Car wash: A survey

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I do it or take it to the car wash.

Its supposed to rain tomorrow but I work at a windy beach so my runner is covered in salty air all day so I washed it.
 
Hand wash. Being in the desert I'm sure some stuff can get scorched into your paint pretty easily. I'd be washing once a week for sure since you rarely get rain. Here it sucks because it can rain at any time. Nothing worse than spending an hour washing your car and then seeing it covered in road grime within 24hrs.
 
I use oasis car wash they vaccum mats and carpets then moves along conveyor chain for steam cleaning of rims underside .then hand wash spray wax then hand dry window cleaning.all for 18$ been around since the 50s. great quick job
 
Ontario, Canada.....rain won't do the job, lol. Hand wash/coin hand wash in the spring/summer.....coin hand wash (including undercarriage) in fall/winter....for winter, use wax to rinse or you will have an ice cube :dance:
 
Hand wash in the driveway. I have noticed that keeping the exterior clean has a big impact on how clean the interior stays, more than any other car I've owned. Opening the doors and the hatch suck dust/dirt inside the cabin.
Also, its been my experience that commercial car washes use very harsh soaps, and I have no idea what those towels they use have on them when drying.
 
We have this shit here in Colorado that they apply to all state maintained highways prior to snow storms of certain conditions (drizzle, fast freeze followed by snow) called Magnesium Chloride. I hate it.

This crap should be outlawed as it is about as corrosive as battery acid (very slight over-exaggeration). If you have to drive on roads where CDOT laid this down prior to a storm you'd better be hitting the car wash the next day or you will be on the fast track to corrosion and pitting.

My son bought a new $50K Dodge pickup last year and after driving on this crap just one time his bumpers started pitting and showing little rust spots within 3 days.

They have banned the use of it in many mountain areas because it was poisoning the rivers that run along many of the roads and - get this - it was collecting on the transformers at the top of power poles and starting the power poles on fire. But thats still not enough. The CDOT still refuses to stop using it because its quick and lazy.

I am a Colorado native. I learned to drive in snow in a rear wheel drive car with NO mag chloride to help me. My theory is learn how to drive in snow or get your ass back to whatever fair weather state you came from. ;-)

So my vote is hand wash when possible and prodigious use of self serve car wash when not.
 
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Well since I do detailing for a side job. I hand wash only. On a schedule every Saturday or Sunday morning on all the cars. Have done that for 25+ years. Lol. Ocd a little about my stuff. My dad was the same way. I always wash after a rain also. The contaminants that come off the road ruin paint if you don't get it off. I'm a little anal about washing and detailing. I always use the two bucket method to wash. I could go on and on about detailing...
 
I think I washed my truck in July..

I do wash my windshield and bird poop spots, otherwise, my truck gets washed rarely.
 
Rain only, though I have washed the windscreen often. My service dealership even has a placard that says "do not wash".
 
Hand wash. Looks so much better clean. Besides, if I let it get super dirty there is always that sloth that wipes the side of my car with their purse and thigh, and leaves a nice long bunch of scratches. That's always awesome.
 
ThorInc said:
Ontario, Canada.....rain won't do the job, lol. Hand wash/coin hand wash in the spring/summer.....coin hand wash (including undercarriage) in fall/winter....for winter, use wax to rinse or you will have an ice cube :dance:
Click to expand...

Never tried the wax to rinse in the winter trick. I will have to try that. One time, it was so cold when I washed my truck at a car wash that my tires froze to the cement. Had to put it in 4 high to break it loose.
 
I have a membership to a car wash down the street from my house. It is called a Quick Quack Car wash. You vacuum it yourself there. So run it through the wash then hand dry it and vacuum it about once a week. More if it rains or I get it muddy. I love getting it dirty but I like cleaning it after.
 
There is a severe drought in California and if you got caught washing your car in my city you can get fined up to $500. Which means I either have to wait for the rain or run it through the machine.
 
If I waited for it to rain it would only get washed several times a year in the Arizona desert and I generally stay home on those days anyways. I hand wash only but being retired the 4runner just sets in the garage 98% of the time collecting dust.
 
Hand wash only, than use a leaf blower to dry off, never use a towel as it scratches the soft clearcoat they use nowadays
 
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