DIY Car Wash Places

[Zee09]

I started going to another town and the DIY car wash was more convenient for me and $3.

It's been very cold and I wasn't really thinking about what was going on until one day I had an epiphany that the vehicles weren't getting very clean. VW white paint being the worst to wash...

I was in the area of the old town I used to go to and stopped into the car wash and it's the same $3. Bitter cold as usual but I noticed what the difference was. This place has a 2000 gallon Propane tank within easy view and the water is hot.

I forgot about that. The other car wash is saving a bunch of money but your car doesn't get clean.

When you are in a hurry you sometimes forget or miss the details. A nothing burger but hot water is a big deal.

 

[Lubener]

I use these self serve car washes all the time. In the winter, I pack a sponge and get the film off the paint. It costs two washes but it's worth it. During the summer, I can get by with one rinse job. Most of these businesses have a web site and I would suggest you drop them a line and ask about the hot water. They always responded to my questions.

 

[Zee09]

Yeah I started getting five dollar bills
As you get a better job. One place has a bent sprayer that makes getting under the car easier because of the massive salt on the roads this year.

 

[billt460]

Yeah I started getting five dollar bills
As you get a better job. One place has a bent sprayer that makes getting under the car easier because of the massive salt on the roads this year.

That is another thing to be cautious of this time of year. Many of these self serve car washes use filtered, recycled water. If you live in an area that uses road salt, wet your finger and give it a taste, before turning it loose on your vehicle.

Back when I was living in Illinois, in over half of those places, you were washing your car with reclaimed salt water. I've never been to a car wash since we moved to Az. Perhaps they've improved since then.

 

[CharBaby]

I use the DIY car wash places in my area in the winter time only. It is $3 in quarters for 5min's.
If you keep putting in quarters before the timer runs out, you can keep getting an extra 15 sec's.
This is nice especially if you just need those extra seconds to finish. I may throw in an extra buck if I'm just spraying down the salt off of the vehicle. Or I may even use the soapy horse hair brush quickly to give a better wash then finish spraying off the soap.

 

[Kira]

the soapy horse hair brush

Do you think it's really horse hair?

 

[KCJeep]

You are absolutely right. There’s a gorgeous well located self wash near here. It’s never very busy. I used it a few times and had the same realization, the water is stone cold and very hard to get the car clean. Figured out why seemingly nobody goes there.

The place changed hands not long before I discovered this and I’m pretty sure I had been there before and the water was properly warmed. Definitely false economy by the new ownership. The place should have waiting lines.

 

[Patman]

All of the do it yourself car washes in my area have been using hot water in the winter months as long as I have been using them. I use these washes sometimes just to melt off excess ice buildup on my Civic, before I use the automatic car wash (I have a monthly pass at a local one). If you go through an automatic wash with a lot of ice on your car you can damage the car wash. In fact the car wash that I use has had to close temporarily for repairs about ten times this year because too many people have been going through it with ice on their cars and it gets into the conveyor system and damages it.

 

[walterjay]

As far as I know all of the car wash places around here are cold. Didn't realize there may be options elsewhere.

 

[shortyb]

My DIY wash place is always cold water in the winter. Just been lazy and haven't plumbed in the hot water side to it yet .

 

[MasterSolenoid]

My local DIY car wash must be using cold water.
That's why in the winter; several hoses are missing (must have frozen).
Only problem going to any car wash (during winter) is when you get home, your car is dirty again.

I have recently (in my driveway),
Washed my car at home during a warm-up using a 5-gallon bucket.
also
Washed off a lot of salt using a (hand-pump) lawn-sprayer and finished off using waterless-wash-n-wax.

At least when I pull into the garage, the car is clean.

 

[Zee09]

My local DIY car wash must be using cold water.
That's why in the winter; several hoses are missing (must have frozen).
Only problem going to any car wash (during winter) is when you get home, your car is dirty again.

I have recently (in my driveway),
Washed my car at home during a warm-up using a 5-gallon bucket.
also
Washed off a lot of salt using a (hand-pump) lawn-sprayer and finished off using waterless-wash-n-wax.

At least when I pull into the garage, the car is clean.

Yup, the salt was so bad here it's like driving on a dirt road and getting home the car gets dusted all over again.

 

[Zee09]

The good place has this monthly deal. One car wash a day...thoughts..
I don't need it but what do you think of the pricing. It's in a great area and well maintained.

 

[levi]

A nothing burger but hot water is a big deal.

Excellent, little grasshopper. Tomorrow we will discuss the importance of proper detergents in the car wash process.

 

[Zee09]

Excellent, little grasshopper. Tomorrow we will discuss the importance of proper detergents in the car wash process.

Tomorrow you will be blocked...

 

[RhondaHonda]

The touchless don’t do a very good job and use pretty harsh chemicals to do the cleaning which can wreak havoc on the plastics and trim.

I have a monthly membership to a touch, conveyor wash for $19.99. I go through it at least weekly, sometimes more often.

 

[Zee09]

The touchless don’t do a very good job and use pretty harsh chemicals to do the cleaning which can wreak havoc on the plastics and trim.

I have a monthly membership to a touch, conveyor wash for $19.99. I go through it at least weekly, sometimes more often.

I agree I tried it once as I mostly wash the vehicles myself. It was a waste of nearly $20...
The rear bumper never gets cleaned.

 

[shortyb]

The good place has this monthly deal. One car wash a day...thoughts..
I don't need it but what do you think of the pricing. It's in a great area and well maintained.
View attachment 265825

Not too bad, especially if just for winter-time use. May want to ask what kind of chemicals they use and how their water is recycled etc. Most touchless places have to incorporate aggressive ones due to lack of mechanical agitation and will dump barely filtered water back into the system. Also have to keep in mind that dry road salt is not as damaging as wet road salt, especially if it is forced into tiny crevices by water under high pressure. I have used this for over twenty years with very good results. Works on calcium chloride and magnesium chloride road salt formulas too.

 

[Snagglefoot]

If it was in Calgary, the result is simple. Washing your car is illegal as the suds goes into the water drain and then into the Bow River.

For me out at Cranbrook I use a modern car wash that has 6 stalls and a computer controlled gate that allows a vehicle to enter only when another car leaves. It's uses a credit card and usually $3.50 or $4.00 USD equivalent.

 

[Jetronic]

Got my car first week of july and haven't washed it yet. I think I remember it was white. I did remove bird poo from it a few times but now it just gets covered in brown muck anyway. I hope the weathr gets a bit better soon, I'll give it a rinse then.