Thinking of using local carwash this winter

[clk320x]

I've seen the Fifth Gear video before but I'd never use any sort of brush on the car regardless so I imagine that would skew the results a bit.

What do people reckon on the local eastern European handwash vs the automatic car wash, which is the lesser of two evils?

Think that the shopping centre washes so where you park up in the valet bay and return 2 hours later is better..

Firstly they don't have power washers, secondly they arnt in a rush less likely to drop the mitt etc

Abs

 

[Alex225]

I can't say much more than the others have said on here but it's a no from me.

Even if you were to wax or seal the car, the traffic film remover they'll coat your car in before jet washing it will strip that away.

You really are better off washing the car thoroughly inside and out once a month than going to those places. They literally do what it takes to scrub a car 'clean' with no concept of the damage harsh chemicals and bad wash techniques cause.

 

[clk320x]

I can't say much more than the others have said on here but it's a no from me.

Even if you were to wax or seal the car, the traffic film remover they'll coat your car in before jet washing it will strip that away.

You really are better off washing the car thoroughly inside and out once a month than going to those places. They literally do what it takes to scrub a car 'clean' with no concept of the damage harsh chemicals and bad wash techniques cause.

Yeh my car exterior is disgustingly dirty but I refuse to take it to those idiots so it'll be like that till I can be ****d to do it

 

[alzieboy]

Just use a bowl of old washing up water , with one of those green pot scourers, dry off with a dry green pot scourer , then you can be confident you have not inflicted any more damage to your car than the local hand car wash crew would have done .

 

[Andyfkettle]

I have the work van done at the local car wash. I’m sure the TFR they use is so strong it softens the paint. I do a lot of motorway miles and after the first time I had it done it was chipped to hell and getting is slowly getting worse.

 

[markjay]

Interesting 5th Gear video... if I understand correctly, the hand car wash was actually OK, apart from the squeegee?

 

[Alex225]

Interesting 5th Gear video... if I understand correctly, the hand car wash was actually OK, apart from the squeegee?

In theory a hand wash should be safer on paint but part of that process is a good pre-wash without harsh chemicals and clean wash mitts/drying towels. Ok, so the local car wash may give your car a thorough jetwash albeit usually a quick one. The problem is they'll then use a mitt that may have been used on twenty other cars or dropped multiple times. Lovely and gritty.

Also, they're not exactly careful so the likelihood is they'll just wash your car front to back not top down with a mitt that's just cleaned a months brake dust off the car in front. They'll rinse again and then dry it with maybe a drying blade or chamois. Again tools that have been used on the previous however many cars.

So the idea behind the hand car wash is fairly sound, the tools they use and the speed they use them is where they fall down.

 

[Andyfkettle]

Just had mine washed, mopped, polished, sealed and waxed! Ready for the winter. Friends brother does it at a great rate and does a very thorough job.