Self Service Car Wash Advice for Winter Months?

[Big Bobs]

I'm interested in getting some advice on the best use of self service car washes. I'd normally not use them, but during the winter I'll have no choice.

I'd mainly be utilizing it for a quick clean every couple weeks. I know not to use the foaming brush in any circumstance, but what about the soap from the wand? If I spray it on and let it soak, is it relatively safe for the paint? Will it remove the wax that's on the car? Or should I just stick with the water from the high-pressure rinse and hope it does a decent job?

Thanks in advance!

[Yvette]

touch-less car wash.... i like them.

[pinmagic]

I go to a wash center that's fully self-serve. They have do-it-yourself bays, and an automatic touchless wash. I pull into a self-serve, and give the car a very quick once-over, using my own brushes and such. I focus on spots the touchless wash has a hard time cleaning, which is the wheels, and the lower edge of the car. Then I pull thru the touchless wash. I then pull the car out, and dry it off with my own waffle-weave towels. Finally, I give it a quick once-over with a spray wax/polish that I have.

It's actually a very fast process. Not perfect, but I'm not quite as particular about this as some people are.

[Greg@DetailedImage]

I highly recommend checking out DI Packages Basic Hose Free Wash Package with ONR. The Optimum (OPT) No Rinse Wash & Shine New Formula (ONR) allows you to wash with just a bucket of water, no rinsing is needed. It's an amazing product that virtually every pro I know loves to use when it's freezing cold. If you have any questions please let me know.

[TOGWT]

Washing your vehicle in winter

• Touchless car washes use very high alkaline soaps to do the cleaning, one or two washes and your paint protection (wax or sealant) is gone. After a couple of this type of wash will cause a hazing due to the harsh chemicals used.

• Hand wash places work on volume not quality so they do they dry with paint safe towels. They will inadvertently leave swirls or worse on your paint surface

• Weekly go to the wand wash and use just the first rinse water and get off all the heavy salt /road grit and d spray the undercarriage Use the second rinse cycle and allow the paint to air-dry.

• If you have out a pre-winter detail and have a good sealant and a sacrificial wax on your car the salt and chemicals can be removed along with the renewable wax; remember to re-apply the sacrificial wax and your paint should be well protected.

• When clearing snow from the vehicles paintwork leave an inch of snow to melt on its own, otherwise you risk moving snow and grit across the paint that will cause scratches, much like using sandpaper.
Optimum No Rinse™ Wash & Shine (ONR) is an innovative product that protects automotive paint, while preserving our most valuable resource, water; enabling you to wash your car anywhere, anytime even inside your garage. It’s a multi-purpose product that serves as a shampoo additive, no rinse wash, quick detailer and clay lubricant.

Use as a winter car wash or in areas that have hosepipe ban, water usage restrictions, or where a water supply is not readily available (apartments, car shows, etc; cleans and protects while minimising water usage, 100% environmentally safe and it reduces water usage to a fraction of a conventional car wash, 1- oz ONR per 2- gallons of water to wash the entire car.

When sprayed on a dirty surface; surfactants break down the soil by releasing its surface tension or bond with the surface, encapsulating the soil particles, and the polymers provide surface lubrication to enable safe (marring free) removal (For further information see the technical article “Rinseless Car Wash”)

[MuttGrunt]

^ Is there anything Jon DOESN'T know about in detailing?

[Lee123]

Originally Posted by pinmagic

I go to a wash center that's fully self-serve. They have do-it-yourself bays, and an automatic touchless wash. I pull into a self-serve, and give the car a very quick once-over, using my own brushes and such. I focus on spots the touchless wash has a hard time cleaning, which is the wheels, and the lower edge of the car. Then I pull thru the touchless wash. I then pull the car out, and dry it off with my own waffle-weave towels. Finally, I give it a quick once-over with a spray wax/polish that I have.

It's actually a very fast process. Not perfect, but I'm not quite as particular about this as some people are.

I'm assuming from this that the automatic touchless wash hasn't caused any problems with your convertible. Is that correct?

I'm disabled and unable to wash my car. Even if it weren't for that the water here in Phoenix is so awful that it is impossible to wash a car in the shade during cool weather without spotting. At least that's what I found a few years ago when I was still able to wash my own car. So my new dark blue 135 convertible hasn't been washed since it was at the dealer for the exhaust install in early November and it is dirty. I'm going to have to take it somewhere and I'm leaning toward a touchless wash where I've taken my other cars, but I was afraid it would leak around the convertible top. It is encouraging that you have used one.

[bet]

I use a combination of touchless washes and the ONR mentioned above. I use the touchless places with a wand and just use the rinse cycle to get the "heavy" stuff off. Then I go home into the garage and use the ONR. This combo has worked great on black cars for the last couple of years to limit swirls. I also use a sealant (i.e. Blackfire or Zaino) and after the ONR use the spray "booster" of the whatever is on the car.

[Flyer4500]

I have been using the touch less wash . What are peoples thoughts on using the wax at the touch less wash for winter months???

[Roland_ Mur]

Originally Posted by Big Bobs

I'm interested in getting some advice on the best use of self service car washes. I'd normally not use them, but during the winter I'll have no choice.

I'd mainly be utilizing it for a quick clean every couple weeks. I know not to use the foaming brush in any circumstance, but what about the soap from the wand? If I spray it on and let it soak, is it relatively safe for the paint? Will it remove the wax that's on the car? Or should I just stick with the water from the high-pressure rinse and hope it does a decent job?

Thanks in advance!

What is the best approach to using self-service car washes, particularly during winter when a quick clean is necessary every couple of weeks? I've heard to avoid the foaming brush, but what about the soap from the wand?