Car Wash

[STR]

Brushless/touchless is fine. Never use a car wash that actually touches your vehicle unless you don’t care about it. All of the dirt and grime that is removed from other vehicles get embedded into the bristles, which can scratch the paint.

 

[Maconi]

I've taken cars through the touchless washes around here, and as soon as I exit the wash I can drag my finger across the surface of the paint and visibly see the line I made in the dirt film still left on the car (black paint). Maybe they just suck around here but I've never had much luck with them.

 

[Neurobit]

I've taken cars through the touchless washes around here, and as soon as I exit the wash I can drag my finger across the surface of the paint and visibly see the line I made in the dirt film still left on the car (black paint). Maybe they just suck around here but I've never had much luck with them.

Same here, otherwise, it would be a good compromise.

 

[Le_Slacker]

I've taken cars through the touchless washes around here, and as soon as I exit the wash I can drag my finger across the surface of the paint and visibly see the line I made in the dirt film still left on the car (black paint). Maybe they just suck around here but I've never had much luck with them.

Really noticeable on windows too, especially windshield... the touchless is only really good for a quick spray off, and best used in winter I’m my mind.

 

[Le_Slacker]

I know, right? LOL

And another one .... lol

 

[gHiDoRa]

Really noticeable on windows too, especially windshield... the touchless is only really good for a quick spray off, and best used in winter I’m my mind.

if it just dirt then touchless car wash, too dirty then i hand wash with pressure washer and foam cannon.

 

[mikeru82]

Agreed on the touchless. Been through them dozens of times with different vehicles having shark fin antennas and never had any issues. Even on my 10 year old Audi. I avoid the car washes with brushes. I'd rather have a dirty vehicle.

Dont ever take your car thru an automated wash.
Two buckets w grit guards high pressure water foaming cannon.3 or four plush microfibermits

Washing by hand is honestly my preferred method of washing. But where I live the water is extremely hard, and my only option is to wash my cars in the driveway. Which has direct sun all day long. So it's impossible to keep the water drops from drying and leaving nasty water spots. So it's off to the touchless car wash I go.

 

[Le_Slacker]

Washing by hand is honestly my preferred method of washing. But where I live the water is extremely hard, and my only option is to wash my cars in the driveway. Which has direct sun all day long. So it's impossible to keep the water drops from drying and leaving nasty water spots. So it's off to the touchless car wash I go.

I have the same hard water issue. And driveway js in fulll sun from 10am to 4pm. And city water restriction lets me wash on even days only. I usually go out at 7:30 am and can have it washed and dried by 9.

I’ve also gone to the diy car washes, and use my bucket and mitt instead of their brush. There are signs, no one has ever said anything. That gives me more time in the shade that I can’t get at home.

 

[Vvs1jay]

Honestly would never take my vehicle to a car wash that uses bristles that make physical contact with my vehicle. Those bristles never get cleaned and are just a hive of dirt and grime which will get rubbed back onto your paint.
So unless you want to risk scratching your paint I would steer clear of those and just wash the car myself.

 

[41magmag41]

My girl goes through a touchless car wash every week, work on rebuilding roads in NH, sometimes touchless or if I'm near one with brushes. I've had no problems, Like the black rams, mine is flame red, don't like to see her dirty.

 

[Neil McCauley]

Hand wash panel by panel, window by window. I've never had a vehicle come out of an automated washer actually clean anyways.

 

[bigdodge]

try this

Rinse Free Wash And Shine Complete Hoseless Car Wash | Chemical Guys

Rinse-Free is the innovative car wash shampoo that uses next-generation rinseless technology to safely remove dirt, filth, and grime from any car with no hose, no mess, and no scratching or swirling.

www.chemicalguys.com

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

Definitely wont ever use anything that rubs dirty brushes into my paint.

I don't do touchless, either, unless I think leaving the truck dirty will be more harmful and that's very rare. Touchless car washes have to use harsh chemicals or extremely high pressure to clean your vehicle, and both are less than great for the paint. They also don't do a very good job of cleaning the paint.

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

I run through the carwash a couple times a week. Undercarriage jets, harsh chemicals, spinning cloth brushes for the sides, long strips of heavy cloth dragging back and forth for the top, high pressure jets blasting water in every nook and cranny. I just have a monthly fee so I can use it daily if needed.

Does a great job. I can see the lawn mirrored in the side right now as I look out the front window where it is parked. It's clean. The road salt is off of it. It looks good.

If I see someone shining a light on it and trying to eyeball down the paint to try and see micro scratches that are not noticeable when just driving down the road or walking by, I will smack them in the head and tell them to get the hell away from my truck before they get a severe case of lead poisoning.

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

I run through the carwash a couple times a week. Undercarriage jets, harsh chemicals, spinning cloth brushes for the sides, long strips of heavy cloth dragging back and forth for the top, high pressure jets blasting water in every nook and cranny. I just have a monthly fee so I can use it daily if needed.

Does a great job. I can see the lawn mirrored in the side right now as I look out the front window where it is parked. It's clean. The road salt is off of it. It looks good.

If I see someone shining a light on it and trying to eyeball down the paint to try and see micro scratches that are not noticeable when just driving down the road or walking by, I will smack them in the head and tell them to get the hell away from my truck before they get a severe case of lead poisoning.

This would do an even better job.

Be a man.

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

This would do an even better job.

Be a man.

Now that's just crazy. Who would use that? If you must hand wash use something gentle like these. See they are NON SCRATCH, they are safe and gentle. A little Dawn dishwashing liquid would do great with them.


And for sthe stubborn stuck on bugs and road tar we have these.

 

[Dewey]

Touchless car was then dry by hand right after blowoff to remove excess water. Been doing this as long as I’ve been driving with zero issues.

 

[mikeru82]

Definitely wont ever use anything that rubs dirty brushes into my paint.

I don't do touchless, either, unless I think leaving the truck dirty will be more harmful and that's very rare. Touchless car washes have to use harsh chemicals or extremely high pressure to clean your vehicle, and both are less than great for the paint. They also don't do a very good job of cleaning the paint.

Touchless car washes work great for me. In the winter I'm not so concerned that my truck looks clean and shiny. I'm more concerned about the deicing chemicals the state and county puts on the roads. I like to remove those about once a week, and touchless is great at removing those chemicals off the paint and undercarriage. In the summer we often go weeks with no rain, and my biggest issue is dust. Touchless works great for removing that dust.

 

[SnowBlaZR2]

Touchless car washes work great for me. In the winter I'm not so concerned that my truck looks clean and shiny. I'm more concerned about the deicing chemicals the state and county puts on the roads. I like to remove those about once a week, and touchless is great at removing those chemicals off the paint and undercarriage. In the summer we often go weeks with no rain, and my biggest issue is dust. Touchless works great for removing that dust.

It doesn't work great for anything, it's just what some might find acceptable. Just because you can't see what it's doing to your paint doesn't mean it's not causing harm to your paint.

If getting road grime/chemicals and dust off your paint is your main concern and you don't care if it's clean, you're much better using the wash bays to spray it down.

 

[Jimmy07]

It doesn't work great for anything, it's just what some might find acceptable. Just because you can't see what it's doing to your paint doesn't mean it's not causing harm to your paint.

If getting road grime/chemicals and dust off your paint is your main concern and you don't care if it's clean, you're much better using the wash bays to spray it down.

I wonder when it’s going to finally start causing harm to my paint…
Since I’ve taken delivery of my 2017 in February of 2017, I have taken through the touchless wash every day it’s not raining or snowing. That’s not an exaggeration. It’s been through the the wash at least 1300 times. I have no scratches or swirl marks, and it’s never been parked in a garage.
My truck is max steel metallic, and a co-worker’s truck is granite crystal. He’s all into dumping money on ceramic coating and expensive waxes. When we’re parked next to each other, I can not see a visual difference in shine and reflection between the two.
It always seems like the ones who claim they never have, or never would use a touchless car wash, somehow know about all this “harm” they can cause to the paint. Surely after 5 years and 1300+ washes, i should at least be seeing some kind of sign of this paint damage, no?