Car Wash Tunnel vs. Hand Washing

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Any car wash that I've ever seen damages the paint, and since we keep our cars, I prefer to either let them remain dirty, or to wash them myself in the cold.


So true. I'd rather keep my car dirty until I can properly wash it do avoid damage caused by any automatic car wash. I once saw a car come out scratched from the hood to trunk because the overhead brush picked up a fishing hook from the pickup bed in the truck in front and proceded to run that fishing hook all over the car behind it. Than you have the damaged wheels, harsh soaps and "wax" that films the glass and I say NO THANKS!.

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
I live no more than thirty miles north of you.
I wash my own cars year 'round.
A pair of boots, a pair of waterproof lined gloves, a dry hose (so it isn't frozen solid when you start), and you're good to go.
Any car wash that I've ever seen damages the paint, and since we keep our cars, I prefer to either let them remain dirty, or to wash them myself in the cold.


I "keep" my cars, as well, so I'll drive the 30 miles north on I-75 this winter and watch you wash my cars. Then I'll take you to BostonBistro and we can "drink" about it!

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Any car wash that I've ever seen damages the paint, and since we keep our cars, I prefer to either let them remain dirty, or to wash them myself in the cold.


So true. I'd rather keep my car dirty until I can properly wash it do avoid damage caused by any automatic car wash. I once saw a car come out scratched from the hood to trunk because the overhead brush picked up a fishing hook from the pickup bed in the truck in front and proceded to run that fishing hook all over the car behind it. Than you have the damaged wheels, harsh soaps and "wax" that films the glass and I say NO THANKS!.


And if I lived in the great state of Texas, I'd be seen more often during the "winter" months washing my cars in my driveway.

But since I seem to lack fcdg's determination to avoid the automatic car washes at all cost, I'll take a chance and risk the fish hook.

Happy angling!

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: dkryan
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Any car wash that I've ever seen damages the paint, and since we keep our cars, I prefer to either let them remain dirty, or to wash them myself in the cold.


So true. I'd rather keep my car dirty until I can properly wash it do avoid damage caused by any automatic car wash. I once saw a car come out scratched from the hood to trunk because the overhead brush picked up a fishing hook from the pickup bed in the truck in front and proceded to run that fishing hook all over the car behind it. Than you have the damaged wheels, harsh soaps and "wax" that films the glass and I say NO THANKS!.


And if I lived in the great state of Texas, I'd be seen more often during the "winter" months washing my cars in my driveway.

But since I seem to lack fcdg's determination to avoid the automatic car washes at all cost, I'll take a chance and risk the fish hook.

Happy angling!



I hear ya...BUT -- I've only lived in Texas for 6 years. Before that I lived in Maryland and yes I washed my cars there by hand too all year round. Rubber gloves, warm wash bucket and keep the hose in the house and a washing I went.

 

[PandaBear]

To me I'd never use a machine wash because of the following reasons:

1) You cannot spend more time on a dirty spot that your own hand wash can. So, what's the point of washing the clean part and leave the dirty part there?

2) You cannot modulate the pressure so that it is just high enough to wash off the dirt/gum/tar, but not enough to cause paint damage.

3) You miss the opportunity to double check for any rock chip that you can touch up later.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
To me I'd never use a machine wash because of the following reasons:

1) You cannot spend more time on a dirty spot that your own hand wash can. So, what's the point of washing the clean part and leave the dirty part there?

2) You cannot modulate the pressure so that it is just high enough to wash off the dirt/gum/tar, but not enough to cause paint damage.

3) You miss the opportunity to double check for any rock chip that you can touch up later.



Good points, indeed. Also - when you add the time driving to the automatic car wash and waiting in line - you could have done it at home and did a better job!

 

[saberz]

The G6 only gets hand washes from me given my experience with a place where they left my door open and it hit a bucket(thankfully no dent or scratch). That and they left wax streak marks(hand waxing). Now I do it myself, wash it once or twice with Meguire's Deep Crystal Wash, then do 2 coats of Deep Crystal Cleaner Wax and it comes out looking amazing(its a 3 in 1 so I can cut down the hours on my detailing lol).

Meguire's is all I use.

 

[John_Corey]

Hi Stu,

I live in San Jose and we do have touchless car washes here. I wash my car once a week by hand, but I need to have my car reasonably clean every day, and that is why I go 4 or 5 times to a touchless car wash every week. I am often on business in Modesto, Sacramento, and San Francisco, and there are touchless car washes also. I suggest you use Google to find touchless car washes in your area!

Cheers,
-J

Originally Posted By: Stu_Rock
I actually used to work for a guy who started a car wash business of this type in Roseville, so I know they do exist out here. Maybe I should restate--I've never seen one in the Bay Area, though there is probably one somewhere.

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted By: Anies

Meguire's is all I use.

If that is true, you'd think you could spell it right.

 

[Blumurder]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
Originally Posted By: Anies

Meguire's is all I use.

If that is true, you'd think you could spell it right.
Spelling Nazi
No wax for you

 

[doitmyself]

In my area we have diy car wash bays that have a pressure gun you pay to use. I find them to be a good alternative in the winter months.

Despite their "rules" (I'm a rebel), I go there with a half filled 5 gal. bucket of sudsy hot water. I rinse first, then hand wash, then rinse again. The thought of getting "caught" makes one work fast. It saves dragging out/putting away the hoses through the snow and it leaves all the mess there. Usually ten minutes and I am done.

For us thrill seekers, there nothing like doing this naughty, break the rules kind of stuff. I do it when they are not busy.

Sadly, Michigan winters result in seldom having 3 days in a row of dry roads, so washing is kind of pointless.

 

[Aquaticentipede]

I used to go to one with the same rules. One time the manager caught me, came over and told me that it was not allowed when they were busy. He then suggested that I could spray the car off, pull it out of the bay, handwash it, then just pull it in again to rinse it off. This was a real good idea as it doesn't make you feel hurried or self-conscious about making people wait while they're watching you.

The best thing to do is never go there during the weekends. Weekday mornings are usually the best times to go.

The one I go to now doesn't discriminate against us bucket washers (lol), it's cheaper, and not as busy.

 

[JHZR2]

wash it by hand or expect paint damage at some level. To the non-discriminating car owner, scratches, swirls and watnot may not matter...

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
wash it by hand or expect paint damage at some level. To the non-discriminating car owner, scratches, swirls and watnot may not matter...


I agree, but I have to fight that OCD in myself at every opportunity I get. No matter how nice the paint is on a vehicle, if one drives it, it's going to get dinged, scratched, and so forth. Even if it never left my garage, I'd be sure to slam something into it eventually.

Maybe that's why I can't bring myself to buy a new car anymore. The first door ding would drive me insane. With my last new vehicle, I would park in the middle of nowhere at the mall. I bought a vehicle so I could walk a mile in a parking lot?

That's what I do like about my old Audi. The paint is fairly new. It's a good paint job, but not perfect. There are enough flaws that I'm not too worried to drive it. There are few enough flaws that I don't neglect the paint, either. I tend to wash it each week, roughly, and wax it monthly.