No water supply in my building! How do I wash my car?! (adventures of a carwash fail)

[N55_BBM]

Hey guys, so I moved to Harrisburg PA (don't move here) not too long ago and bought a bunch of stuff to clean my brand new recently purchased 135i, including buckets, gloves, shampoo, brushes, etc etc etc.

But it just so happens that I don't have access to a water supply in my apartment building. No hose, no driveways nearby, nothing. Living downtown sucks big time. So after reading stuff on this forum and concluding that car washes WILL scratch your paint and the touchless ones contain abrasive chemicals that will also cause damage, I decided 10 days ago to go to a self service bay to use their high pressure hose and clean my ride. Biggest mistake ever.

I swipe my credit card then switch the thing to high pressure rinse, but the freaking water comes out with this yicky pre-wash soap, which obviously does not help me at all . can't fill up my buckets or rinse my car with that crap! So I tested out all modes and saw that "spotless rinse" gave me the closest thing to clean water. Problem with that is that you get like a pathetic output of water. It's the equivalent of filling your mouth with water and then spitting it out. No, that would actually probably give you more pressure. It's that bad, really. Took me 15 minutes to fill two 4 gallon buckets half way (yes, 15). Once the buckets were full, I washed the car, and then it took me an hour just to rinse it again with those irritating weak droplets of water coming out of their machine. (I skipped my story being frustrated with cleaning the rims because it's just not worth remembering the experience)

Moral of the story... wasted 2 hours of my life there, spent $61.75 just on water, AND my rims weren't very clean because despite having P21S with me and several brushes to scrub with, I had no water pressure to rinse and get all the brake dust fully out of there! TOTAL FAILURE.

but ok.. now that I've vented about my unfortunate experience, here's the real question.... HOW DO I GET THIS CAR WASHED?!?!?! It's been 10 days and it's disgusting already! Can't drive a dirty bimmer, just ruins it...

please help before i end up driving my car through a car wash!

[JimD]

It would take awhile to do a major cleaning but I use a quick wash spray to clean my bimmer up between major cleanings. I use MacGuires because that was easy to find. It works well to get rid of a little grime (wiping with a microfiber). I wash the micro fibers with my closes and reuse them. I might use paper towels if I ever do this for brake dust, however. I wouldn't want that residue in my washer.

Jim

[Itanius]

There aren't any full-service car wash facilities in your area? Look for one that does hand washes.

Otherwise, maybe find a friend who has a house with a driveway and water spigot.

[Red Bread]

Try Optimum No Rinse. You just need a couple of gallons of water and you'll have a clean care. You can also dilute it to use as a quick detailer for cleaning up between "washes".

[Dackelone]

I always use the self service car wash places obver here in Germany. I only need three or four euros to clean a car very well. I bring a bucket with me with two sponges( dirty and clean) and some Megiuer's car wash soap. I use the high pressure wand to fill the bucket up with some way first. I press the high pressure wand into the dirty sponge do the water doesn't spray all over the place.

Most of the time I do not bring a bucket with me. Using the high pressure hose is enough to break the dirt loose. Just do NOT get too close to the paint! You want to stay back a few feet from the pait. Espcially since I use Mez-sealer and my car doesn't get all that dirty in a weeks time between washes. The dirt really just comes off after one or two passes with a pressure washer wand.

For washing wheels you should really use some P21S wheel gel cleaner or some Sonax gel stuff. Makes it really easy to get rid of old brake dust.

I bought some Optimum No Rinse & Wash & Shine from Detailer's Domain. Phil and his crew really do a great job of filling orders fast and they have everything you need. I have no connection to Phil - I am just a VERY happy customer! The "No Rinse Wash" can also be used a in between detail spray - when mixed properly with water. I have wash the car a few times with No Rinse Wash and was amazed on the results. You wouldn't think it would work, but it does! This will be my routine when it is really cold out this winter!

http://www.detailersdomain.com/optim...c-norinse.aspx

btw... the Adam's Detail Spray Quick Detail Spray is also very nice to use too.

http://www.detailersdomain.com/adams...yclaylube.aspx

Here are some pics of what the car wash looks like over here!











Btw... NEVER use the wash brushes that they have at these self service car washes. They are so dirty with dirt and stones... you will scratch you paint all up. I do not even use them on my wheels. I always bring a micro fiver towels with me with some NRW in a detailers spray bottle.

[N55_BBM]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Try Optimum No Rinse. You just need a couple of gallons of water and you'll have a clean care. You can also dilute it to use as a quick detailer for cleaning up between "washes".

depending on what you mean by "a couple of gallons" this might work. I'd have to take the elevator 20 floors down to my garage and do everything there when no one is looking... Do I use my glove to apply that or towels?

Originally Posted by Itanius

There aren't any full-service car wash facilities in your area? Look for one that does hand washes.

Otherwise, maybe find a friend who has a house with a driveway and water spigot.

Yes there are full service car washes but that's 100% guaranteed that (1) they will get your car scratched and (2) you won't get the car cleaned very well. and I'm a clean freak that notices any little minor dust on the paint and the people at the full service car wash here are complete imbeciles.

[N55_BBM]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

I always use the self service car wash places obver here in Germany. I only need three or four euros to clean a car very well. I bring a bucket with me with two sponges( dirty and clean) and some Megiuer's car wash soap. I use the high pressure wand to fill the bucket up with some way first. I press the high pressure wand into the dirty sponge do the water doesn't spray all over the place.

Most of the time I do not bring a bucket with me. Using the high pressure hose is enough to break the dirt loose. Just do NOT get too close to the paint! You want to stay back a few feet from the pait. Espcially since I use Mez-sealer and my car doesn't get all that dirty in a weeks time between washes. The dirt really just comes off after one or two passes with a pressure washer wand.

For washing wheels you should really use some P21S wheel gel cleaner or some Sonax gel stuff. Makes it really easy to get rid of old brake dust.

I bought some Optimum No Rinse & Wash & Shine from Detailer's Domain. Phil and his crew really do a great job of filling orders fast and they have everything you need. I have no connection to Phil - I am just a VERY happy customer! The "No Rinse Wash" can also be used a in between detail spray - when mixed properly with water. I have wash the car a few times with No Rinse Wash and was amazed on the results. You wouldn't think it would work, but it does! This will be my routine when it is really cold out this winter!

http://www.detailersdomain.com/optim...c-norinse.aspx

btw... the Adam's Detail Spray Quick Detail Spray is also very nice to use too.

http://www.detailersdomain.com/adams...yclaylube.aspx

Btw... NEVER use the wash brushes that they have at these self service car washes. They are so dirty with dirt and stones... you will scratch you paint all up. I do not even use them on my wheels. I always bring a micro fiver towels with me with some NRW in a detailers spray bottle.

hmm yes that was exactly what I planned on doing when I went to the carwash, but like I told you the high pressure rinse here comes with a weird pre-wash soap, so you can't really spray high pressure water on the car and can't even fill the buckets because it takes forever!

maybe the wise thing to do would be to apply some kind of sealant to the car to extend the time needed between thorough washes? would I need a sealer, clay, or wax for that? don't even know where to begin haha!

i already have buckets, glove, grit guard, car shampoo, P21S, ezdetail brush for the rims, etc.. I think I might need to get a "No rinse shampoo" if I can't find a friend nearby with a driveway and willingness to let me use his water supply... other than that I could buy a quick detailing spray (do you guys recommend it or do you go completely paranoid trying to clean everything that pops up?), and maybe clay/wax/sealant (whichever one I need)...

[Dackelone]

Brunobm... at the German washes you can SELECT which wash program you want. I always use just the clear water rise to FILL my bucket up. IF that doesn't work with your wash place... I would bring a gallon or two of bottle water with you. Use the presure washer to get the car wet and loosen all the dirt. Then wash the car with your water and bucket. Then follow up with a rinse.

As far as a good sealer I really am happy with Menzerna Power Lock Sealant.

http://www.detailersdomain.com/menze...ersealant.aspx

[My135]

Go to a self-service car wash place. Wrap around the high pressure hose with a towel and fill up the bucket with water and save it for later use. Then clean the car with the high pressure water. Use the previously saved water and spot wash your car as necessary and wipe it clean.

[AntonV]

if youre in the BMW CCA, check out your owners anonymous book. im sure there are local members willing to lend a hose/driveway for an afternoon.

if youre not a member, try asking around in a more widespread forum like bimmerpost or roadfly.

not everyone is nice, but if I saw a post from a local bmw enthusiast in need of a hose, id let you use mine.

[N55_BBM]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Brunobm... at the German washes you can SELECT which wash program you want. I always use just the clear water rise to FILL my bucket up. IF that doesn't work with your wash place... I would bring a gallon or two of bottle water with you. Use the presure washer to get the car wet and loosen all the dirt. Then wash the car with your water and bucket. Then follow up with a rinse.

As far as a good sealer I really am happy with Menzerna Power Lock Sealant.

http://www.detailersdomain.com/menze...ersealant.aspx

Yes, I know they work the same way here BUT the high pressure rinse is not pure water, at least not in the places I've been to.

Originally Posted by My135

Go to a self-service car wash place. Wrap around the high pressure hose with a towel and fill up the bucket with water and save it for later use. Then clean the car with the high pressure water. Use the previously saved water and spot wash your car as necessary and wipe it clean.

Would this clean that water up though? It would still be a pain in the ass to rinse the car properly. Also, one of my biggest problems with not having high pressure clean water is to clear the rims. Despite having P21S and ezdetail brushes, it's VERY hard to remove all the residue and brake dust without a strong stream of water.

Originally Posted by AntonV

if youre in the BMW CCA, check out your owners anonymous book. im sure there are local members willing to lend a hose/driveway for an afternoon.

if youre not a member, try asking around in a more widespread forum like bimmerpost or roadfly.

not everyone is nice, but if I saw a post from a local bmw enthusiast in need of a hose, id let you use mine.

What's BMW CCA? If I went in search of a driveway and hose to use I guess I'd definitely find at least someone eventually. Problem is this is not something I'd be willing to do on a regular basis.. Imagine the nuisance of getting my car washed every week or two at someone else's house !



Seem like I need an approach like going through hell to clean the car properly and then taking measures to leave it clean for as long as possible so that I can delay going through hell to wash it again, lol. Maybe some waxing/sealant like I mentioned, what do you guys think?

I was reading the detailing handbook on the stickie, and saw that wax gives you more filling but less shine and durability than sealant. So given my car is brand new and I probably don't need to fill in the paint, I guess the way to go is sealant? Wanna make sure I get this right...

Agh stupid downtown apartment building, couldn't hate it more right now

[thez99]

Indeed, living in that city must be balls.

I would offer to let you wash it at my parents place but not sure if ud be cool with that. They prob would I mean, you could slip me sum money for it n id share it with them, hell id even help but I dunno how consistent we could keep that. Im moving in with them the end of this month cuz im moving down to NC early next year as are they and we're tryin to sell my damn townhouse before my parents and I move down to basically the same area.

I wash my car over there bout every 3 weeks in the summer, usually on sundays since thats my day off, I just hate doin it when its crazy hot n sunny out cuz their driveway obviously is blacktop and the sun really kills if its not cloudy, sometimes i luck out with a cloudier sunday and i go nuts on the car. Hoping to wash this sunday.

But ya man, I mean if you're desperate, we can set somethin up, like i said its not like its something you could use whenever you want, but if its cruddy as fuck now, we could have a duo wash on a sunday. Prob best to do it before winter obviously. Also, I know a guy in Etown who has a detailing business, youd be best to see him to get a full wash, polish n sealant job before the winter. Thatll atleast cover your paint thru then. Not sure if ill use him this year or not cuz now that im movin back with the rents over the winter my baby will finally be in a garage!!

[thez99]

http://www.attn-2-detail.com/index.htm

Heres that guy, he's in Etown, bout a 20 min drive roughlyish. If you look under pictures, theres a grey GTI, that was my car last year before winter when I had it serviced by him, I still miss that car, looked very good when he was done with it. Think a full service job there is like $125, takes him bout 6-8 hours roughly, if not more for sealant.

[N55_BBM]

Originally Posted by thez99

http://www.attn-2-detail.com/index.htm

Heres that guy, he's in Etown, bout a 20 min drive roughlyish. If you look under pictures, theres a grey GTI, that was my car last year before winter when I had it serviced by him, I still miss that car, looked very good when he was done with it. Think a full service job there is like $125, takes him bout 6-8 hours roughly, if not more for sealant.

nice man, thanks for the advice. won't be here this weekend or the next, driving to NYC (no i'm not driving my 135i into manhattan, don't worry). we should get together for a little 1er meeting sometime soon though. there's a 128 in my building, guy who owns it seems pretty chill.

so you think it's worth taking my car to that guy in elizabethtown? i work in hershey so it's really close by.. as long as he does a good job and it's not a rip off i'm cool with it

[thez99]

Originally Posted by brunobm

nice man, thanks for the advice. won't be here this weekend or the next, driving to NYC (no i'm not driving my 135i into manhattan, don't worry). we should get together for a little 1er meeting sometime soon though. there's a 128 in my building, guy who owns it seems pretty chill.

so you think it's worth taking my car to that guy in elizabethtown? i work in hershey so it's really close by.. as long as he does a good job and it's not a rip off i'm cool with it

Ya i mean its not something id do often. When I had my GTI i went to him right before wintertime and right after in spring both times for the full service. Otherwise I washed it myself. He does do regular washes n shit though, prob great price. But yea id def recommend going to him before it gets wicked cold n snowy around this bitch, specially since you arent regularly washing, your paint will likely need some correction at that point.

Do you treat your windows or anything atleast where u are? I would have some rain-x wipes and some Invisible glass handy to atleast clean the inside and outside glass and treat it with the wipes. Ive been a strong user of rain-x for years, good shit

[penny]

+1 on the Optimum No Rinse. I was in a similar situation. Used the shampoo for two years with no problem. Just buy a lot of microfiber towels. When the car gets too dirty you'll have to get it hosed properly.

[thez99]

I would stay clear of no rinse solutions in his situation, he has no way of consistently washing the car, I only see those solutions good for in between washes to keep things nice, or right before a meet or something, kinda like an extra detailing spray times 2.

He needs a way to WASH the car, and the wheels, and the tires, and the glass... No rinse shit will not supply this effectively, sorry but I dont trust those. I trust lots of sexy soapy foam, my own brushes and sponges, rain-x, tire n wheel cleaners, a sweet blow-dryer and some detailing spray with MF towels.

[UdubBadger]

supplies:

1 bottle of Sonax Wheel Cleaner
1 bottle Prima Wheel Armour
1 Boars hair brush
1 bottle of Optimum Brand No Rinse (ONR)
1 bottle of Turtle Wax Ice spray wax
Buckets and large hair spray/garden spray bottles
a few microfibers for washing
a few big microfibers for drying


Ok here is the deal.

Fill up 1 bucket full of clean water (your reserves... keep clean), 1 spray bottle of clean water and 1 spray bottle of ONR/water mix.

Start with the wheels. Wet, then spray Sonax and let sit for 3-5 min. Use boars hair brush (wetting with water... DO NOT DIP IN CLEAN WATER cuz then it'll be dirty water) and clean dust off brakes. Use Spray bottle best as you can to wash clean, you don't necessarily need pressure to wash off (you might also want to use a wet microfiber to make sure its all clean though). Towel Dry.

Use Wheel Armour on the clean wheels (maybe once a month or as directed). This will protect the rims and make it easier to just wash off brake dust as well as make it a little harder for the dust to stick.

For the rest of the car. ONR mix on smaller 2'x2' or 3'x3' sections of the car (or however you wanna do it). Spray ONR mix directly on the section, then spray clean water on section. Use microfiber to dry section and move on. This might not be how their directions say to use it but its the way it has worked for me several times in the past. Go over the entire car like this until every part has been cleaner. Use the turtle wax ice as a detailing wax. You should still get your car waxed by a pro every so often (at least 4 times a year) for protection but this is stuff you can use on a weekly or bi weekly basis.

Try it out and see how you like it.

BTW I used to use P21S for the wheels also. The Sonax works a little better and I've been VERY happy with the switch.

You can find most of this stuff on detailersdomain.com and enter BMW as your code for the "bimmerpost.com" discount.

Hope that helps.

If you need glass cleaner I also recommend Adam's Glass Cleaner... looks/smells like key lime pie

[N55_BBM]

thanks for all the suggestions guys.

i'm going to think about this rinseless wash thing. like thez99 said, I do have the slight feeling it's going to be more about keeping it clean in between washes then cleaning the car well... I still don't believe you can clean it properly without running water, especially the wheels. it was HELL to clean then with water, imagine having no water. the whole idea with the spray bottle and towels for the wheels in concept sounds fine, but by the experience i had last time, that little amount of water is not going to be enough to wash the dirt of, and as for towels there are many spaces between the rotors and the stock 264 rims that my hand just doesnt get to...

oh well let's see what i'll do. i wanna place an order soon and wanted to know what to do about wax/sealant. given how new my car is, should i just go for sealant since i don't really need paint fill right now? i need something easy and foolproof to apply, any suggestions?

[N55_BBM]

Originally Posted by UdubBadger

supplies:

1 bottle of Sonax Wheel Cleaner
1 bottle Prima Wheel Armour
1 Boars hair brush
1 bottle of Optimum Brand No Rinse (ONR)
1 bottle of Turtle Wax Ice spray wax
Buckets and large hair spray/garden spray bottles
a few microfibers for washing
a few big microfibers for drying


Ok here is the deal.

Fill up 1 bucket full of clean water (your reserves... keep clean), 1 spray bottle of clean water and 1 spray bottle of ONR/water mix.

Start with the wheels. Wet, then spray Sonax and let sit for 3-5 min. Use boars hair brush (wetting with water... DO NOT DIP IN CLEAN WATER cuz then it'll be dirty water) and clean dust off brakes. Use Spray bottle best as you can to wash clean, you don't necessarily need pressure to wash off (you might also want to use a wet microfiber to make sure its all clean though). Towel Dry.

Use Wheel Armour on the clean wheels (maybe once a month or as directed). This will protect the rims and make it easier to just wash off brake dust as well as make it a little harder for the dust to stick.

For the rest of the car. ONR mix on smaller 2'x2' or 3'x3' sections of the car (or however you wanna do it). Spray ONR mix directly on the section, then spray clean water on section. Use microfiber to dry section and move on. This might not be how their directions say to use it but its the way it has worked for me several times in the past. Go over the entire car like this until every part has been cleaner. Use the turtle wax ice as a detailing wax. You should still get your car waxed by a pro every so often (at least 4 times a year) for protection but this is stuff you can use on a weekly or bi weekly basis.

Try it out and see how you like it.

BTW I used to use P21S for the wheels also. The Sonax works a little better and I've been VERY happy with the switch.

You can find most of this stuff on detailersdomain.com and enter BMW as your code for the "bimmerpost.com" discount.

Hope that helps.

If you need glass cleaner I also recommend Adam's Glass Cleaner... looks/smells like key lime pie

thanks a lot man, i will look into these

[BMW86]

Originally Posted by brunobm

thanks for all the suggestions guys.

i'm going to think about this rinseless wash thing. like thez99 said, I do have the slight feeling it's going to be more about keeping it clean in between washes then cleaning the car well... I still don't believe you can clean it properly without running water, especially the wheels. it was HELL to clean then with water, imagine having no water. the whole idea with the spray bottle and towels for the wheels in concept sounds fine, but by the experience i had last time, that little amount of water is not going to be enough to wash the dirt of, and as for towels there are many spaces between the rotors and the stock 264 rims that my hand just doesnt get to...

oh well let's see what i'll do. i wanna place an order soon and wanted to know what to do about wax/sealant. given how new my car is, should i just go for sealant since i don't really need paint fill right now? i need something easy and foolproof to apply, any suggestions?

Well said

[BlackjackMulligan]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Try Optimum No Rinse. You just need a couple of gallons of water and you'll have a clean care. You can also dilute it to use as a quick detailer for cleaning up between "washes".

Do this..

Originally Posted by thez99

I would stay clear of no rinse solutions in his situation, he has no way of consistently washing the car, I only see those solutions good for in between washes to keep things nice, or right before a meet or something, kinda like an extra detailing spray times 2.

He needs a way to WASH the car, and the wheels, and the tires, and the glass... No rinse shit will not supply this effectively, sorry but I dont trust those. I trust lots of sexy soapy foam, my own brushes and sponges, rain-x, tire n wheel cleaners, a sweet blow-dryer and some detailing spray with MF towels.

I too was skeptical of the ONR until I tried it. Is it as effective as a good rinse down, soapy car wash solution and complete rinse off? Honestly, people will debate it, but I agree for a very dirty car I'd rather go with the traditional method. But the OP obviously cannot use this method and the ONR method is nearly as good, particularly if he has a light colored car (I didn't catch what color it is).

I would, however, make sure you give the panels a very liberal spray down with diluted ONR prior to washing the panels. This will loosen up any dirt and make it much easier to remove. You can use a garden sprayer or a regular spray bottle but your hand will get very tired with that.

Spray down the panel, use a grout sponge and dip in the ONR solution, clean the panel, rinse the sponge in the clean bucket and dry the panel.....good to go.