Christian & Kyle: Teens Detail Their Lives

Christian Rinaldi and Kyle Dulak pay attention to detail.

The Staples High School seniors have all the usual responsibilities: academics, sports, social lives.

But they also run CK Car Detailings. Since the summer they’ve washed, polished the exteriors, and scrubbed the interiors, of over 70 vehicles.

Virtually all of their customers have been delighted. (One was not — even after they returned a second time. But that was her issue. She didn’t even have access to water for them.)

Christian Rinaldi (left) and Kyle Dulak, on the job.

Car detailing is more than a job for the longtime friends. It is their passion.

“It’s almost therapeutic for me,” says Kyle.

“I wake up Saturday morning ready to detail,” Christian adds. “It doesn’t feel like work. I’m happy. And I’m doing it with my best friend.”

(Being a teenager, Kyle once slept through his alarm. Christian drove over and walked into his room to wake him.)

The business was Christian’s idea. His father has a Mustang, and Christian has always been a car guy. “They’re inanimate objects, but they bring me a lot of happiness,” he says.

He bought a Golf, and went to work: modified exhaust, down pipe, window tints, bucket seats. He paid for it all himself.

The money comes from his and Kyle’s hard work. Their interior detailing includes taking out the mats, vacuuming, removing stains, steam cleaning, shampooing carpets and seats, then wiping the steering wheel, dash and windows.

A very clean interior … 

They use a foam cannon and pressure washer — not a hose — on the exterior (including of course the wheels and rims).

Christian and Kyle bought all their equipment themselves. This is very much their business. They have figured it out, all along the way.

They watch “countless” YouTube videos on detailing, and have gone to the library.

… along with one shiny exterior …

In the beginning, they practiced on family cars. They still use those vehicles to test new materials.

The boys guarantee 100% satisfaction. “If you want a touch-up, or we missed a spot, we’ll come back to you,” Christian says.

They’ve learned a lot. For example: Minivans are the toughest vehicles to clean, because they’re used every day to haul kids.

They learned the importance of pleasing their customers, too. Happily, Christian says, “people respect our hustle. We get a lot of tips.”

They do hustle. They work 3 days a week after school — and after Christian’s soccer and Kyle’s basketball practice. They’ve done up to 8 cars on a weekend.

One night this summer, they worked until 11.

… and another.

“I’m a big car guy,” Christian — who is Staples’ varsity goalkeeper, and hopes to open his own garage one day — says. “I want to learn all about them.”

Kyle — a basketball player who also draws and plays guitar — notes, “Making a dirty car spotless, you feel good about yourself.”

“To a lot of people, their car is their second home,” Christian says. “It’s where they spend a lot of time. Our customers give us permission to get inside that home. It’s a big responsibility.”

Tires and rims are looking good.

It’s easy to bash the work ethic of today’s teenagers, or to say “kids don’t know what it’s like to have a real job.”

It’s also easy to excuse them for not working; hey, they’ve got too much on their plate already.

Christian Rinaldi and Kyle Dulak prove otherwise.

Just ask them for details.

(Christian and Kyle charge $65 for a sedan or coupe, $85 for an SUV or minivan, and $100 for a truck or commercial van. They also offer add-ons, like headlight and black trim restoration, ceramic coating with 2-year protection, engine bay renewal, odor removal, and shampooing seats and carpets.

(You can email them at ckcardetailings@gmail.com, call 203-725-4695, and follow them on Instagram: @c_kdetailing.)

Engine bay renewal is one of my great options.

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