Coin-operated carwashes?
- Thread starter tguil
- Start date
Glossequation
New member
tguil said:
legally, no, but lets just say from time to time it can be done, for example the middle of winter when nobody's there.
Heck, when I was in college, I'd go once a week and nobody ever said anything.
Jngrbrdman
New member
I had an arrangement with a coin operated facility near my appartment back in the day. There is always a closed bay with the barrel blocking it at those places. He told me that if he had a closed bay then he didn't mind if I did a bucket wash. I mean, it wasn't going to block anyone from using it so why not? I'd wager that you wouldn't even need an agreement with the owner. If they have a closed bay then what could they complain about?
last weekend me and a friend took both our cars to the coin operated facility. well my friend has a lot of bass in his stereo and was playing it loud as all hell. a minute later these to girls pull up and start playing their bass system loud as all hell too. turned into bass wars and my car was in the middle. well the two girls finished washing their cars before my friend and I and drove off. not a second later 2 cops pull up and stare at my friend until he notices them. anyways the cop said they were getting complaints from the neighbors about loud music comming from the place. the cop even pointed to a sign hung with all the rules of the facility. (one of them was probably "no buckets"
to make a long story short all i have to say is the entire time this is going on,
I'm there with my 5 gallon bucket going to town on my car and no one ever said a damn thing to me.
there is no way buckets are illegal at coin op carwashes if they were i d probably be doing 5-10 without probation.
nuff said.
to make a long story short all i have to say is the entire time this is going on,
I'm there with my 5 gallon bucket going to town on my car and no one ever said a damn thing to me.
there is no way buckets are illegal at coin op carwashes if they were i d probably be doing 5-10 without probation.
nuff said.
I always figured that the soap they use is stronger than dawn and would strip all waxes right off the car. Anybody know about this? Last year was a real b!tch with all the snow and salt up here. I even wound up bursting an outdoor water pipe when I forgot to turn the feed off from inside the house after a wash in the dead of winter. I'd love to have an alternative.
Long time lurker, first time poster. I own a coin op and will address a few of the questions.
Proper technique for washing without damaging is to use pre-soak on dry car (if they have) then high pressure soap, high pressure rinse and spot free rinse (if they have) Only use the brush if it is a boars-hair and only after rinsing with high pressure soap. If your car is black or another dark color I don't recommend the brush.
Depending on what part of the country and how old the wash is, most self serves do not use recycled water. The majority of tunnels do and most new washes are required.
Bucket washing is considered tresspassing, you are buying soap and renting space, most owners won't care on a slow day, but will on a busy day. I have threatened to have bucket washers arrested if they didn't leave when asked.
As for the soap removing your wax, if the wash uses the correct chemicals and they are titrated properly, they shouldn't remove your wax. I wash my vette everyday to make sure the bays are working properly, and my car still beads up after multiple washings.
Hope this helps
Rick
Proper technique for washing without damaging is to use pre-soak on dry car (if they have) then high pressure soap, high pressure rinse and spot free rinse (if they have) Only use the brush if it is a boars-hair and only after rinsing with high pressure soap. If your car is black or another dark color I don't recommend the brush.
Depending on what part of the country and how old the wash is, most self serves do not use recycled water. The majority of tunnels do and most new washes are required.
Bucket washing is considered tresspassing, you are buying soap and renting space, most owners won't care on a slow day, but will on a busy day. I have threatened to have bucket washers arrested if they didn't leave when asked.
As for the soap removing your wax, if the wash uses the correct chemicals and they are titrated properly, they shouldn't remove your wax. I wash my vette everyday to make sure the bays are working properly, and my car still beads up after multiple washings.
Hope this helps
Rick
i dont believe the cops would actually arrest someone.
they 'd probably look at the owner (like he was crazy) and tell you to leave.
if you didnt leave then thats a whole other issue.
but getting arrested for possession of a bucket is ridiculous.
and it's not like there's not a 1000 different fun ways to sabotage a coin-op car wash for a little revenge if you did get kicked out. the owner would soon realize its more trouble than its worth to bother someone with a bucket.
my 2 ¢.
they 'd probably look at the owner (like he was crazy) and tell you to leave.
if you didnt leave then thats a whole other issue.
but getting arrested for possession of a bucket is ridiculous.
and it's not like there's not a 1000 different fun ways to sabotage a coin-op car wash for a little revenge if you did get kicked out. the owner would soon realize its more trouble than its worth to bother someone with a bucket.
my 2 ¢.
Magellan498
New member
:welcome to posting on Autopia rstorer!
Thanks for your insight! :up
Thanks for your insight! :up
My view of the coin-ops and bucket washing is that you have an
implied agreement with the business owner: you go in there to
use the space, you're expected to be dropping quarters in the slot. The ratio of quarters-in-slot to time-in-stall should be pretty high.
If you mosey along and spend 30 minutes in a stall while people are waiting and you've paid only for a rinse, you're ripping
the business owner off. If there is absolutely nobody around and the stall would sit empty anyway, it's OK to dilly dally a bit.
Yeah, you're not buying the soap if you bring your own, but you're probably dumping in more quarters than the average Joe anyway, so maybe it works out even.
Use your common sense, don't hold up any other paying customers, be polite, etc etc. Don't expect to set up shop and spend the day detailing in there. If you get asked to vamoose, do so and go elsewere.
Jon, not looking forward to winter
implied agreement with the business owner: you go in there to
use the space, you're expected to be dropping quarters in the slot. The ratio of quarters-in-slot to time-in-stall should be pretty high.
If you mosey along and spend 30 minutes in a stall while people are waiting and you've paid only for a rinse, you're ripping
the business owner off. If there is absolutely nobody around and the stall would sit empty anyway, it's OK to dilly dally a bit.
Yeah, you're not buying the soap if you bring your own, but you're probably dumping in more quarters than the average Joe anyway, so maybe it works out even.
Use your common sense, don't hold up any other paying customers, be polite, etc etc. Don't expect to set up shop and spend the day detailing in there. If you get asked to vamoose, do so and go elsewere.
Jon, not looking forward to winter
SouthernZ71
New member
markmando said:
Yeah, can you say fish in the vac cleaner. I've heard this works like a charm
I bucketwash wash 2-3 cars a week at a coin op place. I am very polite, clean and friendly while doing so. Nobody minds at all, I even chat with the owner and his workers if they are there.
I have been going to this coin-op for like 2 yrs now so the owner knows I am a consistent customer and sees no harm in my being there. I do go when it is slower wether late at night or early in the morning.
In a case like yours if the owner did give me grief I would explain how often and much I spend when washing my car. I am sure I spend more money than most other people do. If the owner knowing that was still rude I would go elsewhere. There seem to be so few polite, clean people that use these places anymore. If it was not apppreciated that I am, time to move on and let em clean up after some other slob.
Good luck
:wavey
I have been going to this coin-op for like 2 yrs now so the owner knows I am a consistent customer and sees no harm in my being there. I do go when it is slower wether late at night or early in the morning.
In a case like yours if the owner did give me grief I would explain how often and much I spend when washing my car. I am sure I spend more money than most other people do. If the owner knowing that was still rude I would go elsewhere. There seem to be so few polite, clean people that use these places anymore. If it was not apppreciated that I am, time to move on and let em clean up after some other slob.
Good luck
:wavey
B
Blue-Sun
Guest
I've always used a coin-op car wash, living in a condo then an apartment. I've been using buckets there since I found autopia. If the owner complains, I have 2 defenses. 1-I wash my car 1 time a week. that's a minimum of 1 a week. And the detail's that I've done recently were all at the same wash. I wash my gf's car also.
2-with bucket washing, I go thru 2 cycles of the wash. One to rinse the car and fill the bucket, and one to rinse the soap off the car. so that's 2 cycles per wash per car. if they want to loose that amount of money, let them, and I'll find a place that let's me. But so far, I've never had any complaint's. I also use the stall as a drying area when it's really sunny out. If there's people waiting, I move out of the stall. I've never had an owner complain to me. it's too much business lost for them if they do.
2-with bucket washing, I go thru 2 cycles of the wash. One to rinse the car and fill the bucket, and one to rinse the soap off the car. so that's 2 cycles per wash per car. if they want to loose that amount of money, let them, and I'll find a place that let's me. But so far, I've never had any complaint's. I also use the stall as a drying area when it's really sunny out. If there's people waiting, I move out of the stall. I've never had an owner complain to me. it's too much business lost for them if they do.
Well, unfortunately since moving to Indiana I no longer live in an apt complex that has a car wash bay. Now I have to go to a coin op place to wash.
There are 2 near my apartment; I go to the one that is sort of "in the boonies" and not in a high traffic area. I also go around 6am on a Saturday morning, when most people are still asleep.
By the time I finish washing, maybe 1 or 2 other people have come (and gone). I am not in anyone's way.
I do a bucket wash (because I don't know what kind of soap is in those things, and I doubt it is as good as my Sonax or P21S). But I spend about $10 on rinse water, which is probably more than most people spend dashing in for a quick scrub and rinse!
When the attendant arrived later I asked him if it was ok. He said it was fine with him!
I say, if I am a paying customer and people aren't waiting in line (or leaving) to use the bay, then I will bucket wash!!!
I cannot wait to buy a house!!!
This has been a really hard summer because I have a broken right wrist and torn ligaments in my carpal bones. And of course I am right handed. I cannot detail the way I want to (and the way I know I should). I have had to learn to just let things go and it really bugs me!!!
There are 2 near my apartment; I go to the one that is sort of "in the boonies" and not in a high traffic area. I also go around 6am on a Saturday morning, when most people are still asleep.
By the time I finish washing, maybe 1 or 2 other people have come (and gone). I am not in anyone's way.
I do a bucket wash (because I don't know what kind of soap is in those things, and I doubt it is as good as my Sonax or P21S). But I spend about $10 on rinse water, which is probably more than most people spend dashing in for a quick scrub and rinse!
When the attendant arrived later I asked him if it was ok. He said it was fine with him!
I say, if I am a paying customer and people aren't waiting in line (or leaving) to use the bay, then I will bucket wash!!!
I cannot wait to buy a house!!!
This has been a really hard summer because I have a broken right wrist and torn ligaments in my carpal bones. And of course I am right handed. I cannot detail the way I want to (and the way I know I should). I have had to learn to just let things go and it really bugs me!!!
Deanski
STUTTGART'S FINEST
In the past, I used to ask one operator what's the difference if I put it on the car or in a bucket? Blank stare, then reply that it takes too long.
Anyway, today if I need to go to one, I tip the operator of the facility and ask if there is a good timeframe for this type of use of the bay. It's his property after all. Back then, I also asked if he provided an outlet, he could gain more money if he had a canopy and a good detailer....Gee wonder who?
So, I used to go at nights, early morning without any problems.
Now, since our condo has multi hose spigots, no need to drag everything to the wash bays.
As long as you don't wash an engine out, it really should not be an issue so long as you respect the time of high volume so he can make his money, or do as I did, give the guy a tip and go about your business. The answer here is be flexible!
Regards,
Deanski
Anyway, today if I need to go to one, I tip the operator of the facility and ask if there is a good timeframe for this type of use of the bay. It's his property after all. Back then, I also asked if he provided an outlet, he could gain more money if he had a canopy and a good detailer....Gee wonder who?
So, I used to go at nights, early morning without any problems.
Now, since our condo has multi hose spigots, no need to drag everything to the wash bays.
As long as you don't wash an engine out, it really should not be an issue so long as you respect the time of high volume so he can make his money, or do as I did, give the guy a tip and go about your business. The answer here is be flexible!
Regards,
Deanski
I wash mine in the coin bay only when my 1-tires are very dirty or 2- the wheel wells are very dirty.But the wash I go to has one of the best water softener washes around.The owner said that it cost him a fortune to build.Will this softened water help or not? I do my car at least once a week in the winter here.They can get a little crazy with the salt on the roads.
B
Blue-Sun
Guest
there's a place nearby that supossedly used hinkley and schmidt water in there stalls (according to my cousin who asked the owner).
they claim that they spend an insane amount of money on water. . .anyone heard of any coin-op doing this. . .?
they claim that they spend an insane amount of money on water. . .anyone heard of any coin-op doing this. . .?
Jngrbrdman
New member
Deanski said:
The difference is that he gets to make $30 an hour off you while you are dumping quarters in. If you just fill a bucket up at his sink and never spend a dime on his wash other than to use his vacuum, then I can see how he would be a bit bent. :lol If you can work out an arrangement with the operator then that is cool. How many of these places really have someone there at all hours of the day though? I say if its not holding up business and you do drop quarters in their vacuum once in awhile, then it shouldn't make a difference. I just wouldn't take forever because it draws attention. Find one with a closed off bay and you are golden. Who can possibly ***** about you using the bay when its not working anyway?