Detail Your Car - With Steam! - Jay Leno's Garage

Detail Your Car - With Steam!. Encouraged by The Hub Society, TJ O'Brien started his detailing business at age 15. Now he's gone green, using steam to clean every part of the car.
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Detail Your Car - With Steam! - Jay Leno's Garage
• Detail Your Car - With...
Jay Leno's Garage
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[@DonaldKing23]

So awesome that Jay is out there helping young people along in the industry.

[@modslot]

Hats off to you Jay for giving a young ambitious person a platform to promote a great business, well done.

[@steamydetails8033]

I own two steam car washes. TJ said he uses about 7 gallons to detail a car. These steamers are so efficient I have never used that much water. For a full detail I use about 3 gallons and 1 1/2 gallons or less to wash it here in Los Angeles. One thing I noticed is the higher the altitude the wetter the steam is and the more water it uses. I'm interested to see how it works in the Las Vegas heat, Ill be working with Tesla out there.

[@volcanowb]

Great to see an industrious, young man getting a break. Nice kid.

[@renepinto8986]

WONDERFUL I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A KID BACK IN THE 60 I CHILE . MY DAD WOULD STOP IN A GAS STATION AND THEY WOULD CLEAN THE CAR AND ENGINE WITH STEAM IN NO TIME

[@newlifegman]

I see a lot of dumb comments on here. I guess there are haters everywhere. Larry of AMMO NYC does approve this machine and he uses the hell out of his particular brand. Everyone just cant afford them so he uses other techniques to help people. I have a different brand as well. I have the Vapor Rino 230 volt 145 psi with extractor kit and it is amazing and does not scratch at all. Amazing results. Saves me time and money. Eco friendly. It can remove anything and now that I have it I take on jobs that I never would have before like removing graffiti, mold, oxidation, salt, lice, bed bugs etc... Its definitely becoming more popular. I wouldnt want to do a detail without mine now just like someone who power washes doesnt want to wash houses without bleach lol.

[@coliseum1671]

the beauty of soap is that it works as a lubricant to safely remove dirt from paint without scratching.. A dry microfiber cloth moving across the clear coat is enough to scratch the paint. A wet microfiber actually picks up water better. Not to mention he let his hose run up all along the side of the car, should have put the cord over his shoulder..

[@mygtxful]

Using harsh soap or chemicals can do a lot of damage to paint including removing wax. The steam breaks the dirt away and lifts it so you can swipe it away without putting pressure on the surface. A wool mitt is nowhere near as soft as a fresh microfiber towel, plus without steam you have to scrub off bird dropping and so on. The hose is covered in soft braided cloth so if your carful it wont scratch.

[@iloverock6556]

Pretty cool and innovative guy, we need more like him.

[@OPTIMA_STEAMER]

OMG, that's our Optima Steamer~ Wow~~~~~~

[@prakashyelisetty4768]

Can I get cost of your steamer

[@OPTIMA_STEAMER]

@@prakashyelisetty4768 Hi, please visit our website and send us an inquiry. www.sjecorp.com Or you can just send an email to us. [e-mail] SJE Corporation is the manufacturer of the Optima Steamer.

[@John-bz9lk]

I don't have this particular unit, but have used steam before and it blew my mind on not only hold well it worked but also how fast, I was able to do a car in a little over 2 hours on a moderately dirty car, if I would have been traditional I would have spent over 3

[@LukeLGK]

Very cool. Logo, monogrammed t shirts, uniforms, big white van with tool boxes on the inside. Looks like a good business.

[@thinklikeapeasant]

Awesome. Way to go TJ, you are an inspiration with your creative and informed outlook. I hope your business thrives and you enjoy continued success.

[@oldschoolgreentube]

Mineral spirits are the best de-greaser I've ever used. Cheap as dirt and super effective.

[@robbrown6495]

Love the way at around 7:30 that he steams Jay!

[@Mdbunn2013]

I noticed that too 😲

[@munzamy]

Jay loves to stick his nose right in there

[@Rydeauto]

Very slick, and now I want one! Thanks Jay.... first Meguiars products filled my Dream Garage and now I need this too. Jeff

[@NicholasBlazonis]

he using the same microfiber for the paint, engine, glass and interior?

[@JonHeckendorf]

I like what you are doing, Jay, by helping out the little guy and supporting and promoting American made products and services. Your videos are informative as well. I give you a great big, THANK YOU. You thought I was going to say kiss, didn't you?

[@EntaiIIe]

Props to Jay for helping a young man in the industry, and props to TJ for thinking outside of the box .. but honestly, if I went to a detailer and I saw them just steaming and wiping dirt off of my car with rags, I'd go somewhere else. I have to imagine you go through a lot of rags in the process but how much of that goes unnoticed and smeared into the paint? I am skeptical, I'd want to see paint condition out in the sun and a claybar job from a car that had been cleaned like this several times.

[@Steveraxx]

Wow, as a guy who likes to detail his cars, I will have to get one of these.

[@Nickmaster26]

I have a lot of respect for this young entrepreneur. Very intelligent and knowledgeable about his detailing. Good video!

[@vissevolker955]

For a really dirty engine compartment it would just move the grease from one place to another. Need a lot of water volume to get it to run totally out of the engine area. Grit has to be gently washed off a car with a brush or rag and a healthy stream of water, wiping grit is OK if you want to use a hundred rags. Steam is OK for spot work.

[@ontarget7582]

Anytime I see a young person starting a business or becoming independent I always smile a little. We have to support these types of people

[@YodiRoberts]

Very nice to see such a young entrepreneur, college is not for everyone and he has his own business at 20, good for him! The program about the HS kids being taught at an early age about cars and engines etc is a great idea, I believe there should be a lot more technical high schools in the system where at time of graduation the kids have learned a trade that will not only enhance their college education if that is the way they decide to go but will also prepare them to enter the job market with a trade if tha is what they choose to do.

[@jessicaspotts2069]

except he is out of business now. I'd like to hear what happened.

[@buddylight2191]

Anyone here why he's out of business? tjsautospa.com

[@FrozenHaxor]

Probably scratched the hell out of someone's expensive car...

[@jim1638]

That's excellent. I pull my hair out trying to track down all the different cleaners for each task, and then trying to learn all of the techniques! Well done!

[@cuddles6938]

The school I used to work at had something similar years ago. When one of the employee's left, he took the machine with him and nobody knew anything was gone. Was great for the showers.

[@taylorc9480]

J I have been using steam to clean car, home and a lot of other application for almost 10 yrs. it's very safe on paint and like your guest stated its great for the environment! Good show!

[@hlynurstefansson9947]

I have one steamer, a smaller one. It does the same thing, uses more water. I don´t use it to clean the paint on the car, because the droplets will get away and you have to be quick with microfiber towel. None the less this machine is brilliant in hard to reach places, cloth cleaning, carpets and a lot more than cars, used it on a bicycle gears and it was superb.

[@MrPopples72843]

Hes been running it for over 2 years and has not had a problem. Its a great machine, Pricey yes, but highly efficiant

[@ericld11]

Cool idea - cool kid. Knows his stuff.

[@ju_p9011]

I know a few friends of mine that work at a steam car wash shop, steam is good imo. if the car is heavily soiled, then you probably wouldn't want to wipe first, you blast it off just like you would with a high pressure washer. I would own one if I had the money

[@mygtxful]

The steamer has an adjustment valve for dirtier cars.

[@mange2]

Nice demo-How to clean an immaculate clean car. WOW

[@wordreet]

I reckon we could use a service like this to clean all the gunk off the machines in our production workshop. Nice idea.

[@darrrenbetker4266]

How does that not scratch? Your dragging all that dirt straight across the paint!!!! Id need to see it in person on a black car before id let him touch my 69 camaro.

[@bdragonseven]

+Darrren Betker It does scratch. Larry over at AMMO NYC has a video of himself cleaning an older green Porsche. He used steam to clean it and the only reason why he ended up using steam is because the weather stripping in the car was dry rotted and he didn't want to flood the car. He acknowledged the fact that steam is only an alternative if you meet the special circumstances that he faced with the car. That, and Larry did a full paint correction eventually on the car being that it as a barn find.

[@johnnybenson2169]

+Darrren Betker I agree. While its a useful way to clean a car, from physics point of view, there must be friction between the cloth and the paint . The dirt is accumulated on the cloth adding friction continuously. The same problem exists when using waterfree liquid to clean a car. Shockingly, many people have tried these products believing that there is ZERO scratching. Every contact incurs a scratch. Its just how deep is the scratch. While what i say makes absolute commonsense, millions of people are not using their brains when they buy these products. many Humans are pretty stupid. This is why businessmen get rich.

[@darrrenbetker4266]

Pressure washer.....no dragging of dirt just blows dirt away

[@bdragonseven]

Like Johnny was saying from a physics standpoint dirt on the paint has many means of holding onto the paint. Once the dirt has electrostatic cling and/or has filled the pores of the paint the only way to remove that said dirt is by physical means. I.e. wiping. The pressure washer really isn't going to do harm to the paint unless you're and inch away and at a 90 degree angle to the surface. The damage it does do is so minimal that the unaided eye wouldn't be able to tell a difference. Steam would be good for body gaps where rubber or vinyl trim would be in between like weather stripping. But from a professional detailing standpoint that's where I'd draw the line.

[@mygtxful]

Darren Betker,. Wash your car with a pressure washer but don't wipe it down, then let it dry on its own, the dirt will still be there.

[@CallmeDaBreeze1971]

What a great machine, and business opportunity. The Mustang is awesome too!

[@raylopez5506]

Still more entertaining than the "NEW" Tonight Show!!

[@mateodelcastillo7186]

Ray Lopez yessir. Liberals have ruined tv

[@DeJayVartan]

Amen to that

[@charliesmith4513]

@@mateodelcastillo7186 Send Mateo BACK!

[@OPTIMA_STEAMER]

Thank you for watching the video. It's such an honor. If you have any curiosity about our steamer, please visit our KZbin channel. After washing with steam, the tough dirt that can cause scratch will be disappeared from the surface. The key point is using powerful and richful steam emission and correct steam car wash procedure.

[@geovannysanabria8110]

this is great also i called the seller, James they go for $6,500 so pretty hefty price but great product... And thank you Jay Leno for helping people expand the jobs here in america

[@fabianher120373]

Wow at twenty I was still wiping the snot of my nose, good luck to this kid, Jay that's awesome of you to have him on

[@beakittelscherz5419]

Thats the kind of Geek your'e lucky to have as a friend or familymember!

[@demolaj1]

Jay ! .. let him steam swirl your McLaren f1 .!

[@RobbieRobski]

The steam is dry(er, as in doesn't leave puddles) at various temps and sure, at 200 degrees probably not good on leather, but the further away from the wand head, the cooler it is. It's about 100 degrees at like 6-8 inches. Leather bakes hotter than 100 degrees in the sun. I'd get one of these things if they had a consumer model sub $1200

[@raidacaipo]

a real man needs this

[@pamparker4047]

Jay is simply the best

[@TheCamaro5]

Its good to see go over some cleaners every now and again we know he probably uses the best for his cars.

[@Slider2732]

Proven since the early 1990's for definite. We used to have one at the pie factory I worked at in England...Would steam clean the delivery vans as well as the factory floor (and our cars when baking pies overnights and boss wasn't there). Can't beat it for where rags and cloths won't go in a car engine - I wish the guy well with his business :)

[@Dr_Xyzt]

I must have that steam machine. I have done many a car using the 4-step clay bar technique, but this would be the perfect solution to a lot of that.

[@BumperBlack]

Hi Jay, Great video! Believe it or not I started detailing for my dad and uncles when I was only 7 years old. I now own a VERY successful detail shop called Panama City Car Wash in Panama City Florida and a VERY successful car care product company called Bumper Black, and I just turned 28 years old on May 2nd, 2013. If you ever get down to Panama City look me up and I'll give you a free car wash! Take care, Robert

[@trocha419]

ill take my harsh chemicals. id trust this for certain jobs. maybe engine and interior but definitely not my paint.

[@db9478]

these steamers are meant for interiors, i don't know why people use them to clean the exterior its dumb

[@daveprobert2168]

Agreed, useful tool, but if he took to my duco like that, I'd be taking a hammer to his head.

[@tonyarenee2599]

I wash Rolls Royces everyday with my steamer. Some have the original lacquer paint from the 20's and 30's. I would never wash these cars in any other way and I have tried every method know to man. Steam saves me tons of time, does a more through and flawless job.

[@tharpeaddy]

DB HIGHLIGHTS living in the stone ages

[@ktrez2000]

Not really using steam but that is just as well as steam would be at 212 F and would take your skin off and destroy plastic and leather. Still a great idea. It is probably softening the dirt and loosening it enough to blow it off into the towel.

[@MrPopples72843]

it depends. The nice thing is you can clean the rags mid job using the steamer.

[@mylifeisJDM]

This is seriously cool Much respect to TJ.

[@MrPopples72843]

The steam works almost all of the dirt off, just a tiny residue is left over. And as far as the amount of rags, it depends, once you wipe it down (and theres dirt on them) you can just steam the dirt out of the rag. A moderately dirty car takes about 2-3 rags

[@LarryC213]

Now if we could only get Jay to do a short monologue before the beginning of the video, it would almost be as good as the tonight show used to be.

[@EliteGuard01]

Wow that was amazing! I think that steam will totally own the car cleaning industy at some point! I wonder how much one of those units cost; Probalbly alot more than I could afford, but totally worth it.

[@peterbennpan7288]

I will stick to cleaning my own car thankyou very much!

[@EricSiedlecki]

Very inspirational. Way to go, TJ!

[@MrChrisRenz]

Does anyone know what happened to this kids business? I looked it up and it says closed permanately..

[@atillakhun3697]

Yes You rıght,, ten years ago My Frend He brıng fırst tıme thıs machınes Optıma from Korea to Turkey, He closed the Busıness quıckly plus He lost a lot of money, and than all machınes have bad black smoke problems, Korean Company newer fıx thıs.

[@berniemcfadden7760]

What a great idea! Like to have that to detail my '66' corvair convertible

[@_chipchip]

Good luck with your business dude. Looks like it does a good job!

[@WillThat]

I'm impressed. Wish I would have started a cool little business at a young age. Dude found his niche and is and is making a career out of it.

[@1lefty123]

I spray waterless car wash with wax from aero cosmetics on the dirt then steam it off. It acts as a lubricant and gives a nice protection.The best thing is no water spots when its really hot.

[@SuperCoupe300]

he said "tramp stamp" haha!

[@DonaldSeymourjr]

Guys and Girls let's not make derogatory remarks about people. Show some respect. Treat him with respect. I'm glad he find something positive to do and I love the product.

[@MichaelFarah961]

Larry from AMMO NYC reckons it does in fact scratch to clean the body with steam. It's functions are limited and used in special cases only. The one method solution has too many drawbacks.

[@cuddles6938]

Apparently to keep seals that might be leaking from leaking, and I'm sure to protect any electronics. Most people don't bother to cover vital electrical components under the hood before they spray water everywhere.

[@1CLOOOUD]

My personal CONGRATULATION!!! Awesome building machine for clean...Faster.perfect.and respectable for save water.Amazing cool idea!!!

[@nccrawford]

When I was a kid I detailed cars for extra money, and this just confounds me. I wish someone who really knows the science could explain how this doesn't scratch the paint. I'd like to hear a non-biased list of the pros and cons of cleaning an entire car with steam.

[@1212sman]

Damn, this kid is right on point! Incredibly sharp. Great product, too. This cat is gonna be a millionare by age twenty-five. I wanna go back 35 years & be him.

[@TylerWitucki]

Great video. I would like to see more of these inspiring job videos. I like how the videos branch out further than just cars. really cool. Also I'm surprised how dry that steam was.

[@LBigJake14]

Larry from Ammo NYC would not approve

[@FrozenHaxor]

In fact Larry did exactly this to one barn sleeper in his video.

[@LBigJake14]

I know what video you're talking about. He did that mainly because the seals were shot on that car and needed replaced. In the video he says that he is actually installing scratches while doing that, but because he was restoring it anyway it didn't much matter.

[@FrozenHaxor]

Yep, worst method of cleaning your paint ever.

[@OverlandTT]

Agreed

[@Cisco6x]

LBigJake14 Larry is shaking his head right now lol

[@PeterAgostiniJdcap26]

Seems to me a good way to clean an auto etc, would only use it on very hot days , where steam ail evaporate off cloth seats or maybe not . Heck they use hot water pressure washer with some steam for years for grime on engines . But this units temperature is regulated to detailing !! Very good find Jay.

[@ciocoflender007]

To clean a perfectly cleaned car is indeed an innovation that revolutionizes the Car Wash industry worldwide. But Jay Leno's genius question is: But it doesn't scratch? Oh yeah, it does scratch, if water in combination whith microfiber towel does.

[@golancation]

TJ ,i would like is to give big shout out to your fox who raise such fella and you only 20 y old ... BRAVO

[@KENSEICHR1S]

I'm curious if this process works better or worse in a colder environment?

[@MrNightpwner]

Very cool, I would add a leather conditioner to the seats after wiping them to fill in the pores of the leather so dirt can't get deeper in. learned that from another detailer on KZbin.

[@frankienphil9261978]

What is "New" about this technology? Wet and dry steam cleaners have been around for about a hundred years. Pressure washers evolved from steam cleaners in the early 20th century. Oh and there is still water, even with dry steam, he is drying it with the towel.

[@celsoguajardovillarreal]

seems one excellent machine to clean the car, and very beautiful mustang. Jay greetings

[@AXHEJAZ]

i've been doing this for years on my car right here in the states. I don't get what's "so new" about this procedure either. if you go to any major department store you can buy a powerful small home steamer for like 100 bucks and you're good to go.

[@katarock]

I would love to see how that panel looks under the Brinkman

[@rossmunn9770]

Did he change rags, or did I see just one rag used.

[@frankienphil9261978]

You are absolutely correct. There is no such thing as dry steam. Dry Steam is an industry term that just means, steam that doesn't "feel" wet in the air. All steam has water that is why I doubt it is safe on all surfaces. Suede for example, I wouldn't use this anywhere near suede. Notice he's using a towel.

[@discerningmind]

I'm surprised there's hate in some of these posts. It's 2013 sapheads! The steam is great but I'm sure it will remove wax protection from paint.

[@lloydkaplan8605]

This is really cool, efficient, and eco-friendly technology!!

[@neff4909]

TJ you need to steam the dirt off the car, blow it off first then wipe away. Steam is the new technology in detailing, specially with proper PSI. Steam will strip of all wax, sealant, polish. wax is a must right after a steam bath. leathers need to be condition right away.

[@FrozenHaxor]

Of course it does scratch. There is no lubrication when you drag the dirt across the finish.

[@taol8258]

Maybe. Even with a quick detailer lube there is still a risk of scratching.

[@mygtxful]

It doesnt scratch. I have washed thousands of cars with this unit and its flawless. You always have to leave room for operator error just like anything.

[@mygtxful]

Quick detailer is not needed

[@gumunduringigumundsson9344]

The forces involved mean that at least trilions of atoms must be forced off with cleaning?

[@gumunduringigumundsson9344]

Most touch if not all leaves a mark. I want you like most other if not all people to do really well!! Have a great life!

[@michaelfarm]

Dry steam Jay? Thanks for the giggle. I needed that today.

[@danwebster5439]

You start with dry water

[@SCOOBYDOODAZ]

So where is all the dirt going from the panels?, all back on the cloth to rub into your paint work?

[@mygtxful]

I use the steam to blow most of the dirt off the car or down to the lower panel to wpe it off. If it just dusty like the mustang the towel wont get saturated enough to scratch because as you can see he keeps turning the towel.

[@ConstantXplorer]

I knew steam cleaning would be helpful for house hold cleaning application, but I'm still curious as to how safe this is on cars. I must investigate further to see how steaming reacts with clear coats and interior fabrics and leathers. Interesting application though.

[@carwashnews]

"A normal car wash uses 30 gallons of water" sure. Some car washes use that much water. But it does not actually use that much. Every car wash is REQUIRED to recycle water through a reclamation system and the amount of water that is used and transmitted is roughly 1 gallon or less. And that water is clean and chemical free having close to zero negative effect on the environment. Most car washes also take the chemicals and detergents that have been separated from the sewer water and send it to a treatment plant. And most car washes roughly 85% of them (the rest being un-maintained gas station washes or bad/old car washes) use a foam called neoglide. It looks like rubber but feels like a soft foam and it does not hold dirt nor water so that being said it can not scratch cars!!

[@reyesg.3291]

I'm going to look into it

[@JHamilton791]

Hey Jay, 1967 was the first year for the 390 in the Mustang.

[@ekner]

Any car would experience temperatures of around 200 deg f inside the engine bay or standing out in the hot sun, so you shouldn't need to worry about heat. What really gets the rust going isn't so much moisture as all the dirt that holds the moisture like a sponge, so that is also a non-issue. If you wanna clean a neglected car obviously you need chemicals, but I think this is looks great for regular maintenance cleaning. It wouldn't take the wax off your paint like shampoo would.

[@oldschoolgreentube]

Love the steam engines. How about a video on Sterling engines?

[@MrPopples72843]

Dude that made my freaking day.

[@LGIndustriplat]

I made steam units for pressure washers in 1995 for cleaning car interiors.

[@3rdRockRider]

i wonder if this will remove the road grime that normally requires a clay bar for removal.

[@HashiriyaSquadron]

Props to that kid.

[@deathouroboros]

awesome work TJ!

[@robertphillips6296]

I wonder if his Business will be able to survive all of the restrictions in California?

[@bentleyelite9801]

this steam machine is the real deal ,u can clean the car in the half the time get much better results & charge $$$$$