Car washes

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Car washes

networkn

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#208942 6-Mar-2017 12:31

I have a late model BMW, and sadly it doesn't get a car wash as often as it should.

I stopped last night at Caltex for Fuel and they had a "new" car wash. They offered me touch or touchless, and because I was paranoid I opted for non-touch, but basically the car looked better, but far from "good" after it was cleaned.

Are the new generation "touch" carwashes bad for paintwork or are those the bad old days?

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Awrrr
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#1730867 6-Mar-2017 13:05

I can't speak for the touch washes but the new brushless ones are absolutely useless. Complete rubbish. They don't even remove dust. An absolute rip-off.

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networkn

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#1730872 6-Mar-2017 13:10

Yup that was my experience last night. My back windscreen was pretty much just as dirty before as after.

Xile

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#1730917 6-Mar-2017 13:37

I have a 2013 car and have always used the car wash to clean it. It still looks as good as day one after a wash. BTW they're not actually brushes. They are a sort of sponge or chamois.

tchart

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#1730919 6-Mar-2017 13:38

I use a touchless and then hand wash myself when i can. Our local Caltex has a good touchless one that does a reasonable job if you pay for the most expensive wash but at $14 (or was it $16) its not cheap. If they dont foam the car it doesnt do much to move the grime and dust. They do also have a bucket and broom at the entrance so I give the wheels a brush before entering the car wash - I also clean the windscreen at the pump before I go into the car wash. Usually pretty happy with the result.

MikeB4

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#1730942 6-Mar-2017 14:13

Seldom use them and car manufacturers don't recommend them. The only time I will use them is when travelling and have been through road works that have used lime

timmmay

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#1730947 6-Mar-2017 14:18

I water blasted my new Nissan with the proper car wash attachment recently. It took a long time and the clean was poor. Next time I did a quick wash with a car washing brush, did a heaps better job. I think you just need contact to get it clean.

mclean

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#1730953 6-Mar-2017 14:25

timmmay: I water blasted my new Nissan with the proper car wash attachment recently. It took a long time and the clean was poor. Next time I did a quick wash with a car washing brush, did a heaps better job. I think you just need contact to get it clean.

Agree, and careful with the blaster - cleaned the badges off my wife's BMW!

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timmmay

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#1730958 6-Mar-2017 14:36

The nozzle you use reduces the pressure a lot.

dfnt

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#1730962 6-Mar-2017 14:49

The only way to properly wash your car is manually

The car wash will do a poor job and overtime your car will have a lot of micro scratches and swirls, clearly visible in the sun

BlinkyBill

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#1730967 6-Mar-2017 14:54

I would never put my car through any kind of car wash. I don't even let my dealer wash it!

I use a snow foam prewash, then I use a two-bucket car shampoo, then I use a touch less water sheeting agent. I use CarPro products.

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#1730986 6-Mar-2017 15:09

BlinkyBill: I would never put my car through any kind of car wash. I don't even let my dealer wash it!

I use a snow foam prewash, then I use a two-bucket car shampoo, then I use a touch less water sheeting agent. I use CarPro products.

Pretty much what I do, but I use Chemical Guys for the soap and CarPro Hyrdo2 and Reload for the water repelling.

kingjj

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#1730998 6-Mar-2017 15:19

BlinkyBill: I would never put my car through any kind of car wash. I don't even let my dealer wash it!

I use a snow foam prewash, then I use a two-bucket car shampoo, then I use a touch less water sheeting agent. I use CarPro products.

Similar here except I use the MotherNature™ range of Rain and Sun with the occasional touch of Wind.

eracode

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#1731005 6-Mar-2017 15:26

I have a late model Audi which has an after-market coating on it. The recommended wash is by hand using only plenty of running water and a sponge - after thoroughly wetting the car first. I have done it this way since new and it comes up great. Then I chamois it to get it dry without water spotting. I never wash it in hot sun because the water dries too quickly on a dark car - so usually wash very early morning or late pm.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

mattwnz

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#1731034 6-Mar-2017 15:31

Considering a lot of the dirt on the car can be oily, you really need a detergent and some sort of soft cloth to remove dirt. A hard spray probably does more damage than good.

nakedmolerat

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#1731038 6-Mar-2017 15:43

Everytime I fly - I just get it washed at the airport. Nice and easy lol.

It seems like they do above an OK job.

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