No!!

 

My dealer has a VIP program, when you buy a new car from them. I get free hand car washes as long as I keep the dealer license plate frames. My car was filthy after a week, I had somewhere to go, yesterday, not enough time to go to the dealer, so i Stopped by Pep Boys & picked up soap, chamios (sp), cleaning mit, etc. & washed it while my wife got ready. I waxed it when we got back. ;-)

 

An update:

This story may have scared me straight.



https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-warning.html

I do not want to have to deal with the clear coat coming off - even if it's not too likely, I can see it happening.

Not going to be easy to wash in winter, but the jets on the car wash I've used are extremely powerful, maybe too powerful.

 

Are the manual car washes open in winter? Many people bring their own bucket and good quality wash mitt and wash their car in the do it yourself stall. It's not a perfect solution but it's an idea.

 

Not sure I even want to test that — this poor fellow's clear coat came off using a manual sprayer (he just got too close).

Very glad I researched this a bit more.

I think I may opt to just use very warm water on the warmest and sunniest days during the winter from home.

Days like that are few and far between in VT, but are known to happen once in a while...

 

Certainly common sense comes into play here. If you have a home where you can wash your car why would you even think about going to a car wash anyway? This is a good solution for those that live in apartments etc. and do not have ready access to a car washing space.

 

Convenience plays a factor here - and certainly using a car wash has its advantages, whether or not you can wash the car at home. Especially during winter.

My whole reason for bringing this topic up was to see if there were reasons not to use a car wash.

The clear coat issue was not one I had heard of until someone mentioned it here. Even still, I was on the fence, but seeing the photographic evidence helps prove the point much more dramatically.

I am no longer on the fence, my car wash days are over.

 

Actually I'm not sure if I would be sad. Your car's finish will last longer and look better! Just washing the car is not enough though. It still needs a good wax applied as well. This is what really keeps the paint looking good.

It may be more effort for you personally but I think the payback will come when you go to sell the car. A car with good paint and that has a real appearance of being cared for will return more when resale time comes.

 

+1

Agreed. Waxing is key to the equation for sure.

Meguiar's Carnauba - very easy and offers great results.

 

Nope...never. I'll spend the 20min at home washing it in the driveway. Gives me a great change to go over the car, look for any dings or issues I need to get taken car of. I've never trusted those automatic car washes...you never know if some nasty truck covered in dirt or mud went through ahead of you, and filled the brushes with junk.

I'll wash my mini myself.....it's like washing a gokart

 

Wonderful analogy.

I used to have a Chevy Trail Blazer. That was like washing a tank! I really disliked washing that rig.

 

I took Lady in yesterday and as promised, I asked my detailer what his opinion was of car washes. He said that obviously hand washing is best, but given the choice of not washing it and going to a car wash, he definitely goes for car wash AS LONG AS IT'S TOUCHLESS. He also pointed out that in New England winter's where salt is dumped on the roads by the ton, the touchless car washes can do what's very necessary - spray down the under carriage of the car.

Also, I can't speak for anyone else, but I can't handwash my car when it's 15 degrees outside and there are 5 feet of snow on the ground.

 

I just got my mini and it is almost time to wash. What products do you guys recommend?

 

Definitely a loaded question. Many here will recommend Prima Products, Adams, Poorboys, Blackfire, Griots 1Z einszett, and many combinations of what these brands offer.

I personally have really started to like a lot of the Prima Line as I've only started using it recently (but many of the regulars here have used Prima stuff for a long time with great success).

 

Thanks for the update!

I guess time will tell. I agree with the 5ft of snow. It's very difficult to do any washing in winter - probably impossible overall.

Temps in VT are sometimes below zero, often single digits.

But the clear coat issue still worries me a bit...

 

Why not use something like Optimum No Rinse? You can wash the car in the garage.

 

I own a car wash and a Mini. Its a cloth wash. My car goes thru 3-4 times a week. Using a paper or micro fiber towel causes more damage to the finish then the most washes will!! I wax frequently due to the excessive washing and drying. Most decent washes(cloth or high pressure) are specifically designed to use recommended soap mixes and pressures to optimize washing. Things do occasionally happen in 6 years we have had 2 damage claims, both due to door not opening!!!
My biggest issue when going thru wash is extremely large amounts of soap that build in the door jams!! Otherwise no problems. Remember a clean car just feels better!!!!

 

Never heard of it - will do some looking into. Thanks.

 

I only buy half of this statement. I use good quality Micro Fiber clothes and towels and they leave zero marks on my black paint. As in NONE! I would agree with your assessment of paper on any paint. It is bad. But I know for a fact that a car wash, any car wash, will leave marks on your paint but good quality micro fiber towels, cloths etc will not.

I will grant you that you could get lame low quality Micro Fiber towels that may leave marks on your car but that is your own damn fault for buying cheap crap.

 

So a car wash that constantly has dirty cars and trucks running through it's spinning towels will take better care of my car finish than my clean micro fiber towel that I know has never touched anything but my clean car?

That's hard to believe......

I've seen some cars and trucks covered in MUD go through those car washes......there is no way that some of that dirt/mud/sand/grit won't still to those spinning towels and no damage to a nice finish.

For me it's always hand washing...NEVER an automated car wash. I'd rather leave the car dirty for a few weeks until I can wash it myself, than run it through a car wash.

 

So a car wash that constantly has dirty cars and trucks running through it's spinning towels will take better care of my car finish than my clean micro fiber towel that I know has never touched anything but my clean car?

That's hard to believe......

I've seen some cars and trucks covered in MUD go through those car washes......there is no way that some of that dirt/mud/sand/grit won't still to those spinning towels and no damage to a nice finish.

For me it's always hand washing...NEVER an automated car wash. I'd rather leave the car dirty for a few weeks until I can wash it myself, than run it through a car wash.

 

Amen brother!!

 

I will use the wand wash in the winter, just to get the salt off. But that's it! You couldn't pay me to drive through a carwash! Totally agree with this:


Reminds me of a woman at my work who was talking about detailing her car, I had my doubts so after work I looked at her car, which of course had swirls all over it. Just because she washed it once (probably through a car wash lol) and took some Armor All Wipes to the dash does not make it detailed to me, but to her it's spotless. Same goes for most drivers going through a carwash, they just see the dirt it gone and that is all they care about.

 

I think that is 3/4 of the driving population. At least it sure seems like that. In our side of the state it's easy that 3/4 of the cars look like crap. Not washed at all and if they were it's all car wash and swirl marks.

 

Hand wash to wash, touchless to maintain...