Car Valet

Also known as:

Valet

Introduction

Car valets clean, polish and carry out routine checks for damage on the inside and outside of cars or other vehicles. Job vacancies are often with car rental and car sales firms.

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Work Activities

Car valets make cars and other vehicles as clean as possible, inside and out. They use cloths for hand cleaning and polishing, and some electric equipment. They use:
• steam cleaners to clean the engine, wheel arches and chassis
• vacuum cleaners and shampooers to clean inside the car
• powered water sprays for cleaning the outside of the car.

Car valets polish and wax by hand the paintwork, chrome and plastic or leather trims. It takes a few hours to do a full clean on a car.

Car valet firms offer customers full or part valet services. For each vehicle, the car valet has instructions on the service asked for and carries out a standard range of cleaning tasks. Sometimes the valet collects the car from the customer and returns it at the end of day.

Some firms offer a mobile valet service, taking a specially equipped van out to the customers' premises. So travel throughout the local area may be necessary.

A car valet who works for a car sales or car rental firm might have to assess the condition of a car before working on it. They decide how much cleaning is needed to bring it up to the company's standard.

As well as cars, valets also work on commercial vehicles such as delivery vans, and on caravans.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

You need stamina and fitness for car valeting. It is a very active job. It means being on your feet a lot of the time, bending and reaching into awkward places. It also involves using different types of equipment which can be heavy or awkward to move around. A lot of effort is needed in hand polishing and waxing.

As a car valet, you must pay attention to detail and follow instructions carefully. You will often have to work outdoors, whatever the weather.

This might not be the job for you if you have a skin allergy as strong chemicals are often used for cleaning.

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Pay and Opportunities

Pay rates for car valets vary depending on whether they are employed or self-employed.

The pay rates given below are approximate.

Car valets earn in the range of £200 - £230 a week, rising to £250 - £300 a week. Higher earners can make around £350 a week.

Car valets work a basic 40-hour week. However, early starts, late finishes and weekend work may be required.

Employers throughout the UK include specialist car valet firms, servicing business and individual clients, and car rental firms and motor dealers.

Some car valets are self-employed and build their own regular client base.

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Adult Opportunities

It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Some entrants have relevant skills and abilities gained in domestic or industrial cleaning, or other practical work.

• 9% of people in occupations such as car valets are self-employed.
• 67% work part-time.
• 5% have flexible hours.
• 4% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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