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CONTENTS 

One More 

Thing.......................... 3 

All Abouth 

That Stain ................. 4 

Innovations .............. 6 

Pinto or Porsce ......... 7 

Industry 

Dirt............................. 10 

IDA 

Column..................... 18 

Dr. 

Detail.......................... 18 

Hello, friends, and happy summer. 

ONE MORE 

THING 

The winter and even the spring was brutal here in Upstate New York, so I am happy to have the sun shining 

overhead. I know in the last issue of Auto Detailing News I wrote about the passings of Chris Evans and 

Daryl Lyons, two industry magnates who were always so kind to me. I have had the pleasure of getting to know 

Chris’s partner, Jaqueline Hawkins. Jaqueline is an amazing person, and through her grief, has been able to 

help others. “Thank you so much for helping us share this information. Yes, missing him is hard but this labor 

of love is a great distraction,” she wrote to me. So, in her honor, and in Chris’s memory, I would like to use the 

forum to promote his charity. 

The Christopher Evans Foundation is designed to educate individuals in the best practices in detailing, vehicle appearance improvements 

(window tinting, paint protection film, paint correction, etc.), and safety on the job site. The Foundation focuses primarily 

on training at-risk youth and returning citizens on Chicago’s South and West sides, and preparing them for entry level employment 

or the opportunity to become an entrepreneur; and/or expand their service offerings. 

For more information, please contact his friend and mentor 

Robert “Bob” Wrasman atrobertwrasman@gmail.com. 

Until next time, 

Meeting of 

the Minds.................. 23 

Where is the industry 

headed, Part 1 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

VOL. 8, NO. 2 | SUMMER 2023 

Publisher: Jackson Vahaly 

Editor: Debra Gorgos 

Design: KBA Designs 

Auto Detailing News is published 

4 times per year and is independently 

owned by Jackson Vahaly. 

Web address is 

www.autodetailingnews.com 

All inquiries should 

be directed to: 

Auto Detailing News 

110 Childs Ln. Franklin, TN 37067 

jacksonv@autodetailingnews.com 

Copyright © 2023 

Two Dollar Media, Inc./Auto Detailing News. 

All Rights Reserved. 

Sept 21 & 22, 

2023 

Carwash Show Europe 

EXPO Greater Amsterdam 

The Netherlands 

Oct 2-4, 


Northeast Regional 

Carwash Association 

Atlantic City Convention Center 

Oct 21-Nov 3, 


SEMA Show 

Las Vegas 

Convention Center 

Feb 1-4, 

2024 

Mobile Tech Expo 2024 

Gaylord Palms Resort 

Orlando, Florida 

VOL. 8, NO.2 • SUMMER 2023 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | 3

ALL 

ABOUT 

THAT 

STAIN 

Blood 

There is an emotional and physical 

toll a blood-stained interior can have 

on a car detailer. From a spot to a large 

amount can be unnerving. Also, the removable 

process can be challenging. But, 

why? Why is blood so hard to remove? 

Here is your answer. 

Serum?! 

Proteins?! 

Yes, that and more. Blood contains 

both liquid (plasma and serum) and solids 

(red blood cells, white blood cells, 

platelets and proteins), according to the 

National Forensic Science Technology 

Center (NFSTC). 

We all know that when blood leaves 

a body, it is in liquid form. But, then 

the blood starts to clot, forming a solid 

surface. The way blood clots is great 

for personal injuries, however that clotting 

is part of why it stains materials so 

well. “Except for people with hemophilia, 

blood will begin to clot within a few 

minutes, forming a dark, shiny gel-like 

substance that grows more solid as time 

progresses,” stated the NFSTC. 

Here are the ways 

detailers have 

removed blood stains. 

Back in 2015, Scott Gray, owner of 

Soapy’s Auto Wash in Idaho Falls, Idaho, 

shared: One of the worst stains we ever 

tackled was from a guy who had a minivan 

and had shot and killed a deer in Texas. 

…He successfully cut up and put the 

deer into a large cooler that he sat on the 

rear passenger seat for the three-hour trip 

from Texas to Idaho. The small drain plug 

in the cooler was accidentally left open. 

The blood from the meat then drained 

onto the seat and the floor throughout the 

three-hour drive home. …Blood ended 

up draining through the seat fabric and 

all the way into the foam cushion. 

Gray shared that they had to remove 

the seat cover to extract the blood out of 

the cover and the underlying foam cushion, 

which the blood had seeped into. “We 

had to do multiple flushes on the foam 

cushion. We then gave it a heavy dose of 

odor eliminator and a healthy dose of 

ozone and put it back together. The carpets 

were also soaked with blood so a good bit 

of extraction was needed there. We used 

some odor neutralizer during the process 

and then gave it a healthy dose of ozone.” 

A user on carwashforum.com shared 

with Auto Detailing News his steps in removing 

blood due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound, 

back in 2016, he shared: There was a bulge 

in the roof from the bullet. Hair with "pineapple 

brain parts” attached. Pieces of skull 

and hair. Tons of blood. 

“We dressed in full body protection 

goggles, trash bags and respirators. The 

first step was to clean everything with 

COLD water first. This is normally backwards 

but when cleaning blood, you want 

cold water first so the temperature of the 

blood is below body temperature and can't 

carry any disease. So cold water extraction 

and cold water rinsing (without splattering) 

the entire interior was first, and then 

we started over with the normal procedure: 

Detergent, solvent, then hot water 

extraction, steam, and all your normal 

steps.” He then said they stayed fully covered 

in rain suits, trash bags, even welders 

face masks and helmets until all of the 

blowing of steam, air, and water was completed. 

“Then a medical product from the 

local janitorial/custodial supply killed any 

living blood-born diseases,” he shared. 

The vehicle went on to be used by a 

family member. “Of course,” he shared, 

“a tremendous amount of rinsing was necessary, 

under carpets and the interior, so if 

you live in a dry desert climate like Utah, it 

is an advantage because water evaporates 

and dries out quickly. I think in humid environments, 

like the coasts, the job would 

take a few days, but we are able to do it in 

five hours, along with six other normal jobs 

that day.” The hardest part, he said, is just 

mentally preparing yourself in the beginning. 

“You have to look at blood and brain 

pieces and it took me an hour of talking to 

myself and looking at it as a job and sort of 

mentally blocking out the idea of it being 

blood, piss, crap and skull and brain parts. 

Getting mentally prepared was and is the 

hardest part of these jobs. Then the sweat 

of the protective gear is the next hardest 

part. Also having to start all over with a normal 

detail after the initial detailing. Then, 

the final hardest part might is the customer 

picking up the vehicle. Emotions are involved 

and people can be very touchy when 

their spouse is gone. It can be intense.” 

4 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 8, NO. 2 • SUMMER 2023

INNOVATIONS 

Introducing new & improved products for professional auto, boat & motorcycle detailers. 

Detailing forum 

Auto Detailing News magazine has 

introduced a new online forum for 

detailers. Prodetailerforum.com is the 

central hub where professional detailers 

around the country can network, 

learn, trouble-shoot, get business operation/marketing 

advice, train, and 

share their experiences cleaning cars, 

motorcycles, boats... you-name-it. 

"A well-executed forum's utility 

value surpasses other social media platforms 

due to its organizational accessibility 

structured around specific topics/questions, 

and its efficient, archive 

searchability." 

Detailers are encouraged to visit 

and register at www.prodetailerforum. 

com. Forum participants are automatically 

entered into monthly drawings 

for supplies (see ads in this issue.) 

Detailing dictionary 

Detailers Dictionary Volume 2: The Industry Standard 

is the follow-up to the successful Detailer 

Dictory: Detailers Little Black Book, by the late 

and great Christoper Evans. Detailers Dictiornary 

Volumn 2 is easy to understand, offers up: 

• Countless definitions and terminology 

• Photos of the latest industry tools and 

products. 

• Facts and tips to make detailers more 

efficient 

• Charts explaining various industry issues. 

• Customized quizzes to test a detailer’s 

knowledge of detailing 

Solvent-based tire dressing 

Malco ® Products, Inc. of Barberton, Ohio, announced the introduction of KO 

Solvent-Based Tire Dressing to the Malco Automotive line of professional detailing 

products. This cost-effective, ready-to-use solvent-based, silicone dressing is ideal for 

use on tires, moldings, dashboards, door panels, bumpers, and vinyl floor mats. This 

new dressing is VOC compliant and helps keep tires and vehicle surfaces looking “likenew.” 

“KO Solvent-Based Tire Dressing beautifies tires, dashboards, door panels, and 

more with a quality finish at a great value,” said Mike Goldstein, Malco Global Product 

Manager. “KO Solvent-Based Tire Dressing rounds out our line of KO products and 

offers customers a cost-effective dressing that gets the job done.” KO Solvent-Based Tire 

Dressing is VOC compliant and can be sold in all 50 States. The ready-touse formula 

can be sprayed onto tires or wiped on with an applicator, leaving a nice, even finish. The 

product is available in a 5-gallon size from Malco distributors. 

6 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 8, NO. 2 • SUMMER 2023 

Car cleaning accessory 

Hozeez, by Bishop Innovations, is the solution to the age old problem of trying to wash the 

car without the hose getting stuck under the tires. It is easy to use and durable. Simply drop 

the Hozeez on the ground and kick it under the tire. No careful placement is required. Due to 

its unique patent pending design, it actually gets pulled more tightly under the tire when the 

hose pulls against it, instead of being pulled out like cheap competitive products. When done 

washing the car, simply rinse the Hozeez off and toss them in your car wash bucket for storage. 

Hozeez is molded in high visibility yellow plastic so you can’t miss it when putting away 

the rags and buckets. If you do forget it’s under the tire, no problem – Hozeez is tough tested. 

For most situations, a pair of Hozeez will allow you to pull the hose around the car without 

it getting stuck, though some people still like to use four. 

Bishop Innovations is a family-owned business which produces all of its products in America.

FUN AND 

GAMES 

Which 

one is the: 

Porsche 

or Pinto? 

It's no secret that detailers know their cars. But, 

let's put the skills to the test. Can you tell the make, 

model and year of each vehicle posted below? 

Answers are on the bottom of the page. Good luck! 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

1. 2021 AUDI Q5 2. 2019 CHRYSLER PACIFICA 3. 2017 FORD KING RANCH 4. 2021 HONDA PILOT 5. 2018 JEEP CHEROKEE 6. 2014 TOYOTA CAMRY 7. 2023 DODGE RAM 


DETAIL 

DOCTOR 

Do the Safety Checks! 

Make sure you’re taking all of the necessary 

precautions when it comes to chemicals 

Bud Abraham is Founder and President Emeritus of DETAIL PLUS Car Appearance Systems, with more than 40 years 

of experience in the car care industry as a manufacturer, operator, distributor and consultant. He writes articles and gives 

seminars on the subject of auto detailing throughout the automotive industry. He can be reached at buda@detailplus.com. 

By Bud Abraham, The Detail Doctor 

buda@detailplus.com 

This article will deal with safety tips 

that are often overlooked or ignored by 

detailers that can protect you, your workers 

and reduce risks in the detail business. 

When working with cleaning chemicals, 

it’s the little things that trip you up, 

the big things are obvious, such as reading 

product instructions and making sure 

products are properly labeled. It’s the little 

things, such as using the proper dilution, 

that are sometimes not so obvious and can 

cause problems for detailers. 

Read the SDS and the 

Instructions Label 

Let’s start with the more obvious 

tips. Just because these best practices seem 

like no-brainers, it doesn’t mean everyone 

follows them. It seems that once a detail 

business owner has been at it a while, or 

the detailers have been on the job a few 

months, many mistakenly think they no 

longer need to read product instructions. 

No matter how long you’ve been at it, 

you need to read the labels. As a business 

owner, do it in front of your employees 

and then quiz them on the safety and 

product instructions. 

Always start a cleaning job by reading 

the product instructions, then follow up 

by following the instructions. 

Always Avoid Mixing 

Chemicals 

Jokingly, many in the industry call 

detailers “mixologists.” That is, without 

a degree in chemistry they believe they 

know more than a degreed chemist when 

it comes to making chemicals. 

But this is a very serious mistake that 

can cause both physical harm and damage 

to vehicles. Mixing incompatible chemicals 

is a big no-no. Did you know that mixing 

chlorine bleach with ammonia or an acidic 

cleaner will inadvertently create a poisonous 

gas that should not be inhaled? 

Detailers are famous for mixing up 

their own cleaning concoctions, but if you 

mix the wrong products, you can create 

some toxic gasses. 

Detailers will often mix the degreaser 

with the disinfectant and a little bleach to 

make what they are cleaning even cleaner. 

As a business owner you must train your 

employees not to do that, even though it’s 

an ongoing struggle. 

This lack of label-reading and misguided 

mixing are the two most common 

cleaning chemical mistakes committed 

by far too many in the detailing industry. 

Continue reading for more information 

on mistakes that can make a big difference 

in both safety and cleaning effectiveness. 

Measure Carefully 

REMEMBER: Chemical dilution 

instructions are not suggestions, they are 

instructions to ensure a product works as 

intended. Measure out the exact amount 

of product and water specified on the 

label rather than following the glug-glug 

technique of freehand pouring. 

Far too many in the industry think, 

“just a little bit more will do wonders.” 

The reality is that using a bit more doesn’t 

help. For example, put too much dishwashing 

soap in a bowl of water and then 

put your hands in the solution. You will 

immediately feel how sticky it is and find 

you’re having a difficult time getting it off 

your hands without several rinsings. This 

exercise will help you realize that using a 

solution with too much cleaning product 

will add a film to surfaces that will be difficult 

to remove and will leave a sticky film 

that attracts more soil. 

Not only is using the wrong dilution 

inefficient and expensive, it also can be 

harmful to health. 

Chemicals are manufactured so they 

rinse freely. If you use them at two times 

their recommended strength, the film 

they leave can attract dirt or pathogens. 

If you use a dilution that is too weak, it 

won’t clean the surface or eliminate any 

pathogens it was created to kill. 

You should have a measuring cup or 

spray bottle with measuring increments 

readily available for you and your workers 

to use. Better yet, purchase a dilution 

station that automatically dispenses chemicals 

at the correct dilution. If you purchase 

enough chemicals from a supplier they 

may provide one at no cost. In any case 

they will pay for themselves in the long run. 

Temperature is 

Important 

Few detailers realize that the water 

temperature, when diluting cleaning 

chemicals is important. It is estimated that 

warm water can increase the cleaning capability 

of a chemical by 10% to 15%. 

While this is true for most chemicals, 

many products do require mixing them 

with cold water in the chemical bonded 

to the solution. 

Using the Correct 

Product 

Another overlooked process, that far 

too many in the detail business overlook, 

is choosing the right chemical for the job. 

To save money or from plain ignorance 

some detailers use some chemicals to do 

a job they’re not made for. For example 

using your engine degreaser as the go-to 

product for engines, wheels, tires, carpets, 

vinyl/leather, etc. Of course, an aggressive 

product like an engine degreaser will 

work as most contain ‘sodium hydroxide, 

which is an aggressive caustic that 

is formulated to ‘burn soil’ off of a surface. 

That might work for an engine, but 

imagine what it can do to wheels, carpets, 

leather, etc? On the other hand, when using 

too weak a product the detailer will 

have to scrub too aggressively, which can 

damage the surface, not to mention exhausting 

the arms and muscles. 

Choosing the right chemical often means 

choosing more than one. While it may be ok 

to use pH-neutral products for any number 

of reasons, in many cases a stronger product 

will be necessary to clean the particular 

surface. In short, using neutral pH solutions 

all the time will not remove stains and soils. 

Plus, these products tempt staff to scrub too 

hard or use steel wool scrub brushes, which 

can damage surfaces. 

Clean Equipment 

After Every Use 

Do you empty your extractor regularly, 

flushing out dirt and grime? Do you 

clean brushes and especially your buffing 

pads? Many a paint finish gets swirled or 

marred from dirty buffing pads. 


To give you an idea of how awful the 

solution in an extractor can be, take a look 

at the mop bucket in a supermarket that 

is used to clean up spills. The solution 

looks like chocolate milk and probably 

contains all kinds of harmful bacteria. A 

dirty cleaning solution that is allowed to sit 

can breed pathogens. Therefore, empty all 

buckets and equipment recovery tanks and 

rinse them out after each use, no matter 

how small the cleaning job. Otherwise, the 

next time you use the bucket or extractor 

you’ll be spreading biofilm full of germs. 

All of this information is being shared 

to protect you and If I can help you answer 

any questions or concerns, feel free to 

reach me at: buda1940@outlook.com or 

(503)-816-7304. 

DON’T MIX THIS 

According to a report by the Environmental 

Working Group, back in November 

2018, a manager of a Buffalo Wild Wings 

in Massachusetts died after he inhaled a 

mix of cleaners that contained acid and 

bleach. The deadly fumes were created after 

two products, Scale Kleen and Super 

8, were combined while he was cleaning 

a kitchen floor. The mixture, according to 

the report, quickly turned green, started 

to bubble and the fumes overpowered the 

worker as he attempted to dispose of the 

noxious liquid outside into a drain. 

Ten other workers and patrons were 

sickened as a result of the fumes. 

“Workers that clean for a living or 

clean as part of their job duties are disproportionately 

exposed to hazardous 

chemicals because they handle these 

cleaning products more frequently – often 

constantly throughout the day. As a result, 

they suffer elevated rates of debilitating 

injuries and illnesses. Scientific literature 

and clinical data show a link between exposure 

to conventional cleaning products 

and exacerbating or causing costly health 

conditions requiring medical evaluation 

and treatment – like chronic skin rashes 

or asthma,” the report stated. 

QUICK 

TM 

CARD 

Hazard Communication 

Safety Data Sheets 

The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) requires 

chemical manufacturers, distributors, or importers to 

provide Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) (formerly known as 

Material Safety Data Sheets or MSDSs) to communicate 

the hazards of hazardous chemical products. The HCS 

requires new SDSs to be in a uniform format, and include 

the section numbers, the headings, and associated 

information under the headings below: 

Section 1, Identification includes product identifier; 

manufacturer or distributor name, address, phone 

number; emergency phone number; recommended use; 

restrictions on use. 

Section 2, Hazard(s) identification includes all hazards 

regarding the chemical; required label elements. 

Section 3, Composition/information on ingredients 

includes information on chemical ingredients; trade secret 

claims. 

Section 4, First-aid measures includes important symptoms/effects, 

acute, delayed; required treatment. 

Section 5, Fire-fighting measures lists suitable extinguishing 

techniques, equipment; chemical hazards from fire. 

Section 6, Accidental release measures lists emergency 

procedures; protective equipment; proper methods of 

containment and cleanup. 

Section 7, Handling and storage lists precautions for safe 

handling and storage, including incompatibilities. 

(Continued on other side) 

For more information: 

www.osha.gov (800) 321-OSHA (6742) 

OSHA 3493-01R 2016 

QUICK 

TM 

CARD 

Hazard Communication 

Safety Data Sheets 

Section 8, Exposure controls/personal protection 

lists OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs); 

ACGIH Threshold Limit Values (TLVs); and any other 

exposure limit used or recommended by the chemical 

manufacturer, importer, or employer preparing the SDS 

where available as well as appropriate engineering 

controls; personal protective equipment (PPE). 

Section 9, Physical and chemical properties lists the 

chemical’s characteristics. 

Section 10, Stability and reactivity lists chemical stability 

and possibility of hazardous reactions. 

Section 11, Toxicological information includes routes of 

exposure; related symptoms, acute and chronic effects; 

numerical measures of toxicity. 

Section 12, Ecological information* 

Section 13, Disposal considerations* 

Section 14, Transport information* 

Section 15, Regulatory information* 

Section 16, Other information, includes the date of 

preparation or last revision. 

*Note: Since other Agencies regulate this information, 

OSHA will not be enforcing Sections 12 through 15 

(29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(2)). 

Employers must ensure that SDSs are readily accessible 

to employees. 

See Appendix D of 29 CFR 1910.1200 for a detailed 

description of SDS contents. 

For more information: 

www.osha.gov (800) 321-OSHA (6742) 

One System, Two Great Coating Options 

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and enhanced UV protection. Now available in two coating options. EPIC® PRO+ Ceramic Coating with Graphene 

offers a 4 year / 48,000 mile warranty, and EPIC® PRO Ceramic Coating offers a 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty. 

• Easy-to-apply coatings 

• Bonds with the clear coat for outstanding depth of gloss 

• Produces the ultimate “wet” look 

• Excellent hydrophobic properties allow water and dirt to slide off 

Visit MalcoAutomotive.com or contact your distributor today, to purchase EPIC PRO+ Ceramic Coating with Graphene or EPIC PRO Cereamic Coating. 

SURFACE CORRECTION | SURFACE PROTECTION | DRESSINGS | INTERIOR CLEANING | EXTERIOR CLEANING 

@Malcoautomotive @Malcoautomotive Malcoautomotive 

www.malcoautomotive.com 


INDUSTRY 

NEWS 

All the news and dirt concerning detailing 

businesses, suppliers, events and industry icons. 

Business named 

Top place to work 

in South Florida 

Mint Eco Car Wash and Detailing Center 

of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was 

named a 2023 Top Workplaces in South 

Florida by The Sun Sentinel, according to a 

May 23 report. 

The Sun Sentinel's annual South Florida 

Top Workplaces award is given to companies 

that create a positive and supportive workplace 

culture, the story said. “The award is 

based solely on anonymous employee feedback 

gathered through a third-party survey 

administered by technology partner Energage 

LLC. Mint Eco was acknowledged for 

its commitment to employee development, 

recognition, and engagement.” 

CEO Geoff Jervis said in a statement, 

"We are proud to have been named a Top 

Workplace by the Sun Sentinel. We believe 

that our most valuable advantage is organizational 

health and the positive workplace 

that it creates. This award is an important 

validation that our critical employee relationship 

is strong and healthy." 

According to the story, Mint Eco prides 

itself on putting culture first, with its primary 

focus on the employees. 

"We exist to make people happy,” is the 

company’s mission statement. And, that 

starts by having happy employees, stated 

Jervis. "While other car washes are providing 

a service, we endeavor to provide not 

only the same or better service, but also an 

experience. This experience is delivered in 

large part by our employees." 

In Worthington, South Dakota, 

Miguel Zavala has opened up 

South of the Border Mobile Auto 

Detailing for business, according 

to a May 1 Globe report. 

“I’ve always been a big car guy. I’ve 

owned a lot of different sporty cars and 

I’ve always been very clean with my vehicles,” 

Zavala said in the story. “I’ve always 

liked cleaning cars and it made me feel 

good when it was all clean and shiny.” 

Zavala’s older brother worked in the 

service department at a local Chevrolet 

dealership and got Zavala his first job as 

a detailer. 

Border Mobile opened up back in January 

and Zavala is continuously busy. He 

prides himself of using a generator so 

that he doesn’t use any of his customers’ 

water or electricity. don’t use any of the 

customer’s water or electricity,” Zavala 

said. He also works seven days a week. 

“I think about people who work the 

third or overnight shift,” he said in the 

story. “If they ever need a car done on 

the weekend, I’m there — I’m available.” 

Alleged auto detailer 

arrested for fraud 

A woman alledging to own a detail 

shop is going to prison for fraudulently 

receiving more than $15,000 in 

COVID-19 relief funds, The Spokemas-Review 

reported. According to the 

May 15 story, Natasha Ann Opsal, 41, 

was sentenced to six months in prison 

after pleading guilty to making false and 

fraudulent claims after obtaining three 

Payment Protection Program (PPP) 

loans in 2021. 

“According to court documents and 

proceedings, Opsal obtained the loans 

for an ‘alleged auto detailing company to 

obtain COVID-19 financing,’” a release 

from the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. 

Now, Opsal must keep her job and 

pay back all the money when she is released 

from prison. 

U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref 

established a COVID-19 “fraud strike 

force” in February 2022 to prosecute 

such crimes in Eastern Washington, the 

story said. 

“COVID-19 utilities are designed to 

uplift our community during a crisis, 

and due to the number of people and 

businesses requesting funding, some 

deserving small businesses were unable 

to get funding to keep their businesses 

running,” Waldref stated in the story. 

“We created the Strike Force to ensure 

that those who misused COVID-19 relief 

funding are held accountable and 

to protect the strength and safety of our 

vital small business community.” 


Health Digest warns 

customers about the 

dangers of dirty cars 

It looks like Health Digest is advocating 

for the detailing industry by 

releasing a report about the impact 

of a dirty car. And, if you have a 

Facebook page for your business, 

this is a good story to add on as it 

sends out the message: Your car can 

make you ill. 

An April 23 Heatlh Digest story 

reported, “Of course, it's not just the 

discarded French fries that can be 

causing your car to be toxic. Bacteria 

from your air conditioning system 

caused by mold and mildew forming 

in the condensation can be carried 

throughout the car whenever you 

turn it on, as per Rick's Professional 

Auto Detailing. Over time, this can 

lead to what is known as toxic car 

syndrome. Also known as sick car 

syndrome, this is a condition that is 

marked by flu-like symptoms, such 

as coughing, tightening of the chest, 

wheezing, and drowsiness.” 

Mobile detailing now 

available in Western 

North Dakota 

HighShine Auto Detail is now open 

for business in Dickinson, North Dakota, 

according to a May 19 KXNET 

report. 

Owners Fernando Martinez and 

Jessica Miller-Moore saw a need for 

an auto detailing business that would 

take the hassle out of the process, the 

story said. A mobile detailing business 

seemed like the perfect answer. 

Martinez said in the story, “I found 

that it’s best just because with all the oil 

field dads up there right now, and all 

the moms are home, all day every day, 

they don’t have a ride to drop off their 

vehicle to get it done.” 

The business offers interior and exterior 

cleaning, in addition to paint corrections, 

ceramic coating, and tinting. 

They specialize in work vehicles, such 

as pickups or semis, especially those 

coming from the oil field. 

Miller-Moore said in the story, “Just 

our big thing mostly, is that we come to 

you. That’s just kind of our motto, is we 

travel to you.” 

One plus to having a mobile detailing 

business is little competition as according 

to the story, the mobile nature of 

their business is a novelty in the Dickinson 

community, the story said. 

Wash Pad 

Containment 

Systems 

THE ORIGINAL... 

PNEUMATIC 

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INDUSTRY NEWS 

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Improvements made to expand access 

to capital for small businesses 

Following the recent finalization of two 

new rules aimed at closing gaps in capital 

access for America’s small business owners, 

Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, 

head of the U.S. Small Business Administration 

(SBA) and the voice for America’s 33 

million small businesses in President Biden’s 

Cabinet has announced streamlined lender 

procedures and other details on implementation, 

according to a May 11 press release. 

"The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes 

that small businesses are the drivers 

of our economy, and that to participate in 

the opportunities created by the President’s 

Invest in America agenda, that they need 

capital to start, grow, and be resilient,” 

said Administrator Guzman in the press 

release. “The ongoing modernization 

of SBA’s loan programs will help ensure 

more borrowers can get funded through 

a broader network of lenders so they can 

help build a strengthened American economy 

that innovates, manufactures and provides 

the products and services that make 

our lives better across Main Street.” 

The “Investing in America” agenda 

has created 12.7 million jobs and a small 

business boom of 10.5 million new business 

applications in 2021 and 2022, the 

press release stated. At the same time, 

SBA recognizes that small businesses, 

particularly those owned by individuals in 

underserved communities who are highly 

entrepreneurial, still face longstanding 

barriers in accessing the capital needed to 

start or grow their businesses. 

To that end, building on the newly 

finalized rules, SBA announced publicly, 

for the first time, its plans to: 

• Streamline eligibility determination 

of SBA-backed loans. To reduce 

the burden on SBA lenders and 

streamline operations, SBA will 

bring eligibility determination on 

SBA loans in-house through new 

technology starting August 1, 2023, 

which will ensure more lenders 

can focus on their customers and 

expand capacity to increase lending, 

especially small-dollar lending. 

• Add new fraud review on all loans. 

Building on President Biden’s 

commitment to 

root out fraud, the 

SBA will use advanced 

data analytics, third party data 

checks, and artificial intelligence 

tools for fraud review on all loans 

in the 7(a) and 504 Loan Programs 

prior to approval, starting August 1, 

2023. To date, loan approval in these 

programs has largely been delegated 

to lenders, who approve loans based 

on SBA rules but without the agency 

checking for indicators of fraud 

upfront. 

“These new changes are an important 

step toward ensuring that more small business 

owners have the opportunity to grow 

and succeed,” said Associate Administrator 

Patrick Kelley in the press release. 

The SBA will also offer: 

• New, simplified guidelines for 

lenders on how to make SBA loans, 

as part of a new Standard Operating 

Procedure (SOP). Under the new 

rules, SBA lenders will now be able 

to use their existing credit policies 

for similarly sized non-SBA loans up 

to $500,000. This will expand the 

number of credit-worthy business 

owners who can access SBA loans, 

especially small-dollar loans. 

• New procedures cutting red tape, 

as outlined in a Procedural Notice 

removing the requirement for a 

Loan Authorization, a set of forms 

that has become duplicative and 

unnecessary for lenders. 

• Details simplifying and clarifying 

affiliation standards to ease the 

burden on small business owners 

and lenders, and make clear who 

qualifies for an SBA loan, as part of 

a new Informational Notice. 

• SBA will continue to post updates in 

the coming days, including: 

• A notice to accept new lender 

applications in the Small Business 

Lending Company (SBLC) program. 

This will allow the existing program 

to provide loans to an expanded 

number of small businesses. SBA 

will accept applications beginning 

June 1 until July 31. SBA will name 

up to three new SBLCs. 

• Additional, simplified lender 

guidelines, including on lender 

participation, servicing, and 

liquidation. 

• The 7(a) and 504 loan programs are 

the most popular loan programs 

offered by SBA, the press release 

stated. The 7(a) Loan Program 

provides flexible financing options 

for a variety of business purposes, 

including capital and equipment 

purchases. The 504 Loan Program 

allows small businesses to finance 

fixed assets such as real estate, in 

addition to equipment. Both programs 

are designed to meet the needs of 

small business owners with low-cost 

and long-term capital. In Fiscal Year 

2022, the two programs provided 

a combined $35 billion in capital to 

57,000 American small businesses. 


INDUSTRY NEWS 

Owners are stressed thanks to the small business credit crunch 

The small business credit crunch is no 

joke. “Borrowing for small businesses was 

already constrained due to rising interest 

rates,” according to an Associated Press 

report from April 11. The recent collapses 

of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature 

Bank, didn’t help matters and now it looks 

like other banks are being “forced to tighten 

credit further, since they’re seeing an 

outflow of deposits, which means they 

need to retain capital,” the story said. 

According to Ray Keating, chief economist 

for the Small Business & Entrepreneurship 

Council, “It’s hard to read how 

severe this is going to be, but it’s certainly 

going to be significant and when you look 

at how things play out, small businesses 

are hit the hardest.” 

And, according to the latest Biz2Credit 

Small Business Lending Index released 

in February, the approval rates of small 

business loan requests at big banks have 

fallen for nine consecutive months, the 

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story said. Only 14.2 precent of credit applications 

were approved by larger banks 

in February. Two years ago, the approval 

rate was at 28.3 percent. 

The story said that the Federal Reserve 

will hike interes rates in order to 

slow down the economy and ease inflation. 

Rohit Arora, CEO and co-founder 

of Biz2Credit, said that small businesses 

will be left in the lurch. 

According to an April 10 Reuters report, 

“By raising the benchmark interest 

rate that banks use in lending money to 

each other, tighter monetary policy makes 

consumer and business loans more expensive 

and harder to get. In theory, that lowers 

demand for credit-financed goods and 

services, and in time also lowers inflation.” 

Thankfully, the worst seems to have 

been avoided, stated the Reuters story. 

“Emergency steps by the Fed and Treasury 

Department protected depositors 

at both banks, helping ease what could 

have been a destabilizing run from smaller 

banks to larger ones. Other actions by 

the Fed helped maintain confidence in the 

wider banking system.” 

The response - less lending, tighter 

credit standards and higher interest on 

loans - was already taking shape. Officials 

are now watching for signs that has been 

kicked into overdrive. 

According to the story, Matthew Luzzetti, 

chief U.S. economist for Deutsche 

Bank, recently estimated if the next Fed loan 

officers survey shows a 10-percentage-point 

rise in the share of banks tightening credit, 

it could lop about half a percentage point 

from U.S. output - enough to turn expected 

meager growth into a recession. 

"These scenarios would push lending 

conditions into a range that has more clearly 

been associated with recession," Luzzetti 

and his team wrote, according to Reuters, 

saying they see potential for "a broader 

tightening of financial conditions that will 

meaningfully slow growth at a time when 

recession risks were already elevated." 

But…there’s some good news…. 

According to a more recent report 

from Keating, the latest Consumer Price 

Index (CPI) report from the U.S. Bureau 

of Labor Statistics showed that inflation 

ran at a mere 0.1 percent in March. 

“That’s welcome news,” he stated. 

For the 12-month period ending in 

March, CPI inflation ran at 5.0 percent, 

which was the slowest 12-month pace 

since the period that ended in March 

2021, he stated. 

“If we look at the past nine months, 

the news improves, as the annualized inflation 

rate over that period registered approximately 

3.2 percent. Indeed, as made 

clear in the following chart from the BLS 

report, inflation took a major step down 

starting in July of last year.” 

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INDUSTRY NEWS 

How to pay back the SBA 

The new MySBA Loan Portal, found 

at https://lending.sba.gov replaces the 

Capital Access Financial System (CAFS). 

If you have one of the loans listed below, 

you will be able to log in to view loan details, 

access statements, and make payments, 

according to the small business 

administration. 

• COVID-19 EIDL 

• SBA disaster loans 

• Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) 

loans (payments only available for 

guaranty-purchased loans) 

• 7(a) loans (payments only available 

for guaranty-purchased SBAserviced 

loans) 

• 504 loans (only debenturepurchased) 

If your type of loan is not listed, the 

information on this page does not apply. 

Please contact your lending institution for 

assistance. If you need more help, you 

may contact the SBA loan servicing center 

listed on your account statement. 

Logging in 

If you have an account to access either 

of these systems, you can use your existing 

username and password to log in to the 

MySBA Loan Portal: 

• Capital Access Financial System 

(CAFS) 

• Veteran Small Business Certification 

(VetCert) 

Please note, the COVID-19 EIDL application 

portal (also known as the "RAP- 

ID portal") is closed. Your RAPID portal 

username and password cannot be used 

to log in to the MySBA Loan Portal. 

Registration 

If you don't have an account in either 

CAFS or VetCert, you will need to register for 

a new account in the MySBA Loan Portal. 

Find your loan number 

If you have an existing MySBA Loan 

Portal account, you can find your loan 

number by logging in. 

If you have not created an account, you 

can find your loan number on the top left 

corner of the Note and the Loan Authorization 

and Agreement. It is NOT the 

same as your application number. 

If you need assistance finding your loan 

number: 

• For COVID-19 EIDL, contact the 

SBA COVID-19 EIDL Customer 

Service Center at 833-853-5638. 

• For Disaster loans, contact the SBA 

Disaster Assistance Customer Service 

Center at 800-659-2955 or email 

disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. 

• For PPP, 7(a), and 504 loans, 

contact the SBA loan servicing 

center handling your loan. 

View loan statements and 

payment due dates 

You can check loan balances and payment 

due dates by logging in to the MyS- 

BA Loan Portal. 

COVID-19 EIDL borrowers: 

• Your first payment is due 30 months 

from the date of the original Note, 

which can be found in your original 

loan closing documents. 

• Monthly email reminders will be sent 

but you must log into the MySBA 

Loan Portal to view your payment 

due date and amount. 

Make payments 

There are several options to make a 

payment to SBA. Borrowers with the following 

loan types can make payments online 

through the MySBA Loan Portal. All 

others should contact their lender directly 

for payment information. 

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• COVID-19 EIDL 

• SBA disaster loans 

• Guaranty-purchased Paycheck 

Protection Program (PPP) loans 

• Guaranty-purchased SBA-serviced 

7(a) loans 

• Debenture-purchased 504 loans 

Pay online 

Online payments are recommended for 

faster processing times. To get started: 

1. Log in to the MySBA Loan Portal. 

2. In the "Loan" section of the home 

screen, select the "Action" button 

next to the loan you want to pay. 

3. Select "Payments" from the 

dropdown, then "Make payment." 

4. Enter your billing information. 

For one-time payments: 

One-time payments can be made using 

a bank account, debit card, or PayPal. 

1. 1. Enter a payment amount, then 

select “One-Time Payment” for 

your payment schedule. 

2. Review your entries, then select 

"Confirm Payment." 

For recurring payments: 

Recurring payments can be made using 

a bank account or a debit card. 

1. Enter a payment amount, then 

select “Recurring Payment” for 

your payment schedule. 

2. Enter the payment start date. 

3. Choose the number of 

installments and payment 

frequency. If you are using a debit 

card, installments are limited to 

36 months and you cannot set 

payments beyond the debit card 

expiration date. 

4. Review your entries, then select 

"Confirm Payment." 

To view and manage recurring payments, 

go to “Loan Accounts” on the top 

navigation and select “Manage Recurring 

Payments.” 

Use online bill pay through your personal 

banking account: 

1. Add U.S. Small Business 

Administration as a payee on your 

personal online banking account. 

2. Enter your 10-digit loan number 

as the “Account Number.” Note: 

your loan number is not the same 

as your application number. 

Loan numbers are listed on your 

account statements. 

3. If you need to enter a payment 

address, enter P.O. Box 3918, 

Portland, OR 97208-3918. If you 

need to enter a telephone number, 

enter the telephone number found 

on the front of your statement. 

4. Set up an electronic one-time 

or recurring payment using your 

bank’s bill pay service. 

Pay your loan in full 

If you want to repay your COVID-19 

EIDL loan in full, you are responsible for 

all daily accrued interest and the repayment 

of any Uniform Commercial Code 

(UCC) fees paid. Request a payoff amount 

by contacting the service office listed on 

your monthly 1201 Borrower Statement, 

available in the MySBA Loan Portal. If 

you do not have a statement, please contact 

the SBA COVID-19 EIDL Customer 

Service Center at 833-853-5638. 

Mail your payment 

1. Make payments by check or 

money order, payable to the “U.S. 

Small Business Administration.” 

2. Enter your 10-digit SBA loan 

number in the memo field on your 

check or money order. 

3. Mail your payment to: U.S. Small 

Business Administration, P.O. Box 

3918, Portland, OR 97208-3918. 

Options for COVID-19 EIDL borrowers 

facing financial hardship 

To learn about SBA's financial counseling 

resources and the COVID-19 

EIDL Hardship Accommodation Plan, 

visit Manage your EIDL. Note: The 

30-month COVID-19 EIDL deferment 

period was not extended. COVID-19 

EIDL is not forgivable. 

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Honoring his Legacy 

The following is Q&A With Jacqueline 

Hawkins, wife of Chris Evans, regarding 

The Chris Evans Foundation. 

How did the Chris Evans 

Foundation come about? 

Jacqueline Hawkins: Chris was referred 

to me as a consulting client for a 

business plan. Despite having 30 years’ 

of experience in the industry, writing two 

books, and working with multiple successful 

mobile operations, he faced huge challenges 

getting a shop of his own. 

What was Chris’s goal/mission? 

JH: There was only one thing Chris loved 

more than detailing, and while I would 

love to say that ‘thing’ was me, I was a 

relative newcomer in Chris’ life, being his 

wife doesn’t necessarily make me the best 

spokesperson for his dreams which is why 

[friend and mentor] Robert “Bob” Wrasman 

is a very intracule part of this organization. 

Chris spent a great deal of his life 

working, researching, reading, and discussing, 

mostly with Bob, ways to improve this 

industry. elevating it as a nationally recognizable 

skilled profession that it is. 

He wanted the world to know this is 

more than just car washing, and there is a 

science behind every aspect of detailing, 

preservation & restoration of vehicles. 

There were personal and organizational 

safety concerns that were being overlooked. 

Liabilities that customers faced 

that could cost them a fortune and have 

no recourse. There were gaps in the industry 

that he found ways to fill. 

How can Chris’s mission/goals 

help the industry? 

JH: He would talk about the many challenges 

individuals would have with breaking 

into the industry from his personal experience, 

whether it was financing to start 

a mobile operation/brick and mortar, he 

wanted to stress the need to be properly 

licensed and insured and what professionalism 

looked like for both. He wanted to 

educate people and change the perception 

that detailing was just a glorified car wash. 

The industry needed to be standardized, 

best practices and safety standards highlighted 

and promoted. Shops managed in 

such a way as to promote efficiency, safety 

for employees and customers alike. 

Why should students come 

to you and is there a bigger 

picture? 

JH: The background of most individuals 

in the industry didn’t include business 

school, accounting, chemistry and customer 

service, all skill sets useful to the industry. 

A 4-year college degree is not for everyone. 

Most were troubled youth or justice 

involved adults. So that became his focus. 

Everything was very personal to him. He 

wanted to give people options, people love 

their cars and enjoy making them look 

good, there is a decent amount of money 

to be made. Just maybe while teaching 

others about what he loved we would get 

the attention of area youth, reduce some 

of the negativity surrounding Chicago’s 

youth and give real money-making options 

to them and returning citizens. 

What makes this class or the 

foundation different from any 

other class? 

JH: What we are offering is not tied to a 

specific product, rather it's what’s best for 

the type of paint, climate, the frequency 

of use, and/or the customers’ budget, and 

what the car actually needs. Chris was 

very intentional about maintaining his 

autonomy had great integrity when dealing 

with customers and wanted others to 

do the same. Well, the classes will follow a 

similar standard. What’s the best product, 

tool, and application method for the specific 

needs of this customer and vehicle. 

Education is the key, and a wide variety 

of products and tools will be utilized in 

the training. There is also a holistic side to 

what we offer that includes job readiness, 

workforce development, SEL coaching, 

entrepreneurship, financing, insurance, 

licensing, customer service, essentially 

everything you need to know to get the 

job done effectively, efficiently, and safely, 

whether as an employee or employer. 

Where will the classes be taught? 

JH: Chris always wanted to give back 

firstly to Chicago, where it all started for 

him and then other large Urban areas, 

getting the attention of youth everywhere 

reducing street crime and violence – City, 

state and federal grant funds will be sought 

out to support the work of the foundation, 

along with corporate sponsorship and individual 

donations. We are tax exempt so if 

you need to reduce you tax base, then give 

generously to the Chris Evans Foundation. 

How will this benefit already 

established detailers? 

JH: Beyond the all-inclusive beginners’ 

class, we want to offer affordable a la cart 

classes as one-day learning opportunities to 

sharpen one’s skills or pick up new ones to 

expand current services. This may include: 

Tinting, PPF, fabric/leather repair, just to 

name a few. These classes will take place all 

across the county, we have wonderful sponsors 

that are making space available to us 

to teach and improve communities overall. 

What Employment Opportunities 

can students look forward to? 

JH: When writing the business plan, I 

learned so much about this industry. Detailing 

is a $14 billion industry, which continued 

to grow in spite of the pandemic. 

This growth, left employment gaps in car 

dealerships, auction houses, museums, 

service repair centers and detail shops. 

This class can prepare students for employment 

or entrepreneurship and will 

even help with marketing. 

What industry support 

will be offered? 

JH: Chris worked in the industry, wrote 

about it and taught it and he also was the 

founder of National Detail Consultants 

(NDC). Members of the Foundation are 

committed to continuing that work also. 

Whether business services, on site trainings, 

safety evaluations, or continuing education 

certifications, NDC is here to help. 

What does Full 

Programming include? 

JH: For beginners, 3 days a week for 6 

weeks of classroom and hands-on education, 

with job readiness, workforce development, 

detailing basics & best practices, 

products, tools and equipment, quizzes/ 

tests, life skills training, SEL coaching and 

job placement assistance and entrepreneurship 

101. 

Anything else you would 

like to share? 

JH: Since Chris passed away there has 

been such an outpouring of love and support 

that has been truly overwhelming. 

I want to offer sincere thanks to all of 

Chris’ colleagues, friends and supporters. 

Chris was always thinking about the next 

big industry-related idea, and he kept meticulous 

notes. He’s not here in person, 

but I do believe he is here in spirit, I hope 

we’ve been able to make him proud, but 

please know this is only the beginning. 


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Available for IDA Detailers 

Members of the International Detailing Association 

enjoy exclusive and ever-expanding benefits 

By Erin Reyes, 

IDA Communications Coordinator 

The International Detailing Association 

(IDA) is the leading global association 

for professional detailing operators, suppliers, 

and consultants to the industry. As 

such, we are constantly working to develop 

new resources to support our mission: 

promoting the success and growth of the 

global professional detailing community. 

If it has been a while since you have been 

a part of the IDA – or if you have never 

been a member before – now is a great 

time to join and explore all the new and 

improved benefits you have been missing! 

Peer-to-Peer 

Learning & 

Expanded Global 

Opportunities 

The IDA’s Third Thursday Webinar 

series has been educating detailers for 

nearly ten years. Webinars are held on 

a monthly basis, and typically topics focus 

on the more technical side of things. 

However, based on data collection and 

survey results, we know that many members 

are sole operators of small businesses 

who need help understanding how to successfully 

run a business. That’s why earlier 

this year the IDA Tradeshow & Education 

Committee introduced the new Business 

Development Webinar series. So far, sessions 

have covered common questions like 

filing taxes for your business and developing 

and maintaining a business plan. All 

webinars are free for members to attend 

and $25 per session for non-members. 

For those who can’t attend the live 

webinar sessions, we have a growing library 

of 80+ webinar recordings. While 

many of these recordings are currently 

in English, we have also been working 

to increase offerings in other languages. 

At this time, several webinars have been 

translated into alternative languages, including 

German, Spanish, and Vietnamese, 

which all can be found on the IDA’s 

website. Additionally, in conjunction with 

Love Your Detailer Day on February 15 th 

of this year, we held the first-ever International 

Education Day, which consisted 

of eight different educational sessions 

presented in various languages by international 

members. Represented languages 

included British English, German, 

Bulgarian, Spanish, Norwegian, Dutch, 

French, and Italian. Topics included the 

use of dry ice in detailing, how to determine 

pricing, product safety, and improving 

workflow and efficiency. Recordings 

of each session are available on the-ida. 

com. We hope to make this an annual 

event with even more countries and languages 

represented in the future. 

One additional improvement we have 

made to our webinar program is the use 

of a new streaming platform. Members 

now have the option to participate via 

a private YouTube link or our exclusive 

members-only Facebook group. It is now 

easier than ever for members to attend 

webinars and learn from their detailing 

peers and business experts. 

In addition to growing our educational 

offerings, we have also expanded the 

IDA Certification Program. Besides adding 

two specialty certifications (Watercraft 

and Motorcycle) over the past couple of 

years, we have also recently begun offering 

IDA Certification – Phase I (CD) 

online exams in additional languages, 

including Portuguese, Spanish, French, 

Dutch, and Italian, with more offerings 

on the way. As we strive to become a truly 

international organization, our goal is to 

continue offering the online CD exams 

in as many different languages as possible 

to ensure full and fair participation in the 

IDA Certification Program for detailers 

across the globe. The IDA Certification 

Committee – along with IDA Chapters 

and international Recognized Independent 

Trainers (RITs) – have been busy 

coordinating and perfecting these translations 

and will continue to present more 

certification opportunities for detailing 

professionals worldwide in the future. 

It is important for us to offer as many 

international and translated educational 

and certification opportunities as possible 

with the IDA Chapter Program continuing 

to expand. We are now up to 17 chapters, 

with several more in the process of 

being established. The IDA Chapter Development 

Committee continues to grow 

support for international members and is 

working on ways to make it even easier for 

detailers worldwide to take advantage of 


the benefits our organization has to offer. 

Digital Resource 

Libraries Provide 

Online Education 

Along with several standing committees, 

the IDA has recently established 

task forces to address challenges faced 

by both our association and the detailing 

industry at large. The first of these – the 

IDA Health & Wellness Task Force – was 

created specifically to generate support 

for our members for improved mental, 

emotional, and physical wellness. With 

detailing being a rather labor-intensive 

business, it can be taxing on both the 

body and on the mind. Additionally, external 

factors such as economic market 

swings, seasonal business cycles, and even 

a global pandemic can impact members’ 

ability to cope and to thrive in their professional 

and personal lives. With all that 

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in mind, the IDA Health & Wellness Task 

Force created a digital library to provide 

educational resources to our members 

on wellness topics such as maintaining 

physical health, managing chronic stress, 

navigating health insurance options, dealing 

with burnout, and many more issues 

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articles to the library, covering topics 

such as proper nutrition, physical health 

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We understand that the health of 

our members directly affects the health of 

their businesses, ultimately affecting the 

overall industry, which is why we believe 

these resources are so important. 

The Health & Wellness Task Force has 

also begun hosting periodic virtual “Meet 

& Greets”, which are essentially a time for 

members to connect with detailing peers 

from across the globe and chat about 

whatever is on their mind – detailing-related 

or not. This initiative stemmed from 

virtual weekly group sessions during the 

COVID pandemic, which generally covered 

a specific topic (such as managing 

stress and anxiety or coping with loss) and 

were meant to bring members together 

at a time when gathering at the usual 

tradeshows was impossible. Members 

enjoyed the opportunity to connect with 

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one another without having to deal with 

the usual restrictions of travelling, taking 

off time from work, etc., so we decided to 

continue hosting the virtual events regularly, 

even after travel restrictions were 

lifted and tradeshows were once again 

added to members’ schedules. Keep an 

eye on the event calendar on the-ida.com 

for upcoming virtual events. 

Another recently established group 

that has been active in building up resources 

is the IDA Industry Standards 

Task Force, whose main goal is to gather 

global differences in detailing terminology 

and other differences within the detailing 

process as it is completed around the 

world, so that we may create a comprehensive 

guide to offer to members. Since 

the task force’s inception, the group has 

conducted multiple surveys seeking input 

from members across the globe about 

terms used to describe the same detailing 

issue or situation. The data collected from 

these surveys have resulted in the updating 

of existing glossaries and the creation 

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of new terminology glossaries on our 

website, which are available to members 

and the public alike. These updates help 

ensure that detailers around the world 

can confidently understand one another, 

especially when working together and 

travelling internationally. 

As previously mentioned, many IDA 

members are small business owners who 

are well-versed in the ins-and-outs of detailing 

but may not be as prepared when it 

comes to day-to-day business operations. 

To help members with the operations 

side of things, we have compiled a library 

of business resources and templates from 

fellow members to assist those who may 

not even know where to start with paperwork 

and documentation. Available 

templates include a sample business plan, 

employment agreement, inventory tracking 

spreadsheet, marketing plan, vehicle 

intake form, and much more. This resource 

library is available on our website 

for all active members. 

Increasing Consumer 

Awareness & Building 

Relationships with 

Industry Partners 

IDA members have long stated that 

increased consumer awareness is one 

thing that would make their membership 

even more meaningful. They want the 

public to understand what it means to not 

only be a professional detailer, but specifically 

what it means to be an IDA member 

and Certified Detailer. While many consumers 

are familiar with the ASE Certification 

for mechanics, not as many yet understand 

the value of IDA membership 

or certification. That is why, earlier this 

year, the IDA launched its consumer-focused 

website, DetailingNearby.com, and 

corresponding social media pages. The 

main purpose of this website is to help 

connect consumers with local detailing 

professionals in their area. A clean, simple 

website makes it easy for consumers to 

find the services they need while learning 

more about the detailing profession, how 

detailing is different from basic car washing, 

and what sets IDA Certified Detailers 

apart. Now that the site has been fully 

launched, the IDA Marketing & Communications 

Committee’s main focus is 

to develop engaging and educational content 

(blog posts, social media, videos, and 

advertisements) to drive traffic to the site 

and, ultimately, connect more consumers 

directly with IDA members. 

While consumer awareness is vital, 

it is also important for the IDA to 

build connections with industry-related 

partners, including dealerships and vocational 

schools. The IDA Membership 

Committee is working to build a customized 

package of benefits and offerings 

specifically for dealerships, as they have 

the potential to be a large sector within 

our organization. Likewise, with an increased 

focus on improving the industry 

for the next generation of detailers, the 

IDA Tradeshow & Education Committee 

has made it a focus to make inroads 

with vocational schools and technical 

programs to introduce the IDA Certification 

Program to detailing students 

while they are still in school. 

Improving the 

Industry for 

Future Generations 

of Detailers 

Speaking of the next generation of 

detailing professionals, two of the main 

projects for the IDA Founder’s Club are 

the Founder’s Endowment Fund and the 

Scholarship Program. The former was established 

a couple years ago to grant funds 

to programs and projects that align with 

the goal of the fund: to further detailing 

education and training for future detailers. 

Past recipients have included a college program 

wishing to build a new wash bay for 

900+ students, a community-based internship 

program for low-income participants 

to learn a new trade/skill, and individual 

trainers looking to purchase new tools and 

equipment for their international training 

sessions. Grant applications are accepted 

February 1st – October 31st each year (applicants 

must be current members of the 

IDA). Members can find more details and 

the application form on the IDA website. 

The IDA Founder’s Club also manages 

the Scholarship Program, which was created 

to provide career-minded individuals 

in professional detailing the opportunity to 

develop professionally, civically, and socially 

within the detailing industry. The two 

current scholarship programs honor Rick 

Goldstein and the Goldstein Family, and 

Denis Healy and the Healy Family. The 

Rick Goldstein Scholarship Program has 

two components: 1) scholarships offered 

to attend university and college training 

programs, and 2) scholarships for programs 

donated by private companies offering 

hands-on training. The Healy Family 

Scholarship Program (contingent upon 

passage of an approved Goldstein Scholarship 

education program) gives recipients 

the opportunity to take the IDA Certification 

Exam and IDA Skills Validated exams 

at no cost. Interested candidates can learn 

more and apply on our website (applications 

are accepted on a rolling basis and 

are evaluated quarterly). 

Benefits 

Beyond Detailing 

It is the IDA’s goal to support our 

members as more than just detailing 

professionals, but also as individuals. In 

addition to the previously mentioned 

health and wellness resources, which 

support our members’ wellbeing, we 

have also recently introduced a program 

to help support our members’ 

pocketbooks: BenefitHub! The BenefitHub 

portal is available exclusively to 

IDA members and provides valuable 

discounts and rewards in a variety of 

sectors: rental cars, hotels, and travel; 

insurance; technology, electronics, and 

software; office supplies; and more! Although 

this platform doesn’t necessarily 

offer detailing-specific deals, many of 

the discounts on the site are beneficial to 

business owners in general, which many 

of our members are. The platform also 

helps members save on products and 

services in their personal lives, in turn 

leaving more money for them to invest 

in their businesses. Currently, the BenefitHub 

portal has deals and discounts 

in 16 different countries, and members 

are able to access the portal in their language 

of choice. 

If any of these benefits have caught 

your attention, we encourage you to visit 

the-ida.com today – those who are not yet 

members can find out how to join, and 

current members can start taking advantage 

of these programs immediately. 

Keep in mind, these projects are all led by 

member volunteers serving on committees 

and task forces. If you are currently 

a member and want to participate on 

future initiatives like these, please contact 

us at info@the-ida.com or visit our website 

to find out how you can get involved: 

https://the-ida.com/Get_Involved. 


MEETING 

OF THE 

MINDS 

Where is the 

industry headed? 

Three detailing 

experts weigh in… 

PART 1 

By Debra Gorgos, Editor 

debrag@autodetailingnews.com 

At the end of 2022, I was awarded 

the opportunity to interview industry experts 

Renny Doyle, owner of Detailing 

Success and founder of The Detail Mafia; 

Justin Labato, owner of JL's Showroom 

Detailing, Inc., Director of Training 

for Autogeek.com and Lead Global 

Consultant for Buff and Shine Mfg; and 

Jason Rose, Global Director of Training 

for Rupes USA. These three men know 

what they’re talking about. From what 

they’ve noticed in person, to what they 

have heard from others, if you want insight 

into the industry, they are the ones 

to talk to. We talked for over an hour 

about current trends and what the future 

holds for professional detailers. The following 

is Part 1 of the transcript of that 

conversation. Part 2 will appear in the 

next issue of Auto Detailing News. 

Debra Gorgos: 

? 

Similar to carwash 

memberships, are detail 

shop memberships going 

to become more of a 

thing? And what about apps? 

Jason Rose: I would answer the question 

and say yes, absolutely. The rewards 

programs and the apps for carwashes, I 

think, are already migrating into the detail 

space and any detailer that's smart 

about it, I think, is going to have a program 

like that. That's my opinion. 

Renny Doyle: The biggest thing I 

think detailers struggle with this is not 

staying patient and not understanding the 

numbers. It's not about a cheap service, 

it's about a constant service for people 

who are willing to pay and I think coatings 

have led us right into an opportunity 

where some of the progressive shops are 

coming around … We've got, a very small 

percentage, but we've got more customers 

that are looking for quality over savings 

and I think it's the progressive shops 


are going to go more and more in that 

direction. I see it growing, but very slowly… 

because most people are not patient 

enough to make it work. They don’t understand 

that it’s not about being cheap, 

it’s about offering a premiere service. 

Justin Labato: I would agree in regard 

to membership being something 

that's on detail shops’ radars, but it's also 

dependent on the model of the detail 

shop. I could take mine and some of the 

other more boutique style shops where 

car washing can clog up the revenue of 

the shop because it's a small service compared 

to the continued larger services that 

are coming through the shop. But there 

are ways to figure that out and navigate 

through that by hiring additional staff to 

handle that type of service and membership 

programs. I think it's just a matter 

of the individual detail shop and what 

approach they want to take... I do see it 

progressing, yes, but it’s going to depend 

on the model. 

JR: Just to add to that, any of those highend 

detail shops that are focused on paint 

coating applications and things like that, 

like premium, protection packages, I 

strongly encourage them to have a membership 

program and a way of getting 

those customers back in at three months 

or six months or one year. Because if you 

just do a coating and collect the money 

and send them on their way, you do not 

have any repeat business for you and it 

doesn't keep you engaged with your customer. 

So, I think those who have apps 

and have the programs that support the 

idea of getting that customer back in is a 

very smart decision. 

JL: I agree. [As for] customer retention, I 

do the same thing. I have seasonal offers, 

seasonal maintenance, and annual maintenance 

services. And it’s a broad-spectrum 

that could be three months, that 

could be six months, and it's the service 

that accommodates the timeframe and it's 

all a matter of how they use it. And we 

do a discounted rate, so that way they're 

not locked in on a prepaid-program as a 

membership. We just say: Hey, once you 

become a customer, you get a discounted 

rate for you to continue to come back for 

these types of services. 

JR: So, Justin, you actually have seasons 

in Florida? 

(Laughter) 

RD: I think it's also the market. For instance, 

we offer a membership in Sun 

Valley, Idaho, which is a market with a lot 

of disposable cash, where our customers 

are wealthy and it has those offering services 

for the wealthy. Where, in Texas it 

just didn't fly as well. …and so we were 

in a good market, but the disposable cash 

wasn’t there. We had one person in Sun 

Valley who managed 25 accounts as a 

consigliere, and it was pretty much full 

time. And the benefits of that was they 

were prepaid, and their credit cards were 

hit the first of the month. They had a 

scheduled date, whether they were mobile, 

and the mobile price was premium 

versus them bringing it into the shop. 

They had access to that consigliere literally 

18 hours a day. It was & service, but 

it was also a premier market. And I think 

like Justin just said, knowing your market 

and then going to kind of a quarterly or 

seasonal services is brilliant. 

DG: I think, as a 

? 

customer myself, who is 

very busy too, the 

reminders I get for, say, a 

car wash, are a huge help 

to me. Reminders to wash off the 

road salt from my car, or to come 

in for love bug removal, or a happy 

birthday/free wash offer great, etc. 

JL: Yes, I would say five years or so, 

give or take, with a lot of these software 

companies coming into industry, that has 

helped a lot with those types of scenarios, 

with reminders. Automated reminders 

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from their software have been super helpful 

to all shops at all levels across the board 

for that reason. 

RD: There's where knowing your numbers 

comes in, because then you can get 

into being just a wash service. …[We tried 

it where customers] paid a-flat per month 

per car, but it was a high number even 

back then, and there's maybe five markets 

in the entire country that could withstand 

such charges. Then understanding that 

you have to be connected, so we didn't sell 

the membership, our customers did. We 

made it very sought-after… 

DG: Are there any 

? 

upcoming trends for 

vehicles you think will 

impact the detailing 

industry? I looked at car 

trends for 2023 and there were 

lots of things going on and 

proposed. 

RD: Jason's got a really good answer. I was 

just talking to the Griot’s guys when they 

were here. You'd be a person on this because 

you're now on the front-line of what's 

happening with the paints and so forth. 

JR: I wrote three things that are trending 

that are going to definitely impact detailers. 

The first one, which I've been tracking 

for about six years now, is the paint 

thickness. So, paint thickness coming out 

of the car factories as a trend is getting 

thinner and thinner every new model 

year and I don't know when they're going 

to stop. But it is definitely getting thinner 

and thinner. For example, a few weeks 

ago we had a class at my academy and 

a rental car, it was a brand-new Toyota 

Tacoma truck and it had 3.2 Mils on 

it. Which 3 Mils, for those people that 

know, is like a line in the sand. Where 

you're going to say, “I'm not going to 

do anything aggressive on this paint.” 

So this was a brand-new car. It had 50 

something miles on it. So, it was scary. So 

that's one trend that I think every detailer 

and I personally have been on a soapbox 

just every chance I get trying to tell 

people, because all of our products and 

procedures are getting more aggressive. 

So, the polishing systems are all getting 

stronger and stronger, compounds are 

getting stronger, pads are getting better 

and faster, tools are getting stronger. 

If you combine those two trends, 

our systems are getting more effective 

and efficient and faster 

and deeper and better. And 

then the paint's getting thinner 

and thinner. We as a detailing 

community, if every 

time we touch a car, if we thin 

out the paint that much further, 

it's a setup for people to burn 

through paint and I predict that 

the incidents of detailers burning 

through paint or damaging paint while 

they're trying to repair paint is going to 

increase. So, for me that's trend number 

one. 

The other trend that's happening is the 

car factories are beginning to experiment 

and explore with ceramic-infused clearcoat. 

So, the aftermarket and the detailers 

that are, you know, having a heyday, riding 

this wave with paint coatings, it's happening 

that the car factories are going to 

kick out cars with that kind of protection 

built into the clearcoat. I still think there'll 

be a market for aftermarket detailing and 

putting on extra protection on top of that. 

But it is going to make ‘muddy waters’ in 

terms of what the consumer and the car 

owner believes, because they're going to 

think, “Well, I already have this protection 

from the factory. Why do I need your extra 

protection?” So that's one other thing. 

And then the third thing I wrote is 

robots, because at Automechanika in Europe, 

and even at SEMA, I’m seeing more 

and more companies that are developing 

technology that are robotic, automated, 

sanding and polishing systems. If you kind 

of look into the future and you take that 

and extrapolate it further into the crystal 

ball, I do see in our future that there are 

going to be detailing stations that you'll 

be able to drive-in and have robots polish 

your car. I think it's coming… 

Justin Labato 

RD: What we're seeing in the trainings, 

for instance, is [my wife Diane] just went 

and bought a new Mazda and she had 

three exact make/models with option 

packages exactly the same… same color 

and she went through and took our paint 

gauge to the dealership. Two of the vehicles 

had under 3 Mils average, brand 

new. [The one she bought] was the only 

one that had a little over in that 3.1 to 

3.2 range. So, you know, both Jason and 

I have had conversations about this and 

so you're going to see this ...I think I think 

people are starting to wake up, but there’s 

still an audience that is selling perfection 

at all costs and I think that's you know, 

it's costly. You know they think we're 

old-fashioned, but what they don't understand 

is that it's not old-fashioned, we're 

putting science behind the words. So, for 

instance, we've got Michal Hill. Michael 

Hill is a physicist, and he’s part of our 

group. He does a lot of testing. Mercedes 

Benz is coming out with their new AMG 

model, and he says the clearcoat is again 

infused with ceramics. They're going to 

start marketing that very thin, but very 

hard. Well, that's a deadly combination 

because people are going to get aggressive 

with it to get things out, but they're not 

going to realize they can go through very 

easily. I echo that with Jason. 

Number 2, is, I think, the trend and 

we're going all over the country this next 

year, and it's called Coatings, Coffees and 

Profits. And one of the things that we're 

really trying to propel to shops is basically 

machine-less services. More and more, 

especially as the economy is now starting 

to really struggle, we're really pushing seasonal 

coatings instead of just going out 

and doing these ridiculous claim coatings 

and services that don't need a tool, touch 

to paint is for two reasons: A. lot of people 

don't know the difference. B. You're 

seeing these really thin paint systems and 

then, lastly, it's very attractive to the consumer 

because your price point can be 

far more attractive. Yet you get the 

protection and added benefit of 

shine and perfection. You’re going 

to see the more progressive 

shops and again not necessarily 

the addicted-to-shine shops, 

I’m talking about people who 

are really looking at the market, 

what they can sell and what people 

will buy. The entrepreneurs 

are going to see there's great value in 

selling services that don't even include 

touching paint with a machine, and it 

could be exactly what Justin said. Again, 

your quarterly or your, your seasonal 

updates, I love that, and you know that's 

what we're pushing in in these new events, 

get the paint perfect, go ahead, do all the 

paint correction and once that's done with 

the base coating that you put on, now it's 

all about cleansing that coating and then 

putting another layer on seasonally to 

protect that coating. So, I think that's a 

trend that you're going to start, hopefully 

seeing, because I think it's badly needed. 

The other thing that I think is really 

cool is the trend is there's a lot more 

entrepreneurial-based businesses coming 

into play, meaning that there are people 

coming in the new generation of shops. 

They're not addicted to the shine, like 

the current or past generations. They are 

looking at this as a business opportunity 

and honestly, it's propelling our industry 

at a level that is amazing, and so finally 

we're starting to draw those, and that's 

when you draw in those types of people 

what it's doing too is its taking and changing 

the current and smart people in the 

industry, the ones who are really watching 

carefully. It's taking some of those ‘oldway 

thinkers’ and turning them into entrepreneurial 

thinkers, and it's really cool. 

JL: Back in regard to the thin paint subject, 

I have a term that I use called “repair 

value” and once you start to have 

little meat on the bone, there's less “repair 

value.” You can't revisit that area, that 

designated area for any type of repair. 

You know it's going back to the, “I got 

a scratch on my hood. Can you get that 

out?” Well, yes, we can get it out and we 


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Jason Rose 

can pound it on our chests and be happy 

and impress the customer. But if we 

need to revisit that area at a later 

date, that designated area, there's 

no more repair value. We can't 

do anything. We've now forced 

the hand of the customer to the 

body shop. So, I feel that that is 

where that “repair value” term 

comes into place ... We lose that 

with the thin paint systems. But 

to that approach, with what Renny 

was speaking on, with doing the 

coatings without correction, I mean 

there's this subject floating around now 

for a couple of years where the term correction, 

yes, and whether you're one step 

or multiple steps to fix the paint, I've always 

truly believed in my learnings and 

teachings from everybody on here and 

other leaders in the industry that just even 

using a cleaner polish as your last step of 

decontamination to the paint, to get that 

surgical clean approach is still a necessary 

step. We wouldn't technically not be using 

a machine on the paint, but we wouldn't 

be using a machine on the paint to correct. 

It would just be to clean the paint to get 

that final step of peace-of-mind by abrasion 

that everything is off that because 

there are some pretty good polymers and 

things in the market still that chemists 

have come up with that are durable to all 

the chemicals and all the stripping agents 

and all of these things. They just laugh at 

it, but they can't get away from abrasion 

by removing it that way. So that's where 

I feel we have to have that and it won't 

compromise the thin, clearcoats that are 

hitting the market. But it will allow us to 

move forward in regard to still being able 

to offer a good application with integrity 

without skipping a beat and possibly 

having a failure or premature failure, and 

it's all based on how that's educated, how 

that's taught. That way people can get out 

of the mindset of correction versus cleaning, 

because when I show that to people, 

they’re like it just doesn't fit for them. I 

think that's a way of movement, kind of 

pivoting off into the business side of it, 

that has grown so much in our industry 

that we're certain to see an uptick in, and 

I think if we align that properly, we'll be 

able to kind of still ride the wave of coatings, 

but in a new approach, by still being 

able to capitalize even with these thin 

paint systems, but educating our customers 

to let them know why we're not taking 

that approach. I think that's all based on 

communication… So, these are definitely 

trends that are happening, but it's just a 

matter of navigating through on how to 

properly continue that education aspect, 

to make sure people understand as the 

in-user or the customer. 

RD: This brings up a really cool topic: 

We're testing a coating right now. We 

just tested it on a vehicle that, I would 

say, has much, much worse damage than 

‘lot rash.’ (That's a term that we use for 

a new car that's gone through, you know, 

a 30-year-old car wash at the dealership.) 

It was only these new coatings that are 

coming out, the new generation of coatings, 

with only about a 20% difference 

on the side that was corrected versus the 

side that had no correction. So, the trend 

is these coatings are hiding more and 

more, and so that's going to be a reality, 

too. As to where coatings are doing the 

job and you know there's always going 

to be room for craftsmen, there's always 

going to be people who want their cars 

to have the maximum potential of shine, 

but there are the average driving population 

where they won't know the difference 

between a car that's been corrected 

and a car that's just been coated with 

these new generation coding. 

JR: And that's so true. And in the recent 

past there was this stigma about, covering 

up defects, durable fillers and all 

that… they're professional detailers that 

would just get crucified for being aligned 

with products that would cover up defects. 

But based on everything we've 

been talking about today, there's 

more and more reason today to 

deliberately use products that 

cover defects rather than remove 

them. There's lots of reasons to 

do it now and to Renny’s point, the 

average consumer of detail services 

cannot see the difference between 

‘show car perfect’ and, you know, 70% 

defect removal anyway. So, the standard 

of ‘show car perfect’…I personally really 

question how relevant that is any more. 

JL: It's clean, shiny and protected. Nothing's 

changed other than the egos in the 

industry that have put that on the front 

street to make consumers think differently. 

You know, back in the day, the wash, 

clay and wax or just the wash and wax, 

the customers were taken aback by the 

finish, a secondary layer blew them away 

right! (And we did no correction). They 

had shiny scratches, but they loved it. But 

because, paint correction from, you know, 

2012 on up, as it started to grow and that 

term became more popular and consumers 

became more aware of it, it changed 

what consumers’ expectations were. We 

did it to ourselves. We are our own worst 

enemy with those terms. 

RD: And you know what's great about 

this coating we just tested is that you can 

still correct it. Exactly what Justin just 

said: We're always going to be relative and 

here we've got one of the leading companies 

in tool marketing worldwide, Rupes. 

Rupes changed the game and they continue 

to change the game even with their 

products. You’re going to be able to take 

and coat a car with those products and it's 

never going to go away. But, yet I can take 

and do a light, light cleanup polish that's 

taking zero off. Make it look beautiful 

without a lot of effort, still using the tools 

in my craft and it's still there. So that's 

what's gorgeous about the combination 

of what's happening is that there's these 

‘new age ‘coatings that are already here. 

But as coating companies start to learn 

how to market them and start pushing 

out the old coatings and bringing in this 

new technology, it is not going to take the 


craftsmanship out of the craft, it's just going 

to be a new mindset. 

JR: That leads back to customary 

retention and memberships, that so 

complements that category. 

DG: Are you 

? 

allowed to reveal 

any part of the 

formula of these 

new coatings that 

you've mentioned? 

RD: I wish I could, I could take and find 

out, because you know when we tested it, 

we had a scientist here with us and I understood 

about 4 percent of what he said. 

You know I know the ingredients, and this 

is what's cool, there's a lot more content. 

So, before it was a chemical carrier, now 

it's going over to solid carriers. And what 

that means is when you go from a chemical 

carrier to a solid carrier, is that A. that 

solid carrier isn't as dangerous, so it's safer 

Renny Doyle 

for the installer. B. You get a lot more of 

the goodies, the protective values that stay 

behind, because you're not just wiping 

away a bunch of carriers, the solids are 

attaching to the vehicle and then also the 

way it attaches. So, these new coatings are 

not only better for the consumer, and safer 

for the installer, it's a lot easier to put on 

and we're getting away from these nonsense 

statements because we're finding 

out now that coatings are just like 

anything. They don't last forever. 

They're susceptible to chemicals, 

they're susceptible to abrasion 

and they do need maintenance. 

German militaries used coatings 

on the tanks, so sticky bombs 

wouldn't stick to the tanks back 

in the 1940s. They were putting 

coatings on tanks way back then. 

The Golden Gate Bridge has got a 

coating on it, the Brooklyn Bridge has 

got a coating on it, so coatings aren't new. 

It's just that they finally were able to take 

and make them to where they are able to 

look beautiful. 

? 

DG: 

You said, 

“German tanks,” 

is that right? 

RD: Yes, what was happening 

was the allied forces were putting these 

sticky bombs on the German tanks. They 

could blow the tanks up. Well, this made 

the tank surface, where stuff just didn't stick 

to it easily. You actually had hit the tank 

instead of just blowing it up. You know 

all these different coating technologies -- 

we've watched it evolve and it's just getting 

better and better, but a lot of people fear it, 

but I think it's awesome. You've got a major 

manufacturer. You've got a representative 

for one of the leading pad companies in 

the world, all telling us, hey, this is a good 

direction. It's not a bad direction as long as 

you've got the right eyes on it. 

Look for Part 2 of this interview 

in the next issue of Auto Detailing 

News. 

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