RKA

In the last few years I've been detailing my cars less and less. I'd like to believe I'm just getting lazy, but in the last few weeks I've finally come to admit the problem is age.

A few weeks ago I'm washing the car. My hands start to hurt after I'm done washing the wheels, and by the time I'm done drying the car, they really hurt. By the time I get to wringing out the drying towel its downright painful. Whatever it is, it's not normal.

Last weekend I'm in the kitchen cleaning the sink and countertops. Granted, the sink needed a little extra scrubbing to get the bottom shiny, but same thing...after about 30 minutes of cleaning, my hand progressively become more painful!

Spot detailing or a panel-at-a-time is fine, but a top down cut-n-polish, glaze 'n wax is out of the question from now on. Even cleaning and conditioning the leather seats has to be split up among a few days.

Any of you 30+ guys out there starting to find that age is catching up to you?

phred

who cares about a clean sink? No one will see you driving around in a clean sink and give you a thumbs up! You can't walk up to a clean sink in a parking lot and think, "Damn that sink looks good, and I did it!"

Bendquattro

hoping it's not a rotator cuff problem. I changed my detail routine to one that's less than ideal, but still allows good results. Wringing out drying towels has been replaced with a California Water Blade. I apply FMJ with a PC and black pad rather than by hand.
I would talk to your Doctor if it takes a few days to clean and condition seats. Arthritis?

HIS4

After a full detail my back and shoulders will be pretty stiff. I can only get through 1 9-inning baseball game or 2 7-inning softball games now before I really start to feel it in the legs.

I'll be 30 next year!

RKA

Same issue really. The problem is clenching something in my hand for extended periods. Applicator pad, working a wash mitt into the wheels, buffing towel to remove polish, cleaning/conditioning rag for leather seats, whatever. The drying towel is usually an issue because my hand already hurts by the time I get to that point.

Doctors are worthless. I damaged my left wrist and had all kinds of MRI's. In the end, they said something was inflamed and it will be fine. It's not fine. Something got torn/stressed, and now I can't support substatial weight with that wrist unless my hand and wrist are perfectly aligned. Any bend in the wrist, and I'll quickly drop whatever is in my hand before I tear anything inside that joint. I've just decided to live with it and just be careful. If something hurts...stop!

schnellmb

my detail regimen has considerably slipped. after my heart started to act up, I've cut down my details.

i've failed to get my winter coat of SG on the avant--I figure the coat I put on in June is still good (rarely driven).

i'm pretty much down to a clay and Klasse AIO on the daily driver, and I've cut down on washes. trying to keep a daily driver parked outside clean is too much of a PITA.

besides I've found that you don't get squat in trade ins for a well maintained and detailed car.

Grouse:3.Slow

I just finished a car that had sat underneath a few birch trees for the last 200 years. The pebbles, yes the pebbles on the paint had grown mold and mildew around them. All of the cracks and crevices were horrible. They liked the car. For the life of me I could not see a reason to do a full top down detail on a 92 Buick lesaber that is a twice repaint, but apparently they did.


Now onto your point about pain from holding things for extended periods of time. What is your normal work routine like. Not your detail, but what you do with your hands. I had a similar issue a few years back. I could not grip anything (with force) under 2" in diameter or it became very painful. My daily work was gripping a 1.5-2 inch wand all day long. So my muscles had become accustom to doing that. anything out of the ordinary was painful.

Months of talking to doctors with no success i ended up doing some work for a physical therapist. While chatting, he asked i do exercises with my hands to keep them from getting muscle memory and repetitive use/stress. I said no, He replied they must get very sore.

5 min of showing me different exercises with a ball, and other grip exercises and i began to understand how and why they were hurting.

A month or so later after being fairly diligent with the exercises i was able to alleviate most of the pain.

nynyvtecjstkickdinyo

but generally I find it harder to muster the energy as well for full details.

I am the type that gets bored easily and when the "challenge" wanes, so does my intensity.

I found it easier to muster the energy when trying out new stuff or techniques. After a while, it feels like manual labor.. just going through the motions and thats mentally draining which leads to the physical lack of will.

This is why I often buy and try out new stuff, it keeps the magic alive. Kinda like being married but occasionaly whacking off to another woman.... or if you prefer, making your current girlfriend of wife role play in a French Maid outfit... ok, I think I strayed a bit, but you get the idea.

mofos

LOL, that's is exactly it.......you hit the nail on the head.

RKA

I sit at a keyboard most of the day. And even when I get home, I'm often posting or playing with the computer, working, etc. It's only on weekends that I tend to step away and give myself a break.

Gripping something hard isn't a problem...for instance I can lift weights at the gym fine. But I'm not constantly gripping barbells or whatnot. I take breaks in between that really make a difference. When I'm detailing the interior for example, I'm clutching the applicator pad for 10-15 minutes straight, and that just sucks.

You might be right about the physical therapy helping out. I think my friend's wife is a physical therapist now that I think about it? Hmmm...I'll have to hit her up for some advice next time I see her. Thanks!