The British weather, even more so it seems with global warming, is as unpredictable as ever. I have 3 weather app’s on my phone and they all generally have a different idea of how the day is going to unfold…. but the weather comes regardless and it can have an impact upon the services I can provide.
Being a mobile detailer, I come to you and don’t have a nice warm and dry unit to prepare cars in. Whilst a unit would be a very welcome option to my services it’s no good to you if you have to deliver and collect it again later. The convenience of having your car done at home cannot be underestimated.
The weather is an important factor when considering whether your job goes ahead or is better to be cancelled. I will always do my best to get your car done on the date/time you have booked but sometimes a cancellation is the best way forward. I’ve never yet had to cancel a job because it was too windy (I just know this is going to happen now!) but rain, snow and temperature are the big ones.
Temperature
There are two ends to this. Too hot and too cold. If the weather is too hot then the wash process becomes tricky. Not normally impossible but extra care and time is needed to ensure the chemicals and products used on the car do not dry out on the car before I have chance to rinse them off. If they do dry then there is potential for chemical staining on the paint which neither you or I want. If the car has been successfully washed but a polish and wax has been requested then this may not go ahead. As the metal panels of the car are exposed to direct sun they heat up. Polishes and waxes are made up of a number of ingredients and have maximum temperatures to which they can be applied. If the panels are too hot the products will ‘flash’ off much too quickly not allowing the polish to clean as it should or the wax/coating to bond to the surface properly.
If the weather is too cold then the first issue is frozen taps. Generally, if the weather is 2 degrees or below (preferably 4 degrees) then a cancellation is probably a good idea. Why? It’s above freezing. All should be ok right? Not necessarily so. The air temperature may be slightly warmer than the car itself and ground. Water will flow if above zero but if you rinse a car down a thin layer of water may still freeze on the car. Snow foam can freeze on the car and then it really is ‘snow’ foam. In such cases the efficacy of the product is diminished and pushing frozen water, ice and suds around your paintwork is only likely to cause damage. The second danger factor is that the water that hitting the ground may freeze. This creates a slip hazard and a bad fall could move me from cancelling a day’s jobs to cancelling them for a month!
Precipitation
Snow, hail and rain. Snow is pretty much a none-starter as the temperature is probably too low too (see above). Hail is, more often than not, a short lived thing and can be managed. Rain however can stop work completely. Why would that be? I’m getting the car wet anyway right? In theory this is true and I have some fantastic wet weather gear and can rinse off and wash the outside of a car in the pouring rain without an issue. That said there are some things to consider. Drying the car properly is part of the safe wash process to ensure the car is as clean as it can be. Rain can mask some of the dirt so the car may not be fully clean and only reveal itself when the car has dried naturally and I’m long gone. Not good for your or my reputation. The bigger problem when raining is the interior. It cannot be done without the doors being open. Whilst they are open the rain gets inside the car and also soaks all the door cards. I’m soaking wet and if I get in the car in wet gear then the interior gets wet too. I could take it off but then as I go from car to van I get my dry gear wet and the problem persists. Depending upon where you live and where the weather has come from there is also the chance of acid rain. This could potentially cause damage to and mark/stain a leather interior if not dried away quickly. Whilst drying one section another is getting wet… and so on.
Some mobile valeters and detailers carry a large gazebo for such occasions. I don’t. Firstly, I don’t have room in my van. Secondly they take time to put up and take down which adds to my time ‘on site’ and increases your bill. Third, and most importantly to me, is the risks they present when they catch the wind and blow away. You can buy huge weights to hold them down or plastic containers that can be filled with water on site. However, in my experience, no matter what you do with a gazebo it will always blow away. The last thing I or you want is the metal foot of a gazebo to drag itself across the bonnet of your beautiful car as we wave goodbye to it as it blows down the street!
Summary
I don’t like to cancel jobs but sometimes it is safer to do so both for the car and for me. The weather can be really annoying. It can be set to rain all afternoon and the job is cancelled only for the sun to come out 90 mins later but it’s now too late to come and get the job done. Cancelling a job is always a judgement call based on the evidence we have at that time and risk to the car and to me. Cancelling a couple of days jobs is one thing but, as above, a bad fall on ice could have me cancelling jobs for a month or more so discretion is definitely the greater part of valour.
I always cancel on a day by day basis when the weather is looking questionable. If it’s too hot or too cold then I will generally call/text message the day before to advise you. Sometimes, the cancellation on the day has to come because the rain is so bad.
Can I get your car indoors? Yes. If you have a big barn, workshop or double garage I can get the car in and work around it then yes… the whole job can get done unless it’s below zero. I also have access to premises where I can always get a car indoors. Please call me and we can discuss but this comes with the added chore of having to deliver the car to me and then come and collect it later. Something you may not want or have the time to do.
I do not charge cancellation fees for such matters. The weather is a law unto itself and cannot be controlled or predicted by you or I. At this time, I also do not charge for customer cancellations for any other reason, even on the day of the job itself. Things and life happen. If you need to cancel. Just call/message me. If I think your job is going to have to be cancelled because of the weather I’ll be in touch.