Cars. Trucks. Motorhomes. Motorcycles. Boats. Horse trailers.
Dan Johnson has seen them all. And he’s cleaned them all — he and his wife, Joanne, operate Dan’s Grime to Shine Auto Detailing, north of Creston on Highway 3A.
After many years of auto detailing at car dealerships, the couple moved from Calgary in 2007, wanting to run a business in what they described as a “family-minded” community. They started the business in 2008 — in a heated shop allowing year-round detailing — and soon developed a clientele ranging far beyond the Kootenays, with regulars coming from as far away as Alberta.
“They see the jobs I’ve done when people they know have had cars done here,” said Dan, a native of Fredericton, N.B.
The key to proper detailing is time. Although Dan enjoyed working for dealerships, the turnaround was too quick — a good job can take all day.
“I like to take my time,” he said. “It’s not just a lick and a promise.”
He’s put his years of experience to good use, with owners of vintage automobiles trusting him to take good care of their babies.
“They put a lot of love into them,” he said.
The process starts with a thorough vacuuming of the interior — the shampooer can’t have things like dog hair in it, so particularly furry vehicles can take two or three hours to properly vacuum.
After the vacuuming, Dan will clean out the air vents, and use a detail brush to clean crevices before shampooing the seats. The seats are then covered while he tackles the doors, windows and dash.
“Every surface in the vehicle is done,” said Joanne.
Once the interior is clean — though not yet finished — Dan will use a clay bar on the exterior to remove tar and other road grime, then dry and wax the vehicle. Waxing, he said, should be done twice a year.
“That will protect the paint from the sun,” he said.
If the paint is dull or oxidized, Dan will cut polish the exterior, essentially removing the oxidized paint to expose a fresh new surface.
“A lot of times, it just brings new life back to the vehicle,” said Joanne.
Once the interior is dry, it’s given a final vacuum and a good dose of leather protection, which keeps seats from drying out and cracking.
It isn’t always that straightforward, though. On particularly dirty vehicles, the ozone generator is a must, removing smells from sour milk to skunk.
And then there are the RCMP vehicles, which have a removable rear seat, making it easier to clean off… whatever’s gotten on them.
“I take it out and spray it down,” Dan said.
Those really dirty jobs are among the most satisfying. Customers will drop off their vehicles and wish Dan good luck — only to return to find their car looking as good as new.
“They say, ‘Maybe we won’t sell it now,’ ” he said with a laugh. “They just can’t get over it…
“I want the best results for the customer. What they’re paying for is a quality job.”
For more information, visit www.dansgrime2shine.com.
