Car Washing Discussion

[Billip]

Hey everyone... just wondering how everyone washes their car? What I mean is do you do it in the driveway (if you have a house), at a pressure-wash place, have a "full service" place do it (ie: Johnny Rockets type place)? I live in a condo downtown, so I can't hand wash my own car... so I'm trying to find the best substitute. I've been going to a pressure wash place in the past, but it never really gets the car clean. I'd like to try a place like Johnny Rockets (or something else), but I'm scared they'll wreck my paint... or steal change out of my car.

What do you do? I'd especially like to hear about peoples experience who live in appartments or have tried "full service" type places.

:thumbsup:

[R_Ethug]

i got to the big bucket in crowfoot but i don't wash with that dumb smear stick broom thingy.. i just pressure wash the crap out of it and use my own wheel cleaners,etc.. as soon as I take possesion of new place its hand wash time though.. you can always find a coin opd one and just put like 1 buck in and fill your own bucket up and wash your car then put another buck in to hose it off and stuff.. make sure you prewash/spray before bucket wash though.. should keep it around like 3 bucks.. never use stupid pressure wax though that stuff is only good for 80s cars i wouldn't let that stuff touch a new car unless i was high.

edit.. PS.. imola 0wnz!

[liquid]

Originally posted by lsc2g
never use stupid pressure wax though that stuff is only good for 80s cars i wouldn't let that stuff touch a new car unless i was high.

Why is it so bad for the paint?

[R_Ethug]

yea the spray wax.. well on my old car i would give it a very very quick spray all over but say you hold it there for more than 3 seconds on your hood then drive away there is this gritty wax crap all over where you over did it.. and its annoying as hell. what peter said.. stupid gross film basically

[Canadian Turbo]

I have quite a system for washing my car, some would say a bit obsessive but I like her clean. Anyway I prewash my car by hand with car wash soap and water on the drive way over the trouble spots, usually the lower portion of the car and the wheels for sure. Then I head to the power wash and spend about $5 rinse soap rinse and then head home dry, do windows tires and such volia she looks good! Which reminds me I need to do this!

[R_Ethug]

me too.. last golf trip left me bugged up nicely.

[Kor]

*takes a long breath*

Everyone has their own way to wash their car. The best thing to do is find something that works for you. Like Blair I have quite the system. First, I take the car to the local do-it-yourself spray and wash. Use presoak on the whole car. Sometimes I will also use the Wheel and Tire cleaner if I have lots of break dust on them. Then after it has soaked, turn on the soap and spray the whole car. Note that I don't use the brushes or any sponges or anything. Then rinse the whole car and then I use the "spotless" rinse also. Finally, you need to hand-dry the car with a soft terrycloth towel, and clean up the wheels.

I find that this works fairly well for me, and my car is Black so it is very tough to keep clean. However, this only works because I also do a (fairly regular) exterior detail of the car. This involves additional steps of clay-bar'ing the car and finally waxing the car. Once the car has been waxed, you will find that washing becomes easier because the grime will not stick, and a simple rinse will restore the car to a much cleaner-looking state.

[Chris]

I spit-shine my whole car.

[Billip]

Sounds good. Does anyone know where I can go to a "pressure wash" type place and bucket/hand wash my car? I've been to quite a few of them, and they all say "No Bucket Washing" or something similar. I've actually been yelled at for trying!

The reason I ask is because I have an armada of dead insects on the front of my car, and spray washing alone just isn't going to get them off.

Cheers!

[Kor]

Well it usually depends on how busy they are - at least in my experience. They want to get a lot of people through and if you spend an hour in there they are losing money. Finding a non-busy wash is tough.

[Aaron Smith]

Big Bucket car wash works really well. (Peigan and Deerfoot) - you pay by the minute, and it has spot free water and dryer.

I take a buddy or the girlfriend if I've been a good boy and have them spray soap as I hand wash with a new sponge. Just keep checking the sponge for grime then squeeze it out!