Car washing?

[amazingarthur]

I've never taken any of my cars to a drive thru car wash, well maybe my wife's mini-van.

Living in the mid-west, it's impossible to hand wash this time of year, so how do I get the salt off without having to freeze. I really don't have time or energy to be hand washing every couple weeks either.

There is a drive thru wash that is truly touchless and there are no wheel alignment bars to scratch the rims. I'm guessing it uses way to much soap and will strip my wax and fade the window pillars (that's what I've heard). It's called a "Lazerwash." Sounds good, but I'll try the wive's van first.

So, whats a PT owner to do?

And when it comes to a hand wash let me get this straight.

Use Gary's products, I've already discovered that. But, do I dry the car with a Micro Fiber towel? I thought "The Absorber" was supposed to do the job.

[Sci-Fi]

I use microfiber towels to dry cars. Most like to use the waffle weave microfiber towel (16"X24"). But a normal detailing microfiber works just fine and there are larger spa bath microfiber towels (30"X59") available too. The trick is to take the nozzle off the hose and run or let the water flow over your car for the final rinse. You'll find very little water is left to wipe off and you can dry your car relatively quickly. Also parking on a slight incline will help water flow out of the nooks and cracks (outside of using a leaf blower). Sorry, but I'm not a fan of "The Absorber".

During winter, there are few options for washing your car. Touchless Car Washes are fine, if they use the correct dilution ratio for the detergent to water and if the outside temperature is not too cold. A better option would be to go to a Car Wash that uses foam technology. The foam emulsifies the dirt/road grime and gently flows off your paint. Many car wash owners feel it cleans a car better than traditional touchless and doesn't have the drawbacks (staining/discoloration problems, usually from incorrect dilution rates). Most car wash owners would/should shut down their automatic and self-service bays during a bad cold spell. Even with heated floors, ice becomes a problem and liability becomes a concern.

If you have a heated garage, there are popular products like Poorboys Spray & Wipe or Protect All Quick & Easy Wash that require little or no water and from the reports from several pro detailers, it works well without scratching the paint.

Can read this thread to see what happened to one person that tried to wash his car in freezing temperatures: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=727390
Not a pretty sight.


Hope this helps.

[IRPT]

That looks nasty.

[turbomangt]

Arthur, Sci-fi posted valuable info, only thing I can add with regard to what you asked is> One reason most pro's don't like chamois or the absorber is due to the fact they are unforgiving in terms of how they are made. Get a chamois or absorbor wet and put it flat on a surface. if amy contaminants get trapped between the finish and the chamois it acts like sandpaper. Yes it may me absorbant, but the harmful effects are far worse. Now look at a Micro Fiber towel. Each square inche has 90,000 micro fibers, each fiber absorbs up to 7 times its own weight in liquid, PLUS dirt and other contaminants get sucked inside the fibers itself, and don't lay on the surface. It has the best of both worlds, extremely absorbant, and soft on your finish. the waffle weave towels like the ones I sell, are 25 x 36, larger for drying, and they have added value in they have large waffle weave fibers allowing more surface dirt to get absorbed into the towel. Hope that helps, Gary

[bobs turbo pt]

thats not a good looking pic!!

[amazingarthur]

So, I can take it thru a "Lazerwash?"

[KingKole02]

Hand wash I would say is the best for my Cruiser. The last car I took through an automatic wash, almost had the sun visor tore off by the jet dry system.

[turbomangt]

No sure what a "lazer" wash is. do you mean a power wash automatic spray? sometimes when the conditions are not the best, you have to go with the best of worse case scenerio's. which would be the touch less wash.. Disadvantages? well, chances are the soap might stripe off the protection, but what is worse leaving dirt and salt on your car (NOT!) or going through that. If you get most of the dirt off, drive home and use your spray and shine to get the stuff off the wash missed. YOu can apply a coat of wax or sealant as long as the temp is higher than 32*/

[bobs turbo pt]

wish it was warmer enough to wash and detail my car just been way too cold

[PT-ERA]

Same here in MD. I don't think it'll get above freezing all week. And MDDoT threw a bunch of salt down last weekend to deal with the ice on the roads. I'm praying for warmer weather so that I can go thru the touchless car wash (cringe). I put a new coat of Gary's paint sealant on my car right before this last cold spell. I hope it holds out and protects my car!

Cruise On!