Commando

after reading some threads about car washing all around F-body forums, i've noticed that everyone perfers to wash their car by them selves and not using powerwash, they just use a bucket and soap, now my question,, is it really that bad to go to a wash station and let them handle ur car?? it's not about the effort coz i love washing my car but i live in an apartment without my own garage , so i have to so in the middle of the street, and there ain't the kinda of stations where u wash ur own car by ur self!!! so what to do?!? also when u clean the inside of the engines bay,, what do u use to clean?! thanks

01RedT/A

i dont know about the engine stuff, but as far as taking it to the quick wash places, or the self serve, yes they are hell on your paint. the main problem comes from the brushes that they use on every car. they pick up the dirt off of every single car that comes through, even the trucks that like to go mudding. then they wash your baby with it. i have been going to the self serve places since i got my car, because i was in the same situation as you. the toll its taken on my paint is irrecersable. there are serious swirl marks in it that wont buff out. i can still make it look good, but not like some of these guys on here. bottom line is now im looking into a custom paint job to get rid of the problem. also, a good friend of mine that does paint says the best way to wash your car is with the polishing cloths they sell at autozone. he says to use them once and then get rid of them, that way the dirt never accumulates on what you use to wash your car with.

SmokeySS

iTrader: (7)

I live in California and none of the carwashes around here have any kind of brushes, blanket strips, rotating scrubbers of anykind. At least not in the last 10 years. They're all 'touchless' I think is the word they use. Maybe brushless. Anyway when I am lazy and go do that, there's usually some workers at the entrance that spray your car with soapy water, use some wash mits all around, then your car gets pulled through and a sequence of water and soap are sprayed. Then you get the giant air blasting and roll out of the wash bay where a couple other worker spray air on your side mirrors and wipe down the car. There are at least four of these stations within a few town distances and two also will do handwaxing. The closest one to here will spray wax inside that bay but it's kinda stupid. I did it a few times on my last car and freakin rainbow colors come streaking down the windshield while you're in there. Just looks wierd and is probably just crap.

camaroextra

iTrader: (10)

would you let someone else wash your girlfriend?

SmokeySS

iTrader: (7)

You leave the question too open. What if she was being washed by another hot, naked woman? That or maybe if my girlfriend was 89 years old and wasn't really able to do it herself. Then perhaps maybe a nurse could wash her.

Scotty-Z

iTrader: (5)

Those car washes have sprays that are too high-pressure for our t-tops and seals. Plus like someone else said, the brushes and stuff go over EVERY other car that comes through there.

If I ever wash my car somewhere besides my house, it's at a do-it-yourself one. I just lightly spray over the car, then change it to the soap-spray and go over it easily once. I then use my own sponge or mitt to actually wash the car, then lightly rinse it.

Posi12Bolt

iTrader: (13)

maybe!

if SHE was hot too!!!

Stangkilr

iTrader: (47)

Some of you guys have no clue what your talking about. Ive worked part time at a full service car wash for 3 years now. We use spunge strips to clean the cars and safe chemicals on the paint. Before I slammed my car to the ground I used to run my car through 2 times a week and it always came out looking awesome. I personally have never hand washed any of my cars. I take them to the self serve car washes and spray it with soap, then rinse. My paint is flawless even with me driving it everyday rain, snow shine. Its all about upkeep and not touching your car when it has dirt on it and try to stay away from quick detail if at all possible. Trust me I use it when I dont feel like going through the wash process but it does scratch your paint no matter what towels you use. Go to the local car wash and ask them what kind of brushes they have. If they say its brushless then its safe to run your car through as much as you want and you wont hurt your paint. Just keep your car waxed and your paint will always look good!

LukePhillips

iTrader: (2)

Water always gets in my windows at a Drive Thru car wash. I have to hold a rag up on the driver side, then get out afterwards and clean the passenger side. But when I do it myself, I know not to spray 12 gallons of water on my windows.

You can also pay more attention to details if you do it yourself. Since you live in an apartment, I suggest those drive in do it yourself stations. (Dont know what theyre exactly called. The ones that are quarter operated and you control all the washing)

Z2K_MrJ

5$ i spend a week washing my car . AT a car wash. I do it manually tho. Not the auto. I love to do it.Sometimes I LOOK foward to it with my friends . Just be carefull and spray the SCRUB BRUSH with the hose to get anything that could be stuck in it out.As for the leaking threw the T-tops "well that is GM quality for ya" when summer time comes its allways fun to wash it yourself at home to on a hot day. The more love you have for your car the funner it allways is i say. You can tell alot from a guy buy the way he treats his CAR

Stangkilr

iTrader: (47)

Some of you guys must have some shitty seals. My car is 6 years old and I still dont get a drip of water when running mine through an auto car wash. I agree with the person above, ive seen some of the cars on here and how "nice" they look. lol.

_JB_

iTrader: (33)

I just like to clean my car by hand.

5550racing

Most of the time I use my own pressure washer and a clean mit to wash my car. Every once in a while I'll run it through the automatic car wash for like 8 bucks... Does the job well. My T-Tops don't leak, I guess im lucky. Not like we get much rain in Texas anyway... .

SmokeySS

iTrader: (7)

I've had one drop of water fall through my Ts once that I know about. It was in the rain and I'm thinking I wasn't that careful putting the passenger side in. Water has gotten on the inside of my windows somehow when I've washed myself, but not at an automated wash. Basically the only time water gets in my car is when I open the freaking trunk hatch!!! (When that water splashes out of the seal area and into the car, will several drops end up ruining the speakers back there?)

Commando

yup, i prefer to clean my baby myself too, but it's really hard where i live and the problem is that we don't have the do it ur self cleaning stations which sucks,, but i think i'll be doin so in the night or early morning using bucket and soap,,, but don't u think that u should visit the station to clean the dirt under ur car?!?

Commando

also, what about the engines bay, how do u clean it?? water/soap, or by hand,, and if by hand HOW?>!>!

Covet

iTrader: (1)

I'm fairly **** about my car, not NEARLY as much as some of the folks on here, but enough that she gets cleaned once, usually twice a week minimum. For the same reasons that everyone else has listed I would be VERY reluctant to take my baby into any wash with brushes, etc. I wouldn't even trust the more expensive place where they polish it, dry it, etc by hand afterwards because they reuse their towels as well. The only auto wash I've ever used is the air drying type that was mentioned earlier I believe. As long as it's not some ghetto wash where the water is being sprayed from an inch away at maximum pressure I don't think it's too bad on your car...although others on here would know more about it than I would.

Edit: Oh yeah, I have a hardtop, so I can't tell ya what effect it would have on the t-tops, no shortage of t-top owners to ask though

Gipraw

iTrader: (10)

you are just asking for problems with yoru paint using one of those brushes.

the best way by far is by hand, but sometimes situations won't allow that .. in those cases. you use whatever you can. but as a general rule, anything that touches your paint has the opportunity to scratch it.

I use decent quality cheniele (sp) wash mitts and Meg's gold class shampoo. three mitts for each wash.

I start with a new mitt, and use it for the top half of the car. Then I use the second mitt, which was the top half mitt last wash, and do the bottom half of the car. Once I am done with that mitt, I throw it away. the third mitt I use only for my wheels, and only after they have been rinsed really well, to remove most surface dirt.

I use the two bucjket method, and also a grit grate, to make sure there is nothing on the mitts.

It is actually cheaper to do it this way, since the mitts are only $2.99 a piece.