Detailing Efficiency Experiments


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On 23/06/2018 at 3:25 PM, theTHiiiNG said:

...but I have since improved things by using the IK Foam sprayer on wheels which was a huge improvement as they probably took me twice as long without it.  I foam up the wheels and wheel wells, scrub away with various brushes and then simply rinse the whole area down after I am done with the ONR in a pressure sprayer. 

What product do you use in the IK Foam sprayer to clean your wheels?

I'm thinking of doing something similar but I'm wondering if doing this inside the garage will make too much of a mess.

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On 9. 9. 2018 at 2:20 PM, Lowejackson said:

...Whilst I rambled on about waste in the podcast it is only one of the techniques and I made no mention of the strategic and leadership elements of Lean.  I know many purists will quite rightly say the overall strategy is the critical starting point but in some organisations simply reducing waste, using A3 problem solving and  Value Stream Mapping will have a big impact.  In small organisations like a detail shop then 8 wastes and 5S can give huge improvements especially if continuous improvement is used.  Of course, the context and size of the company will also have a huge impact on implementing Lean....

BRS is too expensive for me as well, I tend to use a noodle mitt and occasionally use this http://www.seriousperformance.co.uk/Products,70,toView_999.html 

I think A&J has greater experience of using different mitts to me and he is also somewhere in Europe but I cannot remember what he currently uses.

Glad you enjoyed the podcast, it was my first and Dann was very easy to talk to.

Great podcast...Ive just listened to it...I havent listened to the podcast in a while now and I really enjoyed yours. I dont know if I will call you Steven from now on or Leanjackson:P

Detail Groove was a good shoutout...he talks a lot about organization and custumer care and custumer expectations. Its always interesting to look at his videos. You can learn a lot from his as well as from Darren Priest from a business point of view and efficiency at work.

Yes Im from Europe (Slovenia to be exact)...I dare you to find it on a map without using google :P. I still use the black waffle sponge. Not from serious performance but from a local supplier (Im guessing its the same or a very similar sponge). I actually use 2 of them in my bucket now...one for the initial pass and the other for the second pass before a spritz of opti-seal to help me dry a panel or two at a time.  Ive used noodle mitts and MF towels in the past...they work OK but the mitt gets very dirty really fast and therefore I dont like using it often and the MF towels (using the Garry Dean method) is fine on its own and may be the safest aproach but you really need quite a lot of towels which can be expensive and you have to wash them afterwards and I try to avoid that as much as I can.

Sometime soon Ill probably buy&try the Flexipads blue waffle sponge (similar to the OPT blue waffle sponge IMO)  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flexipads-Professional-Grade-Waffle-Sponge/dp/B01EVTZO5Q

or the Soft 99 egg sponge which is very soft to the touch https://www.amazon.co.uk/SOFT99-516-Smooth-Creamy-Soft-Sponge-Pieces/dp/B00BUFE7HG

Both are IMO good options for rinseless washing.

 

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On 9/10/2018 at 7:03 PM, avimore said:

What product do you use in the IK Foam sprayer to clean your wheels?

I'm thinking of doing something similar but I'm wondering if doing this inside the garage will make too much of a mess.

It depends on how dirty they are, but since switching to ceramic pads I usually just use normal car shampoo with a little wheel cleaner added in. Since it foams so much I don't need much product - probably only about 50ml of product to 700ml of water.

It does make a little bit of a mess on the garage floor, especially if your wheels are really dirty. In the end I was backing the car out of the garage and cleaning the wheels with a hose and the IK Foam sprayer in the traditional way and then pulling it back in and doing my normal ONR wash.

 

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On 9/10/2018 at 8:32 PM, Lowejackson said:

A low mess alternative could be to use Opti-Clean, works well for moderate dirt especially if the wheels are coated

I really hate having to clean very dirty wheels. Switching to ceramic pads was a massive difference in how bad they got each week. I've never coated my wheels before but since they are in need of being refurbished (curb rash and minor chips/dings from previous owner) this will definitely be my next step. 

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On 23/09/2018 at 8:18 AM, theTHiiiNG said:

It depends on how dirty they are, but since switching to ceramic pads I usually just use normal car shampoo with a little wheel cleaner added in. Since it foams so much I don't need much product - probably only about 50ml of product to 700ml of water.

It does make a little bit of a mess on the garage floor, especially if your wheels are really dirty. In the end I was backing the car out of the garage and cleaning the wheels with a hose and the IK Foam sprayer in the traditional way and then pulling it back in and doing my normal ONR wash.

 

Thanks, that's good to know.

I changed my pads to Akebono ceramics recently and you're right, they have made a HUGE difference.

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