Car wash mistake...

Yeah them automatic washes are brutal for some reason! not cool

I don't really notice scratches using the brush in the self wash bays. Obviously a car has to be washed and most people are not gonna get a hose out at home and hand wash weekly or twice a week or whenever needed. So what other options are there, if touchless washes kill the paint too?

My experience is that the touchless car wash that I use doesn't harm the paint. Before I found the one I use I would use the coin wash bays but bring my own bucket and clean wash mitt. If there were other cars waiting I'd wash the salt/dirt off and soap the car and pull out of the bay and get back in line where I could finish the hand wash and just rinse the car when it was my turn to pull back into the bay.

Using the brush in the coin wash bays can destroy paint if they have dirt left in them from prior use so I never use a brush of any kind on the paint. I bought/tried a special soft brush that claimed to not leave scratches but it would still leave swirls so no brushes for me on the paint. Any auto car wash that contacts the paint surface with brushes or anything besides water is likely to cause swirls at a minimum.

I live in a snowbelt state and I don't wash my daily driver in the winter. I just park the car outdoors to keep dry and frozen as much as possible while not in use.

Like this year, Spring came and I verified that the finish clean up very well (polymer sealant on paint) and undercarriage had no abnormal or accelerated rusting. The car was still in near like new condition and very clean under all the grime.

So unless you're into the 20miles of clean slate glory until salt dust builds up soon after, I'd just let the car sit outside and dry as much as possible in the winter. It's probably too cold outside anyway for people to notice what you're driving.

If you're in an area that use salt but in the 30F temps frequently, then probably makes more sense for you to rinse the salt off as much as possible. But those undercarriage washes are near useless as there's just not enough water penetrating the chassis long enough.. and useless when washing with the under tray (shroud) still on the car. You really need to remove it before you rinse the undercarriage.

So after thoroughly washing the engine bay, I remove the lower engine shroud and use a lawn sprinkler to wash under the car for a good 10-15min with the water going full blast. Then a quick 10min drive to dry everything.

There is no sign of salt after this process. I know because I go under the car to verify.

If you live where it snows, why even bother washing your car in the winter? Coming from CA to CO, I said f#*k this sh#t after washing it 3 times. It gets filthy as hell after a few days. Anyway, I just go to self serve every now and then to get the salt off without using the brush. Otherwise I just leave my car just looking this most of the time.

c72k said:

I’m the crazy guy in the wash bay in 20 degree weather doing full three bucket wash lol

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Just wondering... do some of you actually go to the self serve car wash and do a bucket wash? Do people waiting in line give you the stink eye? Just wondering because some cities dont want you washing your car in your driveway anymore. What are you supposed to do if you insist on washing it yourself?


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Gogo GTI said:

Just wondering... do some of you actually go to the self serve car wash and do a bucket wash? Do people waiting in line give you the stink eye? Just wondering because some cities dont want you washing your car in your driveway anymore. What are you supposed to do if you insist on washing it yourself?


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I went to my local coin-op car wash late last year, and someone had buckets out along with a couple of bottles and clay in one of the wash bays during a busy afternoon.

I found the guy with the buckets and products to be rude, as there are signs everywhere that say not to do any sort bucket washing, especially during busy times.

I usually go to the car wash before sunrise or after dinner, though. At those times, it's not unusual to see someone with buckets because the car wash is pretty empty. Granted, it doesn't get as cold here as it does in other places...

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The touch less wash near me has an "unlimited" wash package for $19.99 a month. Which translates to 1 wash every 24 hours. So i go very often in the winter without issue. Helps a ton.

Now that spring is here time to bucket wash after polish with da.

NeedSleep said:

I went to my local coin-op car wash late last year, and someone had buckets out along with a couple of bottles and clay in one of the wash bays during a busy afternoon.

I found the guy with the buckets and products to be rude, as there are signs everywhere that say not to do any sort bucket washing, especially during busy times.

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Unfortunately some folks are not very respectful or considerate of other people. They are part of the "entitled" generation...

That's why I just drive around to the back of the line where I get to hand wash the car without being rushed and then rinse it off when it's my turn to pull into the wash bay again.

Disturbd1 said:

What is everyone's preferred method of washing when the weather is shit? I haven't found a waterless wash solution that I like.

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I only go to the DIY wash to spray off the salt(no soap) then take it home to do a rinseless wash with Optimum No Rinse in my garage. Works beautifully.

You can do a rinseless outside as long as its above freezing. Just use hot water for the sake of your hands not freezing.

I read an article talking about touchless washes a while back. The claim was that the touchless car washes are just as bad for your paint, because the water the dirt and debris just gets flung at your car at high speeds...I have no experience here, just food for thought.

I don't go to car washes, and in winter time I just wash with hot water in the garage.