web ADN summer 2024
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
VOL. 9, NO. 2 SUMMER <strong>2024</strong><br />
Shiver Me<br />
Buffers
CONTENTS<br />
CLEARLY<br />
UNBREAKABLE<br />
DIAMOND<br />
PLATE®<br />
Details Matter............ 3<br />
Industry Dirt.............. 6<br />
Towel Care ............... 14<br />
Dr. Detail................... 12<br />
Danger<br />
Zone<br />
The often overlooked<br />
danger of detailing<br />
For the Love of Detailing<br />
CERAMIC PAINT<br />
COATING<br />
Tips............................ 16<br />
Two year guaranteed protection<br />
Improves gloss up to 10%<br />
IDA Column.............. 18<br />
By Joe “The Detail Guy” Zeidler, IDA Member,<br />
CD-MC<br />
Complete POS<br />
Signage Available!<br />
Desk Topper Pop Up Sign<br />
Q:<br />
What is Diamond Plate?<br />
A: Diamond Plate is a nano ceramic polymer coating that reacts with your vehicle’s<br />
clear coat finish to form a second layer and thicker coating for added protection.<br />
These highly cross-linked coatings are extremely weather resistant, provides UV<br />
protection, wear and acid rain resistance. These coatings are so durable they are<br />
used widely in the aerospace industry.<br />
Our Warranty Protects Against<br />
• ACID RAIN<br />
• BIRD DROPPINGS<br />
• INSECTS<br />
The Diamond Plate 2 Year Warranty<br />
Is backed by an A+ insurance carrier.<br />
Therefore, if a claim is filed, both consumers<br />
and installers<br />
will never have to pay<br />
for the price of repair.<br />
• HARD WATER SPOTS<br />
• EXPOSURE TO THE SUN<br />
CAUSING FADING, CHALKING,<br />
LOSS OF GLOSS<br />
Diamond Plate Kit Includes:<br />
• 1 Vile of the Patent Pending Diamond Plate<br />
• VisionBlade Hydrophobic Windshield Protector<br />
• Gloves<br />
• Applicator<br />
• Microfiber Finishing Towel<br />
• P.O.S. Customer Hand Outs<br />
• The Diamond Plate Warranty<br />
$82. 00<br />
per/kit<br />
www.SIMONIZ.com<br />
Simoniz USA, Inc, 201 Boston Turnpike, Bolton CT, 06043, 800-227-5536<br />
Nitty Gritty...............20<br />
Boat Detailing.......... 22<br />
VOL. 9, NO. 2 | SUMMER <strong>2024</strong><br />
Publisher: Jackson Vahaly<br />
Editor: Debra Gorgos<br />
Design: KBA Designs<br />
Auto Detailing News is published<br />
4 times per year and is independently<br />
owned by Jackson Vahaly.<br />
Web address is<br />
www.autodetailingnews.com<br />
All inquiries should<br />
be directed to:<br />
Auto Detailing News<br />
110 Childs Ln. Franklin, TN 37067<br />
jacksonv@autodetailingnews.com<br />
Copyright © <strong>2024</strong><br />
Two Dollar Media, Inc./Auto Detailing News.<br />
All Rights Reserved.<br />
Joe Zeidler, IDA Member, CD-MC, is the owner of C & J's<br />
Precision Auto Detailing of Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. He can<br />
be reached at JoeTheDetailGuy@yahoo.com.<br />
I wanted to write an article that is deeply personal to me<br />
and it involves a time I got complacent with my detailing<br />
processes.<br />
Several years ago I had recently closed my shop after<br />
Covid put me under and went to work for a National<br />
brand auto dealership. There I was the “go to” guy, I had<br />
20+ years’ experience, a proven success record, good customer<br />
service skills and was seen as an important part of<br />
the team.<br />
The dealership not only sold new vehicles but like most<br />
dealerships took trades and often bought auction vehicles. It<br />
is one trade-in that turned my life upside down.<br />
The vehicle was a very clean trade, nothing spectacular<br />
and a local nurse had owned it.<br />
I started my processes as usual but it’s when I deviated<br />
from my long-standing practice of moving the seats fully<br />
forward and using air and a vacuum under the seat then<br />
taking my light and making a visual search that the problems<br />
started for me.<br />
I had seen some loose papers under the passenger’s seat and<br />
reached under to pull them out. There was several papers and<br />
some were deeper so I figured I had gloves on so I’ll just go grab<br />
them without moving the seat, without using air or a vacuum<br />
and without visual and then it happened. The detailer’s nightmare<br />
– the needle stick. I knew immediately what happened<br />
and the needle punctured my latex gloved finger about 1/8 of<br />
an inch which, in needle stick terms, is a lot.<br />
Even being part of a local fire department my mind went<br />
into panic mode. I tore off the glove, started “milking” the<br />
puncture and then I moved the seat to retrieve the needle so I<br />
could take it with me to the local urgent care. The needle was<br />
empty and was not a medical needle and looked like a “street<br />
needle” so I was even more concerned that I might have been<br />
exposed to some type(s) of disease.<br />
I had called my wife and then informed my dealership<br />
GM and went straight to get help.<br />
Upon arrival at the urgent care I was taken directly to<br />
the back to start the process of treating my issue. First they<br />
took the needle for testing then they took lots of blood samples<br />
and I had to sit through listening to the laundry list of<br />
things that I could and couldn’t do in the coming weeks and<br />
months while I was waiting to make sure I was in the clear.<br />
These included taking medications for the next few weeks<br />
that would help with potential diseases but the treatments<br />
could have serious effects on my body and organs. Then it<br />
was made clear that there was to be no intimate relations<br />
with my wife including kissing for the next few weeks at least<br />
or longer, I had to sit there for over 45 minutes hearing the<br />
way my life could change and the bad things that could happen<br />
both short and long term. For me hearing the words<br />
VOL. 9, NO.2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong> | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 3
HIV, AIDS, hepatitis and other diseases<br />
caused me to start to mentally shut down.<br />
I was angry at myself for letting my guard<br />
down and I was angry at the former owners<br />
of the vehicle for having a needle,<br />
especially uncapped left in their trade-in<br />
and I just couldn’t understand how that<br />
the first time in many years of working<br />
my processes I got complacent and that<br />
one single time I took a needle stick.<br />
The doctor had left the room after giving<br />
me my initial dose of medication to<br />
get me started and I was a train wreck.<br />
My wife hadn’t arrived yet and I was starting<br />
to break when my phone rang and it<br />
was the GM from the dealership, he advised<br />
me he backtracked the paperwork<br />
to find the former owners phone number<br />
and he made contact. She had told him<br />
that the needles were “clean” and never<br />
used. She stated as a nurse she kept them<br />
to give out to addicts to make sure they<br />
didn’t need to share dirty needles and<br />
that I was fine. I wanted to scream that I<br />
wasn’t fine but I was forever traumatized<br />
by my lack of follow-through and her lack<br />
of care with needles – clean or dirty but I<br />
had no words. My body had an adrenaline<br />
dump and my brain couldn’t process<br />
all the information fast enough and was<br />
on overload. I called the doctor in and<br />
told him what was explained to me. He<br />
actually reached out to the nurse for confirmation<br />
but told me he was still going<br />
to process the tests and needle as a precaution<br />
but if they came back clean I was<br />
going to be ok.<br />
So, needless to say I was ok but it put<br />
a whole new perspective on my career<br />
and how I need to not get complacent<br />
and work my detailing processes the same<br />
with every vehicle.<br />
And that is why I am telling all of you,<br />
my fellow detailers, my story. I felt it was<br />
important to share this experience even<br />
though it was an embarrassment to me<br />
because the dangers we face are real. In<br />
the last issue of Auto Detailing News they<br />
talked about germs and what we come<br />
into contact with daily. But we face other<br />
dangers as well: Needles, inadvertent<br />
contact with drugs (possibly Fentanyl), potential<br />
loaded weapons and sharp knives<br />
hidden under seats and much more. I<br />
urge everyone to take my personal story<br />
to heart because I would never wish the<br />
nightmare I went through on anyone else<br />
because it might not have a good ending.<br />
Luckily, my ending was a good one.<br />
To my fellow detailers: Take your time<br />
and move the seats forwards, never blindly<br />
reach, use air and vacuums. Wear your<br />
gloves and do not get complacent in your<br />
processes because you really never know<br />
what is hiding in any vehicle.<br />
Stay safe<br />
LIST OF RISKS<br />
According to Healthline and<br />
confirmed by Darragh O'Carroll,<br />
MD, any time you’re<br />
exposed to another person’s<br />
blood, there’s a risk.<br />
Some of the disease-causing<br />
agents of blood-borne<br />
diseases that you can contract,<br />
include:<br />
• HIV<br />
• Hepatitis C<br />
• Hepatitis B<br />
• Measles<br />
• Varicella (chickenpox)<br />
• Herpes<br />
• Malaria<br />
• Tuberculosis<br />
• Bacterial infections<br />
It’s estimated that 600,000 to<br />
1 million needlestick injuries<br />
occur annually.<br />
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ®<br />
WASH and DETAIL without the<br />
hose getting stuck under the tires!<br />
<strong>ADN</strong> readers use discount code <strong>ADN</strong>20 to get 20% off at www.HOZEEZ.com<br />
THE BEST HOSE GUIDE AVAILABLE<br />
BIG – DURABLE – EFFECTIVE<br />
Patented design to grab under the tread<br />
and sidewall to hold it in place<br />
Heavy duty - will not break, even if run over<br />
Simple to use – just kick it under the tire<br />
Protect expensive pressure washer hoses<br />
Make washing and detailing easier<br />
IF YOU’VE GIVEN UP ON HOSE GUIDES AFTER TRYING THE SMALL, FRAGILE,<br />
COMPETITIVE PRODUCTS, GET HOZEEZ® AND USE THE ONE THAT WORKS!<br />
See HOZEEZ® videos on our <strong>web</strong>site, including driving over it with an SUV to show durability!<br />
Made In USA<br />
www.BishopInnovations.com<br />
4 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong>
INDUSTRY<br />
NEWS<br />
All the news and dirt concerning detailing<br />
businesses, suppliers, events and industry icons.<br />
Jay Leno’s $20 million McLaren<br />
finally gets detailed<br />
Famous comedian and former Tonight<br />
Show host as well as car enthusiast<br />
Jay Leno has owned a McLaren F1 for 25<br />
years. According to an Auto Evolution story,<br />
Leno hasn’t had the $20 million vehicle<br />
detailed in ages.<br />
Leno said he takes it out for a drive at<br />
least once a month. Chris Walters and Jeremy<br />
Porazzo, Leno’s own detailing experts,<br />
finally decided to give it a good detailing.<br />
The duo started out by covering the<br />
chrome details in tape to protect them before<br />
they started polishing the paint with a<br />
dual-action polisher. They then sprayed the<br />
tires with a heavy-duty rubber cleaner and<br />
brushed the dirt off. The five-spoke wheels<br />
go through a similar treatment.<br />
According to the story, everything on<br />
the three-seater is original except the tires.<br />
SONAX Detail Trainers lead first-ever<br />
American ‘Dream Team’ in El Salvador<br />
A Latino “American Dream Team”<br />
headed to Central America where they<br />
trained, tested and awarded dual certifications<br />
from the International Detailing<br />
Association (IDA) to more than a dozen<br />
El Salvadorian detailers, according to an<br />
April 2 press release.<br />
The event took place at Mr. Black<br />
Car Wash Y Detailing at Av Bernal, in<br />
San Salvador on April 8 and 9.<br />
It was the IDA’s first international<br />
detail training session in the country of<br />
El Salvador and is intended to create<br />
a talent pool and to give a boost to the<br />
automotive appearance industry in that<br />
small country.<br />
In addition to certifying detailers in<br />
IDA specifications, the team will also SO-<br />
NAX-certify the detailers in paint correction<br />
– an advanced form of restoring old,<br />
faded, aging paint, to its original shine.<br />
Two successful Latino automotive<br />
detailers from California - SONAX and<br />
IDA Master certified detailer Rigo Santana<br />
of Xtreme Xcellence Professional<br />
Detailing in Laguna Hills; and Jorge<br />
Rivera of Kings of the Carwash Auto<br />
Detail Supplies in Los Angeles County<br />
- both have lived out their American<br />
Dream building successful automotive<br />
detailing businesses in the United States.<br />
They will join SONAX Guatemala<br />
Master Trainer Manuel Martinez in<br />
ensuring American standards of excellence.<br />
IDA dual certification requires two<br />
levels of testing. The first requires passing<br />
a written test to receive the basic<br />
(CD) certification and the second is a<br />
much harder, Skills Validated (SV) certification<br />
in which the students are presented<br />
with on-the-spot car paint and<br />
interior “problems” they must fix, using<br />
the IDA approved process.<br />
Santana is a member of the SONAX<br />
detailing team and a former member of<br />
the Air Force One Detailing Team at Seattle’s<br />
Museum of Flight. He has trained<br />
numerous detailers in Puerto Rico and<br />
detailed priceless, award-winning cars<br />
for the Concours d’Elegance at Monterey<br />
Car Week, the Petersen Automotive<br />
Museum in Los Angeles, Calif. and is a<br />
member of the Museum Preservation<br />
Team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway<br />
Museum ‘Vault’.<br />
Rivera recently earned his U.S. residency<br />
and his dual IDA certifications<br />
(CD/SV) as a detailer but built his Kings<br />
of the Carwash private label professional-grade<br />
detailing products, equipment<br />
and supplies store with two locations in<br />
Pacoima and Bellflower, both in Los Angeles<br />
County.<br />
He is returning to his native El Salvador<br />
after 20 years to share his expertise<br />
in the detailing industry and to encourage<br />
similar skills and opportunities for<br />
his former countrymen.<br />
BAF Industries and PRO ® joins Appearance Technology Group<br />
The following is a letter from John Bell, president of BAF Industries and PRO®:<br />
I am excited to announce that BAF Industries and<br />
PRO® has joined the Appearance Technology Group<br />
effective May 3, <strong>2024</strong>. You may know them as the<br />
company that also has Hi-Tech Industries, 3D International,<br />
P&S Detail Products and RBL Products<br />
in its stable of brands. Their distributors have raved<br />
about being able to get multiple brands on one order<br />
and shipment with one freight minimum. Adding the<br />
PRO® Product Line to that offering with our rich history<br />
and legacy as a leading professional brand rounds<br />
out that multi-brand offering. We are confident that it<br />
makes us a more valuable vendor to our distributors and<br />
in turn makes our distributors more valuable suppliers<br />
to professionals worldwide.<br />
This was not an easy decision. However, ATG’s<br />
track-record the past two years as a good steward for<br />
the 3D brand and their history of partnering with<br />
family-owned businesses really resonated with Michael<br />
and myself and the PRO® brand that our family has<br />
built. We are confident they will be good partners for us,<br />
our employees and our PRO® Distributors. We look<br />
forward to partnering with ATG to carry on our grandfather,<br />
Jack Burford, and father, Frank Bell’s, legacy<br />
and vision.<br />
Like PRO®, both 3D and P&S have many longtime<br />
loyal customers with a protected territory. ATG<br />
continued to honor those 3D and P&S partners and<br />
protected markets and will do the same with PRO®. In<br />
areas where there are non-prior agreements, any ATG<br />
customer is eligible to purchase all the brands.<br />
to our partners and customers for<br />
EXTERIOR AUTO CARE<br />
INTERIOR AUTO CARE<br />
Northeast Regional Carwash Convention announces keynote speaker<br />
The NRCC recently announced that<br />
the <strong>2024</strong> Keynote Speaker will be Will<br />
Guidara<br />
According to the NRCC, Will Guidara<br />
is the author of the national bestseller<br />
“UNREASONABLE HOSPITALITY,”<br />
which chronicles the lessons in service and<br />
leadership he has learned over the course<br />
of his career in restaurants.<br />
He is the co-owner of Make It Nice,<br />
a hospitality group that currently includes<br />
Eleven Madison Park, the NoMad restaurants<br />
and Made Nice in New York City.<br />
He has been immersed in the restaurant<br />
industry since the age of 13 and hails<br />
from Sleepy Hollow, NY.<br />
While running Eleven Madison Park,<br />
Guidara discovered the remarkable power<br />
of giving people more than they expect,<br />
and used this idea of Unreasonable<br />
Hospitality to turn a struggling two-star<br />
brasserie into the #1 restaurant in the<br />
world. This radical reinvention was a true<br />
partnership between the kitchen and the<br />
dining room, creating memorable, overthe-top,<br />
bespoke hospitality. Exactly what<br />
you want to give your carwash customers!<br />
The <strong>2024</strong> Northeast Regional Carwash<br />
Convention will be taking place October<br />
7-9 at the Atlantic City Convention<br />
Center.<br />
Malco® Automotive has supplied the automotive<br />
industry with high-quality, professional-grade<br />
cleaning and detailing products since 1953.<br />
www.malcoautomotive.com<br />
@Malcoautomotive<br />
AUTO SERVICE SUPPLIES<br />
TECH TIPS<br />
@Malcoautomotive @Malcoautomotive<br />
6 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong><br />
VOL. 9, NO.2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong> | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 7
INDUSTRY NEWS<br />
1976 cult<br />
classic ‘Car Wash’<br />
movie being made<br />
into sitcom<br />
Working at the car wash became popular,<br />
thanks to the Rose Royce song as well as the popular<br />
movie starring Richard Pryor and George<br />
Carlin, and now it might gain new fame as it is<br />
being developed into a TV show.<br />
According to a May 23 Yahoo! Entertainment<br />
story, the series is in development at<br />
NBC, and will be produced by Malcolm D.<br />
Lee. The series will take place in modern-day<br />
Washington DC and will follow an immigrant<br />
family who owns a car wash. “The family will<br />
face “generational and cultural clashes between<br />
father and son and their eclectic group<br />
of employees,” the story said.<br />
According to a Deadline news story, it is being<br />
reported that even though it’s still early, there<br />
is a possibility that some of the living actors from<br />
the original Car Wash film will make cameo appearances.<br />
Bear spray is just part of job when<br />
you work near Yellowstone Park<br />
A detailer working in Cody, Wyoming,<br />
shouldn’t be too surprised when presented<br />
with a car covered in bear spray,<br />
thanks to the prevalent Yellowstone<br />
National Park, but Terry Jesse, owner<br />
of TJ’s Clean and Shine, was still<br />
surprised by the noxious odor when<br />
presented with a bear-spray soaked<br />
vehicle. According to the Cowboy State<br />
Daily newspaper, a Yellowstone National<br />
Park employee brought in his vehicle after<br />
a canister of bear spray exploded while on<br />
the dashboard. The can blasted out the windshield<br />
from where it was laying and left an invisible cloud of<br />
repellant that Jesse said he could feel on his skin just by<br />
reaching inside, the May 22 story said.<br />
“I could feel it myself, and that's just from sitting<br />
down,” he told the newspaper. “The spray went into<br />
the fabric and foam in the seat. There's no way to get<br />
that out of there.”<br />
After eight hours of detailing, Jesse said he was able<br />
to remove 90% of the bear spray.<br />
“The owner’s going to feel it sometimes,” he admitted.<br />
“His skin’s going to itch, especially when it warms<br />
up in <strong>summer</strong>. You have to be honest with them, and<br />
there’s no way to get it all out.”<br />
Even with the 10% remaining, Jesse<br />
said the owner got off lucky because<br />
the explosion only left only a ‘fine<br />
mist’ of aerosol in the interior, the<br />
story said.<br />
“There were big droplets that<br />
burned into the vinyl on the dash,<br />
but there was just a fine mist that covered<br />
the inside,” he said in the story.<br />
“He got pretty lucky.”<br />
Jesse’s solution was to soak microfiber cloths<br />
and towels with vinegar and spread them across every<br />
surface to soak up the spray.<br />
“If you spray anything on it, using a spray bottle or<br />
a steamer, it gets airborne,” he said in the story. “Then<br />
it's everywhere and all over you.”<br />
To clean the vents, Jesse filled one of his steamers<br />
with vinegar and fogged the vents as much as possible.<br />
This is the ninth bear-sprayed vehicle Jesse has detailed.<br />
“Five or six years ago, a canister blew up in a<br />
smaller SUV,” he said in the story. “The whole interior<br />
of that vehicle was the yellow-orange color of bear<br />
spray. It was everywhere.”<br />
Beloved detailer<br />
retires after 39-year career<br />
John Terry, a.k.a. “Mr. Magic”, is hanging up his detailing<br />
hat after an illustrious 39-year journey in the detailing<br />
business, according to a May 23 Waterboro Live report.<br />
Terry won 21 best detail shop awards during his tenure,<br />
and, according to the story, set a benchmark for quality that<br />
few can match.<br />
Based in Colleton County, South Carolina, Magic Shine<br />
Detail was always busy with dedicated customers. “As the<br />
founder of Magic Shine Detail, Terry’s dedication to perfection<br />
and passion for detail has made his establishment a<br />
household name among car enthusiasts. His commitment<br />
to excellence has earned him accolades and garnered widespread<br />
respect within the industry,” the story stated.<br />
Terry also opened two car washes in the area.<br />
“I extend heartfelt thanks to all my loyal customers across<br />
Colleton County. Your unwavering support has been the bedrock<br />
of Magic Shine Detail’s success. Special appreciation goes<br />
to the truckers, local and distant, for their trust and patronage.<br />
As I retire, I’m grateful for the privilege of serving you all with<br />
passion and dedication,” Terry said in a statement.<br />
Legend Ad Auto Detailing News.pdf 1 5/24/21 5:12 PM<br />
Dry ice blasting offered in Naples, Florida<br />
In a significant expansion of its specialized<br />
auto detailing services, Carbon Coatings<br />
of Naples, Florida, has introduced<br />
Dry Ice Blasting to its<br />
esteemed clientele in Southwest<br />
Florida and Miami, according<br />
to an April 11 press<br />
release.<br />
“This innovative cleaning<br />
method is specifically<br />
designed for the meticulous<br />
care of exotic vehicles, classic<br />
cars, and restoration projects, offering<br />
a safe and effective solution<br />
for removing decades of accumulated<br />
dirt and grime while preserving the original factory<br />
paint underneath,” the press release stated.<br />
Using solid CO2 pellets as a cleaning medium,<br />
which sublime upon contact to lift dirt and contaminants<br />
without water, abrasives, or harmful chemicals,<br />
dry ice blasting is designed for delicate surfaces.<br />
"Our mission at Carbon Coatings has always<br />
been to provide the highest standard of care for<br />
vehicles that represent a significant investment and<br />
passion for their owners," said Lance Roling,<br />
Founder of Carbon Coatings, in the<br />
press release. "The addition of Dry<br />
Ice Blasting to our service lineup<br />
enhances our ability to serve<br />
enthusiasts and collectors of<br />
exotic and classic vehicles, as<br />
well as restoration projects,<br />
with a cleaning solution that<br />
respects the uniqueness and<br />
value of their vehicles."<br />
According to the press release,<br />
Carbon Coatings specializes<br />
in advanced detailing services for<br />
exotic cars, classic vehicles, restoration<br />
projects, boats, and planes in Southwest Florida<br />
and Miami. “With a dedication to preserving the<br />
beauty and integrity of each vehicle, Carbon Coatings<br />
employs state-of-the-art techniques and materials<br />
to ensure superior quality and satisfaction.<br />
From meticulous Paint Correction to innovative<br />
Dry Ice Blasting, our services are tailored to meet<br />
the unique needs of discerning vehicle owners and<br />
enthusiasts.”<br />
Lebanon’s SB3 Ceramic Coatings certifies first-ever Master Trainer<br />
SB3 Coatings, headquartered in<br />
Lebanon, Pennsylvania, announced in<br />
an April 14 press release that the highly<br />
certified Automotive Detailer Christian<br />
Rosa-Garcia, owner of Fashion Exposure<br />
& Auto Spa in San Juan, Puerto Rico,<br />
has earned an exclusive Master Trainer<br />
certification for the installation of SB3<br />
Ceramic Coatings for the entire island of<br />
Puerto Rico.<br />
SB3 Coatings is one the fastest growing<br />
automotive ceramic coatings providers<br />
on the market. Rosa-Garcia is currently<br />
one of only a couple of SB3 Coatings’<br />
automotive Surface Specialists in the U.S.<br />
territory, and now the only one certified<br />
as a Trainer.<br />
Working closely with SB3 Coating’s<br />
Founding Partner and CEO, Barry Theal,<br />
Rosa-Garcia will be holding his first<br />
group training class in July, but is available<br />
for personal, one-on-one training sessions<br />
for up to two detailers at a time, on an ongoing<br />
basis.<br />
The July class will offer multiple levels<br />
of exposure to SB3 from live demonstrations<br />
by Theal and Rosa-Garcia, to<br />
hands-on opportunities for participants to<br />
use the coating products.<br />
Surface Specialists Certification training<br />
is limited to five people. A native of<br />
Carolina, P.R., Rosa-Garcia started out in<br />
the car wash business, which he found unsatisfactory<br />
due to its limitations.<br />
“I wanted to do more to get a car or<br />
truck cleaner both inside and outside,”<br />
Rosa-Garcia said in the press release. “A<br />
car wash doesn’t get the surface as shiny<br />
as I wanted and I was familiar with ceramic<br />
coatings, which were growing in<br />
popularity.”<br />
Rosa-Garcia spent the next seven<br />
years training and earning dual certifications<br />
(CD/SV) from the International<br />
Detailing Association (IDA) and from the<br />
New Generation of Detailers (NGD), the<br />
only training that trains and certifies detailers<br />
in the Spanish language.<br />
During that time, Rosa-Garcia had<br />
opportunities to work with SONAX Master<br />
detailer Rigo Santana of the NGD to<br />
prepare a rare 1968 Iso Grifo for induction<br />
into the National Corvette Museum<br />
in Bowling Green, Kentucky.<br />
He has also detailed both a private<br />
airplane and a $4 million custom fishing<br />
ship, opening future possibilities in those<br />
areas of detailing.<br />
“Ceramic coatings like SB3 are<br />
semi-permanent, so you have to ‘prep’<br />
the paint surface to remove all the flaws<br />
like swirl marks, scratches, and uneven<br />
paint caused by robotic painters at the<br />
manufacturer,” Rosa-Garcia said in the<br />
press release. “Otherwise, you are sealing<br />
in those flaws when you apply the coating,<br />
and that is unacceptable. …Once you do<br />
that, a vehicle coated with a SB3 coating<br />
will look like it just came off the showroom<br />
floor, even if it is 10 years or older.”<br />
Theal came and spent four days with<br />
Rosa-Garcia in Puerto Rico, learning<br />
about the Latino culture to help better<br />
understand how BB3 Coatings can help<br />
the Latino community grow in the detailing<br />
industry.<br />
“Christian is the keystone to building<br />
a bridge between the American and Latino<br />
cultures,” Theal said. “I realized his<br />
Puerto Rican heritage is very proud, but<br />
at the same time, they are not afraid to<br />
seek help.<br />
“The language differences create<br />
a barrier, but they do not stop us from<br />
working together to provide Puerto Rico<br />
and the Latino community a new level of<br />
service.”<br />
Rosa-Garcia said he tried several ceramic<br />
coating products before determining<br />
SB3 was the superior choice, but Theal’s<br />
commitment to service and support<br />
sealed the deal for him.<br />
“Barry saw that I have an interest in<br />
continuous training and a need for ongoing<br />
support, and he and SB3 were glad to<br />
offer it.”<br />
Both men agree that within the past<br />
five years, the automotive detailing industry<br />
in Puerto Rico has grown exponentially,<br />
along with that in the United States.<br />
For that reason, Theal and Rosa-Garcia<br />
are looking at future opportunities to<br />
expand the SB3 line into other Caribbean<br />
countries and territories.<br />
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
CM<br />
MY<br />
CY<br />
CMY<br />
K<br />
LEGEND<br />
A Premium Coating Experience<br />
psdetailproducts.com<br />
8 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong><br />
VOL. 9, NO.2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong> | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 9
INDUSTRY NEWS<br />
Car Wash Show breaks records in Nashville<br />
The Car Wash Show <strong>2024</strong>, the premier<br />
gathering of owners, operators, investors,<br />
and decision-makers, made its return<br />
to Music City in<br />
Nashville, Tennessee, according to a<br />
May 15 press release. The Show was met<br />
with unprecedented excitement, mirroring<br />
the growth and opportunity that the car<br />
wash industry boasts as a whole.<br />
The record-breaking event showcased<br />
more than 420 vendors, including over 100<br />
new companies, on a sold-out trade show<br />
floor covering 190,000 square feet – the<br />
largest in its history. Alongside these exhibiting<br />
companies were 9,600+ attendees<br />
— an all-time high — roaming the floor<br />
seeking the endless solutions and education<br />
that The Show had to offer.<br />
“Seeing the industry come together in<br />
one spot always reminds me of the amazing<br />
opportunity it is to create an experience<br />
that keeps our attendees and exhibitors at<br />
the forefront of the industry,” said Kim<br />
Vinciguerra, chief experience officer at<br />
International Carwash Association (ICA).<br />
“I say this every year – but it’s over 9,000<br />
of our closest friends gathering for three<br />
days.”<br />
One of the hottest destinations in the<br />
Music City Center was Innovation Alley,<br />
featuring more than 40 first- or second-year<br />
exhibitors showcasing the latest<br />
innovations from 3D signage to preventative<br />
maintenance technology.<br />
“Innovation Alley was designed as<br />
a ‘can’t-miss’ destination,” said Kendra<br />
Johnson, vice president of business development<br />
at ICA. “It’s a big deal for any new<br />
company to select The Car Wash Show as<br />
their destination – so it’s our job is to create<br />
a space that allows them to flourish.”<br />
With more than 60 hours of training<br />
delivered by experts in and outside of the<br />
industry, The Car Wash Show’s education<br />
sessions were cutting-edge and top-of-class.<br />
Between education sessions and PITCH<br />
product presentations, attendees could<br />
listen to operators discussing brand new<br />
training models to tech experts unveiling<br />
the latest digital competencies, to industry-led<br />
panels discussing trends and movement<br />
in the car wash industry.<br />
One of the many standing-room-only<br />
sessions addressed the state of today’s car<br />
wash industry. Eric Wulf, chief executive<br />
officer at ICA, Marcus Kittrell of Mammoth<br />
Holdings and Tom Hoffman Jr. of<br />
innovateIT Car Wash Equipment, guided<br />
attendees through the intricacies of gathering<br />
and analyzing the research that is most<br />
relevant to the success of those in the car<br />
wash industry.<br />
“When ICA first started our research<br />
in the ’90s, the most telling piece of data<br />
was the percentage of people using home<br />
versus professional washes,” Wulf said.<br />
“We’ve now shifted most of our focus with<br />
our Pulse research to what we believe is<br />
one of the most important dynamics in<br />
the industry, the subscription model, and<br />
membership.”<br />
Another feature at The Show this year<br />
was a podcast studio. CAR WASH The<br />
Podcast set up shop so attendees could<br />
listen to and share stories of impact from<br />
around the car wash industry.<br />
“This year was all about the people<br />
who make the industry what it is,” said<br />
Claire Moore, chief learning officer at<br />
ICA. “There’s a story at the corner of every<br />
booth on the show floor. We wanted<br />
to use our platform(s) to help share these<br />
amazing stories of success.”<br />
After business hours, attendees took<br />
part in a multitude of activities. From the<br />
largest car wash party of the year at The<br />
Big Bash, to The Car Wash Show After<br />
Dark taking on Downtown Nashville, to<br />
the Car Wash Hall of Fame Celebration.<br />
This year’s inductee, Lamar Beck of<br />
Goo Goo Car Wash, was honored posthumously<br />
with the industry’s most prestigious<br />
award.<br />
Success was a word thrown around<br />
frequently during The Car Wash Show –<br />
including a few booth awards that were<br />
given on-site. Different than in years’<br />
past, booths were judged by professional<br />
consultants considering the booth’s layout<br />
involvement in their customer’s journey<br />
and their respective team’s role throughout<br />
the process.<br />
CONGRATULATIONS TO:<br />
• Brian Campbell Best Booth (Large):<br />
National Carwash Solutions (NCS)<br />
• Brian Campbell Best Booth<br />
(Medium): Big Dot Lighting<br />
• Standout Booth: Nuform Building<br />
Technologies Inc.<br />
When The Show wrapped up on May<br />
15, it was far from over. In addition to all<br />
the new connections made that live on well<br />
after The Show, a new option was added<br />
this year to extend the availability of the<br />
education portion, called Digital Week.<br />
International Carwash Association also<br />
announced a brand-new event, ROAD-<br />
MAP, debuting in December <strong>2024</strong> in Austin,<br />
Texas. ICA is excited to invite everyone<br />
back to The Car Wash Show next year in<br />
Las Vegas, April 26-28, 2025.<br />
SBA Launches Digital Hub to connect small businesses with major funding<br />
On April 11, Administrator Isabel<br />
Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small<br />
Business Administration (SBA) and the<br />
voice in President Biden’s Cabinet for<br />
America’s more than 33 million small businesses,<br />
announced the launch of the SBA’s<br />
new Investing in America Small Business<br />
Hub, the first and only digital portal of its<br />
kind providing industry-specific resources<br />
to help small businesses tap into opportunities<br />
under President Biden’s signature<br />
Investing in America (IIA) Agenda.<br />
“President Biden’s Investing in America<br />
agenda is delivering generational investments<br />
to grow America’s economy,<br />
restore competitiveness, tackle climate<br />
change, and reshore manufacturing – all<br />
while including America’s small businesses,<br />
which are the backbone of our economy,”<br />
said Administrator Guzman in the April<br />
11 press release. “The SBA’s new Investing<br />
in America Small Business Hub will<br />
help more small businesses connect to the<br />
resources, funding opportunities, and support<br />
they need to capitalize on these opportunities<br />
and strengthen their businesses.<br />
From the contractor working with their<br />
clients to use the Inflation Reduction Act<br />
rebates and tax credits to complete home<br />
energy efficiency projects, to businesses<br />
helping rebuild America’s infrastructure<br />
through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,<br />
small businesses are front and center in the<br />
Biden-Harris Administration – and the<br />
SBA is here to help.”<br />
The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing<br />
in America economic agenda has<br />
fueled a historic nationwide Small Business<br />
Boom, with the first, second, and third<br />
strongest years of new business applications<br />
on record occurring in President Biden’s<br />
first three years in office. New Census data<br />
released today show that the United States<br />
has exceeded 17 million new business applications<br />
filed since the President took<br />
office – a historic rate of entrepreneurship<br />
that the IIA Small Business Hub will help<br />
continue to grow by helping small business<br />
owners leverage opportunities created by<br />
the Investing in America agenda.<br />
The IIA Small Business Hub includes<br />
new technological assistance guides to help<br />
more small businesses access Investing in<br />
America grants, contracts, and market opportunities.<br />
It also highlights SBA resources<br />
that can help small businesses access the investment<br />
capital they need to scale and the<br />
certifications they need to qualify for IIA<br />
funding. As part of this effort, the SBA will<br />
collaborate with other federal agencies to<br />
host local events and <strong>web</strong>inars to connect<br />
directly with small businesses and provide<br />
assistance on how to access IIA contracting<br />
opportunities, as well as incentives such<br />
as home energy rebates and tax credits. In<br />
addition to the Small Business Hub, small<br />
businesses are encouraged to continue utilizing<br />
the SBA’s full suite of small business<br />
resources to pursue Investing in America<br />
opportunities.<br />
DOL announces update to the Hazard Communication Standard<br />
The Department of Labor today announced<br />
in a May 20 press release a final<br />
rule from its Occupational Safety and<br />
Health Administration (OSHA) that will<br />
update the current Hazard Communication<br />
Standard to better protect workers by<br />
improving the amount and quality of information<br />
on labels and safety data sheets<br />
and allow workers and first responders to<br />
react more quickly in an emergency. The<br />
updates take effect on July 19, <strong>2024</strong>.<br />
Aligned primarily with the seventh<br />
revision of the United Nations’ Globally<br />
Harmonized System of Classification and<br />
Labeling of Chemicals, the updated standard<br />
will require labels on small packaging<br />
to be more comprehensive and readable<br />
and makes changes to help ensure trade<br />
secrets no longer prevent workers and first<br />
responders from receiving critical hazard<br />
information on safety data sheets.<br />
Workers will also benefit from other<br />
changes in the updated standard, including<br />
a clearer hazard classification process<br />
to provide more complete and accurate<br />
hazard information on labels and safety<br />
data sheets; updated physical hazard classes<br />
to better inform users on safe handling<br />
of explosives, aerosols and chemicals under<br />
pressure; and updated precautionary<br />
statements on how to safely handle, store<br />
and dispose of hazardous chemicals.<br />
The final rule also addresses issues<br />
that arose since the implementation of the<br />
2012 standard and improves alignment<br />
with other federal agencies and Canada.<br />
Established in 1983, the Hazard Communication<br />
Standard provides a standardized<br />
approach to workplace hazard communications<br />
associated with exposure to<br />
hazardous chemicals. OSHA updated the<br />
standard in 2012 to align with the third<br />
revision of the GHS to provide a common<br />
and coherent approach to classifying<br />
chemicals and communicating hazard information.<br />
Department of Labor takes critical<br />
step in heat safety rulemaking, continues<br />
heightened enforcement efforts, focuses on<br />
dangers to agricultural workers<br />
You better keep your employees cool, according to proposed new rule<br />
The Department of Labor has taken<br />
an important step in addressing the dangers<br />
of workplace heat and moved closer<br />
to publishing a proposed rule to reduce the<br />
significant health risks of heat exposure for<br />
U.S. workers in outdoor and indoor settings,<br />
according to a press release.<br />
On April 24, <strong>2024</strong>, the department's<br />
Occupational Safety<br />
and Health Administration<br />
(OSHA)<br />
presented the draft<br />
rule's initial regulatory<br />
framework at a meeting<br />
of the Advisory<br />
Committee on Construction<br />
Safety and<br />
Health. The committee,<br />
which advises the<br />
agency on safety and<br />
health standards and<br />
policy matters, unanimously<br />
recommended<br />
OSHA move forward<br />
expeditiously on the<br />
Notice of Proposed<br />
Rulemaking. As part<br />
of the rulemaking process, the agency will<br />
seek and consider input from a wide range<br />
of stakeholders and the public at-large as it<br />
works to propose and finalize its rule.<br />
In the interim, OSHA continues to<br />
direct significant existing outreach and<br />
enforcement resources to educate employers<br />
and workers and hold businesses<br />
accountable for violations of the Occupational<br />
Safety and Health Act's general duty<br />
clause, 29 U.S.C. § 654(a)(1) and other applicable<br />
regulations. Record-breaking temperatures<br />
across the nation have increased<br />
the risks people face on-the-job, especially<br />
in <strong>summer</strong> months. Every year, dozens of<br />
workers die and thousands more suffer illnesses<br />
related to hazardous heat exposure<br />
that, sadly, are most often preventable.<br />
"Workers at risk of heat illness need a<br />
new rule to protect workers from heat hazards.<br />
OSHA is working aggressively to develop<br />
a new regulation that keeps workers<br />
safe from the dangers of heat," explained<br />
Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety<br />
and Health Doug Parker, according to<br />
the press release. "As we move through the<br />
required regulatory process for creating<br />
these protections, OSHA will use all of its<br />
existing tools to hold employers responsible<br />
when they fail to protect workers from<br />
known hazards such as heat, including our<br />
authority to stop employers from exposing<br />
workers to conditions which pose an imminent<br />
danger."<br />
The agency continues to conduct<br />
heat-related inspections under its National<br />
By law, employers must protect workers from the dangers<br />
of heat exposure and should have a proper safety and<br />
health plan in place. At a minimum, employers should<br />
provide adequate cool water, rest breaks and shade or a<br />
cool rest area. Employees who are new or returning to a<br />
high heat workplace should be allowed time to gradually<br />
get used to working in hot temperatures.<br />
Emphasis Program – Outdoor and Indoor<br />
Heat-Related Hazards, launched in 2022.<br />
The program inspects workplaces with the<br />
highest exposures to heat-related hazards<br />
proactively to prevent workers from suffering<br />
injury, illness or death needlessly. Since<br />
the launch, OSHA has conducted nearly<br />
5,000 federal heat-related inspections.<br />
By law, employers must protect workers<br />
from the dangers of heat exposure and<br />
should have a proper safety and health<br />
plan in place. At a minimum, employers<br />
should provide adequate cool water, rest<br />
breaks and shade or a cool rest area. Employees<br />
who are new or returning to a high<br />
heat workplace should be allowed time to<br />
gradually get used to working in hot temperatures.<br />
Workers and managers should<br />
also be trained so they<br />
can identify and help<br />
prevent heat illness<br />
themselves.<br />
"No worker should<br />
have to get sick or die<br />
because their employer<br />
refused to provide<br />
water, or breaks to recover<br />
from high heat,<br />
or failed to act after a<br />
worker showed signs<br />
of heat illness," Parker<br />
added in the press release.<br />
As always, OSHA<br />
will share information<br />
and coordinate enforcement<br />
and compliance<br />
assistance efforts with states operating<br />
their own occupational safety and health<br />
programs. At the same time, the agency's<br />
compliance assistance specialists regularly<br />
meet with employer associations, workers<br />
and their advocacy groups and labor<br />
unions to supply information and education<br />
on heat hazards.<br />
10 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong><br />
VOL. 9, NO.2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong> | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 11
DETAIL<br />
DOCTOR<br />
By Bud Abraham,<br />
The Detail Doctor<br />
buda1940@outlook.com<br />
Most consumers and even more detail<br />
business owners misunderstand the<br />
terms “licensed/certified, bonded, and<br />
insured.“ Behind these seemingly mundane<br />
words lies a great deal of significance,<br />
both for your detail business and<br />
the customers you serve.<br />
Understanding these terms from a<br />
consumer’s point of view, from a business<br />
perspective, and even from the views of<br />
various state and federal authorities is<br />
critical to achieving customer satisfaction,<br />
business growth, and compliance with<br />
certifying agencies.<br />
But what do these licensed/certified,<br />
bonded and insured terms really mean?<br />
LICENSING/<br />
CERTIFICATION<br />
Simply put, being licensed means<br />
a service provider has obtained official<br />
approval or authorization from the relevant<br />
governing body to operate within<br />
that particular industry or profession.<br />
Many detail business owners don’t see the<br />
need for a business license unless they get<br />
caught operating without one which can<br />
subject you to fines.<br />
Certification typically comes after<br />
meeting specific requirements such as<br />
passing exams, completing specific training,<br />
specialized education, and adhering<br />
to industry regulations. Today a detail<br />
What’s in<br />
a Word?<br />
Do you know the difference between<br />
licensed/certified, bonded and insured?<br />
Bud Abraham is Founder and President Emeritus of DETAIL PLUS Car Appearance Systems, with more than 40 years<br />
of experience in the car care industry as a manufacturer, operator, distributor and consultant. He writes articles and gives<br />
seminars on the subject of auto detailing throughout the automotive industry. He can be reached at buda@detailplus.com.<br />
business owner can get this from the<br />
worldwide recognized International Detailing<br />
Association, also known as the IDA<br />
(for more information, visit the-ida.com).<br />
From your perspective, as a detail<br />
business owner, obtaining a license and<br />
certification is not merely a bureaucratic<br />
formality; it’s a badge of legitimacy and<br />
competence, too. Licensing/Certification<br />
signals to potential customers that the service<br />
provider possesses the necessary skills,<br />
knowledge, and qualifications to perform<br />
their job. It also shows they took the time,<br />
effort, and money, to get the proper training,<br />
etc. In essence, it’s a promise of quality<br />
and accountability made through reputation<br />
verification.<br />
That said, motorists may not fully<br />
grasp the importance of hiring a licensed/<br />
certified service provider for their detail<br />
services. Many motorists may assume that<br />
all businesses with an online listing operate<br />
on a level playing field, regardless of<br />
whether they hold a license or not.<br />
The reality is quite different! Unlicensed/non-certified<br />
detailers often lack<br />
the necessary expertise, oversight, and<br />
quality control mechanisms, posing significant<br />
risks to both the motorist and<br />
the industry’s reputation. By choosing<br />
a licensed/certified provider, motorists<br />
can mitigate these risks and ensure they<br />
receive reliable and professional services<br />
from experts.<br />
BONDING: A SAFETY<br />
NET FOR MOTORISTS<br />
Bonding refers to a type of insurance<br />
that protects consumers in the event of financial<br />
loss or damage caused by the service<br />
provider. When a business is bonded, it<br />
means they have purchased a surety bond<br />
from a bonding company, which serves as a<br />
guarantee that they will fulfill their obligations<br />
to the motorist, no matter what.<br />
This is different from insurance coverage<br />
in that it protects the consumer<br />
against specific incidents and issues that<br />
arise as a result of the service provider’s<br />
work. It also differs from regular insurance<br />
in that specific stipulations must be<br />
met for the bond to be paid out.<br />
For detail business owners, being<br />
bonded demonstrates a commitment to<br />
accountability and customer satisfaction.<br />
It provides reassurance to the motorist<br />
that in the rare event of a problem or dispute,<br />
they have recourse to seek compensation<br />
for any losses incurred. Moreover,<br />
bonding helps to instill trust and confidence<br />
in your detail business compared to<br />
the competition. Licensing/certification<br />
and bonding enhance your detail businesses’<br />
reputation and credibility within<br />
the market. This is something to use in<br />
your telephone conversation with a prospective<br />
customer to book the appointment.<br />
And to close the walk-in customer.<br />
If you use it correctly in your sales pitch<br />
the customer should have no choice but<br />
to use your detail business.<br />
Despite its importance, bonding is<br />
often overlooked by motorists who may<br />
not be aware of its significance or even<br />
what it really means. Many assume that<br />
all businesses carry insurance to protect<br />
themselves and their clients, but this is not<br />
always the case. Insurance may cover the<br />
workers on the job site but not necessarily<br />
the property where the work is being done<br />
or the occupants who reside there.<br />
You need to make certain the customer<br />
understands the role of bonding.<br />
Only then can they make more informed<br />
decisions when selecting detail service<br />
providers. A clear understanding of what<br />
bonding is can help a motorist to prioritize<br />
their protection and peace of mind.<br />
INSURANCE: SAFETY<br />
NETS FOR PROS<br />
Much like bonding, insurance provides<br />
a safety net for both businesses and<br />
consumers alike. Insurance offers the<br />
company financial protection against unforeseen<br />
circumstances and liabilities that<br />
can occur. Whether it’s property damage,<br />
bodily injury of an employee, or professional<br />
errors, insurance helps to mitigate<br />
the financial risks associated with running<br />
a service-based business like detailing.<br />
Motorists choosing a detail business<br />
might not know the specifics of your insurance<br />
policy as a provider, but the fact<br />
that you have insurance can give them<br />
peace of mind and help make a sale when<br />
they are already on the fence about it in<br />
the first place.<br />
From a business perspective, having<br />
insurance coverage is not just prudent—<br />
it’s essential. Most municipalities have<br />
regulations that prohibit the operation<br />
of service industry businesses without<br />
an insurance policy. Insurance coverage<br />
safeguards the company’s assets, reputation,<br />
and long-term viability in the face<br />
of potential lawsuits or claims. Moreover,<br />
insurance will give you a competitive<br />
advantage, giving your business an edge<br />
over the competition, who may lack adequate<br />
coverage.<br />
For motorists, using an insured detail<br />
service provider is a matter of risk<br />
management. A project may be more<br />
affordable when purchased through an<br />
uninsured provider because they don’t<br />
have this expense to pay, but it may cost<br />
more in the long run, should the worst<br />
occur. A fully equipped insurance policy<br />
safeguards you against being held<br />
liable for any accidents or incidents that<br />
occur during service. This is especially<br />
true when dealing with high-end luxury<br />
or exotic cars, boats, RV’s and airplanes.<br />
While insurance may add to the cost of<br />
doing business, the peace of mind it offers<br />
is invaluable for you and consumers<br />
alike, even if the consumers don’t necessarily<br />
realize it.<br />
You may not realize the advantage of<br />
having these qualifications for a business<br />
simply because they are viewed as necessities<br />
and burdensome expenses by those<br />
uninitiated in disasters.<br />
When you are doing the detail work,<br />
you are the expert in the trade, but you<br />
are also selling yourself through those<br />
skills, expertise, and reliability to customers<br />
on every potential job. That means<br />
you will need all the tools you can get to<br />
sell the job and then do it.<br />
Tools of the trade is a common phrase<br />
in the detail industry, and being licensed/<br />
certified, bonded, and insured is just a set<br />
of marketing tools that need to be maintained<br />
to keep you sharp.<br />
WHAT IS A SURETY BOND?<br />
A surety bond is a written agreement to guarantee compliance, payment, or<br />
performance of an act,according to Surety Bonds Direct. Surety is a unique<br />
type of insurance because it involves a three-party agreement. The three<br />
parties in a surety agreement are:<br />
• Principal: The party that purchases the bond and undertakes an<br />
obligation to perform an act as promised.<br />
• Surety: The insurance company or surety company that guarantees the<br />
obligation will be performed. If the principal fails to perform the act as<br />
promised, the surety is contractually liable for losses sustained.<br />
• Obligee: The party who requires, and often receives the benefit of— the<br />
surety bond. For most surety bonds, the obligee is a local, state or federal<br />
government organization.<br />
WHEN THE<br />
PAINT DRIES<br />
Licensing/certification, bonding, and<br />
insurance play a fundamental role in the<br />
world of service providers. Yet, despite<br />
this, their significance is often overlooked<br />
by consumers who don’t realize what the<br />
terms mean for them. From a business<br />
perspective, they are more than just regulatory<br />
requirements. They are symbols<br />
of professionalism, reliability, and<br />
accountability. For consumers, understanding<br />
the nuances of hiring licensed,<br />
bonded, and insured service providers<br />
can help them make informed decisions<br />
that will protect their interests.<br />
For service providers, licensing,<br />
bonding, and insurance can seem like<br />
wasted resources, but if the worst happens,<br />
it will feel like money well spent.<br />
And ultimately, with a shift in perspective,<br />
these qualifications can help to sell<br />
a potential client or project that might<br />
have otherwise been reluctant to sign the<br />
dotted line.<br />
12 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong><br />
VOL. 9, NO.2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong> | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 13
Choosing the<br />
Right Towel<br />
for Your<br />
Detailing Center<br />
By Valerie Sweeney<br />
Valerie Sweeney is the Vice President of<br />
ERC Wiping Products in Lynn, MA, where<br />
she has worked for the past 29 years.<br />
Deciding which towels to use in<br />
your detail business can be tough.<br />
There are so many different applications,<br />
so using just one type of<br />
towel may not be ideal. Since the<br />
cost of towels are relatively low<br />
(compared to your other detailing<br />
equipment), it’s important to<br />
choose the best towel option that<br />
will aid in the final product…a<br />
clean, immaculate car inside and<br />
out, and a happy customer.<br />
Your towel is just like any other<br />
tool in your business, so selecting<br />
the right towel can save you time<br />
and money, while aiding in the<br />
overall satisfaction of your client.<br />
There are various types of towels<br />
on the market today for detailers<br />
to choose from. These choices include<br />
terry, microfiber, and huck.<br />
Within those options, there are<br />
even more choices with a wide variety<br />
of size, color, thickness, and<br />
most importantly, quality.<br />
MICROFIBER TOWELS<br />
Microfiber towels have become<br />
the most popular towel in the<br />
detail industry. Microfibers are extremely<br />
versatile and can be used<br />
in all areas of the detailing process.<br />
They possess all of the ideal features<br />
you would want in a towel:<br />
lint free, absorbent, and durable.<br />
Within the microfiber family, there<br />
are many variations.<br />
Microfiber have a large range<br />
of sizes, but the most popular for<br />
the detail industry range from 12”<br />
x 12” up to 16” x 27” (think of the<br />
size of a washcloth up to the size of<br />
hand towel). Smaller microfibers,<br />
typically 16” x 16” or less, are used<br />
primarily for cleaning windows,<br />
mirrors, and interiors. They are<br />
lightweight, which makes it easier<br />
to reach tight spaces or corners.<br />
Large microfibers, typically 16” x<br />
24” or higher, are usually used on<br />
the exterior body of the car to wipe<br />
or dry the larger surface areas.<br />
There are varying degrees of<br />
thickness available for microfiber.<br />
Many towel vendors will measure<br />
thickness by the grams per square<br />
meter or “gsm.” The lighter the<br />
towel, the lower the gsm, and typically<br />
the lower in price. Many car<br />
wash and detail centers prefer a<br />
thickness right in the middle. Some<br />
places like to use the lighter weight<br />
versions (like 200 gsm) because they<br />
still work well, and they don’t necessarily<br />
need the absorption capacity<br />
of a thicker cloth like you would use<br />
if you were towel drying the car.<br />
A nicer quality microfiber towel<br />
will last more washings than a<br />
lower quality version. Quality variations<br />
can be<br />
seen not only in<br />
the construction of the<br />
cloth, but also the finishing<br />
(stitching). A nice microfiber<br />
should make your hand feel like it<br />
has very dry skin. You will actually<br />
feel the cloth sticking to your fingers<br />
and hand.<br />
Terry style microfibers are the<br />
most common towel used, but other<br />
variations including microfiber<br />
“glass” towels and “waffle” towels<br />
can also be found. The terry style<br />
has a pile, while the glass towels<br />
are smooth and almost satiny.<br />
The waffle style look exactly like it<br />
sounds. Some people like the texture<br />
of the waffle and feels that it<br />
works better for cleaning tree sap<br />
and bird droppings. The type of<br />
microfiber you use is strictly a personal<br />
preference.<br />
While there are many advantages<br />
to using microfiber, there are<br />
a few reasons that can turn people<br />
away. The first is that microfiber<br />
can become ineffective if they are<br />
not washed properly. Microfiber<br />
works due to the technology in the<br />
construction of the fibers. There<br />
are 90,000 wedge shaped split fibers<br />
per inch that lift, scoop, and<br />
trap the dirt of liquid. Microfiber<br />
is made of polyester and polyamide<br />
(nylon) which are not absorbent<br />
materials by nature. Microfiber<br />
does not like high heat, so<br />
drying<br />
your mi- crofiber<br />
in a warm/hot dryer or washing<br />
them in temperatures over 105 degrees<br />
Fahrenheit can ruin the split<br />
fibers, causing them to be useless.<br />
Essentially when this happens the<br />
towel melts. Unfortunately, it won’t<br />
actually look melted, but you will<br />
see windows with streaks, etc.<br />
Microfibers also don’t like fabric<br />
softener or to be washed with<br />
any of your other towels. If you<br />
try and wash microfiber with terry<br />
towels, the lint from the terry will<br />
immediately grab onto the cloth<br />
and can be hard to let go.<br />
TERRY TOWELS<br />
Terry towels are still extremely<br />
popular in the car wash<br />
and detail industry. A terry towel<br />
is the same type of towel that you<br />
use at home in your bathroom.<br />
They are absorbent, durable, and<br />
extremely versatile, making them<br />
a top choice. Soft terry towels are<br />
ideal for the body of the car, while<br />
lower cost towels can be used for<br />
upholstery cleaning, carpet spotting,<br />
and cleaning wheel wells and<br />
door jambs.<br />
Not all terry towels are the<br />
same either. There is a large vari-<br />
ance, and many different factors<br />
which contribute to the overall<br />
performance of the towel. For<br />
wax removal and drying the body<br />
of the car, the most popular towel<br />
is approximately 16” x 27”, also<br />
referred to as a hand towel. These<br />
towels typically range in weight<br />
between 2.5 pounds per dozen<br />
and 5 pounds per dozen. Smaller<br />
16” x 19” towels are usually<br />
much lighter weight, and can be<br />
used for dirtier jobs like wiping<br />
wheel wells, door jambs, or taking<br />
a touch spot out of the upholstery<br />
or carpet. Larger terry towels are<br />
sometimes preferred for those that<br />
are detailing larger vehicles such<br />
as trucks. These towels are bath<br />
towel size and can measure 20”x<br />
40” and higher.<br />
There are some pretty low quality<br />
terry towels out there and some<br />
really nice ones. A low quality terry<br />
towel might feel scratchy, or fall<br />
apart after a few washings. A higher<br />
quality terry towel might feel softer<br />
and last many washings. Since all<br />
detailers have various preferences<br />
on what they like in a towel, it’s<br />
important to know what qualities<br />
work for you. The most popular<br />
is a towel that weighs either 3 or 4<br />
pounds per dozen. You will have to<br />
work with you towel vendor to get<br />
the feel and thickness that you like.<br />
Most towel vendors have various<br />
options to meet your preference.<br />
Some people like a plusher nap on<br />
their towels, while others prefer a<br />
“sheared” pile. The “sheared” pile<br />
are sometimes referred to as “lint<br />
free.” While no terry towel is 100%<br />
lint free, there are versions that lint<br />
less than others.<br />
Some detailers do not like terry<br />
towels for several reasons. They<br />
tend to be bulkier than microfiber,<br />
so they aren’t necessarily quite as<br />
versatile. As stated above, they<br />
also can lint (although a good towel<br />
won’t continue to lint after the<br />
break-in period). Microfiber can<br />
be used right out of the box, while<br />
terry towels need to be washed<br />
several times before using them in<br />
order to become absorbent and get<br />
rid of the lint which is normal for a<br />
new terry towel.<br />
HUCK TOWELS<br />
Huck towels, or O/R towels,<br />
have lost popularity but are<br />
absolutely still used by many in<br />
the industry. They are 100% cotton,<br />
lint free, easy to break-in, and<br />
lightweight, making it easy to clean<br />
tight spaces. They are perfect for<br />
windows and in the interior of the<br />
car. People that used to use huck<br />
towels have switched to microfiber<br />
but others have stood by an old industry<br />
standard.<br />
Hucks are easy to care for, but<br />
you are limited on the color and<br />
the size. While they are naturally<br />
absorbent, they can’t physically<br />
hold as much liquid as either a<br />
microfiber or a terry towel. Most<br />
microfiber towels can actually<br />
hold seven times their weight.<br />
Hucks work really well on the<br />
windows, but microfiber creates<br />
less streaking and tends to be superior<br />
in performance.<br />
There are many towel options<br />
available to today’s detailer. In fact,<br />
there are more than there have<br />
ever been before. Detail suppliers<br />
that sell towels tend to have limited<br />
options available as opposed to a<br />
towel vendor that has a much larger,<br />
more diverse inventory. Microfiber<br />
products continue to evolve<br />
and additional options look to be<br />
on the horizon, including the fairly<br />
new limited use non-woven microfibers<br />
that are carried by many<br />
towel vendors. Part of choosing the<br />
right towel is trial and error. You<br />
need to select the towels that works<br />
best for you. Fortunately, towels are<br />
relatively inexpensive, especially<br />
when you evaluate the cost per use.<br />
14 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong><br />
VOL. 9, NO.2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong> | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 15
TIPs<br />
BUDGETING TIP<br />
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s an….<br />
Accountant?!<br />
It’s okay to admit you need help, especially<br />
when it comes to managing and balancing your<br />
funds. This is plenty of free help out there, thanks<br />
to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and<br />
if you need even more help, there are accountants<br />
who will freelance their services, set you up with<br />
a system that works for you. Before doing that,<br />
read this information from the SBA.<br />
The following is advice from the SBA.<br />
You need to start with a good balance sheet.<br />
The balance sheet is the foundation of managing<br />
your finances. It operates as a snapshot of<br />
your business financials. It helps you keep track<br />
of your capital and provide a cash flow projection<br />
for future years.<br />
A balance sheet will help you account for costs<br />
like employees and supplies. It will also help you<br />
track assets, liabilities, and equity. You can get<br />
insights by separating and analyzing segments<br />
of your business, like comparing online sales to<br />
face-to-face sales.<br />
COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS (CBA)<br />
Looking closely at money-in and money-out<br />
helps maintain a sustainable balance between<br />
profit and loss. From development and operations<br />
to recurring and nonrecurring costs, it’s important<br />
to categorize expenses in your balance sheet.<br />
Then, you can use a cost-benefit analysis, or a<br />
process that helps weigh the strengths and weaknesses<br />
of a business decision, and put potential<br />
recurring benefits and cost reductions in context.<br />
A CBA is a technique for making non-critical<br />
choices in a relatively quick and easy way. It simply<br />
involves adding money in benefits and money in<br />
costs over a specified time period, before subtracting<br />
costs from benefits to determine success in terms of<br />
dollars. This can come in handy with hiring another<br />
employee or an independent contractor.<br />
For example, let’s say you’re deciding whether<br />
to add outdoor seating for your sausage themed<br />
restaurant, Haute Dog. You estimate outdoor<br />
seating would add $5,000 in extra profit from<br />
sales each year. But the outdoor seating permit<br />
costs $1,000 each year, and you’d also have to<br />
spend $2,000 to buy outdoor tables and chairs.<br />
Your cost-benefit analysis shows that you should<br />
add outdoor seating, because the new benefits<br />
($5,000 in new sales) outweigh the new costs<br />
($3,000 in permitting and equipment expenses)<br />
PICK AN ACCOUNTING METHOD<br />
Businesses often use either the accrual or cash<br />
methods of recording purchases. The accrual<br />
method puts transactions on the books immediately<br />
upon completing the sale. The cash method<br />
only records this once payment has been received.<br />
For example, if you make a sale in January and<br />
receive the $200 payment in February, an accrual<br />
method would allow you to record that on January’s<br />
books, while the cash method would require<br />
that payment to land on February’s books.<br />
GAAP<br />
There are many strategies for preparing financial<br />
statements for a small business. Generally accepted<br />
accounting principles, known as GAAP or<br />
“Gap,” provides a common a way to standardize<br />
financial reporting using the accrual method. Private<br />
companies aren’t required to follow GAAP.<br />
The Financial Accounting Standards Board<br />
(FASB) maintains GAAP in the United States.<br />
GET ACCOUNTING HELP<br />
You might want to get help with your accounting.<br />
Consider hiring a certified public accountant<br />
(CPA), bookkeeper, or using an online service.<br />
Ensure that someone can manage the following:<br />
• Accounts receivable<br />
• Accounts payable<br />
• Available cash<br />
• Bank reconciliation<br />
• Payroll<br />
Where to find a freelance accountant?<br />
Here are a few online resources you can use if you’re looking to hire a temporary,<br />
or intermittent freelance accountant.<br />
CUSTOMER SERVICE TIP<br />
Are you getting<br />
the message?<br />
There’s another free way to advertise your business<br />
and reach out to customers, thanks to Facebook Messenger.<br />
If your car wash has a Facebook page (and if<br />
it does not, then you should consider it… to at least<br />
have a way to post your hours, location, specials for<br />
free), then you can use Messenger as well.<br />
According to LYFE Marketing, you can set up<br />
automated messages for your business page. So, if<br />
someone messages your Facebook business page,<br />
Facebook Messenger will send an automated message<br />
back to them.<br />
The message can be whatever you want.<br />
Oftentimes, these automated messages say something<br />
as simple as, “Thank you for reaching out to us.<br />
Someone will respond back to you within 24 business<br />
hours. Thank you and have a great day!” according<br />
to LYFE.<br />
LYFE added that even a message as simple as that<br />
one helps build trust between your business and potential<br />
or existing customers, thus bettering the chances<br />
of you making a buyer or repeat buyer out of them.<br />
Please note, that you have to access Facebook Marketing<br />
through a different portal than Facebook and<br />
on mobile devices, you will have to download the<br />
Messenger app.<br />
Your Car<br />
Wash<br />
Your Car Wash<br />
Thank you for your message.<br />
We will be contacting<br />
you within 24 hours. In the<br />
meantime, please note<br />
that we have special rates<br />
on Mondays! Get 25% off<br />
of your wash between 12<br />
noon and 4 p.m.<br />
Freelancer.com<br />
Thumbtack.com Bark.com<br />
Paro.ai<br />
Fiverr.com<br />
16 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong>
IDA<br />
COLUMN<br />
It Takes a Village<br />
– No, An Association<br />
Individuals, committees, and chapters<br />
collaborate to continue IDA’s worldwide growth<br />
By Erin Reyes, IDA Communications<br />
Coordinator<br />
The International Detailing Association<br />
(IDA) was established in 2008 by a<br />
small but determined group of detailing<br />
professionals in Portland, Oregon. By the<br />
association’s 10th anniversary in 2018,<br />
it had grown to 1,000 worldwide members<br />
– a community made up of operators,<br />
suppliers, institutions, students, and<br />
consultants to the industry. Now, six years<br />
later, the IDA has more than doubled in<br />
size to 2,500+ members spread across<br />
80 countries. Nearly one-third of the<br />
IDA’s total members are located outside<br />
the United States, including 18 regional<br />
chapters. Currently, one-fifth of IDA<br />
Certified Detailers (CDs) live and work<br />
outside the U.S. Likewise, users located<br />
outside the U.S. make up one-quarter of<br />
the IDA’s social media followers and half<br />
of all <strong>web</strong>site traffic. It is safe to say that,<br />
over the past 16 years, the IDA has truly<br />
grown into its moniker. But none of this<br />
has been completed alone or in a silo.<br />
The IDA is composed of a Board of<br />
Directors, standing committees, sub-committees,<br />
task forces, international chapters,<br />
and, of course, more than 2,500<br />
individuals and companies who are working<br />
together to elevate the professional detailing<br />
industry. Each of these groups has<br />
played an important role in expanding<br />
the IDA’s global presence, especially over<br />
the past few years.<br />
Many of the positive changes have<br />
been brought about by concerted efforts<br />
from the IDA International Chapter Development<br />
Committee (ICDC), working<br />
closely with the chapter boards and leaders<br />
to improve resources and offerings to<br />
international members. Earlier this year,<br />
the committee added “International” to<br />
its name to better reflect its scope of support<br />
for those members located outside<br />
the U.S. Newly revamped chapter guidelines<br />
have also made it easier for chapters<br />
to take advantage of the many resources<br />
available to them. The committee has<br />
also implemented new Q&A sessions for<br />
chapters and new members to better support<br />
existing and newly formed chapters.<br />
The IDA Tradeshow and Education<br />
Committee (TEC) has been working<br />
hard to increase educational offerings for<br />
non-native English speakers, to ensure<br />
that members are able to learn about<br />
detailing-related topics in their preferred<br />
languages. These offerings include live<br />
and recorded <strong>web</strong>inars presented in languages<br />
such as German and Spanish, subtitled<br />
<strong>web</strong>inar recordings (presentations in<br />
English, with captions provided in languages<br />
such as Italian and Vietnamese),<br />
sessions presented in languages other than<br />
English at tradeshows like Mobile Tech<br />
Expo (MTE), and translated educational<br />
articles published on the <strong>web</strong>site and in<br />
the monthly newsletter. Additionally, this<br />
year marked the IDA’s 2nd International<br />
Education Day, featuring presentations in<br />
five languages (Italian, German, Portuguese,<br />
Spanish, and English). The committee<br />
hopes to expand next year’s event<br />
to include presentations in even more languages<br />
from members across the globe.<br />
The TEC was also responsible for the<br />
IDA’s first exhibition booth at The SEMA<br />
Show in 2023. Although held in Las Vegas,<br />
Nevada, the tradeshow is the largest<br />
of its kind in the world, attracting<br />
representatives from more than 140<br />
DA United Kingdom Chapter debuted<br />
their new booth at Waxstock, July 2023<br />
countries outside the U.S., exposing the<br />
IDA to audiences previously unfamiliar<br />
with the organization.<br />
The ICDC and TEC have also been<br />
collaborating to support chapters as they<br />
opt to participate in local tradeshows,<br />
drawing in new members and increasing<br />
awareness of the IDA. Chapters have<br />
had booths, IDA Certification Events,<br />
and Meet & Greets associated with these<br />
shows. The IDA United Kingdom (UK)<br />
Chapter debuted a new booth and merchandise<br />
at Waxstock – Europe’s largest<br />
casual car care show – in 2023 and<br />
is looking forward to another successful<br />
event this July. In April, the IDA Brazil<br />
Chapter exhibited at Detail Land in São<br />
Paulo, and the IDA Southeast Asia Chapter<br />
recently participated in the Trans<br />
Sport Show in Manila, Philippines after<br />
a successful showing at Manila AutoSalon<br />
last November. The IDA Germany Chapter<br />
had a booth at Dcon – the largest<br />
German detailer trade fair – in 2023 and<br />
will once again be taking part in Automechanika<br />
in Frankfurt, Germany, this September.<br />
Meanwhile, the IDA Italy Chapter<br />
is planning to be present at one of the<br />
country’s most famous exhibitions of<br />
cars and car detailing in October. Additional<br />
recent event participation includes<br />
Autokosmetyki (Poland Chapter),<br />
the Festival of Motoring (Southern Africa<br />
Chapter), and the Puerto Rico Racing<br />
Expo (Caribbean Chapter).<br />
Speaking of the Caribbean Chapter,<br />
the IDA’s newest chapter has been<br />
extremely active since being established<br />
in 2023. Originally formed by members<br />
in four countries (Barbados, Dominican<br />
Republic, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad &<br />
Tobago), the chapter is now hoping to<br />
expand to include Antigua and Barbuda.<br />
No doubt this increased interest is in<br />
part due to the region producing two IDA<br />
Award winners in the past couple years<br />
– Karim Khan, CD-SV, MC, WC, RIT<br />
(2023 IDA Mobile Detailer of the Year)<br />
and Onika Waldron, CD-SV (<strong>2024</strong> IDA<br />
Detailer of the Year), both of Trinidad &<br />
Tobago, and both serving on the chapter<br />
board. IDA Caribbean Chapter President<br />
Katherine Mayo, CD-SV, RIT, has also<br />
been incredibly dedicated to building the<br />
chapter, hosting a Meet & Greet in Puerto<br />
Rico that attracted 89 attendees, along<br />
with other in-person and virtual offerings.<br />
The chapter has also been working<br />
with local vocational facilities to increase<br />
awareness of detailing as a trade and to<br />
promote the benefits of joining the IDA<br />
for their detailing students.<br />
The IDA Norway Chapter has similarly<br />
partnered with the school system,<br />
government institutions, and the private<br />
sector to achieve wider recruitment within<br />
the detailing industry through collaboration<br />
rather than competition. Meanwhile,<br />
the IDA Belgium-France Chapter has<br />
found success partnering with insurance<br />
companies to showcase the benefits of<br />
working with IDA professional detailers,<br />
while the IDA Denmark Chapter is focusing<br />
on connecting with car collectors with<br />
the goal of showcasing their detailing talents<br />
in their showrooms. Many chapters<br />
have found success in teaming up with<br />
well-recognized brands to hold joint training<br />
courses along with IDA Certification<br />
Events and Meet & Greets. The ICDC<br />
and chapters have been brainstorming<br />
collectively to come up with innovative<br />
ways to reach both new members and<br />
consumers in their local markets, to continue<br />
growing the IDA’s presence around<br />
the world.<br />
IDA Caribbean Chapter Meet & Greet, held in Puerto Rico, September 2023<br />
One of the most effective ways the<br />
IDA has been able to grow internationally<br />
is the addition of new Recognized Independent<br />
Trainers (RITs). The number of<br />
total RITs has more than doubled since<br />
2022, and nearly half of the current 70+<br />
RITs are located outside the U.S. Previously,<br />
many US- and UK-based RITs<br />
would have to spend time and money<br />
traveling to host IDA Certification Events<br />
in other regions, or detailers would need<br />
to do the same to attend an event at an<br />
RIT’s facility. Now, with RITs on five continents,<br />
it is much easier for detailers to<br />
find and attend certification events<br />
closer to home to earn their Certified<br />
Detailer (CD) and/or Skills Validated (SV)<br />
designations on a schedule that works for<br />
them. Last year’s Global SV Week, held<br />
in October, is a prime example of this – a<br />
total of 25 IDA Certification Events were<br />
held in 10 countries, resulting in an astounding<br />
94 certifications. The IDA Certification<br />
Committee is planning to top<br />
that number with this year’s event.<br />
Moreover, RITs are now able to administer<br />
exams in languages specific to<br />
the event location, with nine languages<br />
available for in-person exams (and Portuguese<br />
exams available online as well).<br />
More online exam offerings will be available<br />
soon, making certification even more<br />
accessible for those who would prefer an<br />
alternative to English.<br />
The IDA has also recently rolled out<br />
an exciting development for the consumer-focused<br />
<strong>web</strong>site, DetailingNearby.com<br />
– translations into several languages including<br />
Danish, Dutch, French, German,<br />
Italian, and Spanish. The IDA Marketing<br />
& Communications (MarComm) Committee<br />
worked collaboratively with the<br />
chapters to first determine which markets<br />
were most in need of translated versions of<br />
the <strong>web</strong>site and then to ensure accuracy of<br />
the translations themselves. This development<br />
has allowed DetailingNearby.com –<br />
the largest and most comprehensive global<br />
directory of IDA members and Certified<br />
Detailers – to be accessible to many more<br />
consumers around the world.<br />
Another internationally focused <strong>web</strong>site<br />
update is thanks to the IDA Industry<br />
Standards Task Force (ISTF), under the<br />
purview of the IDA Membership Committee.<br />
Since its formation in 2022, the<br />
ISTF has distributed seven surveys to gain<br />
an understanding of the terminology and<br />
operational variances in different countries<br />
and regions. One of the ISTF’s main<br />
goals is to use the data it collects to create<br />
comprehensive guides for detailing terms<br />
and procedures as they apply to practices<br />
across the globe to ensure that detailers are<br />
able to understand one another, despite location<br />
or linguistic differences. So far, the<br />
ISTF has launched several detailing-related<br />
glossaries and recently launched its first<br />
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP),<br />
with more in development.<br />
Members do not just have to be working<br />
as part of a committee or chapter<br />
to contribute meaningfully to the IDA’s<br />
growth – individuals can make a great<br />
impact through their own efforts. Board<br />
member Juan Gonzalez, CD-SV, MC,<br />
RIT, has held a number of Spanish-language<br />
certification events throughout the<br />
U.S. and Mexico, single-handedly bringing<br />
in more than 40 CDs and 50 new<br />
members over the past several months.<br />
Rigoberto Santana, CD-SV, WC, RIT,<br />
has similarly hosted many certification<br />
events in Spanish throughout Latin<br />
America, recently being recognized at<br />
Expo Detail Mexico for all the work he<br />
has done to elevate the detailing profession<br />
in the Latinx community. Having<br />
served on the IDA Southern Africa<br />
Chapter Board and numerous committees,<br />
Marc Glautier, CD-SV, MC, RIT,<br />
is the first IDA Board Member and Recognized<br />
Independent Trainer from Africa,<br />
opening up a new audience to the<br />
benefits of the IDA by organizing Meet<br />
& Greets and local event participation.<br />
Meanwhile, UK Chapter member<br />
Richard Hutchins, CD, has been able to<br />
bring operators and suppliers together<br />
across the U.K., U.S., and Canada for<br />
his successful Detailing Summit series.<br />
Fellow UK Chapter member Dave Reed,<br />
CD-SV, recently held a combined Meet<br />
& Greet and barbecue event, drawing<br />
together both detailing professionals and<br />
fans of good food – a true twofer. These<br />
are just a few examples of the many wonderful<br />
things members are doing around<br />
the world on a daily basis to expand the<br />
IDA’s global footprint.<br />
For those who are looking to make<br />
their own contributions without making a<br />
long-term commitment, there are plenty<br />
of opportunities to get involved with the<br />
IDA, no matter where a member is located.<br />
A popular and effective choice is<br />
to host a Meet & Greet at your shop for<br />
the local community, gathering both current<br />
members and prospective members<br />
to discuss hot-button detailing topics and<br />
share information about the IDA. With<br />
the increase in tradeshow participation,<br />
there is also a need for volunteers to staff<br />
the IDA booth for short shifts, especially<br />
if you are already planning to attend the<br />
show. Of course, the IDA is always looking<br />
for content experts to present <strong>web</strong>inars<br />
in different languages and write new<br />
or translate existing educational articles.<br />
Visit the-ida.com/Get_Involved or email<br />
info@the-ida.com to learn more.<br />
As the IDA community continues to<br />
grow, it is important to remember that the<br />
association is volunteer-driven, meaning<br />
all the efforts described here were undertaken<br />
by volunteers – detailing professionals<br />
that have full-time jobs outside of the<br />
IDA, but who believe in the organization’s<br />
mission enough to dedicate an incredible<br />
amount of time and energy to make sure<br />
the IDA succeeds in elevating the industry<br />
globally. After all, it takes a village – or,<br />
more accurately, an association.<br />
18 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong><br />
VOL. 9, NO.2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong> | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 19
NITTY<br />
GRITTY<br />
Getting<br />
to Know …<br />
Craig<br />
Brigham of<br />
The Detailing<br />
Detectives<br />
and Detailing<br />
Coach and IDA<br />
president-elect<br />
help it grow. In late 2020 the president<br />
of the chapter stepped down along with<br />
the vice president at the time and I put<br />
myself forward for the role. I served two<br />
years as president for the chapter in 2021<br />
& 2022. Back in January 2021 when I became<br />
president of the UK chapter, there<br />
was a lack of structure & accountability,<br />
however over the months following my<br />
appointment as president I ensured that<br />
all the committees had the correct number<br />
of members allowing us to begin<br />
working on driving the UK chapter forward.<br />
As I came to the end of my tenure<br />
it showed that all of that hard work by the<br />
Chapter volunteers paid off as our membership<br />
numbers increased by 73.9% and<br />
awareness of the IDA throughout the UK<br />
increased. In turn, it became the biggest<br />
international chapter. I absolutely love<br />
being part of the IDA! It’s brought me<br />
so many friendships, connections, educational<br />
content and I’ve felt an increase in<br />
my own self confidence too.<br />
After resigning as UK Chapter president<br />
I was looking for my next volunteer<br />
opportunity when a friend suggested I<br />
apply for the Global Board of Directors.<br />
In January 2023 I started my term on the<br />
Global Board of Directors.<br />
How is auto detailing<br />
different in England compared<br />
to the United States?<br />
Recently I travelled to the USA for the Mobile<br />
Tech Expo in Orlando, Florida, so this<br />
is something that I’ve recently got a flavour<br />
for, although only from networking with<br />
other detailers and not seeing in person.<br />
The USA, in my opinion, is years ahead in<br />
terms of the education of consumer value.<br />
What businesses in the US are charging<br />
$10,000 for in the UK it’s $3,000. It is<br />
much more well known to have your car<br />
professionally detailed in the USA. This is<br />
slowly growing in the UK but I think the<br />
USA is a few years ahead.<br />
In the UK it’s recently started to get to<br />
the point where the career of a detailer is<br />
not looked down upon as a low paid job<br />
& actually a career that could make for a<br />
good living.<br />
What are your goals as<br />
president-elect of the IDA?<br />
At the moment, my goals as president-elect<br />
are still in a development stage.<br />
We still have much of this year left to go<br />
through and for me to listen to the members<br />
and decide what path I want to go<br />
down. However, that being said, I think<br />
we as an organization need to modernize,<br />
so that’s something that I’d like to look at<br />
a bit more. The world has developed a<br />
huge amount recently in the way we use<br />
technology and I think as an organization<br />
we need to look at embracing this.<br />
That said, I’m a detailer with a small<br />
business in the UK and I love the community<br />
element we have built of detailers in<br />
the IDA and I want to keep building upon<br />
that. Exciting things to come for sure!<br />
What does the future hold for<br />
auto detailers? Are there new<br />
methods, tools or menu items<br />
you think are coming?<br />
I think the future for auto detailers is certainly<br />
interesting– especially here in the<br />
UK. The cost of living is getting worse,<br />
which is having some form of impact on<br />
our industry. I think as an industry, businesses<br />
need to learn and adapt in order<br />
to keep surviving. Look at efficiency and<br />
listen to the customers to gain a better understanding<br />
of what they want.<br />
Third-party systems are getting more<br />
and more prevalent in our industry, and<br />
they are developing which helps with customer<br />
service and running of the business.<br />
I think these types of apps/systems will<br />
only get better as we use them and interact<br />
with their development. More of these<br />
apps will come to market and more people<br />
will start using and implementing them.<br />
In terms of tools, who knows. We are<br />
seeing a shift to battery-powered tools<br />
much more now which is a great thing for<br />
me as I’m a mobile detailer. So, I definitely<br />
think this is an area that will see some<br />
development and growth.<br />
Join Today & Get Involved!<br />
The-IDA.com<br />
What is your full name and<br />
credentials?<br />
Craig Brigham – CD-SV, Managing Director<br />
of The Detailing Detectives Ltd &<br />
Co-Owner of Detailing Coach.<br />
Where are you located?<br />
I’m based in the United Kingdom (England)<br />
in a little village called Creswell,<br />
about 20 miles south of Sheffield and<br />
about 150 miles north of London.<br />
How and when did you<br />
become a professional<br />
detailer?<br />
I’ve been cleaning vehicles ever since I<br />
could walk. I was brought up in a family of<br />
funeral<br />
directors. My<br />
dad and my grandad have always been<br />
notorious for having clean vehicles and<br />
as the oldest child of four I was keen to<br />
be involved. Throughout my childhood I<br />
helped with many aspects of the business<br />
but cleaning and polishing the fleet was<br />
always a task that needed doing regularly.<br />
When I got my first car, the first thing I did<br />
was clean it and polish it… all by hand of<br />
course. At 18 I then started working for a<br />
global-leading IT firm which led me to get<br />
a nicer couple of cars, which in turn led<br />
me to explore the car care world further. In<br />
2016,<br />
myself, my brother,<br />
and two friends came together to start<br />
The Detailing Detectives Ltd. Initially<br />
it was created so that Sam (my business<br />
partner) could wash my car as I was very<br />
busy with my IT work. Throughout 2017<br />
we grew our customer base and on February<br />
5, 2018, I had an opportunity to<br />
leave my IT career and go full time into<br />
the detailing business. And we haven’t<br />
looked back since. As of March <strong>2024</strong>, we<br />
have two fully equipped mobile vans with<br />
3 full-time employees working over 7 days<br />
a week. We cover all aspects of detailing<br />
including machine polishing and ceramic<br />
coatings.<br />
How did you get involved<br />
with the International Detailing<br />
Association (IDA)?<br />
I’d been following the IDA for a while and<br />
in 2017 I signed up as I’d seen Alan Medcraf<br />
(formally of AM Details) post quite<br />
a bit about it and I was intrigued. One of<br />
the first things I did was start to get involved<br />
in watching the educational <strong>web</strong>inars.<br />
Shortly after joining I did my Certified<br />
Detailer Exams and was pumped to<br />
look at doing the practical Skills Validated<br />
part. However, the events were few and<br />
far as the United Kingdom chapter of<br />
the IDA was still very new. In early 2019<br />
I was invited to join the UK Chapter<br />
Board to help re-kick off the Chapter and<br />
Education | Certification | Social Media Discussions | Awards Programs | Technical Expertise | Newsletters | And more!<br />
20 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong><br />
VOL. 9, NO.2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong> | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 21
THE DETAILING<br />
SUPPLIES YOU NEED<br />
DETAILSUPPLIER.COM<br />
800-233-3873<br />
All Hands<br />
on Deck<br />
THE SUPPLIES YOU NEED,<br />
Experts weigh in on what to not do<br />
when it comes to detailing boats<br />
$59.2 billion. That’s the amount of<br />
money the boating industry is worth,<br />
according to the National Marine Manufacturers<br />
Association (NMMA). From<br />
boat sales to marine products and services,<br />
according to a 2022 U.S. Bureau<br />
of Economic Analysis (BEA) report,<br />
outdoor recreation contributed more<br />
than $1 trillion to the U.S. economy,<br />
with boating and fishing remaining a<br />
top contributor to the outdoor economy.<br />
“Recreational boating and fishing were<br />
the second-largest conventional activity<br />
for the nation … and was the largest<br />
conventional activity in 24 states and the<br />
District of Columbia. The states with the<br />
largest contributions were Florida ($4.4<br />
billion), California ($2.4 billion), and<br />
Texas ($2.1 billion),” the NMMA reported,<br />
citing 2022 findings.<br />
And, according to the boating information<br />
<strong>web</strong>site Quicknav.com, 100 million<br />
Americans go boating each year and<br />
11.9% of U.S. households own a recreational<br />
boat.<br />
That’s a lot of boats, and a lot of<br />
money. If you’re offering boat and marine<br />
detailing, you’re contributing to<br />
a lucrative industry where you offer a<br />
need… and the numbers will continue<br />
to grow.<br />
We talked to two boat detailing experts<br />
to get their insight on boat detailing<br />
success as well as mistakes to avoid. Kevin<br />
Bailey is the CEO of Bailey’s of Fargo,<br />
North Dakota, and Cody Umphlett,<br />
CD-SV, WC, is the owner of Discount<br />
Detailing, LLC, of Roanoke Rapids,<br />
North Carolina, and was recently named<br />
the 2023 Marine Detailer of the Year by<br />
the International Detailing Association.<br />
Read on to find out their advice and hear<br />
their story.<br />
MICROFIBER<br />
TOWELS<br />
YOUR RELIABLE SUPPLIER FOR THE DETAILING INDUSTRY<br />
FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1959<br />
22 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong>
Q&A<br />
Kevin Bailey of Bailey’s<br />
in Fargo, North Dakota<br />
When is your busiest time of<br />
year when it comes to boat/<br />
marine detailing?<br />
Kevin Bailey: Our busiest time for boat detailing<br />
is spring and fall. We typically are<br />
busier in the spring as more people prefer<br />
that over detailing their boat before it is<br />
stored for the winter. The averagebusiest<br />
months depend on weather and the temperatures.<br />
Whether it warms up sooner or<br />
later in the spring it affects our workload<br />
but on average May is the busiest month<br />
for boat detailing.<br />
What are the most common<br />
boats you see?<br />
KB: In our territory we have 20-30' fishing<br />
and wakeboard boats and lots of pontoons<br />
as well.<br />
Today, most of the boats are made<br />
of four materials:<br />
• Aluminum<br />
• Steel<br />
• Fiberglass, and<br />
• Wood<br />
According to Boating Valley, modern<br />
ships (big boats) are usually<br />
made of steel or aluminum or both,<br />
and small boats are made of fiberglass<br />
or wood or both. Still, some<br />
boats are made of other materials,<br />
but those four are mostly used.<br />
How much time on average<br />
does it take to detail a boat?<br />
KB: As far as how long it takes to detail<br />
a boat, it depends on the condition and<br />
what the client wants to have done. The<br />
average fishing boat usually can be detailed<br />
in 8-12 hours and bigger boats 10-<br />
20 hours. Our ultimate detail package is<br />
listed on our <strong>web</strong>site of what it entails and<br />
that's what I'm basing our detail times<br />
with. We sometimes have 2 technicians<br />
work on a boat in order to meet client expectations.<br />
Pontoons typically take 8-12 hours as<br />
the water doesn't pool up as much as with<br />
other boats. Sometimes the drying time<br />
takes longer with any boat that has carpeting.<br />
BREAKING DOWN A<br />
BOAT’S BODY<br />
TYPES OF WOOD<br />
The various types of wood used in boat<br />
construction (building), according to<br />
Boating Valley, are:<br />
• Teak<br />
• Oak<br />
• Mahogany<br />
• Cedar<br />
• Plywood<br />
• Ash<br />
• Cypress<br />
• Pine<br />
• Larch<br />
• Elm<br />
• Fir<br />
• Iroko<br />
Most commonly, teak, oak, mahogany,<br />
cedar, and plywood are used the most.<br />
What are some of the biggest<br />
mistakes to avoid when it<br />
comes to boat detailing?<br />
KB:These are some of the mistakes<br />
we've seen happen:<br />
1. Not checking all the hidden storage<br />
components.<br />
Boats have lots of hidden storage<br />
components so you need to be familiar<br />
with where they are and how they open.<br />
Remove all items so you can clean every<br />
nook and cranny.<br />
2. Not removing canvas snaps to<br />
completely detail the exterior.<br />
TYPE OF<br />
PAINT<br />
Most of the boats are mainly<br />
Most boats get stored either inside or<br />
outside during winter and therefore have<br />
a cover to protect it that snaps in place.<br />
These snaps make it difficult to buff the<br />
exterior completely, but when removed,<br />
efficiency and quality increases.<br />
3. Forgetting the trailer.<br />
Technicians focus lots of their attention<br />
on the interior and exterior of a boat<br />
for obvious reasons. Sometimes the trailer<br />
may get neglected. Don't forget to clean<br />
the areas that the client will see when the<br />
boat is removed.<br />
painted with either ablative or<br />
hard bottom paints, which are<br />
different from normal ones,<br />
according to Boating Valley.<br />
Moreover, to tackle various<br />
conditions well, they are also<br />
painted with varying biocide<br />
(mostly copper) levels, namely<br />
vinyl paints, copolymer ablative<br />
paints, copper-free paints, etc.<br />
24 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong>
Q&A<br />
Cody Umphlett, CD-SV, WC, owner<br />
of Discount Detailing, LLC, of<br />
Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina<br />
What kind of business<br />
do you own?<br />
CU: Discount Detailing LLC is a fully mobile<br />
automotive and marine detailing business<br />
based out of Roanoke Rapids, North<br />
Carolina. We service Roanoke Rapids,<br />
and Lake Gaston (both NC and VA sides),<br />
and a few other surrounding areas near<br />
us. We offer everything from basic washes<br />
to shampooing interiors, paint corrections<br />
and ceramic coatings for vehicles. On the<br />
Marine side we offer everything from basic<br />
washes and interior cleanings to oxidation<br />
removal and ceramic coatings.<br />
Why did you decide to<br />
add boat detailing to<br />
your menu of services?<br />
CU: We offer marine/boat detailing due to<br />
the fact that we are located near 2 lakes<br />
and a river. One being the Roanoke Rapids<br />
Lake and the other being Lake Gaston.<br />
We are also located near the Roanoke<br />
River. Lake Gaston is a known tourist<br />
attraction and a huge vacation area for<br />
many people. We decided to offer marine<br />
detailing first as a way to challenge ourselves<br />
into learning something new. There<br />
was also a need for boat detailing in the<br />
area as well. Now, we love marine detailing<br />
and it is almost the only detailing we<br />
do about 7 months out of the year.<br />
If a detailer is thinking about<br />
offering marine detailing, what<br />
advice would you give them?<br />
Cody Umphlett: Some advice I would give<br />
someone just starting out is:<br />
• Take it slow.<br />
• Learn the differences between<br />
automotive and marine detailing.<br />
• Learn the difference between a gel<br />
coat and a clear coat. You can be<br />
THAT ANNOYING ALGAE<br />
According to BoatingforBeginners.com, algae will stain a boat if left<br />
on too long. It makes a green ring that will go around an entire boat.<br />
Sometimes if boats are in waters or marinas that have had a bad<br />
algae outbreak, then that boat could be tagged, meaning it is not<br />
allowed to go into another lake or body of water until it has been<br />
cleaned of all the algae,” according to BoatingforBeginners.com.<br />
According to LiveScience, algae are a diverse group of aquatic<br />
organisms that have the ability to conduct photosynthesis. Certain<br />
algae are familiar to most people; for instance, seaweeds (such as<br />
kelp or phytoplankton), pond scum or the algal blooms in lakes.<br />
more aggressive with a gel coat<br />
than you can with a clear coat.<br />
• Learn all you can to understand<br />
mold and how to kill it and help to<br />
prevent it from coming back.<br />
• Understand how to clean and take<br />
care of boat seats. Also, learn what<br />
can damage boat seats.<br />
• Learn how to wet sand.<br />
• Learn how to properly price a job<br />
(this may take a few times to get it<br />
right).<br />
• Learn how to talk to your customers<br />
about their expectations. Underpromise<br />
but over deliver.<br />
• Learn about ceramic coatings and<br />
how they differ in longevity between<br />
automotives and boats.<br />
• Educate your customer on how to<br />
properly maintain a coating or offer<br />
a maintenance plan.<br />
• If you are working on a boat dock,<br />
please understand your safety and<br />
how important it is.<br />
What are some of the biggest<br />
boat detailing mistakes<br />
detailers need to avoid?<br />
CU: Some of the most common mistakes I<br />
see in detailing boats are:<br />
• Not cutting enough oxidation.<br />
Gel coat can be deceiving, and it<br />
may look like you removed all the<br />
oxidation but it can come back.<br />
• Underquoting a job.<br />
WHAT<br />
ARE BOAT<br />
BLISTERS?<br />
• Not using the proper chemicals to<br />
get rid of mold.<br />
• Overpromising on the longevity of a<br />
ceramic coating.<br />
• Not protecting the boat seats<br />
properly. Boat seats dry out very<br />
quickly, so it is important to not only<br />
clean them but to put a protectant<br />
on them. This will impress your<br />
customers.<br />
According to Boating Valley, blisters<br />
on a boat are bubbles of water formed<br />
under the gelcoat. “The gelcoat is<br />
porous and absorbs water. When water<br />
starts gathering inside, it reacts with the<br />
chemicals inside, which builds (osmotic)<br />
pressure and pulls more water due to<br />
that, resulting in blisters on a boat hull.”<br />
TRUETM<br />
STEP<br />
PAINT<br />
CORRECTION<br />
ONE is a hybrid compound and polish<br />
formulated with engineered Ceramic<br />
Alumina Abrasives to remove minor<br />
scratches and swirls, finishing with an<br />
unmatched depth of gloss.<br />
GET YOUR SAMPLE TODAY<br />
EXPERIENCE<br />
Scan this code and receive a FREE 2 oz sample of ONE. Pay<br />
only shipping & handling. Available while supplies last.<br />
Offer ends March 31, <strong>2024</strong><br />
TM<br />
@3DCARCARE<br />
3DProducts.com<br />
26 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 9, NO. 2 • SUMMER <strong>2024</strong>