Anybody never use a car wash?

Never on my personal car but I always used them for the company car. I know they have improved over the years but I worked one summer in 1970 in a BP car wash and we had boxes full of stuff we dug out of the drain and off the floor. Trim strips, side mirrors, windshield wiper arms, antennas, hub caps, 1 roof rack and 1 door handle. This was before touchless but not before the big NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE signs.

Oh and that filtered recycled water they use, lets just say the filter is more a rock catcher than a micron filter.
 
I know they have improved over the years but I worked one summer in 1970 in a BP car wash and we had boxes full of stuff we dug out of the drain and off the floor. Trim strips, side mirrors, windshield wiper arms, antennas, hub caps, 1 roof rack and 1 door handle. This was before touchless but not before the big NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE signs.
And that was back in the days when they used those spinning brushes with stiff plastic bristles..... Those things probably cleaned really well but did a number on the paint! I had some old beaters I was using for work and I'd go in there with the car all covered with mud, and it would come out clean but undoubtedly covered with swirls. Not recommended for a nice new car!
 
l use them. Get gas now at Buc-ee's and run through their carwash. Too darn hot here for me to hand wash.
 
And that was back in the days when they used those spinning brushes with stiff plastic bristles..... Those things probably cleaned really well but did a number on the paint! I had some old beaters I was using for work and I'd go in there with the car all covered with mud, and it would come out clean but undoubtedly covered with swirls. Not recommended for a nice new car!
Yep and before Clear Coat too.
 
I also only hand wash my cars.
Haven't used an automated/wand wash in over 12 years.
Even if I wanted to use a wand wash, the closest is a 45 min-1 hour drive in heavy traffic from where I live due to sky high property values (not worth it).
 
Most of my cars never have.

A few got a DIY spray type wash when on a long trip and really dirty.

One or two have gotten the totally touch free wash in the deep of winter when caked with salt.
 
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My wife's 2002 T-Bird is now more than 20 years old and has never been through a car wash. Still looks brand new. This photo was taken last week:

2002 T-Bird.jpg
 
I typically dont. My Accord is a color that doesnt really show dirt and it gets parked inside most of the time. It usually only gets a wash when Im driving in the rain.
 
Interesting question...

Compare the damage to your paint if you don't often use car washes, and don't often wash your own at home - as the OP describes "It’s usually dirty" when someone just casually walks by your car and brushes up against it. The dry silicates, etc. that are ground into the finish...............

Now further...what if that car is in the rust belt, and you can actually get a good portion of that salt off your ride once a week or so?
I'll present a counter point. I abide by the principle that the less I touch my paint, the less micro marring it gets. I maybe wash my car about 6 times a year. I live in semi-country area and have a gravel drive. My car often has a very light dirt/dust film on it. Except for mid summer, we get lots of rain here to wash off and/or accumulate a film. I have no problems with people brushing against my car, so that's a non issue for me.

I also seldom wash my car in the winter (it's Krowned). Salt doesn't corrode anything painted or oil coated. A wash will never last more than a few days because we have such frequent precipitation - washing becomes more of a "feel good" thing IMO. I hypothesize that high pressure water maybe forces salty brine deeper into tight seams. Again, I don't have issues with people brushing against my cars to cause abrasion. A damp, warmer garage accelerates winter rust. Outdoors in the cold is actually better.

My cars still look great at 10 years and beyond. I only detail them twice annually (spring/fall). I have never needed polish to correct my paint (except accident repair). Of course they are not show car quality, but swirls are not visible in sun or bright lights unless you start "inspecting" it vs. normal viewing.

This has worked for me over 30 years. OH, the question - I only occasionally use one of those DIY spray booth washes (take my own buckets).
 
Touchless only is the rule. The $2 spray it yourself bay is what happens most of the time. I dont care enough to do the proper multi bucket hand wash and dry more than a few times a year.
 
I'll present a counter point. I abide by the principle that the less I touch my paint, the less micro marring it gets. I maybe wash my car about 6 times a year. I live in semi-country area and have a gravel drive. My car often has a very light dirt/dust film on it. Except for mid summer, we get lots of rain here to wash off and/or accumulate a film. I have no problems with people brushing against my car, so that's a non issue for me.

I also seldom wash my car in the winter (it's Krowned). Salt doesn't corrode anything painted or oil coated. A wash will never last more than a few days because we have such frequent precipitation - washing becomes more of a "feel good" thing IMO. I hypothesize that high pressure water maybe forces salty brine deeper into tight seams. Again, I don't have issues with people brushing against my cars to cause abrasion. A damp, warmer garage accelerates winter rust. Outdoors in the cold is actually better.

My cars still look great at 10 years and beyond. I only detail them twice annually (spring/fall). I have never needed polish to correct my paint (except accident repair). Of course they are not show car quality, but swirls are not visible in sun or bright lights unless you start "inspecting" it vs. normal viewing.

This has worked for me over 30 years. OH, the question - I only occasionally use one of those DIY spray booth washes (take my own buckets).

Then why do you drive a car with shiny paint? If the goal is just longevity, coat it with bed liner.
 
I have a monthly deal at a local place called Autowash. Best touchless wash I ever used, even gets the back of SUV's clean! You have a choice of 1 per day automatic wash (and with 4 choices I always get the top ultra premium wash), self service wash(16 minutes plus bonus time if you need it), or dog wash. Then vacuums, new car spray stuff with any wash. It's about a mile from my house so I go with one car or another almost every night since it is open 24/7. You cant get near there on weekends since everyone does the premium wash and the cycle time is (I'm guessing) 7-8 minutes. Cost? $40/month, it was $35 for a long time, just went up. They give you a free detail once a year too but I never have used it since it's at a remote location from me.

 
tunnel car wash - no
self-service car wash - yes
touchless car wash - yes, with the exception of Miss Moneypenny. Going mostly topless she is a bit watershy.
 
I take ours to the wash every now and then. Not like I'm going to win any awards for it looking outstanding and to me the ceramic coating really helps keeping it look good.
 
I do use the wand wash places over the winter here to get the salt off here and there, but otherwise the cars get hand washed by me.
 
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