Just got my MINI on Thursday and don't feel I have the appropriate "tools" yet for washing my MINI at home (microfiber towels, etc.) Was wondering if anyone takes their cars through "Scrub-A-Dub type" car washes or am I insane for even considering this? I don't feel like I will be OVERLY **** about keeping my car clean, but after being out and about all day today, it could sure use a wash before I show it off some more. Should I go out and buy/washing/drying/waxing items right away (it needs it for tomorrow's first meetings with more friends), or do I dare take it through a car wash? Any thoughts would be appreciated! NUMMYTIME

 

yes buy the stuff now. cars washes leave marks and are hard on paint over time. you want to keep the new car look right? a good wash mit, bucket, quality car soap, and dry towels will get you started. wax and dressing will come later if you can not spend the $$ now. good luck

 

I carry a towel in the boot of my MCS for that 'just-need-a-carwash' time. Mostly I hand wash it. Better results that way. Other than that, I'll go to those do-it-yourself spray carwash bays. I wouldn't go to the automated whipping brush type washes though. And be somewhat careful when you enter those touchless high pressure automated washes where you place the wheels of your car on the track and it runs you through. Some of them have lower clearance issues with certain cars.
Cheers, and congrads on the new MINI

 

Aloha Nummytime-
Good to hear you have your MINI, what is the color?
For any metallic color I do not recommend anything but hand wash. I have an indi blue and it scratches super easy so I ALWAYS hand wash with a microfiber towel very gently and use wax regularly. If you have a solid color then you are safer to be less careful but carwashes are really harsh.
Go the the topic on auto detailing here at MCO- it is rather complete on car care.
Post some pictures of your car! What did you get for floor mats?

 

HAND WASH ONLY!! Please don't take it through a car scratcher, I mean car wash.
Automated car washes will ruin your finish.

 

Run it through the car wash, for cryin' out loud. Unless, of course, you plan to keep the car hermetically sealed in plastic wrap.
Own the car...don't let the car own you.

 

MCO is an "enthusiast" board, so naturally I'd expect a lot of "don't put your 'baby' through a carwash" kind of comments. But hey, let's get real, the vast majority of auto owners use a car wash at one time or another and guess what, the cars survive. I would hope that the MINI's finish is no more sensitive any any other car's...it can go through a carwash.

Given the chance -- good weather, enough time -- I actually LIKE to hand wash my car. But if it's winter or my car has too much dirt during the week and I need it to look clean, it's car wash time.

Just be sure to watch out for the height of the rails at some washes. The MINI has pretty low ground clearence, and you don't want to drag. I've found this to be a problem at a few washes.

As Stovepipe says...Own the car

 

I agree w/ jsun
We all know that hand washing your car is the prudent choice....
but...
for those of us who live in climates that scream during the winter months..."I'm not standing outside in 0 degree weather to wash this car"....a brushless car wash...will certainly do :smile:.
Summer is 'trying" to come around here in NY....so I'll be hand washing my MCS on a regular basis...as I really enjoy doing it.

We I'm sure can all agree that a newly washed/waxed car...just looks terrific.
And these MINI's...clean up real good
My methology is simple...
1. hose her down, light detergent wash...( if you can afford a good "car wash" ...go for it..if not "dawn" works fine.
2. nice soft washing mitten or sponge...
plenty of soft dry towlels...
it's not magic...dude

when you get into waxing/detailing ...etc...
this is an artform to some
I wax the car and the rims...nearly everytime I wash the car.
I use zymol..as I've personally had great results w/ it.
Mothers back to black or liquid gold from Turtle wax for all the black trim.
Windex w/ no amonia for the windows and some interior stuff.
and the Armoral Wheel stuff to make the tires shinny..

I know there are more advanced ...washing/waxing methologies...but ...
my MCS is just fine ...2me

Here's a pic

Peace.
D

_________________
2002 MCS:PS/B, w/Lapis Int.

 

Aaaahhh I had to take mine through an automated car wash while on a trip a few month back. I still have nightmares of those huge red strips whipping my paint to death! Don't do it.

 

>>My methology is simple...
>>1. hose her down, light detergent wash...( if you can afford a good "car wash" ...go for it..if not "dawn" works fine.


STOP THE PRESSES!!! Dawn dishwashing is not appropriate for frequent washing. It's alkalinity will damage clearcoat over time. Any type of automotive detergent will do the trick.

 

just hand wash at home

 

Yes, go buy the needed supplies NOW!

 

>>Yes, go buy the needed supplies NOW!


is that an order? :squint:

 

I do mine by hand when possible and use a California Duster in between to stretch the number of days/weeks between washing. I 'm to the point now where I can go 2-3 weeks in between washings by doing a little hand-touch ups every other day or so.

When winter comes though, I'll brave the elements for power washer as opposed to those Matrix/T3 machine washes.

But car wash supplies were my first purchase after picking up my MINI.

Cheers,
Bill

 

Hand washing is always best, but make sure you use soap designed for washing automotive surfaces. fins4248 is correct, dishwashing soap has the potential for ruinging the finish on your car.
Check out Meguires website, they have an interactive site with a quesitonaire that asks you all sorts of things about where you live, how the car is stored how its driven and at the end of the questionaire the website produces a custom made paint care system tailored just for your situation, ofcouerse the recommnedations are Meguires, but hey, they make good products.
Yesterday my Mini lost its virginity and got rained on for the first time, after 10 months and 4700 miles, never been rained on till yesterday. Along with the rain came a lot of road dirt. Hand washing is even a problem with this stuff. I near Danbury Connecticut and there is an automatic car wash there that doesn't touch your cars surface, its fabulous, just warm water, lots of colorful soap, more warm water and hot air, all you need do is wipe it dry with one of those new synthetic chamois. I use this type of car wash when there is heavy dirt particles on the surface that even hand washing will cause them to create those wsirles. The high pressure water and soap remove all the dirt without ever touching it. You get to ride in the car as its getting washed and the the soap station sprays out soap that looks like colorful confetti its great! Look in your loccal yellow pages for a 'no touch' or 'touchless' car wash. I don't recommend using them all the time, just when you have noticable sand and grit.

 

>>Yesterday my Mini lost its virginity and got rained on for the first time, after 10 months and 4700 miles, never been rained on till yesterday.

mine is still a rain virgin :smile:

 

STOPPPPP!!!!! Don't take it through a car wash place.. I would swear by it, it will be scratched.. ( use to be a supervisor for a new car department dealership). If you have time go by your self a plastic bucket,a Furry wash mit NOT SPRONGE!!! some Armorall self drying car soap only a cap full will do yah, and one of those Asorbers drying cloths that stay wet in there container. Then wax it once or twice a yr. in between the wax's, Try this stuff called the "bomb" liquid detailer from florida. Its awsome... Ohhh, Make sure the car is cool, not hot to wash... Dan

 

I much prefer to hand wash, but in an emergency situation I will use a touchless car wash. NO BRUSHES!!!

 

My brother used to work for Blue Magic, which makes the detergent and wax for the automatic "brushless" car washes. He insists that its safer than hand washing. I think he fell for their marketing. I don't trust the washing to a machine. Never seems to get the grime off the bottom 1/3 of the car.
I hand wash whenever possible (got all new supplies a week before I took possession) Still trying out new products. Micro fiber towels and CA duster are great.
Anyway, If you have to, take it to a wand-spray place. Just don't use the foaming brush or apply the wax. I've had to use them during those late-night, gotta get the bugs off after a road trip washes. But i still bring a mitt so I don't have to powerspray one spot for too long.

 

Touchless car wash.
When it needs wax...get rid of it.

 

Your kit should include:

Car Wash: Blue Coral is great
Wax: I'm a Zymol convert too (and remember to wax the rims, helps remove brake dust)
Plastic exterior: Back to black
Tire dressing: Meguire's Endurance
Windows: Windex or Armorall window cleaner
Interior: use microfiber towels

Get a couple of buckets and some sponges. One set for the wheels, one set for all else. I use Simple Green on the wheels. It's death on brake dust (I have WHITE wheels, so everything shows). Then sponge and hose off.

Hand washing is lots of fun. But when its 10 degrees out, use a brushless carwash close to home and detail in the garage.

 

Perish the thought of an automatic car wash!!!

It's like letting someone else make love to your spouse!

Seriously, I wish I'd never taken my last vehicle through automatic carwashes. The damage has been incredible in the long run.

Buy the stuff! Just go to a Schuck's or a Baxter's or even GI Joe's where they have it all. Check out the detailing thread or talk to DavBret, the detailing main man!

Good luck!

 

I prefer to hand wash when it is possible, I'll start my post that way.

Moving on, I hate to see people jumping onto the automatic car washes are evil bandwagon. Anyone here know of or about Harry Mathews? He's a major car enthusiast and also happens to be the man who basically perfected the touchless auto carwash. This man happens to have one of the best private auto collections in the country. So my point: an auto lover designed something for cleaning cars, do you really think it's going to cause harm? The brush intensive ones, that's another story entirely.

Continuing on...I live in Colorado. Roughly 6 months out of the year it's difficult to wash a car on your own. We also have a state married to the idea of magnesium chloride to remove ice and my county specifically likes salt. This means a good undercarriage wash is needed through the winter. Auto car washes take care of that right nicely. During the summer now, I can only water 2 days a week. Those are also the same 2 days I can wash my car and I can only do it during certain times of day (before 10 or after 6). But I can use a carwash anytime. Most of those situations, I'm going to a spray it yourself by the quarter facility near by, but sometimes it's just easier to go use the automatic variety. I have used the auto washers for my last 4-5 years of car ownership and I can attest with 100% accuracy that not one scratch on my cars has been caused by the use of said.

 

I find that facilities use the term 'brushless' very liberally. Away from home, I have used such places only to be surprised by the little rotors with 'non-brushes' that clean the side of your car. What's up with that?! What really is a brush? When I think of brushless, I assume that nothing besides streams of water or soap will be touching the car. When you guys talk of 'automatic', what does that mean anyway? Are you speaking of those simple park-n-stop deals with power jets tacked onto the sides of some gas stations? Also, what's wrong with using the self-serve stations (without brush wand) in a pinch?