Do It Yourself Car Wash - Your Own Tools

B

Basshog

New member
I recently started going to a do it yourself car wash and am brining my usual tools for detailing but am having a problem washing my big, black truck before the soap begins to dry and streak. Will letting the soap streak on your paint have any negative effects? It seems that as long as the suds don't try completely, it rinses fine and nothing is left behind.



Anything I am missing?
 
Been doing the same thing to my truck at least untill i get my ONR and so far am having good results. Just make sure you rinse it really good at the end, if there are any spots go over it with some QD
 
I've used the coin-op for years -- as a matter of fact, at least 40 years. Most of those years I had a black vehicle. Only in the past year have I come up with what works absolutlely best for me. (Yep, I'm a slow learner -- Ph.D and all.)



I do not do the complete coin-op cycle, but I do wash it down with the coin-op soap and then rinse it with the coin-op rinse. I don't touch a mitt or towel to it at this time. After the coin-op rinse, I do a QEW wash either at the coin-op or at home in my garage.



Is the coin-op soap hard on the wax? Probably, but I usually apply a new coat of wax every four to six weeks.



Tom :cool:
 
tguil said:
I've used the coin-op for years -- as a matter of fact, at least 40 years. Most of those years I had a black vehicle. Only in the past year have I come up with what works absolutlely best for me. (Yep, I'm a slow learner -- Ph.D and all.)



I do not do the complete coin-op cycle, but I do wash it down with the coin-op soap and then rinse it with the coin-op rinse. I don't touch a mitt or towel to it at this time. After the coin-op rinse, I do a QEW wash either at the coin-op or at home in my garage.



Is the coin-op soap hard on the wax? Probably, but I usually apply a new coat of wax every four to six weeks.



Tom :cool:
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Why not do the QEW from the start? unless you have caked on mud, QEW and ONR can handle pretty dirty cars. I'm sure if the owner didn't like the fact that arent using the bay properly you can feed it some quarters... = P
 
I have the same problem. Being 2 hours from home(college) and no garage(dorm), i use the "coin-op" as bad as I hate to. I buy distilled water from walmart and use it in my bucket. I use a mitt and wash it just like you. I drive a Jeep Liberty so its not as big but I have the same problem with the soap drying. I try to keep ALOT of water and soap in my mitt and run back over the places that are drying. Ive never had any problems with spots or anything afterwards. I dry it with MEGS WW which seems to work out great. I was there for 1.5hours the other day b/c I quik waxed it. I started to get some weird looks from the people cleaning the place. As long as they dont kick me out Ill stay there as long as I want. :-)
 
deadlock32 said:
Why not do the QEW from the start? unless you have caked on mud, QEW and ONR can handle pretty dirty cars. I'm sure if the owner didn't like the fact that arent using the bay properly you can feed it some quarters... = P
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I guess that I just don't trust QEW or ONR on vehicles that have any "grit" at all on them. I only use QEW alone when I have a light coat of dirt or dust or residue left from a coin-op. Because I live on a dusty road, I never use a QD on my vehicles. During the winter I will break out the QEW, otherwise I simply get out the hose and "do it right".



Tom :cool:
 
tguil said:
I guess that I just don't trust QEW or ONR on vehicles that have any "grit" at all on them. I only use QEW alone when I have a light coat of dirt or dust or residue left from a coin-op. Because I live on a dusty road, I never use a QD on my vehicles. During the winter I will break out the QEW, otherwise I simply get out the hose and "do it right".



Tom :cool:
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Thats the way I see it. I would rather wash it the right way.. :woot2:
 
During the winter months, I use the coin-ops rinse cycle to take off the heavy stuff, and then I head home to my garage for a nice warm QEW bath....
 
I think the general consensus and certainly my opinion is that if you are concerned with the durability of your paint protection, you should never use any soaps from the coin-op, they are very very harsh. If you like to wax your car every 4 weeks then I guess you don't care, but the amount of time I am able to spend on my own vehicles fully detailing them is pretty limited, so when I do it, I have durability in mind.



When most autopians use the coin-op, it seems they take a bucket and a mitt with them and only use the coin-op for rinsing/high pressure purposes. Assuming the above is how at least bluelibby is doing it since he 'does it right', I would simply suggest rinsing each panel or each few panels after you wash them so the soap doesn't have time to dry or sit there and eat away at your LSP.



Bluelibby, I have to say I don't see much value in buying distilled water for your wash solution mix...maybe others will chime in and correct me but I think you'd be better off saving your money.
 
run coin op rinse cycle to spray down car and fill up bucket/soap (5 gallon bucket)

wash with mitt and soap

run coin op rinse cycle and wash it down good

if you have really bad water pouring some distilled water over the car would not hurt

dry with MF and QD
 
Lightman said:
I would simply suggest rinsing each panel or each few panels after you wash them so the soap doesn't have time to dry or sit there and eat away at your LSP.
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It takes 7 quarters to activate the do-it yourself I go to....that is a lot of quarters!! :soscared:
 
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