12-13-2022, 04:01 PM | #1 |
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Just got my car washed at a car wash place for the first time
I paid 40 bucks at a place called "Pearl Car Wash" in La Jolla and to be honest, it feels like I just threw my money away. There's water spots in the side of the car and trunk because there was still some water in the hard to reach spots (trim lines of the car and mirrors). I guess the only pro was that it was done within like 10 minutes when it usually takes me over an hour to wash it myself.
I just wanted to get the car washed because it was raining pretty hard for the past couple of days and I didn't want all of that dust and filthy rain water to etch itself into the paint/underbody of the car. Moral of the story is that if you plan on washing your car semi-often, just buy some basic equipment and do it at home. |
12-13-2022, 06:35 PM | #2 |
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I've learned this lesson many times over. Unles you pay at least $150 for a professional service wash and wax, it's going to be an imperfect experience. I've found that I can't stomach paying a buck 50 for a solid wash and even when I did it was still an imperfect result more often than not. The only perfect result was when I washed it myself for "free."
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12-13-2022, 06:56 PM | #4 |
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Get ceramic coating, it'll make washing easier moving forward. Also check with your detailer if they offer any sort of budget wash options. My guy has a $40 option and they'll do the rinse, wheel cleaner, hand towel dry, all that good stuff. Beats a car wash and you can build a good relationship with the detailer. If you're someone like me who absolutely despises washing the car, that's invaluable.
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12-13-2022, 09:07 PM | #5 |
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Away from home right now and don’t have any of my washing equipment so this was the only option.
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12-13-2022, 09:08 PM | #6 | |
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Quote:
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12-14-2022, 06:36 AM | #7 |
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12-14-2022, 06:55 AM | #8 |
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12-14-2022, 11:52 AM | #9 |
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maybe im weird but if you can't wash it correctly, better to not wash at all. If you're in a pinch just go to a self service spray wash. At least with that its touchless so no paint marring.
dust and dirt sitting on your car isn't going to cause damage. especially if your car is garaged. improperly washing that dirt off is going to damage the paint.
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12-14-2022, 05:43 PM | #11 |
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Rinseless wash like Optimum No Rinse might be an option for apartment renters if the car is not too dirty.
Otherwise do what Humdizzle suggests and go to a self service car wash with the high-pressure wand. I'll go weeks with a dirty car in the winter when it's freezing, rather than take it to a car wash that would result in micro scratches (or worse).
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12-15-2022, 02:24 AM | #13 | |
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Just didn't have my brushes and towels to do it at a self wash place, if I was home, I would have just done it myself and I mentioned that it rained hard for a couple of days so that was why I was in a rush to get the car cleaned off
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12-15-2022, 09:06 AM | #14 |
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Worth sharing here:
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Fred Conoway365.00 |
12-15-2022, 05:33 PM | #15 |
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Great vid and worth sharing Found this video last year when I picke d up my M2 and picked up quite a few tips from it. Highly recommend.
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12-16-2022, 09:29 AM | #17 |
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Has the time? You mean MAKES the time. It just has to be prioritized by someone who wants swirl free paint that looks better than the normies who don’t know or care about this type of stuff.
A proper wash and dry takes me an hour start to finish. It’s not an unmanageable process once you have it down and have your kit. It’s not for the weak, but the reward is having a swirl free car that looks better than the guy who, “just doesn’t have the time.” |
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12-16-2022, 12:04 PM | #18 |
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I would avoid any of the generic hand washes, they will do just as much if not more damage than a decent drive thru wash.
Find someone who does PPF/ Paint correction in your area that will do a proper 2 bucket wash. Just expect to pay $50+ at least |
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12-16-2022, 02:15 PM | #19 |
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In the spring/summer/fall I follow this method except the pretreatment. It takes me over an hour to wash my car but I love doing it and I get every little corner of my car. No water spots or little pesky sticky asphalt spots left behind.
Unfortunately in the winter I do take it to a decent hand wash place for $40. I hate doing it, but its better than a automatic wash i suppose... |
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///M TOWN16539.00 |
12-17-2022, 10:52 AM | #21 |
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Any decent mobile detailer will do our exteriors and interiors for $50-$70. They'll use deionized water that won't leave water spots behind. The on-site hand car wash places are incentivized to pump out volume.
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///M TOWN16539.00 |
12-17-2022, 03:20 PM | #22 |
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I wash/wax/detail once a year and pay ~$200 at a reputable hand wash place that I've been going to for years. The guy spends 5-6 hours on the car.
If needed I'll do an exterior wash occasionally in between these annual detail intervals depending on just how filthy the car is. I'm not a fan of regular washing, it attracts too much attention esp on certain colors (LBB M2). People are less likely to fuck with your car if it isn't immaculately clean all the time. |
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