car washes

milly · 04-02-2011, 06:19 PM

So i've read that some of them can be harmful to your paint/clearcoat and all of that. I've heard they used recycled water which has grit and sand in it.

I have a new, pretty high dollar car wash where i live and I'm trying to find out if it is harmful. I actually went to it today just to try it out, and they are pretty good and professional. Basically they have a menu, sorta like a fast food restaurant and you pick what service you want. They will wax it, etc etc all of the services can be found here:

http://www.liquidhighwaycarwash.com/...h-services.htm

And you basically drive into the thing like a normal car wash and theres a guy at the beginning who sprays the car with water/soapy looking stuff. Then you put the car in neutral and it automatically takes you through the rest of the stuff.. It uses a microfiber type material and claims no dirt/grit/ or even water stays on it.

All of that info is found here:
http://www.liquidhighwaycarwash.com/...id-highway.htm

I would be thankful if you guys could check out the links to get a better idea...If this place will harm my car i don't want to go back..

BTW: I am not advertising this place, I'm sure someone will claim i am...I just want to make sure i don't damage my paint job!
Thanks everyone!

ddogg35 · 04-02-2011, 06:28 PM

looks fancy
still it uses brushes so i would avoid it

milly · 04-02-2011, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddogg35

looks fancy
still it uses brushes so i would avoid it

Hmm yeah, but it is microfiber it claims...still wouldn't?

JayKay335i · 04-02-2011, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milly

Hmm yeah, but it is microfiber it claims...still wouldn't?

Doesn't matter what it is.

dday · 04-02-2011, 09:31 PM

Saw this on their site and immediately got scared for your cars finish.

Here's the thing with car washes, many are now saying the brushes don't hold dirt, if that's the case then they are dragging the dirt across your paint. When you wash at home your wash media picks up the dirt then you rub it against your grit gard to get it clean again. I just don't see how any car wash that uses brushes can ever not induce swirls. Some give less than others so it's a matter of caring, most people don't

I use a touchless wash near me, it does degrade my wax to some degree so I just wax more often.

milly · 04-02-2011, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dday

Saw this on their site and immediately got scared for your cars finish.

Here's the thing with car washes, many are now saying the brushes don't hold dirt, if that's the case then they are dragging the dirt across your paint. When you wash at home your wash media picks up the dirt then you rub it against your grit gard to get it clean again. I just don't see how any car wash that uses brushes can ever not induce swirls. Some give less than others so it's a matter of caring, most people don't

I use a touchless wash near me, it does degrade my wax to some degree so I just wax more often.

Thanks for taking a look at the pics, how would i go about finding a touchless one? I will probably just wash myself from now on...but good to know just incase

dday · 04-02-2011, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milly

Thanks for taking a look at the pics, how would i go about finding a touchless one? I will probably just wash myself from now on...but good to know just incase

Honestly if you can wash yourself do that. Only reason I use touchless is during the winter.

milly · 04-02-2011, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dday

Honestly if you can wash yourself do that. Only reason I use touchless is during the winter.

Yeah, it wouldn't be a choice for me to wash it during the winter...but now since it's getting a little warmer and summertime is around the corner, i am feeling more into washing it haha...Just have to find the right soap/wax etc

tmo24 · 04-02-2011, 10:45 PM

Just did touchless today. They still don't work very well but it was a lot better than having scratches across the sides. I only do a touchless wash when I am in a hurry and can't do a full hand wash myself. Then I just went back after and washed the wheels. Overall, the car looks ok, but there are spots that you can tell aren't quite up to par.

milly · 04-02-2011, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmo24

Just did touchless today. They still don't work very well but it was a lot better than having scratches across the sides. I only do a touchless wash when I am in a hurry and can't do a full hand wash myself. Then I just went back after and washed the wheels. Overall, the car looks ok, but there are spots that you can tell aren't quite up to par.

What kind of car soap do you recommend?

tmo24 · 04-02-2011, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milly

What kind of car soap do you recommend?

I have used the turtle wax soap in a white bottle for years and have gotten good results. I've tried a few other cheap "concentrated" car soaps and have found that they don't really bubble up without using a ton of soap. It made me worry that I was hurting the clear coat because it wasn't slippery enough. It was probably just a mental thing. But someone might argue that using too much soap will take off your wax easily.

milly · 04-02-2011, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmo24

I have used the turtle wax soap in a white bottle for years and have gotten good results. I've tried a few other cheap "concentrated" car soaps and have found that they don't really bubble up without using a ton of soap. It made me worry that I was hurting the clear coat because it wasn't slippery enough. It was probably just a mental thing. But someone might argue that using too much soap will take off your wax easily.

Okay sounds good, I'll look for it tomorrow...should autozone sell it? Also how many micro fiber towels should i get haha? I've never cleaned a car to this extent before...well bmw

pioferro · 04-02-2011, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milly

Thanks for taking a look at the pics, how would i go about finding a touchless one? I will probably just wash myself from now on...but good to know just incase

Touch-less washes are becoming very popular at gas stations - as mentioned, wont work well if the cars in bad shape. If its been recently waxed or has a recent coat of sealant it works well and you can go over the water spots with spray detailer (Mothers - Meguiars) and it will look good. Nothing beats hand washing though...

tmo24 · 04-02-2011, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milly

Okay sounds good, I'll look for it tomorrow...should autozone sell it? Also how many micro fiber towels should i get haha? I've never cleaned a car to this extent before...well bmw

Yeah auto zone should have it. Get a bunch of microfiber towels. But don't go find the cheapest ones out there. Make sure they are soft with sift edges. Some are crap. I always have at least 5-10 ready at all times. After your initial wash, it's good to go right after and use a quick detailer and microfiber towel to get the runs and streaks etc. Have fun!

milly · 04-03-2011, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmo24

Yeah auto zone should have it. Get a bunch of microfiber towels. But don't go find the cheapest ones out there. Make sure they are soft with sift edges. Some are crap. I always have at least 5-10 ready at all times. After your initial wash, it's good to go right after and use a quick detailer and microfiber towel to get the runs and streaks etc. Have fun!

Okay sounds good man, thanks a lot for the info

I'm guessing the towels won't cost much, so ill get a few of em'! In a week or 2 I'll do it since i got it washed today haha :0

!

04-02-2011, 06:19 PM	#1
milly Captain 86 Rep 783 Posts Drives: 328i Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Charleston, SC iTrader: (3) Garage List 2008 328i (e90) [9.00]	car washes So i've read that some of them can be harmful to your paint/clearcoat and all of that. I've heard they used recycled water which has grit and sand in it. I have a new, pretty high dollar car wash where i live and I'm trying to find out if it is harmful. I actually went to it today just to try it out, and they are pretty good and professional. Basically they have a menu, sorta like a fast food restaurant and you pick what service you want. They will wax it, etc etc all of the services can be found here: http://www.liquidhighwaycarwash.com/...h-services.htm And you basically drive into the thing like a normal car wash and theres a guy at the beginning who sprays the car with water/soapy looking stuff. Then you put the car in neutral and it automatically takes you through the rest of the stuff.. It uses a microfiber type material and claims no dirt/grit/ or even water stays on it. All of that info is found here: http://www.liquidhighwaycarwash.com/...id-highway.htm I would be thankful if you guys could check out the links to get a better idea...If this place will harm my car i don't want to go back.. BTW: I am not advertising this place, I'm sure someone will claim i am...I just want to make sure i don't damage my paint job! Thanks everyone!
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04-02-2011, 06:28 PM	#2
ddogg35 Lieutenant 6 Rep 569 Posts Drives: 318i Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: North Yorkshire, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2007 Triumph Dayton ... [0.00] 2006 BMW 318i [0.00]	looks fancy still it uses brushes so i would avoid it __________________
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04-02-2011, 09:31 PM	#5
dday Captain 35 Rep 856 Posts Drives: 2014 Alpine White 335 M-Sport Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: MA iTrader: (1)	Saw this on their site and immediately got scared for your cars finish. Here's the thing with car washes, many are now saying the brushes don't hold dirt, if that's the case then they are dragging the dirt across your paint. When you wash at home your wash media picks up the dirt then you rub it against your grit gard to get it clean again. I just don't see how any car wash that uses brushes can ever not induce swirls. Some give less than others so it's a matter of caring, most people don't I use a touchless wash near me, it does degrade my wax to some degree so I just wax more often.
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04-02-2011, 10:45 PM	#9
tmo24 Major 145 Rep 1,271 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i e92 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Las Vegas iTrader: (3)	Just did touchless today. They still don't work very well but it was a lot better than having scratches across the sides. I only do a touchless wash when I am in a hurry and can't do a full hand wash myself. Then I just went back after and washed the wheels. Overall, the car looks ok, but there are spots that you can tell aren't quite up to par. __________________ 2007 335i Jet Black e92 6AT - VRSF Full street exhaust DP, Chargepipe 7.5 FMIC, MHD, XHP, Koni orange/Eibachs, some other stuff 2007 335i Jet Black e90 6MT - Eibachs, magnaflow exhaust, carbon hood, short shift kit, some other random stuff - being sold somewhere sometime soon probably 2010 335i AW e90 6 AT Msport - The GF took this one over... JB4, PE exhaust, Koni yellows/Eibachs, pink badges, fuzzy steering wheel cover ?
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