Touchless wash all the time?

W

White330

New member
Hello, newbie here and need some advice.



Just bought my new baby, and I would like to keep her pristine. Unfortunately, I live in a condo, so regular washing with a bucket is not possible.



I have a few options - there's a touchless gas station car wash down the street and I also bought some of that "Quick & Easy Wash" stuff. Will my car be clean if it gets just a steady dose of the "touchless" car wash? Should I use QEW instead? I do have a DIY place not too far away, but it's in a less than stellar part of town and I'm a little hesitant about hanging out there for lengthy periods of time with a brand new bimmer.



What would you suggest?



Once I solve the problem above, I'm going to put some sealant on her in a few weeks. What should I use to make sure that all the old wax is gone-AIO will work, I presume? Anything equivalent available over the counter? I am willing to sacrifice a little result for ease of use.



Thanks in advance.
 
Yes White, I too must disagree with you. It is possible to wash your car in an apartment/condo setting with a bucket. Read the links that Zippy posted. What I do is if the car is REALLY dirty, I'll take it to the touchless wash. However, the touchless definitely doesn't get all the dirt off. So, afterward I'll use QEW to get the rest. If it's not that dirty I go straight to QEW.
 
I use the local touchfree frequently (silver paint). If the car is just "dusty," i.e. it's been parking outside but not rained on or splattered, the touchfree will get most/all of the dust off. Once the dirt has been caked on with water, though, the touchfree will leave a film of dirt behind that has to come off with a hand wash. So, ironically, I end up using the touchfree more in summer, and handwashing more in winter.



Another approach I've recently seen and want to try is to use a touchfree or coin-op power spray, followed up by Poorboys Spray & Wipe. That will eliminate the bucket altogether, as long as the car is clean enough for the S&W.



And, get that coat of sealant on as soon as possible (with proper prep, of course). A well-sealed car washes soooo much easier. I know this, but even so I was quite surprised to see three weeks' worth of dirt basically rinsed off with the hose this past weekend. Keeping the sealant in good condition will make the touchfree more effective.
 
Hate to admit it but I've had my car for nearly six years and have never cleaned it by hand--and it still looks beautiful (to me). I mainly use a high pressure "touchless" (brushless) wash place, and when I notice that there is still a fine layer of dirt left on it, I go through a full service wash, w/ brushes, etc. I only need to do this three of four times a year, and I have had them "detail" it two or three times. But otherwise I think that most new cars--ones w/ a basecoat and clearcoat--will do fine w/out a lot of hand work (hard work?).



See my photos in the gallery. There's a little sling on back quater panel but otherwise it isn't bad for an old car):



New_wheels_011_Medium_.jpg
 
ramp said:
Hate to admit it but I've had my car for nearly six years and have never cleaned it by hand
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I think you just got yourself banned. :chuckle:



Thanks to everyone for the advice, I'm certainly open to all suggestions.
 
Probably did, but I think most of the pros here are well aware of the clearcoat phenom...



A good clearcoat done by a good car company will last for the life of the car. Doesn't mean you can ignore your car's finish, but it sure means a lot less care required.



Don't get me wrong. I WANT to get my car detailed by a pro, and am trying to find one now. If it looks this good w/out a pro, I can only imagine what it will look like when one gets a hold of it! WOW
 
Your 500 is clean, but its not CLEAN :D. Even the pictures show dull lifeless paint. Might want to make an adjustment to your cleaning regimin. :D
 
I've used the local touchless and the largest problem is that it will remove wax and some sealants very easily. Just like Ramp, there is typically some areas where dirt remains. And remember, "touchless" only goes for the wash...they still may use dirty, linting towels to finish drying the car. QEW seems like a perfect option, although Optimum Car Care is coming out with a new, QEW-style product that also leaves a bit of polymer protection soon (the owner said by the end of the year, but obviously that is pretty much here already). Also, Poorboy's Spray and Wipe could be a nice option if you plan to do this very often.
 
I agree it is not really CLEAN, but it still has a deep shine. My photos don't really show it well. (They are very low resolution.) I just got some QEW though and plan to try it. I know it needs a real detail, but the closest pro is 50 miles away. It makes for a difficult situation, but I'm working on it.



The thought of detailing my own car scares the hell out of me, but I may have to give it a try when the weather warms up this spring. There was a very nice college guy in town who is a pro and was going to do it, but froze-up all of his supplies, and had to leave town after graduating. I hope he returns in the spring! He's very good and a regular on this forum (blacksunshine). He could also comment on my car finish since he looked at it... (Let me know if you return Tyler!)
 
I've seen several variations on this "touch-less" car wash. Some car washes say they are but in fact use spinning brushes.



There are also the coin-operated ones as previously mentioned, usually a bay at a self serve car wash.



When I drove the Black Audi home to NYC for thanksgiving (through 5 hrs of snow and rain) they have yet another twist where it looks like a reqular car wash and you have to line the car up on tracks.



A Mexican guy pressure washes (pre-soaks) the wheels/wells and body then you go through the bay getting the treatment. My mom reccommeded it to me, however it I saw what was on the other side waiting for me, another bunch of mexicans w/terry towels to dry my car. I spoke to the guy w/the PW in spanish and told him to tell his buddies to back off, I would do it since I brought some WW's and Meg's QD with me (just in case).



Then there is my personal favorite, it's called a laser wash. You pull in, a signal tells you when to stop and on the way in the undercarraige gets sprayed down. A huge arm moves around the car to presoak, apply soap, rinse, (apply some sealant if you want it too) then forced air dry.



You will need to dry it down some more with a good towel and some QD (as there is almost always some stuff left on the panels).



I hand wash my car in my heated garage even if it's below freezing, but you can find a decent touch-less wash if you know what to look for. But before I got the garage I used either the QEW method or the Laser-wash.
 
The one next to me is what some of you have referred to as laser wash - there really isn't anything touching your car, and it is air-dried.



No one has mentioned anything about an over the counter polish yet - any recommendations?
 
I am assuming that you would be using the polish to take off old wax? Meguiar's ColorX (not ScratchX) would do an excellent job cleaning and even leave a little polymer protection on the paint. $10 at my Pepboys.
 
ramp said:
The thought of detailing my own car scares the hell out of me, but I may have to give it a try when the weather warms up this spring.
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Ramp, I know your car can look a lot better. It's definitely clean which is great, but the paint should look like a mirror.



Also, don't be afraid to do your own detailing. If you buy some decent polish and decent sealant applying them with a PC is nearly idiot proof. Especially with all the info you have at your disposal courtesy of Autopia.

White330 said:
The one next to me is what some of you have referred to as laser wash - there really isn't anything touching your car, and it is air-dried.



No one has mentioned anything about an over the counter polish yet - any recommendations?
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I have a Laser Wash near me as well. It's the best automated car wash I've ever used. Seems to do a better job than the coin-op self-serve bay.



As far as what polish to buy that depends on what you're trying to accomplish. You may need to level the paint due to scratching which will require a lightly abrasive polish or possibly a heavily abrasive one. Alternatively, you may just need a non-abrasive pre-wax cleaner to remove oxidation and old wax.
 
Mikeyc said:
As far as what polish to buy that depends on what you're trying to accomplish. You may need to level the paint due to scratching which will require a lightly abrasive polish or possibly a heavily abrasive one. Alternatively, you may just need a non-abrasive pre-wax cleaner to remove oxidation and old wax.
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My car's only been around for four days, so I think all I need is to remove the wax the dealer put on, so the pre-wax cleaner is what I assume I am looking at.
 
White330 said:
My car's only been around for four days, so I think all I need is to remove the wax the dealer put on, so the pre-wax cleaner is what I assume I am looking at.
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A lot of people make the mistake of assuming that since their car is new that the paint on it is in the best possible condition. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.



Before you buy your car it is exposed to the elements during transportation via train, boat, truck, or what have you and also exposed to the elements while on the dealer's lot. However, the most dangerous thing to a new car is usually the less than knowledgeable people who wash & wax the car prior to delivery. Many dealers will install cob webbing (a/k/a swirls) in your paint prior to delivery at no extra charge. :D



That being said, I can't say what you would really need without seeing your car. Best case scenario you need a pre-wax cleaner (AIO is a good example of pre-wax cleaner combined with sealant). Less than ideal circumstances you need a mildly abrasive polish like Menzerna FPII which is a popular one.
 
I find that the touchless works in a pinch. Grime doesn't stick all the much to a freshly waxed surface and it gets pretty clean in the touchless if has been freshly waxed. The touchless will remove some LSP so something like NXT Booster Spray Wax is a good idea after the wash. This is an alternative for icy, snowy winters if you don't have access to a heated garage to wash or are on the road.
 
zippymbr said:
Megs Medalion Paint cleaner is a good OTC. But I think it has been discontinued.
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The whole Medallion line from Megs is discontinued. I think it was non-VOC compliant.
 
I recently got one of the NEW touchless car washes built near my home. I got a chance to use it last Saturday for the first time. I mixed up a spray bottle of QEW and warm water and drove down. There was no one waiting in line, so I pulled up to the bill collector..got out..sprayed the lower body panels with the QEW mix..sprayed the tires and rims with GPC and drove inside. The system automatically sprays a pretty heavy foam an all panels then lets it soak in for about a minute. It then "washes" the car and rinses. The really cool part of the new system is, as the door opens to leave, an led panel lites up displaying the drying time remaining. They give you a full minute to very slowly drive out under these huge blowers. When I pulled out to the vac area to wiper her down, there was very little water left. I used some waffle weaves and Spray and Gloss. She looked pretty darned good for never getting my hands wet. I think this has become my winter washing method. Every other time I'll do a OCW treatment.
 
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