Car is wet after Valet

v638sg7k1a92bx · 04-09-2013 8:34am #1

Car seats are still wet after valet, they're not soaked but still was damp to sit on. Problem is next day when I went out to the car they're's a smell inside. I've left the windows open to try and air it out but they're still a pong.

Anyone ever have this issue before?

Cee-Jay-Cee · 04-09-2013 8:43am

Did the valetter not tell you that they'd still be damp and to leave windows open for as long as possible?

Many Mickey Mouse valet places don't have proper drying rooms and don't generally remove the seats so they're not dried properly but they will generally tell you to leave the windows open where possible to let the seats dry properly.

If the car is starting to smell bring it back to them and get them to do it again and properly and then park the car in a garage and leave all windows/doors open, if that's possible.

biko · 04-09-2013 8:45am

Car seats are always damp after a valet if they use a wet vacuum to get the dirt out. This leaves an amount of water still in the seats.

IK09 · 04-09-2013 9:42am

biko wrote: »

Car seats are always damp after a valet if they use a wet vacuum to get the dirt out. This leaves an amount of water still in the seats.

Ya they should be a little damp, but not wet. Most valet places just leave the heater in your car running.

A friend of mine went to a place in Galway....he said when they were finished, he found a bottle of coke under the seat, the seats were nowhere near dry, and they had used a 1/4 tank of diesel trying to dry the interior!!!

Shortly after i started valeting friends and family's cars for them. He paid €150 for it and was left minus a 1/4 tank, with a job where the seats werent taken out.

v638sg7k1a92bx · 04-09-2013 10:02am

IK09 wrote: »

Ya they should be a little damp, but not wet. Most valet places just leave the heater in your car running.

A friend of mine went to a place in Galway....he said when they were finished, he found a bottle of coke under the seat, the seats were nowhere near dry, and they had used a 1/4 tank of diesel trying to dry the interior!!!

Shortly after i started valeting friends and family's cars for them. He paid €150 for it and was left minus a 1/4 tank, with a job where the seats werent taken out.

Is it the norm to actually take the cars out to do a valet?

randy hickey · 04-09-2013 11:38am

I've never had to take seats out to clean them.
Even fairly soiled upholstery, when cleaned using a spray extraction machine, would never be so saturated that they wouldn't be dry by the next day, especially at this time of year.

OP, did they not even give you a plastic seat cover when handing the car back to you?

v638sg7k1a92bx · 04-09-2013 2:05pm

randy hickey wrote: »

I've never had to take seats out to clean them.
Even fairly soiled upholstery, when cleaned using a spray extraction machine, would never be so saturated that they wouldn't be dry by the next day, especially at this time of year.

OP, did they not even give you a plastic seat cover when handing the car back to you?

Yes, I got a plastic seat cover.

Never heard of taking seats out to do a valet and tbh I don't think I'd want them taking the seats out.

PLUG71 · 04-09-2013 2:14pm

Rohan Prehistoric Starvation wrote: »

Is it the norm to actually take the cars out to do a valet?

You do not have to take out seat to detail a vehicle properly:D

IK09 · 04-09-2013 2:15pm

PLUG71 wrote: »

You do not have to take out seat to detail a vehicle properly:D

yes you do...its called "detailing", not "ah sure you don't need to take the seats out...ing"

IK09 · 04-09-2013 2:21pm

randy hickey wrote: »

I've never had to take seats out to clean them.
Even fairly soiled upholstery, when cleaned using a spray extraction machine, would never be so saturated that they wouldn't be dry by the next day, especially at this time of year.

OP, did they not even give you a plastic seat cover when handing the car back to you?

You would be shocked at what you will find it even the cleaners car when taking the seats out.

I wash and hoover my car each weekend. I put up picks in a few of the before and afters of taking the seats out and doing a proper detailing

v638sg7k1a92bx · 04-09-2013 2:24pm

IK09 wrote: »

You would be shocked at what you will find it even the cleaners car when taking the seats out.

I wash and hoover my car each weekend. I put up picks in a few of the before and afters of taking the seats out and doing a proper detailing

Can you put one of the pics up here?

I dunno if I'd trust a valet to take the seats out of my car especially with all the electrics. What if they make a balls of it, where do you stand?

IK09 · 04-09-2013 2:31pm

Heres a before and after of my own car. There results are TBH "disturbing" for someone who regularly cleans their car, but the difference in the carpets is clear to be seen.

IK09 · 04-09-2013 2:34pm

Rohan Prehistoric Starvation wrote: »

Can you put one of the pics up here?

I dunno if I'd trust a valet to take the seats out of my car especially with all the electrics. What if they make a balls of it, where do you stand?

As you can see in the pics, all the electronics is actually just 2 wires(generally). You are right to be concerned. There are some fiddly bits, but patience is essential. My mate is a mechanic so i learned a lot from him re: clips and the like.

MetzgerMeister · 04-09-2013 3:21pm

My last car:

http://imageshack.com/a/img221/2319/photouckgpq.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img841/4215/photo3pyw.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img821/802/photo1vk.jpg

OP - In my opinion, the valetors saturated your interior and then weren't able to suck out a lot of the water. This is a common problem which is why it's important to make sure they know what they are doing before giving them your car.

When I do a customer's seats and carpet, I do that first and I apply as little liquid as possible but still enough to do the job properly. Otherwise, just like applying too much wax, it's a waste. Then I follow that by doing the exterior. By the time the whole car is done, the interior is 80% dry already.

PLUG71 · 04-09-2013 3:27pm

IK09 wrote: »

yes you do...its called "detailing", not "ah sure you don't need to take the seats out...ing"

I know exactly what detailing is,I have been detailing to a high standard for 12 years with not one complaint.
If you have the write tools and a good system of working you do not have to take seats out of a car!
The removal of seats can cause lots of issues with SRS etc so I have never found the need.
If you take your time you will not miss a thing.
For you to imply not removing the seats is not Detailing is laughable to say the least.

antodeco · 04-09-2013 3:29pm

May I ask you MetzgerMeister, can you PM me/direct me to how much you charge and your location please?

Thanks

MetzgerMeister · 04-09-2013 3:43pm

antodeco wrote: »

May I ask you MetzgerMeister, can you PM me/direct me to how much you charge and your location please?

Thanks

PM sent

IK09 · 04-09-2013 3:44pm

PLUG71 wrote: »

For you to imply not removing the seats is not Detailing is laughable to say the least.

That is pretty much exactly what i am implying.

I would class Detailing as a higher class valet tbh, a valet job may take you a few hrs, a detailing job might take you a few days. No comparison. I do a lot of valet jobs, not too many detailing jobs as they are expensive and people dont really want to put the money in.

PLUG71 · 04-09-2013 3:59pm

IK09 wrote: »

That is pretty much exactly what i am implying.

I would class Detailing as a higher class valet tbh, a valet job may take you a few hrs, a detailing job might take you a few days. No comparison. I do a lot of valet jobs, not too many detailing jobs as they are expensive and people dont really want to put the money in.

Obviously I totally agree that detailing is a higher class of valeting, but I do not agree that you need to remove the seats.
Opinions vary I suppose and its down to different systems of working.:)

Curran · 04-09-2013 4:22pm

PLUG71 wrote: »

Opinions vary I suppose and its down to what the customer is willing to pay for!!

Fixed that for you!!
The majority of poeple are happy with a quick spruce up with the seats in place, and will not pay for the labour involved in remove and replacing seats!

biko · 04-09-2013 5:51pm

Tbh, I'd prefer if a valet didn't take my seats out. Too many electrics and crap that could go wrong (I've built-in airbags in the seats).

Scortho · 04-09-2013 5:57pm

biko wrote: »

Tbh, I'd prefer if a valet didn't take my seats out. Too many electrics and crap that could go wrong (I've built-in airbags in the seats).

I know.
However if I'm paying for a detailer to detail my car, I'd be expecting him to take out the seats.
Valet is cleaning the car.
Detailing is getting the car back to factory condition if not better.

I find it hard that someone can detail the interior without taking out the seats.
Just because the dirt can't be seen, doesn't mean it's not there.

MetzgerMeister · 04-09-2013 6:14pm

biko wrote: »

Tbh, I'd prefer if a valet didn't take my seats out. Too many electrics and crap that could go wrong (I've built-in airbags in the seats).

A valet (silent t) is someone who parks your car, a valetor cleans your car :P

Supergurrier · 04-09-2013 6:41pm

/me gets dave to valet my car and sleeps in his 335 overnight

Arrr

MetzgerMeister · 04-09-2013 8:28pm

Supergurrier wrote: »

/me gets dave to valet my car and sleeps in his 335 overnight

Arrr

Arrrrr I don't let rugby player types into my car :pac:

Curran · 04-09-2013 9:12pm

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Arrrrr I don't let rugby player types into my car :pac:

But you do let guys sleep in your car...just not rugby types???? :pac:

Supergurrier · 04-09-2013 9:40pm

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Arrrrr I don't let rugby player types into my car :pac:

Sure i will only eat afew chicken fillet rolls and bags of crisps in it :pac:

MetzgerMeister · 04-09-2013 10:46pm

Curran wrote: »

But you do let guys sleep in your car...just not rugby types???? :pac:

At least my car would be detailed :P

v638sg7k1a92bx · 05-09-2013 9:22am

Whats the difference in price between a valet and a detailing?

MetzgerMeister · 05-09-2013 9:41am

Rohan Prehistoric Starvation wrote: »

Whats the difference in price between a valet and a detailing?

Quite a bit. A full valet will cost you €150 max. A full detail (including paint correction) could cost you c. €800 - €1500.

IK09 · 05-09-2013 9:55am

You have to consider the amount of time and care (and product!) that goes into a full detail. A Valet could take you approx 3-4hrs. A full detail (including interior valet) could take about 2 days.

The last full detail i did took a full 2 days, 9-6pm (2 people) and the paint was in good nick before it came to me. it needed correction from swirl marks but the weren't too deep.

When cleaning a car to a high standard, you cannot afford to miss a spot, because it will stick out like a sore thumb. It only takes 1 bad review!

Ninap · 05-09-2013 6:56pm

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

A valet (silent t) is someone who parks your car, a valetor cleans your car :P

A valet (non-silent 't') is a gentleman's gentleman.

Concours competitions (excuse the tautology) usually require seats to be removed.

Car is wet after Valet

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