[BK]

Originally Posted by tman

http://www.bmwofsterling.com/Newsletter.aspx

You'll see the "Touchless Car Wash" mid way down the page.

Yup, fresh flowers all right.

[ase2dais]

I agree

.... perhaps one more reason to consider sterling for my next service

[Scottz71]

my cut-off for self-wash is usually the freezing point. if there's ice forming on the driveway WHILE I am washing it, that means its too cold...but hey the car deserves it, and I hate carwashes for what they did to my jet black maxima a few years ago...BTW there's a 'self-wash' (bring lots of quarters) in Sterling off Sterling Blvd about a mile from the Rte 28 interchange...it has been there for YEARS. PRetty good place to just pressure wash the car, I bring my own soap and bucket b/c their brushes and soaps are for-sh*t. Then I just take the time there to dry. When I get back home I use fast shine, hand wipe the rims/tires, and then paint clay/wax/polish in the garage.

just my 2 cents...

[ase2dais]

nothing to add to your comment, but its about time you come out of hiding,
e90post Mid-Atlantic DC Metro is where you belong

j/k

nice to see old frens, welcome and hope you meant to stay for good

Originally Posted by westwest888

A few points to make here.

If you walk away from the car wash having spent less than $15, you did something wrong. If you're sitting in your car while it's being washed, you're doing it wrong. If your car stays stationary while robots sprinkle water on it, you're in the wrong place. If you're in and out of the place in 5 minutes, again this is wrong. You're doing your car a disservice. And you'll get what you pay for.

At a real car wash, you get out of your vehicle, they vacuum it, drive it through a 100 yard long building full of washing machine goodness and expensive non-paint-scratching rollers, and dry the entire car off for you.

There are two places around here that service this level of action: Mr. Wash; and Embassy Auto Wash. Both places are OK, I tend to prefer the latter. The wash itself is incredible. Whatever additives they put in the wash mix makes my car shine for over 1 week even if it rains several times. It goes without saying your car won't come up with any dirt on it. It won't scratch your paint; people bring $100,000 cars to these places all the time. Where they f*ck up is drying off the car. Sure, they have a team of five people who gang bang your car with damp rags, but they don't spend enough time wiping the door frames, gas cap, trunk, etc. I end up doing this myself when I get home.

Second, coming from NY I am completely disgusted by the lack of attention given to washing one's car in this area. Would you show up to work in dirty clothing? It's the same thing. When you commute, you wear your car. Are people seriously waiting for April to wash their cars? Unbelievable.

Car washes don't (shouldn't?) close because of "extreme cold". 25 degrees is not extreme cold. They work just fine.

I wish there was a car wash around here that put more attention toward drying off your vehicle properly. Anybody know of one?

Also, it's important to wax your car *at least* once a year, if not twice a year. If you see a shiny brand new e90 and wonder why your almost new car is lacking, waxing is your answer.

[tman]

Originally Posted by westwest888

A few points to make here.

If you walk away from the car wash having spent less than $15, you did something wrong. If you're sitting in your car while it's being washed, you're doing it wrong. If your car stays stationary while robots sprinkle water on it, you're in the wrong place. If you're in and out of the place in 5 minutes, again this is wrong. You're doing your car a disservice. And you'll get what you pay for.

At a real car wash, you get out of your vehicle, they vacuum it, drive it through a 100 yard long building full of washing machine goodness and expensive non-paint-scratching rollers, and dry the entire car off for you.

There are two places around here that service this level of action: Mr. Wash; and Embassy Auto Wash. Both places are OK, I tend to prefer the latter. The wash itself is incredible. Whatever additives they put in the wash mix makes my car shine for over 1 week even if it rains several times. It goes without saying your car won't come up with any dirt on it. It won't scratch your paint; people bring $100,000 cars to these places all the time. Where they f*ck up is drying off the car. Sure, they have a team of five people who gang bang your car with damp rags, but they don't spend enough time wiping the door frames, gas cap, trunk, etc. I end up doing this myself when I get home.

Second, coming from NY I am completely disgusted by the lack of attention given to washing one's car in this area. Would you show up to work in dirty clothing? It's the same thing. When you commute, you wear your car. Are people seriously waiting for April to wash their cars? Unbelievable.

Car washes don't (shouldn't?) close because of "extreme cold". 25 degrees is not extreme cold. They work just fine.

I wish there was a car wash around here that put more attention toward drying off your vehicle properly. Anybody know of one?

Also, it's important to wax your car *at least* once a year, if not twice a year. If you see a shiny brand new e90 and wonder why your almost new car is lacking, waxing is your answer.

I think what you're looking for is the Station Auto Wash in Leesburg. They use compressed air to dry inbetween joints and the hard to reach areas.

[KL2DC]

Just wanted to remind folks that our own shimshimhada has a maintenance hand wash program that I highly recommend, especially if you have had a zaino treatment by him. Unfortunately, try as I might, he wasn't willing to hand wash my car in 10 degree weather but he should be up and open for business starting March. Just putting the good word out there.

In the meanwhile, the occasional trips to a good touchless auto wash should get me through the winter. Has anyone tried the semi-automated hand wash place by Tysons Corner (on Rt 7)?

[sixspeedsam]

Originally Posted by bavarian19

I hear its supposed to snow again on monday night. You could just park your car outside and have the melted snow clean off your car....


You could always do a prewash before going to a real good carwash.


I have actually used the one right off farmwell/waxpool in Ashburn. Even with my Monaco Blue, they did a really good job. Every other car there is a MB/BMW/Acura.

I took my car in over the weekend for a little car wash TLC - thanks for the tip AJ. Seems like everyone and their mom had the same idea as me ... took me about 20 minutes to get through, but in the end it came out looking nice. Of course, it's gonna snow this week ... oh well

[BK]

Originally Posted by KL2DC

Has anyone tried the semi-automated hand wash place by Tysons Corner (on Rt 7)?

Yes. Unfortunately, I give it a thumbs down. I blame them for some back and forth micro-scratching on my hood's clearcoat that I'll have to get shim to buff out this spring when I get my next Zaino. That hand wash place is not much more than a gas station wash with a couple of guys standing in it to do your tires (using a brush on a pole and taking about 30 seconds) and other guys scrubbing in the soap with rags or sponges or something on the end of poles as the car goes through. It's bound to put scratches on a black car. Just down the block is the Exxon touchless automated car wash that I use instead.

For now, I'll continue to do the crappy Exxon wash this winter, until the weather is warm enough to wash the car myself. The Exxon place works well enough to get off the salt, but it pretty much sucks, too. At least it's inexpensive. I don't know how filtered the water is, as it seems to leave a bit of a film on the car. I wouldn't want to towel dry the car afterwards because it doesn't seem totally clean, so I have drip marks afterwards.

Maybe I'll try Station Auto Wash at some point if I head out towards Leesburg. Those who know me know that I'm crazy about keeping the car clean, and that makes it tough to find a decent place to do it for me. It isn't easy to get through this winter! There is an Embassy Auto Wash near me but I don't like the way they dry the car with rags, nor do I like how they spray and wipe the interior and inside windows. I'd rather just keep the outside salt free and do the interior myself until it gets warm enough to wash. At this point, I'd settle for 45F to wash the car, but 45F seems like it is weeks or months away.

[KL2DC]

Thanks BK for the insight. I thought about trying out the place, not anymore I guess

Even expensive hand washes are no guarantee of a swirl-free experience. For now I'm sticking with Shim for washes (touchless autowash during the winter months).

[FrankoQ]

Not having a place near by...
I ended up washing the car myself.
IT WAS COLD!!! and some water on the roof froze.
Thanks to Zaino, I can still air dry the car with the leaf blower.

It was a quick wash but at least, the car does not look as bad.

A couple of Neighbors came out later on to wash their cars too.

Of course, the wife said: "might as well wash my car too"

Oh no, wife's car goes to the car wash.

The end.

[KL2DC]

Originally Posted by FrankoQ

Not having a place near by...
I ended up washing the car myself.
IT WAS COLD!!! and some water on the roof froze.

You should've called me, my car needed a hosing down as well

On the other hand, maybe you should've waited a while, forecasters are calling for nasty weather starting tomorrow...

[BK]

From the Accuweather alert on Forecastfox: "The potential for a significant freezing rain event as surface temperatures will remain below freezing... Tuesday and Tuesday night...significant accumulations of freezing rain are likely across most of region. Temperatures are forecast to remain below freezing from Monday night through Wednesday morning...with the exception of lower southern Maryland."

Ugh. I would prefer 8 inches of snow to a "significant" freezing rain. I park outside, and I do not look forward to my beloved E90 coated with ice.

[WxSquid]

Ergo, the weatherman has a garage at his apartment...

And trust me, I'm trying with the snow....

[BK]

I'm thinking I need a new house, just so I have a garage for my baby. The ultimate -- a $750K mod.

[KL2DC]

Originally Posted by BK

Ugh. I would prefer 8 inches of snow to a "significant" freezing rain. I park outside, and I do not look forward to my beloved E90 coated with ice.

Ouch....

[KL2DC]

Originally Posted by WxSquid

And trust me, I'm trying with the snow....

I was wondering about that... I'm all set for a Wednesday at home

[Scottz71]

thank god i have a warm garage, and can work from home...!!! but weathermen are RARELY right in this area...I think it'll probably just rain...

[FrankoQ]

Originally Posted by Scottz71

thank god i have a warm garage, and can work from home...!!! but weathermen are RARELY right in this area...I think it'll probably just rain...

The bimmer stays home this week.
I'll either work from home or drive the "spare"

[jrios_jr]

Originally Posted by Dani

maybe I'm lucky that my baby is missing this horrible weather. my loaner is looking so bad I'm even considering spending the money to get it washed.

why is your car taking so long to get fixed???? i remember reading about your accident when i first started looking for my 335i. I had similar accident and my car is going to be ready friday.

[mikepinkerton]

I went to Embassy in Sterling with my Celica. Both times, I came out with a dent the size of a dime in the door or the fender with a red streak inside the dent (the car was silver). Funny, the state-of-the-art brushes are that same color of red.....

I'm terrified to take my new car there, but my car is super dirty with salt and road gunk. Any thoughts?

-Mike

[tman]

I'm taking mine for an exterior only wash today to Station Auto Wash in Leesburg.

[BK]

Originally Posted by tman

I'm taking mine for an exterior only wash today to Station Auto Wash in Leesburg.

I have salt all over the car now, too. I just noticed yesterday that it is even in the door jambs. But if I were to go to Station Auto Wash today, I'd be just as covered in salt by the time I got back home. Maybe tomorrow I'll get it sprayed off. Hopefully it will be warm enough this week to hand wash it during an extended lunch hour.