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where car cleaning is Magic Bob Moody prefers cleaning the old Fashioned way - by hand By Pat Russell NEWS CORRESPONDENT Middlesex News March 9, 1998 HOPKINTON - Bob Moody can
still picture the shine on the chrome hubcaps of his mother's black Dodge Dart after
swabbing it with a soapy sponge, hosing it down with water and wiping it dry. Two months ago, a client brought in a leased pick-up truck that he wanted cleaned because he was returning the truck to the leasing company. "It was really dirty" said Moody, who had to spend a little extra time shampooing the carpets and cleaning the vinyl. When the guy came back and opened the truck door, the first words out of his mouth were "how'd you do that?'" Before opening the Hopkinton business, Moody used to haul loam, gravel and bark mulch. On week-ends and spare evenings he cleaned friends' cars as a hobby, one he earned money for. He got so many jobs, he had to decide whether or not to open a full-time business. One of the people whose cars he took care of offered him an opportunity he couldn't pass up. He was given the chance to rent a garage bay in a building that once housed Continental Fire Trucks, a business that built fire engines nearly two decades. The garage bay can accommodate a number of different-sized vehicles. It measures 60 by 24 feet and the garage door opens 14-feet high. His friends were his first 'customers, but his client base continues to grow through word of mouth. Men and women of all ages use his service. Most clients are repeat customers who have their cars or other vehicles cleaned on a regular basis, usually once or twice a year. He also sells cleaning products to clients who want to clean their vehicles in between major cleanings. He generally works from 7or8 in the morning until 6 p.m. "Some times I’m there later; I. stay until the job is done,," he 'said, adding that he spends as many as six to eight hours cleaning some vehicles. The average cost to clean a small, compact car 'is $110. Bigger cars cost $130 and 10 wheelers can cost $200 or more. He has an exclusive agreement to clean a limousine business's vehicles. He also maintains trucks for a new truck dealership in Stoughton. His busiest seasons, are spring and fall; the business is steady in winter and summer. Getting grime, salt and sand off cars and trucks after winter months involves a little more elbow grease and scrubbing. Moody hand washes the vehicles."I still use a wash mitt, soap and a bucket and a garden hose. There's no fancy machinery," he said. He also waxes, does paint cleaning, maintenance, buffing, compounding, polishing and offers pickup and delivery service for those who request it "as a convenience." His cleaning products are biodegradable and environmentally safe. While he may rely on a friend for additional help, the business is mostly a "one-man show."
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