"Allow"? That implies you asked first!

Okay all kidding aside... For the last four years since my first MINI, I've been washing my car just outside my apt. unit w/ a 50ft hose, two-buckets, and assorted cleaning necessities at least once a week. Enter *most recent change of ownership and management staff* a few months ago, now all of a sudden "Housing Patrol" rolls up consistently saying "chu cain wash your car here main'' (hey that's what he says). It's like some bored someone is calling the rentacops on me.

I've taken to 4am car washings now. Which works fine in SoCal, and actually gives me a jump start on the day ahead. I am interested in the pump sprayer options mentioned by several others if not just because I think it would be hilarious to bust out a car wash at the local park or parking lot. For the record, I never thought of the "weekly visit to your buddies house" option!

 

Just posted this on another thread:

I bring my own bucket to a wand wash. Since the wands put out very little water (maybe a gallon a minute at the one I go to), I fill up a gallon jug with water at home, use that to halfway fill my small bucket at the wash, add my soap, and use the wand to fill the rest. Some wash places post signs saying "no bucket washing," but my place doesn't. I go early in the morning so I don't have to worry about anyone lining up behind me and objecting to my methods.

Also, after getting a tip from Octane Guy, I started bringing a second jug of water to use after rinsing. The poured water sheets off the car, leaving much less standing water to dry off later.

As for detailing (wax booster, trim upkeep, interior), I go to the parking garage at my alma mater. For polish/wax days, I borrow my father's garage.

 

The no water wash from Chemical Guys is a quick detailer with wax in it. It has sediment inside and reminds me a bit of the ICE claybar. I haven't done formal testing on it, but the product does work...it makes the car clean and shiny, but at what cost?

QEW isn't a no water wash. It's a rinseless wash, same as Optimum. That means you mix the solution in water, then dry it off with a towel. No rinsing.

I use QEW when I don't have access to running water and the car isn't heavily soiled and I plan to polish. Use the two or 3 bucket method. The point here is keep the wash mitt clean with lots of rinse water.

Richard

 

Stupid question but how much water do you bring in the jug? Is it roughly a gallon? I'm thinking about trying this the next time Geoffrey needs a bath (which he happens to need very badly at the moment but he'll have to wait until sometime next week) but given that I'm really not that tall (I can't properly wipe the roof unless I bring a stepstool with me), I would hate to attempt this and end up getting the water on myself instead.

 

A gallon will just barely do it if you're careful, but I like to have two gallons. You can use smaller jugs that are easier to handle--you just will have to refill them more often.

Besides, who doesn't get a little wet when washing their car? Well maybe except for Ken. LOL.

 

I got by with a gallon and half for the rinse. The first gallon I brought with me, then I filled up the jug as much as I could with my remaning wash time. That was the first time I tried it, I think I'll get by with one gallon in the future. It doesn't have to sheet all the water off, it just makes it easier to dry compared to having a zillion tiny beads of water on the surface.

 

living in NYC, it's not easy. So I do what any person crazy enough to live in NYC does -- I take it to a detailing place, where they hand wash and wax, and I supervise and watch the whole thing. I don't get to use my DP stuff, but I suppose I could ask them to. It's not the same as doing it yourself, but I do enjoy the process -- EVERY SATURDAY!!! When I have to clay, as I find the need to do very soon, I'll visit my uncle and use his driveway.

 

With mandatory water restrictions here and no home carwashing allowed, I resorted to this approach last night using RAIN WATER from my rain barrel. Takes a little longer than the hose, but worked GREAT. And only used 8 gallons of water total - not even enough to run off the driveway. My car was very dirty/gritty from driving on wet roads when it rained last week, followed by 1000 highway miles... I just sprayed off the boot well before washing and all seems fine. Whatever I do the boot gets a little swirly anyway, that's why Nick and Heather invented Swirl...

 

I can assure, she is not the only one. I have been known to break out the buffer on road trips as well.