Touchless Car Wash Membership

[sockmeister]

It seemed like a great idea to wash your car in the driveway (2 bucket method) when you posted this in July.....well now it's December. I'm in the DC area (recently moved from Boston), and temps hover around 35-40 degrees. Going outside with a bucket of water doesn't seem like such a great idea now. I'll need another option when my MME arrives.

I've done it on my Mustang for almost a decade and I'm in SE PA. You can wash it with the bucket on those days where it's above freezing. It works fine. A rubber glove will keep your hand from getting cold.
Just use a wash&wax like from meguiars and it'll get the job done.
If you want to really make sure it doesn't freeze on the car, you can use warm water in the wash and rinse buckets.

However, to get salt off of the underside, you pretty much have to go to a touchless carwash with the underbody spray. It's too difficult to get into the crevices with a garden hose (and there's no soap).

Sponsored

 

[timf]

I've put up with the touchless car washes with my Tesla for 5 years. They suck and really aren't worth the money. I plan to run my Mach-E through the regular wash like any other car.

 

[P. T. Magoo]

I've put up with the touchless car washes with my Tesla for 5 years. They suck and really aren't worth the money. I plan to run my Mach-E through the regular wash like any other car.

I'm with you, @timf.

Maybe we should start a "Regular Car Wash Regulars" chat gang where we'll be shunned by the rest of the community! I'm too darn old to wash a car with buckets especially in the winter, and too darn young to drive a dirty car with salt all over its running gear. I'm smack in the middle of those wonderful "screw it -- it's a car" years!

If I get scratches, I'll use touch-up paint. If the badges start falling off, I'll take the rest off and call it customizing. If the paint gets dull from too many washes, I'll wax it occasionally, maybe even get it re-clearcoated every 10 years, whether it needs it or not.

Here's my strategy: I pay a flat monthly fee at a decent soft-cloth place near where I work, so I can wash whenever I like or get a chance. Depending on weather and my schedule I end up washing several times a month.

After 1/4 million miles or so, the Mustang coupe's paint was admittedly getting a little dull but I found I enjoyed driving a clean car with a dull finish more than a dirty car with a shiny finish.

 

[CesarG]

I’d say, test the touchless car wash and see the results for yourself.

I do a 2 bucket hand wash once a month (I take my time, but that’s because it’s almost therapeutic for me). I use chemical guys Mr Pink shampoo and their Diablo wheel cleaner with a wheel brush (non-abrasive). Lastly, I apply turtle wax hybrid solutions ceramic spray coating (every 2 or 3 months, depending on beading) or turtle wax hybrid solutions ceramic wet wax (whenever I’m not applying the former). I also use meguiars tire shine. Depending on how much time I want to or can spend, I may or may not use a clay bar before the wash.

In between hand washes at home, I’ll go to a touchless car wash and pick the most basic one with undercarriage wash during winter months. Takes care nicely of dust and minor dirt accumulation. I have not had any issues with the one I use (no paint damage, no badges flying off).

I stopped using regular automatic car washes a few years ago because they caused swirling marks on my prior vehicles (minor, but still visible under sunlight). I do not shame those who use them because they are indeed fast and get the job done otherwise seamlessly. In the end, minor swirl marks can be taken care of (or at least most of them) with paint correction.

My conclusion is, test what works best for your time, peace of mind and hard earned money.

disclaimer: my MME has full frontal PPF. I do not have professional ceramic coating. Vehicle is garaged at home and work (open garage).

 

[Spooky]

Better to keep up than catch up. From that perspective, touchless car washes may not need to do as well if you are using them more frequently.

As for the chemicals in touchless car washes wreaking havoc on paint jobs.....seems like an awful lot of sources saying so are car detailing or product supply websites or blogs that have a vested interest in people not using automatic washes. Then people who go write articles about the subject rely on those potentially biased claims and the concept all these touchless car washes damage your finish is propagated. If they were as bad as all that how are they still being used?

Maybe some do use some bad chemicals, I don't know, and only have our own experiences to go on without seeing an unbiased university study, government study, etc. studying this. Does anyone know of some unbiased studies showing touchless washes harm today's finishes on cars?

I used to hand wash with the 2 bucket method, clay bar, the whole works a black BMW...black can show swirl marks or micro scratches far more often than other colors IMO. But all our other cars have done just fine in the laser washes for 90% of their cleanings. Our 7-year-old Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit shined like new trading her in with 125k miles on the MME.

Anecdotal experience maybe, but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

 

[Jack Roberts]

I have not done a great job of keeping my vehicles clean in the past, other than as a teenager who didn't have many responsibilities. I'm thinking about getting a discount card at a touchless car wash near my work once I get my MME and setting a reminder on my phone that it is car wash time. I figure this would be the most convenient way to make sure I get it done regularly.

It is my understanding that the touchless car washes are a little more safe for your paint than a drive through with a spinning brush. Is the touchless still safe though?

I know the safest bet would probably be to wash the car in the driveway on a regular schedule, but it always seems like something I never manage to make time for.

I like the touchless wash I use. When my car arrived I had it paint corrected and ceramic coated. The wash I use add a ceramic coat after the wash and before the blow dry. When I get home I dry all of the car again with a large clean microfiber towel. About every two weeks I use chemical guys spray ceramic detail. It looks great all the time.

 

[joebruin77]

As for the chemicals in touchless car washes wreaking havoc on paint jobs.....seems like an awful lot of sources saying so are car detailing or product supply websites or blogs that have a vested interest in people not using automatic washes. Then people who go write articles about the subject rely on those potentially biased claims and the concept all these touchless car washes damage your finish is propagated. If they were as bad as all that how are they still being used?

Maybe some do use some bad chemicals, I don't know, and only have our own experiences to go on without seeing an unbiased university study, government study, etc. studying this. Does anyone know of some unbiased studies showing touchless washes harm today's finishes on cars?

I am not aware of formal research studies, but it is commonly known and documented that many touchless car washes use very strong, high pH (alkaline) soaps. Because touchless car washes do not make contact with the paint, to help clean better, they very often use these strong, high pH soaps to compensate for the lack of a contact wash.

There are two problems with this 1) high pH soaps often degrade or even completely strip waxes and sealants. So your car may come out of the touchless wash looking clean and shiny, but it also has a lot less paint protection because your wax or sealant has just been degraded or stripped. 2) Even with the stronger soaps, they still do not clean as effectively. I saw a convincing youtube video that showed that even with a pressure washer and a high pH intense soap, a lot of roadfilm and dirt was still left on the car's paint.

 

[Awmustang]

Wash my 6 year old Mustang in non-touchless washes exclusively. Never hand washed it at all. The car looks great. Touchless washes are so hard on the car for the reasons people have stated above. As long as you aren't directly behind a Jeep that just got back from Mudding, the regular car washes are fine.

 

[joebruin77]

For those of you who need to wash your car in cold winter climates, there are a couple products that you might find helpful:

1) Ryobi makes an undercarriage spray attachment for your garden hose. You can use this to spray off salt from your undercarriage:

2) Ammo NYC makes an excellent foaming waterless wash called Frothe as well as an anti-salt additive called Boost. Larry, the owner of Ammo NYC, made this helpful video on best winter wash methods using these products. Even though he is selling his products, it is still a very helpful and informative video:

 

[CarDreams]

I've been to one touchless car wash so far. It did ok. I noticed a chip in the hood after the car wash, but I am sure it was already there and I just noticed it after the car was washed.

My Mach-E already had swirl marks from the dealer's car wash. Knowing what I know now about touchless car washes, I may just go back to "regular" old school car washes. After seeing this chip in the hood (in less than a month), I've become paranoid.

 

[RetiredDP]

Maybe a basic wash that sprays the majority off, but I'd skip any extras that will just spray more chemicals on top of the remaining dirt. The biggest issue, in my opinion, is that touchless doesn't work. They don't get all the stuff off. Better than nothing though.

I ceramic coat detail spray my car after each spray-wash (Technicians Choice). Nothing sticks to the paint if you keep touching-up the ceramic coat. No "stuff" on the paint whatsoever.

 

[Duffer]

I use the touchless car wash a few times a year. I used Adams graphene coating shortly after I bought my car. When going to the car wash I take a few microfiber towels and my leaf blower. After I wash I go around with the blower to clear the nooks and crannies then follow up with the towels.

 

[Duffer]

I use the touchless car wash a few times a year. I used Adams graphene coating shortly after I bought my car. When going to the car wash I take a few microfiber towels and my leaf blower. After I wash I go around with the blower to clear the nooks and crannies then follow up with the towels.

 

[leeman]

Here in Orange County Costa mesa Irvine Newport Beach there's one called fast five car wash membership $39 as many washes as you want to take during the month great deal works great doesn't hurt the car.

Sponsored