100% Hand Car Wash Okay?

[Mavrx]

I haven't had a car that I really babyed in a while and want to know if taking my telly to a car wash is okay. I'm not talking about the drive thru ones at the gas station but there's a few in my city where it says 100% hand wash. Here's one with good reviews: https://miamisautodetailing.com/

Would that be okay? Or would they damage the paint?

 

[alexdrums]

It should be okay. But If you want to be totally anal and don’t want to do it yourself, take it to a high-end detail place. That could get expensive, however.

 

[Kwim]

I haven't had a car that I really babyed in a while and want to know if taking my telly to a car wash is okay. I'm not talking about the drive thru ones at the gas station but there's a few in my city where it says 100% hand wash. Here's one with good reviews: https://miamisautodetailing.com/

Would that be okay? Or would they damage the paint?

eh, we would have such prices.

 

[Martin Kodiak]

I haven't had a car that I really babyed in a while and want to know if taking my telly to a car wash is okay. I'm not talking about the drive thru ones at the gas station but there's a few in my city where it says 100% hand wash. Here's one with good reviews: https://miamisautodetailing.com/

Would that be okay? Or would they damage the paint?

Heck I would pay extra for that service!

I run my cars through brushless wash locations often. If you clay and wax your rig consistently , running it through a quality wash system will not damage anything. IF you are very dirty or have things stuck to the paint, be sure to hand wash and then clay to clear the paint. I also use a Meguirs show car glaze before I wax. My paints seem very durable.

______________________________

 

[Mavrx]

Heck I would pay extra for that service!

I run my cars through brushless wash locations often. If you clay and wax your rig consistently , running it through a quality wash system will not damage anything. IF you are very dirty or have things stuck to the paint, be sure to hand wash and then clay to clear the paint. I also use a Meguirs show car glaze before I wax. My paints seem very durable.

When you say “hand wash” do you mean I wash it myself? I get confused when people mention hand wash but the car wash place also does a 100% “hand wash”

 

[Mavrx]

Heck I would pay extra for that service!

I run my cars through brushless wash locations often. If you clay and wax your rig consistently , running it through a quality wash system will not damage anything. IF you are very dirty or have things stuck to the paint, be sure to hand wash and then clay to clear the paint. I also use a Meguirs show car glaze before I wax. My paints seem very durable.

So you’re saying that the car wash place I posted is a good place to take my telly to? Im not sure what you mean by clay and wax. I havent washed a car myself in a while let alone wax or clayed it. My current car I just run it thru the auto car wash and use the free vacuum.

 

[Martin Kodiak]

So you’re saying that the car wash place I posted is a good place to take my telly to? Im not sure what you mean by clay and wax. I havent washed a car myself in a while let alone wax or clayed it. My current car I just run it thru the auto car wash and use the free vacuum.

Aloha Brother, Yes that looks like a fine place to have your rig washed. I mean i would surreptitiously look at their water and make sure it seems clean but i see no reason why that type of service offered wouldn't be quality.

There are many different types of auto car washes. The ones usually associated with gas stations and are short generally are no bueno. There are advertised brushless auto car washes that often are also great quality. In my area Brown Bear is good and acceptable, but I generally go to the General car wash as they do a great job and I get fewer spotting.

I hand wash my cars often. I wax cars being driven at least 4 times a year. I Clay bar a car twice a year or if it takes some weird abuse. Things bond to your paint. Clay bar removes those things from your paint. Glazes and wax provides a protective and beautifying layer to prevent damage and maximize beauty.

New paint is outgassing so if your car is less than three months old do not wax it. There is a nice paint shop safe glaze from Meguires that i use for new paint for shows or sales.

Alternately you can hire a detail shop to wax your car twice a year which is common practice.

OR you could learn a new skill set and buy a DA polisher and some pads and learn to do this yourself. I find it therapeutic.

Mahalo




this is the driver door on Betty.

 

[DruKe]

If you really want to protect and keep swirls off your paint, NEVER bring your vehicle through a wash tunnel. The "soft touch" things that whip around often have dirt and other contaminants on the brushes which spin over and over your paint job which creates the swirls. The pressure wash tunnels generally don't do a good enough job removing the road film on your vehicle. Best bet is take an hour every week or every other week and do you it yourself. If you want to spend some time doing it properly, go on YouTube and watch some videos from Dallas Paint Correction, Autolux Detailing and Pan the Organizer. Great resources that have videos that will walk you through doing everything from a wash all the way up to applying a ceramic coating.

As far as "clay and wax," the clay refers to using a clay bar. It's a bar of clay, much like play dough that you rub over the vehicle using some sort of lubricant (detailing spray, soapy water etc..) that shears off the bonded contaminants from the paint. And the wax, well, that could be anything from wax to a paint sealant to a ceramic coating.

If you take it to a detailing place they will most likely do a good job but as others stated, bringing it to someone to do a proper wash as often as you should be doing it could get very expensive. Doing it yourself not only saves a ton of cash, you can keep track of what's going on with your clear coat and paint.

I just spent 7.5 hours on my wife's CX-5 last Friday doing a paint correction and ceramic coating. I neglected it for a few years so it took a really long time. Well that and I'm a rookie... and it was my first ceramic coating that I applied. I can personally vouch for DPC Detailing's T3 coating (DPC T3 Paint Coating - 60ml). It's a 3 year ceramic protection. The shine and gloss is shocking and the water shedding is out of this world. But it's a lot of prep work to get to that point.

I digress.

Hope that helps some.

______________________________

 

[NDBlackEX]

I just wash my cars in the touchless wash, maybe hand wash them once a summer and take them in for a full detail every couple years. I might do a coat of wax after I hand wash. I used to use touch washes because they did a better job cleaning. I could deal with the minimal scratching that may have taken place but I never really noticed much. Touchless car washes have just gotten better in the past 5 years or so. Many newer ones use warm/hot water now and they actually let the soap sit and work rather than spraying it off instantly.

I drive my cars quite a bit so they're constantly getting dirty. I buy a monthly car wash pass so I can wash as frequently as I'd like. The only noticeable flaws in our vehicles' paint jobs weren't caused by me going through the car wash, they were caused by others.

If you've got the time, energy and desire to put extra work into keeping your car consistently clean and waxed then that's great. Nothing wrong with that. I figure, I'm not driving a $250k Ferrari here and rock chips, dings and scratches are going to happen no matter what since you're just out in the world with these things. I just try to keep my stuff clean and don't really worry too much about the cleaning method.

I do spiff my cars up every month or so, hit them with some detail spray and clean up water spots and areas that the carwash doesn't always get, door jambs, the back hatch, maybe some tire shine, clean the glass, etc.

I keep a microfiber towel in the glovebox to keep the dash dusted and clean. I usually pull it out if I'm waiting somewhere like the car wash, drive through or drive up at the store. It works great for maintaining the cleanliness of your interior. It also works to clean the inside of the glass if you're getting glare. I'd reccomend that if you haven't tried it already.

 

[DruKe]

It also works to clean the inside of the glass if you're getting glare. I'd reccomend that if you haven't tried it already.

This is a great detail to note. As the dashboard heats up, especially on new vehicles, the plastic off gasses and puts that oily film on the inside of the windshield.

 

[Mavrx]

If you really want to protect and keep swirls off your paint, NEVER bring your vehicle through a wash tunnel. The "soft touch" things that whip around often have dirt and other contaminants on the brushes which spin over and over your paint job which creates the swirls. The pressure wash tunnels generally don't do a good enough job removing the road film on your vehicle. Best bet is take an hour every week or every other week and do you it yourself. If you want to spend some time doing it properly, go on YouTube and watch some videos from Dallas Paint Correction, Autolux Detailing and Pan the Organizer. Great resources that have videos that will walk you through doing everything from a wash all the way up to applying a ceramic coating.

As far as "clay and wax," the clay refers to using a clay bar. It's a bar of clay, much like play dough that you rub over the vehicle using some sort of lubricant (detailing spray, soapy water etc..) that shears off the bonded contaminants from the paint. And the wax, well, that could be anything from wax to a paint sealant to a ceramic coating.

If you take it to a detailing place they will most likely do a good job but as others stated, bringing it to someone to do a proper wash as often as you should be doing it could get very expensive. Doing it yourself not only saves a ton of cash, you can keep track of what's going on with your clear coat and paint.

I just spent 7.5 hours on my wife's CX-5 last Friday doing a paint correction and ceramic coating. I neglected it for a few years so it took a really long time. Well that and I'm a rookie... and it was my first ceramic coating that I applied. I can personally vouch for DPC Detailing's T3 coating (DPC T3 Paint Coating - 60ml). It's a 3 year ceramic protection. The shine and gloss is shocking and the water shedding is out of this world. But it's a lot of prep work to get to that point.

I digress.

Hope that helps some.

Thank you that was very helpful! Thank you for explaining the clay, did not know that existed. I actually did watch some videos from Pan the Organizer about a 2 bucket wash but I just am not sure how much time I'll have to do washes or if I'm going to be too lazy to wash haha. I was hoping I could just drop $20 every other week for a wash at the place I posted above but it seems like I should first try to do some hand washes on my own. But if it gets too hard I'll probably just switch to paying. So as long as the car wash doesnt use a wash tunnel it should be good to take it too is what I gathered from your response?

3 year ceramic proteciton is a really long time! So that is really worth it! Is that the same as taking it to a professional ceramic pro place?

 

[Mavrx]

I just wash my cars in the touchless wash, maybe hand wash them once a summer and take them in for a full detail every couple years. I might do a coat of wax after I hand wash. I used to use touch washes because they did a better job cleaning. I could deal with the minimal scratching that may have taken place but I never really noticed much. Touchless car washes have just gotten better in the past 5 years or so. Many newer ones use warm/hot water now and they actually let the soap sit and work rather than spraying it off instantly.

I drive my cars quite a bit so they're constantly getting dirty. I buy a monthly car wash pass so I can wash as frequently as I'd like. The only noticeable flaws in our vehicles' paint jobs weren't caused by me going through the car wash, they were caused by others.

If you've got the time, energy and desire to put extra work into keeping your car consistently clean and waxed then that's great. Nothing wrong with that. I figure, I'm not driving a $250k Ferrari here and rock chips, dings and scratches are going to happen no matter what since you're just out in the world with these things. I just try to keep my stuff clean and don't really worry too much about the cleaning method.

I do spiff my cars up every month or so, hit them with some detail spray and clean up water spots and areas that the carwash doesn't always get, door jambs, the back hatch, maybe some tire shine, clean the glass, etc.

I keep a microfiber towel in the glovebox to keep the dash dusted and clean. I usually pull it out if I'm waiting somewhere like the car wash, drive through or drive up at the store. It works great for maintaining the cleanliness of your interior. It also works to clean the inside of the glass if you're getting glare. I'd reccomend that if you haven't tried it already.

I'll have to search of a touchless wash near me, I've never been to one before, thanks for the tips!

______________________________

 

[DruKe]

Thank you that was very helpful! Thank you for explaining the clay, did not know that existed. I actually did watch some videos from Pan the Organizer about a 2 bucket wash but I just am not sure how much time I'll have to do washes or if I'm going to be too lazy to wash haha. I was hoping I could just drop $20 every other week for a wash at the place I posted above but it seems like I should first try to do some hand washes on my own. But if it gets too hard I'll probably just switch to paying. So as long as the car wash doesnt use a wash tunnel it should be good to take it too is what I gathered from your response?

3 year ceramic proteciton is a really long time! So that is really worth it! Is that the same as taking it to a professional ceramic pro place?

Yeah a contact wash (using a wash mit) with soap on paint is always your best bet. Always. There is a real science to keeping it as clean as possible so you really need to dial in where you feel comfortable. It's very easy to take things to the extreme which can also get expensive and very time consuming. Find out what's best for you.

By the way, if you do take it to a touchless spray washer, when you get home, take a damp lighter colored microfiber towel with some car safe soap (whatever you try if you do wash it yourself - I'd suggest Meguiar's Gold Class car wash and shampoo / available at Walmart, Autozone, OReilly's etc..) and look at the towel. That'll be the last time you go to one. They just don't clean a car. You'll see why I suggest a contact wash every time.

EDIT: Regarding the ceramic coating. Yes basically you put down a layer of glass on the car. So super shine and gloss as well as water/filth sheeting is far beyond anything else on the market. Be it wax or other synthetic paint protections. Many detailers have packages to put on a ceramic coating. They will go through an entire paint prep including stripping off anything on the car to get it to base clearcoat and compounding and/or polishing out the imperfections in the clear coat. They then seal it giving you that extra layer. There are caveats to it though. You need to refresh the layer every couple of months to give it a sacrificial layer more or less. But 3 years of not having to wax a car while protecting the clear coat? Worth it to me. Good luck!

 

[Familyman20]

You could also look into mobile detailing in your area. They come to you and are fairly inexpensive now considering there's so many out there. Prices will depend on what you'd like done and some businesses offer "subscription" services for frequent cleanings. For $100 you might be in business keeping your vehicle looking clean with a true hand wash and detail

 

[Martin Kodiak]

Thank you that was very helpful! Thank you for explaining the clay, did not know that existed. I actually did watch some videos from Pan the Organizer about a 2 bucket wash but I just am not sure how much time I'll have to do washes or if I'm going to be too lazy to wash haha. I was hoping I could just drop $20 every other week for a wash at the place I posted above but it seems like I should first try to do some hand washes on my own. But if it gets too hard I'll probably just switch to paying. So as long as the car wash doesnt use a wash tunnel it should be good to take it too is what I gathered from your response?

3 year ceramic proteciton is a really long time! So that is really worth it! Is that the same as taking it to a professional ceramic pro place?

The place you posted seems like a hand wash process and will suffice for those who do not have time.

 

[AnnieTD]

Anyone use a foam cannon? And what do y’all recommend for cleaning wheels and tires... especially the dark wheels?

______________________________

 

[Tobstertx3]

Anyone use a foam cannon? And what do y’all recommend for cleaning wheels and tires... especially the dark wheels?

I use Chemical Guys for a lot of my products. Their Snow Foam for the cannon and their Diablo for wheels. After using a foam cannon, it’s the only way I wash my vehicles now.

 

[Mavrx]

I use Chemical Guys for a lot of my products. Their Snow Foam for the cannon and their Diablo for wheels. After using a foam cannon, it’s the only way I wash my vehicles now.

Is the foam cannon a tool that you can buy or is that what the product is called?

 

[AnnieTD]

I use Chemical Guys for a lot of my products. Their Snow Foam for the cannon and their Diablo for wheels. After using a foam cannon, it’s the only way I wash my vehicles now.

Do you use the foam cannon with regular hose or pressure washer?

 

[Tobstertx3]

@Mavrx Yes it is. If you search google or Amazon you can buy them for about $20. No need to spend $40-$50 for a Named one as long as the fittings are a quality material like brass etc. The reason I like the FoamCannon is I started using it when I had my black Stinger, it puts down a really nice layer of thick soap to hand wash with which reduces the chances of minor scratches. On my Stinger I noticed a huge difference in reduction of swirls etc from my previous black vehicles. There’s lots of good How To videos out there.

@AnnieTD Yes, I have an Electrical Power Washer which are really good these days.