Auto car washes

[morganandjake]

Okay - I know I should wash the car myself but with two little kids and working full time - it is just hard.
Any advice on auto car wash? Touch or touchless? One of those fancy places that takes you out of car and runs it through for you and hand dries?

Thanks!

[m_turner_02]

I am kind of in the same boat you are in, but I like the touchless washes myself. you can always use those until you have some free time on the weekend, or during the week while the kids are at school, and wash it yourself. I use the car wash as a get-me-over until I have the time to wash it myself

[sergey85]

i use the touchless but try to wash it myslef when i can. my friend usually takes his lexus to one of those detail places and they do a good job but i prefer to do my own detailing, and far less moeny too

[NissLover]

I pretty much never use them, and if I do, touchless. Most of the time I even turn down the free car wash with my oil change, unless my car is really dirty and I know I won't be able to wash it soon.

[clarksville_07altima]

I never use them, even the touchless ones. But in your situation I can see where you're coming from. Touchless would be the way to go for you IMO.

[ctc]

I use a high quality soft cloth place when I can't wash it myself. It costs like 10 bucks just for the exterior so it isn't cheap but the paint on my 2 new cars is still perfect. No swirls or any defects.

I've got kids too and rarely have the time to do it myself. Also, we've got really hard water and it leaves spots all over even if I dry really fast after washing.

Touchless has never worked too well for me but I haven't tried one in years and I haven't tried it with my Altima. Maybe they've gotten better.

[RIZAMAN]

I think in the 3.5 years I have owned my car I have gone through an auto wash twice. NEVER one with brushes...and not in years.

If you go touchless, then you will have to deal with a sub-par wash (it will never get it all, and will never rinse off the soap completely either).

Of course, living in South Florida with a lack of winter crap on the road, and the ability to wash all year makes it easy. I can also understand being busy with a family (got one), and living up north (if you do) dealing with winter - just DON'T use a non touchfree wash.

Originally Posted by ctc

Touchless has never worked too well for me but I haven't tried one in years and I haven't tried it with my Altima. Maybe they've gotten better.

I doubt it...Would you rather have a woman's hand on you or a machine?

[kev1n536]

you get more for your money doing it yourself. when i bought this car i went out and spend about $100 on everything for washing the car. i got the best of everything that was in a reasonable price range for inside and out and i couldnt be happier with the results. you dont have to worry about those guys scratching up the car with those sandy brushes or forgetting to rinse the car completely. and in less than a year you have already paid for the supplies that you can still use for a much longer time. id say if you have kids, and theyre of age, let them help. im sure theyd love the involvement and itd save you some time too.

[clarksville_07altima]

Originally Posted by RIZAMAN

I think in the 3.5 years I have owned my car I have gone through an auto wash twice. NEVER one with brushes...and not in years.

If you go touchless, then you will have to deal with a sub-par wash (it will never get it all, and will never rinse off the soap completely either).

Of course, living in South Florida with a lack of winter crap on the road, and the ability to wash all year makes it easy. I can also understand being busy with a family (got one), and living up north (if you do) dealing with winter - just DON'T use a non touchfree wash.



I doubt it...Would you rather have a woman's hand on you or a machine?

I saw a BLACK 09 Maxima going through a old car wash that wasn't touchless yesterday

I wanted to pull in real quick and ask him "what the hell are you doing taking a $35-40K car through this crap??"

[alan81]

Always go touchless car wash until you can wash it yourself(to avoid swirls) and
If you can go to the car wash with the high powered water gun thren rinse off and dry with good microfiber towels.

[RIZAMAN]

^High pressure water can damage too...

There's a weath of info in the Auto Detailing section.

[Nicky Altima]

^+1..

I forgot where I got this from..but I recently read that it's better to use soft cloth auto washes than the high pressures..it says that high pressure auto washes usually use a stronger soap that can damage the paint..and the high pressure water is not good too..

[2Max2Alt02]

The touchless don't clean very well, but obviously don't scratch on their own. The problem is that if you want a spot free/drip free car, then you have to wipe down a "not very clean" car which is just as likely to cause scratches and swirls. A good soft cloth wash provides a much cleaner car without damage if the wash operator is careful to maintain their equipment. My father owned a full service wash for years that produced a very clean car without scratches, but they are rare to find in most markets.

[ctc]

Originally Posted by 2Max2Alt02

The touchless don't clean very well, but obviously don't scratch on their own. The problem is that if you want a spot free/drip free car, then you have to wipe down a "not very clean" car which is just as likely to cause scratches and swirls. A good soft cloth wash provides a much cleaner car without damage if the wash operator is careful to maintain their equipment. My father owned a full service wash for years that produced a very clean car without scratches, but they are rare to find in most markets.

yup, I'm lucky to be fairly close to a good one. It is a 15 mile drive but well worth it.

[exceldetail]

You could always supplement a no touch with Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine.......At times I will use the hi pressure coin op to remove the heavier debris, then take it home and use the NRWS.