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Auto car wash....or drive dirty?

Discussion in 'Detailing' started by frichco228, Feb 7, 2020.

  1. Feb 7, 2020 at 9:59 AM
    #1
    frichco228

    frichco228 [OP] Valued Member

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    There are times where my work schedule/hours do not allow me to do a hand wash for a week or two. Black truck, so it can get pretty dirty after rain storms, etc.

    I hate driving it around looking like crap. I know auto car washes are not great for the paint finish. Should I just wait or hit an auto wash and then hand wash and maybe wax again next available opportunity?
     
    sask3m likes this.
  2. Feb 7, 2020 at 10:00 AM
    #2
    frichco228

    frichco228 [OP] Valued Member

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    Is worst using the auto wash or allowing the filth to sit for weeks?
     
    CaptainGrumpus likes this.
  3. Feb 7, 2020 at 10:12 AM
    #3
    Squeaky

    Squeaky New Member

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    ^this.
    And if you can’t find a “no touch” wash, I’d rather let it go filthy a couple weeks than let it go through a normal auto car wash.
     
  4. Feb 7, 2020 at 10:14 AM
    #4
    Fotnot

    Fotnot SSEM #69; LRCS#1

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    Swimmers gonna swim
    ECHO what said above
     
    NewImprovedRon and GREENwithENVY like this.
  5. Feb 7, 2020 at 10:18 AM
    #5
    T-Rex266

    T-Rex266 Elon approved Staff Member

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    Take it through a bay but use your own materials to wash. Worse comes to worse. Just hose it off and air dry it by driving it so you don’t scratch the paint by not using good soap to remove dirt and debris
     
    Kerch71, 15whtrd and Fotnot like this.
  6. Feb 7, 2020 at 10:27 AM
    #6
    Zebruaj

    Zebruaj New Member

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    I leave it alone until I have time to use the DIY wash. 50 cent Tuesdays. Or $1 reg price. Spend a couple minutes to pressure hose it off if I don't have the 20mins to do a complete wash with my own supplies.

    (I've only washed mine once this winter snow and salt)
     
  7. Feb 7, 2020 at 11:08 AM
    #7
    eharri3

    eharri3 New Member

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    My plum crazy Challenger looks pretty good coming out of the DIY touch-less wash by me where you sit still and let the machine work around you. Quick detail spray wipe down after has her looking like brand new. I often only hand wash a few times per year, then do the touch-less with detail spray the rest of the time and the car has held up well.

    My darker colored vehicles still come out of the touch-less wash looking pretty cruddy. My black 11 year old Tundra and the wife's dark grey Acura get a few hand washing per year and the drive through car wash between those. I was once at a point where I could take my time and hand wash vehicles every other weekend but I'm just not there anymore. We and our 4 year old are on the go pretty much every day off when it's warm out.

    A vehicle that's super crazy dirty I try to wait and hand wash because I feel like running that through a machine almost like taking sand paper to a car. The less dirty you let accumulate between washings, the less damaging automated washes will be to a car. Even if I can't hand wash or get it to a car wash there may be 1-2 month stretches where I get at it with detail spray or water-less wash 1-2 times per week to prevent build up.
     
  8. Feb 7, 2020 at 11:34 AM
    #8
    Johnsonman

    Johnsonman New Member

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    Lazy here just does 'no touch', those where the guys 'pre-rinse, pre-tire clean' then the machine, machine 'dry' and then guys dry with towels again, not bad for $8 here in the big A town....then i drive slowly home to 'wax'....
     
    NewImprovedRon likes this.
  9. Feb 7, 2020 at 11:42 AM
    #9
    frichco228

    frichco228 [OP] Valued Member

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    I appreciate all the feedback.
    I think I will just let it ride a week then and do a real wash when I can.....or if I can squeeze in 25 minutes before work one day I will hit it with a foam cannon and quick powerwash at home. I am sure the meguiars soap I use is much better on the finish than the harsh soap from a touchless wash.
     
    BravoDeltaRomeo and Squeaky like this.
  10. Feb 7, 2020 at 1:15 PM
    #10
    viha22

    viha22 MAGA

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    I usually only use touch less carwash and a occasional hand wash once in couple months.But whenever i use automatic touch less i get top of the line so it spays liquid wax after the wash, that makes my truck shine like my dog’s balls:rofl:
     
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  11. Feb 7, 2020 at 1:22 PM
    #11
    Rex Kramer

    Rex Kramer Vinyl Spinner

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    Rain is a form of no-touch washing, right?
     
    BestGen, jordan0317, Kerch71 and 6 others like this.
  12. Feb 7, 2020 at 1:29 PM
    #12
    T500

    T500 # The Dark Side

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    Drive it dirty. Like certain women, the dirtier the better...
     
    Soflo, 70m4h4wk, k9shag and 2 others like this.
  13. Feb 7, 2020 at 3:04 PM
    #13
    Toyotoholic

    Toyotoholic -4Life-

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    Well said.
    Understandable from a Jersey/Tri state point of view. I'm in CT and there are many a week's time when dirty is the only way...
     
    Pudge and T500[QUOTED] like this.
  14. Feb 8, 2020 at 6:23 AM
    #14
    yamabob

    yamabob New Member

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    I refuse to take my black truck through the automatics. Get yourself a 5 gal bucket with a screw on lid (Menards sells them cheap), mix up a bucket of hot water and your favorite soap, get a pair of insulated rubber gloves and load all of your wash tools in the truck. Go to the local coin operated DIY wash. I do the wheels and tires with a separate bucket, then spray the truck down with the soap setting. Hand wash the whole truck and then spray everything including the whole underneath. Once I'm done, I drive it home and wipe it down. If it's really cold, I'll just park it in the garage and let it dry. Yeah, it'll have water spots, but that's better than being covered in salt. The last time I did took me an hour.
     
  15. Feb 8, 2020 at 6:56 AM
    #15
    WrigglingWilly

    WrigglingWilly Well used Member

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    A good wax job will make it easier to clean
     
    Soflo and Rex Kramer like this.
  16. Feb 8, 2020 at 7:08 AM
    #16
    Tundra14Platinum

    Tundra14Platinum I love reading the CoC in my spare time

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    No Touch.
     
    NewImprovedRon likes this.
  17. Feb 9, 2020 at 10:23 AM
    #17
    Nighthawk

    Nighthawk New Member

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    I Have only used auto wash,touch less doing winter for the under carriage to remove road salt. So far twice.
     
    Rex Kramer likes this.
  18. Feb 9, 2020 at 11:33 AM
    #18
    Geezer

    Geezer New Member

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    Hand wash only for me. Sometimes in the winter that means several weeks of dirt on the truck, but it washes off easily when a warm day comes along.
     
  19. Feb 9, 2020 at 12:19 PM
    #19
    7.62Tundra

    7.62Tundra Chromeaphilliac

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    Black and dark blue are the worst for a car wash that has the rotating wheels and stuff. If I care about a car, then I hand wash it. Told the wife she need to start hand washing her newer Lexus she just bought. Then she said she had bought the car wash pack package at the local car wash. Told her well that ain't good.
     
    T-Rex266 likes this.
  20. Feb 9, 2020 at 12:26 PM
    #20
    15whtrd

    15whtrd Mr. Blonde

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  21. Feb 9, 2020 at 12:30 PM
    #21
    Rex Kramer

    Rex Kramer Vinyl Spinner

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    If I lived in the rust-belt again, I would visit whichever no touch or the touch car wash that had a good undercarriage wash often. A few scratches on the finish are better than the frame rusting out from underneath.
     
  22. Feb 9, 2020 at 1:33 PM
    #22
    Paul B

    Paul B New Member

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    puddle jump and rain until I can hand wash

    but for real, I use auto no touch wash just to get dirt and salt off here in WNY.

    Once it warms up and salt is gone Ill take an afternoon and hand wash and detail it myself. Clean the wheel wells and nooks underneath, door jams, and clay bar & wax.
     
  23. Feb 10, 2020 at 10:05 AM
    #23
    Northwoods22

    Northwoods22 New Member

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    No touch is a good way to go. I live in MN so it’s a long winter of nasty roads and tons of salt. I usually just power wash mine down at least once a week for sure for like 5 bucks and make sure I rinse the under carriage real good. Then hand dry it the best I can real quick, (especially around doors) my truck stays outside so I don’t want anything freezing on me. I hate when it’s covered in salt and nasty winter grime. It’s probably faster then the actual car wash too, I know when my wife and I try to wash her suby the line is usually longer then hell
     
  24. Feb 10, 2020 at 1:40 PM
    #24
    viola.k.reyna

    viola.k.reyna New Member

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    You may not want your car washed if you are allergic:eek: to washing your car and use a car wash that uses detergents that contain lye. In addition, a car wash without a hot water filter may affect your throat, mouth, and sinuses. Your body may experience allergic reactions to a car wash or exposure to steam.:washing:
     
  25. Feb 10, 2020 at 1:50 PM
    #25
    viola.k.reyna

    viola.k.reyna New Member

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    I try to keep my car clean at all times!
    But there's also a stigma attached to it. Most of the time you're not going to go in there if it's soiled. That's where, you know, all the easy money is. But if you have a passenger, that's going to make you feel really uncomfortable. And you might feel weird if you're with that person because then you know the car is not good. That's not a good feeling and shocks to know that you need to clean your car! :oops::oops::oops:
     
  26. Feb 10, 2020 at 1:58 PM
    #26
    Kerch71

    Kerch71 Surgical Precision

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    I always hand wash, or use a bay with a scrub brush and power washer. I have yet to find an automatic or touchless wash that does much. Plus, my truck has a roof rack and doesn't fit in auto washes. I just don't trust em to do a decent job. I will hand wash in winter when I happen to get a day that's at least in the 50s. Otherwise, I'll let it slide.
     
    NewImprovedRon likes this.
  27. Feb 10, 2020 at 2:40 PM
    #27
    Boerseun

    Boerseun MGM XP-Series

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    Touch-less washes are useless in my opinion. It will spray off some dust but anything else that is a little more sticky like road grime is still there after the wash; so a waste of time and money.
    I used to just pressure wash my truck at home or at work (we have a pressure washer in the back at our work shops) to get the mud off when I had been to a muddy job site. But then I started washing at a regular automated wash (with the brushes) and have been through there several times. It is a truck, not a Mercedes. I don't see any scratches or other damage from the brushes. Their top level wash includes a wax (which is probably not worth much, but it is better than nothing).
    So, I don't stress the little things in life; if the truck is dirty, drive through the automated wash and be on my way again.
     
    BestGen and Leo's first like this.
  28. Feb 10, 2020 at 2:44 PM
    #28
    Boerseun

    Boerseun MGM XP-Series

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    I keep it clean in general, but I do have to say; a dirty truck is sexy. Something about it. It just looks like it is doing what it was designed for. Sometimes I will just let it be dirty for a few days....

    upload_2020-2-10_17-41-16.jpg

    upload_2020-2-10_17-43-4.jpg
     
  29. Feb 10, 2020 at 2:59 PM
    #29
    RitcheyRch

    RitcheyRch New Member

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    Find a mobile detail guy to come to your house and wash it. My mobile detail guy charges $30 to wash my truck.
     
  30. Mar 9, 2020 at 5:36 AM
    #30
    Boerseun

    Boerseun MGM XP-Series

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    The easiest way to wash the truck. Sitting inside it documenting the whole process.:cool: :rofl:: Automated car wash works just fine for me.
    upload_2020-3-9_8-35-48.jpg
     

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