[Rob K]

Sorry for some redundancy here. I've aquired a lot of knowledge and product help so far from everyone here. I've been hand washing using 2 bucket method and also some products people recommended. Car looks fantastic and I really get a cool sense of accomplishment and pride with doing everything myself.

That being said I went today to cancel my monthly membership at a car was place I used on my old car. I spoke to one of there and through email we had a bit of dialogue. I'm curious what people here would say. Particularly SRT_HC_707 since you've helped me so much already.

So he said something about their place being a brushless car wash wash. I asked if it was touchless and his response is below.

Just curious....life gets busy and weather gets cold. For now I have no plans or thoughts of a car wash but could this be an alternative during frigid months or when I can't find an hour to do it myself? Or will this still cause as much damage and swirls like any other car wash?


His email:

No, we are not a touchless car wash. Touchless facilities use harsh chemicals that are rarely used in this part of the country because the chemicals require constant monitoring; the dilution pH needs to be carefully monitored and changed as the weather changes.
Years ago, car washes used hard nylon brushes. We completely renovated our facility a few years ago and installed state-of-the-art equipment that uses advanced soft foam material, which is sanctioned by the vast majority of car manufacturers. If you consult your owner's manual, it will likely endorse washing your car at facilities like ours.
Keep in mind, something needs to do the cleaning, and it's much safer to use the advanced soft foam and gentle, environmentally-safe soaps and waxes that we use. If you'd like more information, feel free to speak with our site manager, Rich Falcione, who has decades of experience in the car wash industry and can provide more details.
We have owned and operated this facility for 35 years and are always updating and improving to provide the safest and most advanced cleaning available, as well as the best possible customer service. If you have any other questions, feel free to reply or stop by!
Clean Machine Car Wash
471 Pennsylvania Avenue
Fort Washington, PA 19034
215 628 9555
cleanmachine-carwash.com

 

[B5 Blue]

I know the Audi R8's preferred method is touchless. That being said it doesn't clean a car that well but no scatches

 

[DGatzby]

Don't do it. I run my everyday SUV through one of those, yep brand new I imagine he has the same thing. Looks like hell with the swirls, just was looking at it this afternoon, it was terrible after looking at my Cat all weekend.

 

[mowe]

Never use a non touch less car wash... The brushes can scratch the car. If you have to use an auto wash then find a hand one or a touchless...

 

[Carnage]

i have seen a Shell Gas station brand new recently built in the last year that uses a touch car wash and the brushes are like a super soft durable rubber foam that hits your car.

 

[Puffy]

I found a place near me that is not touchless but does an awesome job. No swirls or scratches. This is the only place I would go to wash my HC, outside of myself. It's a soft cloth wash that uses foam.

 

[Odin]

Stick with the 2 bucket method. I hand wash down to 36 degrees much more and the water freezes before I can rinse it. Automated car washes touchless and otherwise will instill scratches, swirls, cob webbing, holograms, etc. The soft foam material may be ok but I am sure they do not clean them after every car. What happens is the dirt gets trapped in the foam and that is what causes scratches. You are better off to drive a dirty car then go through one of them.

 

[Rob K]

Stick with the 2 bucket method. I hand wash down to 36 degrees much more and the water freezes before I can rinse it. Automated car washes touchless and otherwise will instill scratches, swirls, cob webbing, holograms, etc. The soft foam material may be ok but I am sure they do not clean them after every car. What happens is the dirt gets trapped in the foam and that is what causes scratches. You are better off to drive a dirty car then go through one of them.

I think you're right. I'm planning on getting a different car for winter anyway. And there are some self wash places I can use and freeze my arse off a few times throughout the winter if needed.

 

[april77]

Ya'll need to move down here to the South. Of course, we have all of this craptastic yellow pine pollen to deal with, but at least you are not dealing with frostbite while washing the car ... just sunburn and slapping one of the 50 billion bugs! LOL!

April

 

[DGatzby]

April, don't remind us we have short memories and it is just getting nice. Now the bugs begin big time for us. We really have to be careful to not scratch the front parts because you can hardly drive a short time on a suburb freeway before bugging out front bumpers. That is when we are tempted to get out something bad to keep the vehicles spotless.

Remember folks get the bugs off quick (same day if you can) some of the big juicy ones will mess up things.

 

[april77]

April, don't remind us we have short memories and it is just getting nice. Now the bugs begin big time for us. We really have to be careful to not scratch the front parts because you can hardly drive a short time on a suburb freeway before bugging out front bumpers. That is when we are tempted to get out something bad to keep the vehicles spotless.

Remember folks get the bugs off quick (same day if you can) some of the big juicy ones will mess up things.

We "bug out" badly here, too, only it is year round. The worst, by far, is Love Bug season ... O M G! During their mating season they hook up, and hover all over the place .. .you can actually see a dark cloud hovering across the road, and then hear the nasty beggars splatting as you drive through them. They coat the windshield, and will eat the paint off of the front of the car very quickly (I carry 2-3 gallons of wiper fluid in the trunk for refills during love bug season, because it is a major safety hazard due to the film they leave on the windshield, and you are using the wipers so much you will empty the sprayers FAST)! I HATE those things! My husband, Marty, laughs at me because I am outside gagging non-stop while washing the front end of the car, literally scraping the love bugs off ... it is SO GROSS! I cannot perform that particular task too soon after I have eaten, that is certain! Do ya'll have love bugs up there, or are they a curse that is exclusive to the southeast?

April

 

[DGatzby]

No. None of them thank God. But I can't even begin to list the large types and also very small nasty little things we have flying around up here. I am also a biker that rides without a head protector, so I have been hit with a remarkable mix of really sweet tasty things! I swear some of them about knock you out. What always is amazing MN is the frozen over artic all winter. But right about now it transforms itself into something you almost can't believe is possible along with the nasty critters that live in the jungle. There are just a few weeks early spring and late fall when we get a break. Well effective about last week party is over.

 

[SRT_HC_707]

Rob K There are so many opinions on how to wash your car. My personal opinion is that my cars NEVER go through any sort of automated car wash.

I don't care how good the foam 'brushes' are. When some guy drives his beater through ahead of you that hasn't been washed in a year how can you be sure there is no leftover sand or grit that will end up marring your car. Just my .02. There are many folks that do this all the time and will say I'm nuts.

You are doing the two bucket method now. That's a great method and like you said it gives you a great sense of accomplishment.

In the winter I still wash my car... I do it in my garage. I don't have a drain but I do have some pitch. I wash the car, dry it and then move it out... I use a large squeegee to push the water outside.

The other thing I do in the winter (actually I do this all the time, usually twice a week and then I do a two bucket wash on the weekend -- I only wash so much because I really enjoy driving a clean car) is a rinseless wash.

Rinseless washes are excellent in the winter. I usually blast the lower belt line and wheels with a hose (pressure washer if you have it host is fine if you don't)... Then I presoak the car with Rinseless wash out of a quart spray bottle. Finally I wash each panel with rinseless wash solution.

The product I prefer is called Optimum No Rinse (called ONR). Comes with or without wax in the formula. Both are excellent.

I used a variation of the Gary Dean method... I was doing this for years but Gary Dean actually coined the phrase and made it well known.... (google it for info)...

Here is one of my winter wash methods

• Hose off (pressure or plain hose) the big stuff on the lower portion of the car, wheels and wheel wells.
• I clean the wheels with Sonnax Full Effect wheel cleaner and a bucket of soap and then rinse
• Spray entire car with a strong mix of Rinseless wash (6 ounce of product in a quart bottle of water). Pay extra attention to lower beltline, rockers and back of car where the dirt builds up
• I mix up 3 or 4 gallons of ONR per the recommended dilution ration. I fill the bucket with clean microfiber towels. I put a couple dozen towels in the bucket but I will only use about 8 to 12 to wash the car depending on how dirty the car is.
• Pull a clean towel out, wipe the panel (google the Gary Dean method he explains this way better in a video than I can do here). Keep folding the towel so you never wipe with a dirty towel
• Once that towel is done, ring out out and put it aside (never goes back into the clean wash bucket)
• Wipe panel with a damp microfiber (ONR mix), and dry with a clean microfiber

This process takes like 30 minutes to do the entire car if you work efficiently

I have lids for my 5 gallon bucket and I use the wash solution over the next couple of weeks until it is gone (low) and then I make up more. You never put dirty towels back into the bucket so your solution stays clean.

Long, post I know but again look at Gary Dean's video... I found it for you.. My favorite product is Optimum No Rinse (ONR) but there are others available as well.

ONR without wax http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-NR201...d=1429099657&sr=8-1&keywords=Optimum+No+Rinse

ONR with wax Amazon.com Optimum NRWW2012Q No Rinse Wash Wax - 32 oz. Automotive

I like and use both.. I buy them buy the gallon. The stuff goes a long way...

 

[7777.775]

Since we are in a drought, and most likely it will be illegal to wash your car here soon, I have been using quick detailer, instead of water. Damn California, pretty soon they will outlaw driving at this rate.

 

[SRT_HC_707]

Since we are in a drought, and most likely it will be illegal to wash your car here soon, I have been using quick detailer, instead of water. Damn California, pretty soon they will outlaw driving at this rate.

Rinseless or waterless wash is the way to go for water restrictions. When I'm down in FL there are restrictions at times of the year. I use one of these to options with great results. I can go rinseless and do the entire car with less than two gallons. I used two gallons of distilled water from the store when I'm down there. Nobody can ***** about water usage and distilled guarantees no spots even if I miss a spot drying! You've got options

 

[noboost4you]

SRT_HC_707 Thoughts on natural sea sponges? I had a mobile detailing unit over this morning to prep the car for Xpel on Friday and he swears by large natural sea sponges. I felt the wet sponge, and I don't think I've ever felt anything softer.

 

[SRT_HC_707]

SRT_HC_707 Thoughts on natural sea sponges? I had a mobile detailing unit over this morning to prep the car for Xpel on Friday and he swears by large natural sea sponges. I felt the wet sponge, and I don't think I've ever felt anything softer.

I haven't used one in a long time. They are super soft. Some people say there could be sand in them on occasion (they did come from the sea). WHen I used them I liked them a lot.

I generally use one of these three products now (switch back and forth depending on job and what is clean)
Lake Country Foam Car Wash Sponge big blue wash sponge lake country sponge lake country grout sponge car wash shampoo
Amazon.com Chemical Guys MIC493 Chenille Microfiber Premium Scratch-Free Wash Mitt Automotive
The ShMITT Multi-purpose Foam Mitts

Like I've said before. There are so many different methods. Try things and adopt what works for you. I do like natural sea sponges but I honestly don't remember why I stopped using them....

 

[Snappycat]

i have seen a Shell Gas station brand new recently built in the last year that uses a touch car wash and the brushes are like a super soft durable rubber foam that hits your car.

Same here. Does an OK job for $8.

 

[Carnage]

Same here. Does an OK job for $8.

yeah they have them at $7, $8 and $10 here

 

[Paladin06]

Hand wash is the ONLY way to go. IMVHO.