Costly detailing mistakes to AVOID! (trust us, we've made them) | DIY Detail Podcast #53

In this podcast, Nick and Yvan discuss some of the BIG mistakes you can make in detailing -- and they also discuss ways for you to prevent them in the first place.
What big mistakes have you made as a detailer? (Hint, one mistake is NOT using Rinseless Wash: bit.ly/RinselessWash)
#podcast #diydetail #detailing #autodetailing#diydetail #podcast #podcasts #yvanlacroix #nickmcgurk

[@AJ56]

One I’ve learnt is, keep the headliner very dry during a dry clean, it takes very little for it to delaminate and now you have to get the entire roof reupholstered.

[@diydetailofficial]

Great point! never EVER use steam on a headliner

[@GlacierDetail]

Costly detailing mistake, Not doing door jams

[@diydetailofficial]

True

[@davidkasparian3813]

Got called out for the gas cap the other day 😂

[@LimpioAF]

Thanks, guys. I'm about to start my detailing journey. I'm so glad i found yall first.🤯 wish me luck

[@diydetailofficial]

You got this!

[@denthevetteman78]

Funny, but my costly mistake is suscripted to your Chanel. Now I have everything that you make. Seriously, greatest thing i've made. Now I have great products and knows how to use them.

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you Dennis

[@dlabmobiledetailing]

Great vid. Last week I was moving a customers car around in sun for post paint correction check. It was a keyless vehicle so had fob in pocket. When I was getting in and out of vehicle the key fell out of my pocket and under front driver side tire. Backed over it and squished fob/key. My heard stopped for a minute. Customer drove 5hrs for my services and had to get home that evening. Luckily it still worked and it’s just the fob cover that’s ruined so I overnighted him a new fob cover to his house and did a quick complementary interior detail as he was only in for full ceramic. He was very grateful for that and totally if restored the accident. He was very happy.

[@diydetailofficial]

Great save!

[@davidchung3923]

“Over-promise, under-deliver” isn’t just a detailing mistake, it’s a mistake in general for anyone running a business with customers 😅 I’ve always been told it’s better to do the opposite “under-promise and over-deliver” to keep your customers impressed and get you on their good sides

[@diydetailofficial]

Yessir

[@border056]

I'm a detail hobbyist but I've worked in a service industry my entire life. One of the biggest mistakes I often see people make is not owning their mistakes. You messed up, own it, offer solutions. Most people will be alright but some may be really upset, rightfully so. Make it right within reason. Another big one, you touched upon this, is not listening. Listen to your customers.

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you

[@stephen1503]

The best thing is to keep it simple :) buy products that do what they’re designed to do (ex: carpet shampoo versus APC), buy products that reduce chemicals needed (rinseless, APC, etc), and remember you are a car janitor! Not a miracle worker! Like Yvan said , you’re cleaning not restoring. Most customers view detailer’s as car janitors don’t waste your energy trying to convince the world otherwise:) if you wanna do restoration work open a restoration shop!

[@diydetailofficial]

Well stated

[@tomchinigo5014]

AMAZING video guys !! I learned alot so thank you !!!

[@diydetailofficial]

Thanks for watching

[@kimnewling5728]

More of these please. Informative

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you

[@DetailingBreakdown]

Omg, Shots Fired! Love the energy bro!

[@diydetailofficial]

Appreciate it!!

[@thesamsquatch5224]

An essential video for all detailers; it helps to actively listen to what your customer wants and then like Yvan said to not give the house away Detailing is a business but it really should be fun, and I think that to me is the biggest mistake i see a lot. Thank you for bringing us back to our foundation diy detail!

[@diydetailofficial]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jorgeaceves2068]

Thanks, guys excellent advice I'm a detailer technician and still learning something new every day. Best.

[@diydetailofficial]

Our pleasure! We are learning every day as well.

[@btbd2785]

Good point. Also, a great tool is a dehumidifier. That would help take out any residual moisture left over. So air movers and dehumidifiers help as well:)

[@diydetailofficial]

Great tip! Never tried one but sounds useful

[@YasserAlaska]

I love that you are comfortable disagreeing with each other ..

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you

[@Auto-Bots.Custom.Detailing]

Nick, are you growing a mullet? Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love your guys and your videos. Got nothing but love for thick hair 😂. I am Italian and have a full blown frow… but have woman coming up asking to feel my hair… grow it out, or cut it off.. just saying. Love you guys, some of the best products on the market. Thanks for your videos.

[@diydetailofficial]

This is an older video, it’s gone now

[@barrybij8079]

i like the common mistakes feature... as an enthusiasts there are things i just dont know...on engine bays i find on my cars, which are typically very clean, i just use rinseless wash.. maybe a small brush and once in a while ill use like a megs orange degreaser but if you keep up on it a rinseless works great..

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you

[@diydetailofficial]

Good steps 👍

[@superado2k]

Saw a mobile detailer WRECK the pinstriping on a car once with a PW. I assume decal stripes and the like (because most things are decals now vs paint) could just as easily be wrecked, especially if aged and sun dried.

[@diydetailofficial]

Caution is always crucial for sure

[@JVAutoDetailWarsawIndiana]

I only use steam on super soiled areas like cup holders, and then sometimes I use it on carpets depending on how bad stains are

[@diydetailofficial]

Good plan

[@neilwalker5041]

This was en enjoyable video to watch and learn from. I remember burning through the paint on a plastic piece of trim in sunlight on a hot summer day. Great tip on BMW throttle sensors because we all know BMW owners have a habit of doing nothing wrong! I agree with being careful on how much moisture you put in an interior. Surprising how much you can clean with a bucket of rinseless wash diluted 256:1 with a microfiber towel and a scrub ninja. I have a question on a subject which some viewers will have strong opinions on. In the past I have advocated layers of protection but I am starting to have doubts when the base layer of protection is a ceramic coating. Toppers have amazing hydrophobic behavior initially but fade after a few months leaving the car with hydrophobic behavior not on par with the ceramic coating. What are your thoughts on this subject if you can elaborate? Thank you guys for another educational video!

[@diydetailofficial]

Agreed much can be done with DIY Detail Rinseless Wash. Some coatings require toppers, others do not need them. Some coating unfortunately rely on toppers to provide hydrophobics.

[@ashhunt3514]

Just purchased a bottle of your rinse less wash from Clean Your Car which is the first Uk supplier I have seen 🥳 can’t wait to try it! Can you foam it up in your wash bucket?

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes, but it will be minimal foam. It’s best to respect the 256/1 dilution ratio in the bucket.

[@jesseviers487]

When cleaning carpets how do you avoid after the carpets are clean, then getting wet again, reactivating the chemicals that dried, and absorbing the dirt right off your shoes? I can clean floor mats and they look great, then the next day or two they look stained again if it’s raininh

[@diydetailofficial]

Don’t use overly aggressive chemicals. Try DIY Detail Rinseless Wash

[@Ara_Milan]

Just because of this info and tips i just want to buy them products , 💯

[@diydetailofficial]

Happy to hear that!

[@Auto-Bots.Custom.Detailing]

Send me a rinseless wash kit and I’ll gladly make some videos! I’ve been wanting my father to do this for years!! It would be perfect for him…. Your legacy sponge was sold out for months

[@diydetailofficial]

Unfortunately a symptom of popularity

[@jesseviers487]

When cleaning carpets, do you always deep clean carpets as best as possible with heavy steam and heavy extraction? Or do you make it look good enough for what the customer wants? I can get good results just by scrubbing carpet with a brush and mopping with a microfiber towel. If a customer pays for carpet cleaning do I need to clean parts they won’t even see?

[@diydetailofficial]

Do what you get paid for, no more, no less.

[@jesseviers487]

@@diydetailofficial how much should I charge for a light carpet steam cleaning? How much is too little? I wanted to say it was an extra service for $60

[@diydetailofficial]

@jesseviers487 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZ24k4SqoNuegtUsub_confirmation=1

[@jesseviers487]

@@diydetailofficial thank you! My business is growing because of you guys!

[@glenzee9083]

Steam cleaning🤔🤔 I wonder how they clean carpet's? Oh yeah they vacuum at the exact same point of contact. Now Ivan I know you know this and like a Bissel Machine(low end) these methods are available no?

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes

[@cleanerdetailsllc7789]

Using a dirty towel on a nav screen or wood/piano black trims. They scratch them

[@diydetailofficial]

Good call, bad idea!

[@peterbowman5750]

Would said degreaser thats purple be a "super" cleaning?

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes

[@matthewmanzo3390]

I love the products, but had a new chemical reaction when filling my Mirolex pump sprayer with warm water and a cap of rinseless wash. After diluting the solution, I began to pump the sprayer when suddenly it exploded, bursting the sprayer out of my hands, and causing the solution to spill out . My pump sprayer no longer holds air like it use to, is rinseless wash recommended to be diluted with warm or hot water?

[@diydetailofficial]

Warm or even hot water should be totally fine, not sure why this happened

[@j-sonS]

Mine broke too from only using rinseless. Marolex sold me new gaskets too but it never worked. I ended up throwing it out.

[@chrissynv8322]

Just an idea, maybe incorporate house detailing. I'm sure a large amount of your viewers are men. Men buying their wives products to help clean and protect the house? Sound like a good idea to me. I just steamed my synthetic wooden floors and they were still wet so I had the idea to use ceramic gloss and a drying towel and made it hydrophobic and slightly slick to the touch. So my guess is that it will be easier to clean as well, which will make the wife happy and easier for her. I know you guys have been saying its good for home use but why not make short videos showcasing it? Bring Home Detailing to the next level. Just a thought.

[@diydetailofficial]

Great idea

[@harrydijkstra9936]

Doesn't that make the floor slippery after it cured? (Like sliding from your feet while holding a large box or moving furniture) Personally I would only use slick products on wall surfaces/glass or non contact area's.

[@chrissynv8322]

@@harrydijkstra9936 It felt slippery because of how clean the floors got. But since then, the dust has settled and it no longer is slippery feeling.

[@YasserAlaska]

My biggest detailing mistake is draining the car battery while doing interior detail.. customer will never understand ..

[@diydetailofficial]

True

[@hippopotimusstew]

❤

[@tedlym.3390]

The owner in Nick's story was probably correct.

[@diydetailofficial]

He was

[@beeslandscaping]

Hello willie 😂😊

[@MarctheBikeWasher]

I have made way more mistakes cleaning Harley Davidson motorcycles

[@diydetailofficial]

Any details? Lol

[@havingtoomuchfun4806]

Big mistake from your editing staff at the 20:55 mark forward. They missed a spot.

[@diydetailofficial]

?

[@havingtoomuchfun4806]

@@diydetailofficial it’s like they didn’t even watch the video.

[@diydetailofficial]

Good eye, thanks for catching that.

[@seabrew1]

come on Nick call him out he;'s full of himself and i'm sure he's not that smart. My experience - people that "act" smart are the most flawed people.

[@diydetailofficial]

Fortunately his experience and knowledge are real.

[@statusquoreject]

Was hoping you can shed some light on an issue I had when detailing my friends BMW? He had really deep scratches on his hood that required wet sanding which I did in my garage so heat wasn’t an issue. I had to go down to 1000 grit wet sandpaper & worked my way up to 3000 grit & then finished with a compound & polish. All the scratches/defects were gone & the hood looked flawless. I used an IPA panel prep & before applying sealant & wax & none of my products have any fillers. About a month later on a hot day I saw that some of the scratches came back or were visible again. Why? I was careful about heat & pressure & there was no paint swelling to my knowledge when I did the panel, so why did the scratches reappear several weeks later on a hot day? What should I do to correct this & also not have it happen again?

[@diydetailofficial]

A few possibilities, the compound or polish swelled the paint slightly. The other a little heat was generated. I would recommend leaving it, as sanding and polishing again would compromise the surface even more.

[@statusquoreject]

@@diydetailofficial thanks so much for the reply and info. I was stumped and just lucky this happened on my friends car and not a customers. He asked if I could remedy it & I told him it was probably best to leave it alone because at this point I don’t want to remove anymore clear coat. It was a good lesson on paint swelling. I tried to always check the panel temp after each sanding & polishing pass but clearly paint swell still occurred. If you guys ever make a video dedicated to paint swelling I would really be interested and it’s not a topic I see other detailers cover much. Thanks for everything you guys do to help us out.

[@diydetailofficial]

It’s hard to show, but if you have a paint thickness guage, after 1 min of polishing if you get the paint warm( 15c warmer than rest of panel, you should observe a 1-2 micron increase in thickness.