A growing number of young Americans are ditching traditional jobs for buckets, pressure washers and polishing cloths – turning car detailing into businesses that can earn thousands of dollars a month.

The trade requires no degree or formal qualifications and can be started with just a few hundred dollars’ worth of equipment.

Videos of filthy cars transformed into showroom condition have also become a social media sensation, helping entrepreneurs attract customers and build massive online followings.

Erick Ortiz, 27, told the Wall Street Journal he quit his $15-an-hour job at an Amazon warehouse in 2021 because he ‘didn’t like working for someone else.’

After briefly working as a food-delivery driver, Ortiz and his girlfriend started washing cars with buckets, soap and a hose, charging $20 a vehicle.

Today, they charge about $150 for a basic detail, employ six people, operate from a storefront and run three mobile detailing vans, with two more on the way.

Ortiz said his detailing business earns about $18,500 a month in profit, but his biggest payday comes from social media.

After building an audience of 946,000 followers, he began selling detailing classes and coaching. About 600 students have signed up over the past two years, generating another $50,000 a month.

Combined, the two businesses bring in nearly $70,000 a month.

Benjamin Scheets, 22, also turned detailing into a full-time career after dropping out of Kent State University when his side hustle took off.

Working from his parents’ garage in Ohio, Scheets earns about $5,000 a month in profit. He charges $180 to detail a sedan and up to $2,000 for premium ceramic coating packages. Booked two months in advance, he is now looking to hire an assistant.

‘There’s a real feeling of satisfaction doing this work,’ Scheets said.

In Colorado, Avery Bustin, 24, launched a mobile detailing business in 2023 and was soon working 32-hour stretches to keep up with demand.

Within a year, he had opened a shop, Premium Auto Solutions, hired employees and stepped away from the day-to-day cleaning.

Kevin Lieu, 33, followed a similar path after slow insurance sales during the pandemic pushed him to look for another source of income. 

He spent $500 on supplies, taught himself detailing through YouTube videos and eventually left insurance to clean cars full time.

Five years later, Lieu employs four people, operates from a storefront called Slide In Mobile Detailing and earns about $8,000 a month.

‘I figured we can absolutely bootstrap this with no corporate background, just hard work and the American dream,’ Lieu said.

Industry experts say the trade’s low barrier to entry is driving its popularity. Basic detailing can be launched with just a few hundred dollars’ worth of supplies, according to Meghan Poirier, president of the International Detailing Association.

Nicholas Vacco, who runs a three-day detailing course in Pittsburgh, said inquiries have risen more than 50 percent in the past four years.

Interest is growing beyond the shop floor. A December Intuit QuickBooks survey found 43 percent of Gen Z workers were considering starting a business this year, more than any other generation.

The trend has also taken off on TikTok, where #cardetailing has appeared in 1.8 million posts.

Jessica Tran, 31, has built a detailing business outside Los Angeles alongside a TikTok following of 1.6 million. She now employs about six people but said demand can fluctuate with the seasons and consumer spending.

‘It’s like being the first man on the moon,’ Tran said of cleaning every hidden corner of a vehicle. ‘I’m the first one there.’