing in one of those portable LED light stands is a great way to work effectively in poorly lit areas. Alternatively, a head LED lamp is also a great tool to use in addition.
Working in Cold Weather
Washing cars in cold weather is not too much of a concern other than it feels like your fingers are about to fall off. But should you experience icy windows in the morning, it is best to start the car and leave the de-frost option on full blast. Like usual, our Detailers will often work on the inside and leave the outside last and hopefully, by the time you are done with the inside, the ice on the outside would have defrosted by now. By no means should you ever use hot water to melt the ice off the window as this can cause the window to shatter.
Although we don’t experience much snow here in Australia, it is always recommended to wash your car regularly in areas that snow often. This is because the salt build-up can cause certain areas to rust on your car if left untreated.
To keep your car winter-ready moving forward, recommend your customer a protective wax coating to help combat against salt deposits. Wax provides hydrophobic, water-repelling properties making it difficult for salt to etch on to your paintwork – a great upselling opportunity.
Also, if you are looking to perform ceramic coating paint protection on a customer’s vehicle during cold temperatures, just be mindful that curing time will be prolonged. Heat is generally required to accelerate the curing process, but even at room temperature the coating can cure, just takes longer. Using a portable Infrared Light Stand or even a Portable Light will help in these situations.
