I have no problem with those who use do it yourself car wash stations, especially those who are driveway challenged. My point is the MINI is so small it is unfathomable to me why you would pay someone else to rub your car with soap and towels that have rubbed 1,000s of cars before yours and may or may not be clean and free from grit. My g*d, can it take more than a half hour to spray the car with water and soap and dry it off? They even make touchless tire dressing. How simple can it be? Can it cost more than 8 quarters - two bits, at the local drive-in self help car wash station?

[Okay, if you are disabled I understand the need for others to do the cleaning, however, that is a matter of necessity, not choice.]

 

Nah I like my way better, saves me time & moolah. My carsoap is too expensive to waste a dose in a whole nother bucket of water just to do the wheels 1st. Doing my wheels takes only a few minutes so the MINI is still nice & wet by the time I finish them

 

If you wash out of direct sunlight then you shouldn't have "premature evaporation" issues (heh) - worst case just hose it back off again after you're done with the wheels and then use your Hydro. I usually make a small wheel bucket and a larger paint bucket of soap, but bamatt's process seems sound as well - just be sure to use a diferent brush/mitt/whatever on the rims than you use on the paint - brake dust is hellishly abrasive. I'd rinse the bucket out well afterwards, too...

 

My carwash mitt never touches the wheels. I have 2 brushes, one for the wheels & one for the tires because the tires one gets yucky black

 

Much obliged for the feedback. Touchless Carwash it will have to be as I am one of those apartment dwellers without water-spicket access. (Ugh...Dread the thought of them during New England winters, though.)