Driving your detailing dollars further (Part 1)
All of those in the detailing game whether you are doing just car cleaning or complete detailing plus paint corrections and coatings as well as window tint, PPF and even products like underbody anti corrosion coatings should be doing all we can to drive our detailing dollars further when purchasing chemical products, polishing and sanding power tools and accessories, pressure washers, air compressors, polishing pads, lighting and everything else we need to detail vehicles to a world class standard
However the one thing we do not want is to cut our costs but get far less lifespan and inferior performance out of the equipment, products and accessories we’ve purchased by choosing to go cheaper. There are ways to save money but still get the quality, results and lifespan you desire.
To help you get the most value for money possible, shop smarter and increase your profits whilst still achieving superb results you expect, here is an initial list of products that work extremely well whilst being more affordable than many other brands products
Also I’ll be mentioning some ways to reduce costs without compromising on quality and performance such as how to extend the lifespan of what you already have, doing less orders per year to save on shipping costs, buying in bulk, only purchasing the products you really need and which ones you actually do not need.
FOAM PADS
THE PAD KING BRAND PAD KITS & BUNDLES COMING SOON
The Pad King Generation 1 range of foam polishing pads represent some fantastic foams from factories all over Europe and they are only going to get better with each subsequent generation and expanding the brand’s range to include natural and synthetic fibers, a few of which the industry may not have seen and used before.
In 2025 I aim to add my first Japanese manufacturer to the growing list of foam manufacturers I have relationships with.
With a mission to source unique, more durable and versatile foams and a goal of constant evolution and occasional revolution, five grades of foam pads are now available in 140 mm size. These include the game changing Green All Rounder pad that takes the crown as the most universal foam pad we have at present, the Red pad which is great for removing 3000 to 8000 grit sanding marks plus performing one step enhancements and corrections on a variety of paints, the orange semi soft light polishing and finishing pad, the white medium cut and the purple super soft pad.
To provide my peers with the best possible value for money, I am soon offering pad kits that are service based which provide better value for money as well as a new detailing biz start up bundle with options of four or six of every pad in the range in two different sizes or possibly three. Plus a ten, twelve or twenty pad bundle for even greater savings.
Once my Generation II pads are developed and in stock, these kits and bundles will be available.
Of course the more you buy the cheaper they get. I appreciate the support so far from my customers
TIP: To make foam last the longest, reduce the number of heat cycles by using one pad per panel or two panels maximum and use the system 4000 pad washer to clean them or spray rinseless wash on the pad after each section and blow clean with compressed air with the pad on a DA or rotary polisher to clean them on the go. Do not give them too much exposure to water over a long period of time (soaking them) as it reduces their firmness aka compression hardness. If manufacturers of foam want softer more compressible foams from a particular grade of foam, they will add more water when making the foam.
COMPOUNDS & POLISHES
THE NEW GLISTEN RANGE 500ml bottles (1 Litre available)
The Glisten brand polishes range are world class quality polishing products that I believe are made in Germany and provide superb performance without the dusting common with other products. They film on the paint surface extremely well and stay damp/moist on the pad rather than drying and clumping up and clogging the cells of foam or binding the wool fibers together.
With a price of just $77 from Grace Chemicals in SA though slightly higher via Autoshield in WA per 1 litre bottle of any of these three products, considering the typical pricing of around $95-105 per litre with others, that is a brilliant price. We’re talking pricing that was common between 2010 and 2020 for state of the art products that I must admit even impressed me with how well they cut, polish and finish out paint.
The heavy cut compound has a very high cutting rate but does finish out incredibly well for a compound and really surprised me - it truly does leave some other more expensive and cheaper products well behind in the race to a beautiful finish. In many cases a detailer, crash repair shop or motoring enthusiast could use this product alone and send the vehicle out the door and say done. Whilst not necessarily the absolute strongest compound on the market globally unlike Feynlab A50 it’s a bloody good heavy hitter with the ability to correct and polish so well and stay moist on the pad and the surface. Some thicker compounds actually clump up on the pad and leave a big patch of semi dried product buildup where the user has applied the product to the pad face prior to starting the correction process. Whereas these products keep the fibers or foam cells moist and actually lubricates the pads preventing dry buffing which tears the foam up and shortens their lifespan
TIP WITH COMPOUNDS/POLISHES - If a manufacturer, brand or distributor offers their products in a gallon, four or five litre size buy it - it will save you a significant chunk. Most European polishes are available in five litre and USA made products in Gallons (3.78 Litres)
NASIOL COMPOUND & POLISH RANGE
The Nasiol brand is the registered trademark of Artekya Ltd which is the main and pioneer manufacturer of protective nano coatings made in Turkey and Europe.
The company was founded in 2008, an R&D company working on nanospinning techniques and machines, the first and only in Turkey, and amongst only three others in the world.
In 2012, R&D on protective nano coatings started and NanoFMG Group changed its name to Artekya.
Under Artekya, they created the brand Nasiol for their liquid nanocoatings, the first-ever manufactured in the country.
Their Clear Rub range of compounds and polishes are available in Australia at an amazingly low price of just $69.00 per 1 litre bottle. With the vast majority of compounds, polishes and all in one polishes being around the $95 to $130 per litre price tag, this is immense value for money especially if your just getting started as a professional detailer. The performance will be there as Turkey has a history of some fantastic chemists - one of which if my memory serves me correctly had worked out a way to make organic natural silica into a water soluble spray on product. The first to do so as it was insoluble in anything other than solvents up to that point. Though I am happy to be corrected if my information is wrong
The entire range of Nasiol products are competitively priced and offer excellent performance
CLEANAWORX MAXI CUT RANGE
The Company Cleanaworx is owned by Jeff Piggott and based in Coomera Queensland and has been producing marine and automotive products for the past fifteen to twenty years and his Maxi Cut compound and polish range is available via his online store or in person if your Queensland based.
A one litre bottle of any of these four products will only set you back $77.00 - so much better than the typical $100 + price and it’s a very efficient and well made product range. I was able to remove 3000 grit sanding marks with a random orbital polisher, my orange semi soft foam and Maxi Cut #3 polish
These products I have been testing for him for the past month and whilst I have limited experience with Maxi Cut 1, the #3 and #4 Polishes have proven to be excellent quality with absolutely no dusting. They film very nicely, stay moist, cut and finish down really well and are super easy to remove the residue and I do not believe that these will stain exterior trim or leave dried up white residue like traditional solvent based compounds and polishes did. These products feature diminishing abrasive technology so best performance and results will come from working them through the entire cycle time. From two passes up to four or five slow passes. A cycle time between 90 and 180 seconds with average cycle times of 120 seconds or two minutes being the norm. It is not really possible to use diminishing abrasive technology products and perform 15 to 30 second cycles like you can modern SMAT abrasives aka non diminishing abrasives. With diminishing abrasives you can under or over work them - it’s never good to do either but definitely worse to under work them. Best results come from starting fast and finishing out slower and slower with each subsequent pass over the area or starting at slow machine speed for one pass then increasing machine speed with each pass after that.
TIP: Use the Jab Technique to perform a mow down process with either non diminishing or diminishing abrasives - there are some products that are a combination of both types too - I have vast experience with these and they are the best of both world’s - the constant cut of non diminishing and the great finishing quality of diminishing. The Jab technique involves a short 30 to 45 second cycle time with a rotary or random orbital polisher at high speed using a little pressure and very short jab movements from left to right or right to left then longer ones. Turning a pad into a slicer. Return to medium to low speed and one slow pass in one vertical or horizontal position to finish out the paint and refine any marks you may leave behind so if you do they are super shallow.
CLEANING CHEMICALS
THREE IN ONE FALLOUT REMOVER, TRAFFIC FILM REMOVER AND WATER SPOT MINERALS NEUTRALISER