Question about car washes

M

metroplex

New member
I have a question regarding the use of car washes. What type of automatic car washes are safe/suitable for clearcoated finishes? I normally hand wash all of my cars using a chenille sponge/bone with the grit guard only after rinsing off loose dirt. During the winter in SE Michigan, the road salt is absolutely horrendous. I try my best to rinse the underbody but I've been thinking about taking it to an automatic car wash.

1). What type of automatic car wash should I look for, do I check in the yellow pages or is there a directory of "approved" car washes?

2). How does the car wash recycle the water, and how do they get rid of road salt in the solution?

3). What type of "wax" do they use in the car wash? My bet is some type of water soluble carnauba that lasts 1 rain storm.

4). Bottom line, yay or nay for automatic car washes? What about for the winter to get rid of road salt in the frame, underbody, and panels?

I tell people about how I wash and wax the cars by hand every so often and they look at me like I'm from Mars because they all take it into a car wash.

PS:
I normally use Klasse AIO on my cars (00 Crown Vic, 07 Mustang GT) but I recently started experimenting with Meguiar's NXT 1.0 (haven't tried 2.0 yet). It seems *comparable* to AIO at a lower price and a better scent.
 
Unless I had to I don't use the auto car washes...the touch-less ones are using chemical based cleaners and water pressure to remove the dirt....somewhat effect but not enough IMO..the wax used is a liquid stuff and IMO its an up sell that is not worth the money...can't be that effective.

The handheld ones are not a lot better but for someone like you and in your area...I would use them for blowing off the undercarriage and wells of the car, unless you have a pressure washer...I use one here locally for my cars in the winter...I use the soap cycle, then rinsee...then I use PB P&W to spray the car as I dry it...it works for me
 
If you have to use one, then the touchless ones are best, you don't want those dirt covered brushes or whatever it is they use to come in contact with the paint or you will be in swirl city. Even after I go through the touchless one I bet a couple good MFT's and some S&W and clean of anything left.
 
someone said it best... something like...

"automatic car washes are like hookers -- do you really know who was there last?"
 
metroplex said:
During the winter in SE Michigan, the road salt is absolutely horrendous.
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It's a problem throughout the snowbelt.

metroplex said:
1). What type of automatic car wash should I look for, do I check in the yellow pages or is there a directory of "approved" car washes?
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My criteria was clean, well maintained and with an attendant or I didn't even consider it.

metroplex said:
2). How does the car wash recycle the water, and how do they get rid of road salt in the solution?
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Many recycle the wash water and only use fresh water for the rinse cycle. I think recycled water may be required in some areas. The recycled water is filtered before it is reused, but the filtering would only be as good as the system is functioning. Even then, it my not be the greatest.
I asked the attendant at the one I use if I could see the equipment room and he was glad to show it to me. It was clean and I couldn't find any filter system. He said that no recycled water was used in that particular facility.

metroplex said:
3). What type of "wax" do they use in the car wash? My bet is some type of water soluble carnauba that lasts 1 rain storm.
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You are probably right on both counts. The one I use has a "no wax" cycle. You can pay 50 cents more and get another rinse cycle with no wax. That's what I do. I didn't like the idea of the wax on the windshield to create a smeary mess.

metroplex said:
4). Bottom line, yay or nay for automatic car washes? What about for the winter to get rid of road salt in the frame, underbody, and panels?
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IMO, Yay for removing the winter crud and even heavy mud/dirt buildup prior to either a bucket wash, a Spray & Wipe wash or a rinseless wash to finish the job. I also think it is of some benefit for cleaning the underbody.
I would vote nay as far as using one as the final or only wash. Your car will not be clean afterwards. Just look at how dirty your drying towel is.

metroplex said:
I tell people about how I wash and wax the cars by hand every so often and they look at me like I'm from Mars because they all take it into a car wash.
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Compare the look of your vehicle to their's and I think you will be happy to be from Mars.

metroplex said:
PS:
I normally use Klasse AIO on my cars (00 Crown Vic, 07 Mustang GT) but I recently started experimenting with Meguiar's NXT 1.0 (haven't tried 2.0 yet). It seems *comparable* to AIO at a lower price and a better scent.
Click to expand...
Good products and I think you will love the NXT 2.0 when you try it.
The Klasse AIO is a great cleaner prep, but the durability is probably no better than the NXT and possibly not as good as the NXT 2.0.
One thing the Klasse AIO has going for it is the non staining of black trim.
 
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