Hespra

Winter approaches. Is it safe to use a commercial drive through to wash the 8?
Had side mirrors ruined on another vehicle in the car wash.

valpac

iTrader: (2)

brushless only, but i still wouldnt do it. i dont trust all that machinery whipping around my car

SilverEIGHT

I hand wash mine every Sunday. Wouldn't dream of anything brushing my paint unless it is with my hands. I always use a chamois to dry off. I will use a commercial wash if it is spray only. If it is waxed properly then that is all you need to do. I would do the same for any car I cared about.

Grabitquick

If you're like me and don't really have the facilities at home to do your own hand wash, see if any of the commercial car washes in the Portland area offer that as an alternative to the automatic wash. Here in L.A., many of the car washes offer a hand wash at a decent price, and the garage across the street from my office does it for a steal--only $12, and a decent job, too, since they're getting their business from fussy, high-end customers. Just keep an eye on the guy(s) washing the car if you can stick around to supervise it. Either way, I'd definitely avoid having the car pulled along an automatic track--think of your wheel rims--and any car wash anywhere that still uses brushes instead of cloth, automatic or not, should be driven out of business, IMHO.

rotten42

Use the hand wash only...somewhere in the forum I read that someone had a problem with a drive-thru wash. Spend the extra couple of minutes and do it yourself.

truemagellen

the answer is NO

it is discussed here as rotten says...essentially even the touchless washes use an acid wash and base detegent (or visa versa) and when they come together there is an exothermic reaction that will heat up and break apart dirt and such on the cars...problem is your eating away your clear coat slowly

if you are keeping your car (no lease) then don't even think about a commerical drive through wash

Hespra

Thanks guys. I figured commercial wash wasn't going to be a solution. Looking for an alternative. Having someone hand wash is the best plan. Will now look around for that service.

Had pneumonia last winter. Started from simply going out in the cold with a wet head and health deteriorated from there. Thinking getting wet in really cold weather is not advisable for me this particular winter.

H

takahashi

The detergent in commerical wash is too harsh, even the self help car wash. Place in Australia there is hand car wash places but the people there do not know how to wash cars! Why would they rub the bottom of the car with the sponge and then continue to work on the roof -

Genesis

Never use a chamois! Ugh...scratch scratch....if you have a dark car it'll kill it. A light coloured clear coat maybe, but just dun use it! 100% soft cotton towels only dude.....

takahashi

Genesis, do you mind to elaborate a bit more of your logic behind soft cotton towels better than a chamois?~!

Why would there be any scratches if there is no dust to scratch with...after a good wash?

Genesis

Ok....a chamois picks up dirt at the surface vs. a wet cotton towel which moves dirt underneath the material. As you dry with the chamois, it picks up surface dirt not removed in the initial wash and moves that dirt over your car as you rub. A cotton towel moves the dirt "within" the towel and isn't as prone to scratch the car as a chamois. Heck, I've been cleaning cars for years...the chamois is a killer...why am I explaining this?

takahashi

Coz I never understand... same to tell my patient in Australia not to sun bake... you will get skin cancer!

So a microfibre cloth or just any soft cotton cloth that I use for polishing car - I can find some nice cotton polishing cloth in my area. Thx for the tips.

Genesis

Taka...dun use the "micro" polishing cloth...just as harmful as chamois (and leads to skin cancer, just kidding :p ) Use a simple high fibre 100% cotton towel that you can buy at Isetan for $5...I"ve got ten of 'em :D Saw a guy today at Carrefour buying the "miracle" polishing cloth and I told him to go over to the bed/bath section and buy five for the cost of the cloth...he didn't believe me....the power of marketing.

takahashi

Oh thx --- I got you there!

Genesis

Happy washing dude

truemagellen

ditto but a high pile microfiber is just as good as cotton and better since it absorbs water much better and doesn't leave lint imho

Genesis

Sorry guys, forgot to post to the original thread...whatever u do, do NOT use a commercial drive through...chemical or brush...car surface killer. If you care for your car, wash it yourself. Get a bucket of nice clean water and three 100% cotton towels. Put a small amount of car wash concentrate into the bucket (yeah, put the water in first) and swish the concentrate around. Then rinse the car first with your hose, not with a hard spray, a gentle spray to move the dirt. Then soak a towel in the suds and start with a totally wet towel on the top of the car, use a back and forth motion...don't circle! Draw the suds towards the windows, both sides, and clean them. Then get another fully wet towel and soak the bonnet, rub it lengthwise (lightly!) and then soak the towel again and do the back side. Don't do the tires yet (it soils the towel). Now soap one side of the car and then the other. Once the car is totally soapy, take another towel and soak it in the suds. Clean each rim...make sure you've got lots of suds for each rim cause this will pick up all the rim dust. Clean the surface and the inner rims. Cool, now back off and re-spray the car with the clean water spray again, get rid of all the soap. Now get a new (dry) towel and take large clean rubs across the car, linear- wise, starting with the roof. Open all the side doors (suicide and front) and use another dry cloth to pick up the excess water. Open the boot and do the same. As well as the lid. You're done, ready for some polish

Genesis

Crap...a "high pile" microfiber is just as deadly as a chamois....up to you to decide.

SilverEIGHT

Wow! I thought I was being smart. Towels are cheep. The chamois is in the trash! Thanks for the info.

Howard

I can see myself handwashing the car the way mentioned in Northern Indiana when it is 0 degrees outside. That is not uncommon here throughout the winter.
It would seem to me that having salt and mud caked on the car, especially the underbody where it is almost impossible to wash by hand, would do more harm then a automatic car wash. In the winter it is very hard to clean the underbody, back of rims, tires etc, by hand. I am considering a carwash that doesn't touch your car. We have one here. Still I have tried it and it doesn't do a thing for the underbody. The salt on the roads here will eat a car up it if it isn't washed evey couple of days when we have snow.

truemagellen

where do you get this garbage?

Rob Tomlin

Ignorance.

Genesis

If you say so. Honestly, it's not worth the money to buy a microfibre towel...I've used 'em all. Regarding the post about winter sludge, the chemical car washes use a high pressure spray...not good for your paint. Just spray the car with water and let it sit to losen the dirt, then re-spray. Sure, not all of it will come off, then soak the car with soapy water, let it sit also. Spray again, should be just as effective as the car wash and you're not using a high pressure spray on your car

Hespra

[QUOTE=Genesis]Sorry guys, forgot to post to the original thread...whatever u do, do NOT use a commercial drive through...chemical or brush...car surface killer. If you care for your car, wash it yourself. Get a bucket of nice clean water and three 100% cotton towels.

Not to fret...it's the same thread...

I printed off your car washing instruction. Very thoughtful of you to provide that information. Motion described appears similiar to cleaning a computer disk---as in never use circular strokes.

Read somewhere that using hose with no nozzle is best---especially for the final rinse. Water sheets more efficiently with gentle stream; making the drying phase lots easier. I tried that and author was correct.

Guess I'll use that yellow microfiber *towel* on my hair and not my car...
H

Hespra

You're done, ready for some polish [/QUOTE]
Forgot to inquire in last post about the *polish*. Is there a product that accomplishes this or do you just mean rub?

Had the dealership do something called "NorthWest Protection Package" which includes some topical treatment to interior (scotch guard) and exterior. Package cost big bucks. I wasn't impressed with whatever they did. Next week the real detail boys --as in the pros-- will do the exterior.
H