[amg123]

I used the self-service car wash down the street from where I live this morning. I had not used a self-service car wash since 1990 b/c the ones I had gone to before were not good quality.

The self-service car wash I went to this morning cost 75 cents and included about 5 minutes of rinse/soap/rinse/wax/rinse. Overall, I thought the equipment did a good job and it was cheap enough that I will consider using it again in between professional washings.

The results looked good before dawn and especially compared to how dirty it was before. However, now that it is light outside the residual spotting on the surface is fairly obvious. After I washed my car, I drove the car up and down the highway to help dry it off. Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to dry the car to prevent spotting? The easier the better. It looks like the guys at the full-service car wash use regular hand towels.

 

[ByByeAmericanPie]

When I wash my car, I use a leaf blower to get most of the water, and then get the remainder with a clean, dry 100% American made cotton terry cloth towel.

As for having your car washed....


1. The self serve car washes (especially the touchless ones) use very harsh chemicals to break up the surface dirt and still leave a light film. These chemicals can, in most cases, strip any wax you have on the vehicle. Most of these types of washes also recycle their water through filters and reuse it giving the water a high dissolved chemical content. This high content will not evaporate and will remain behind as water spots. These chemical spots, if left untreated can most likely etch the finish of your paint. My advice: Stay away from them if you can.

2. The full service guys (the ones with hand towels)also use harsh chemicals, and in addition, the brushes and so called "soft cloths" accumulate dirt from car after car of use and this accumulation will leave fine microscratches on your finish. Also, when they dry with the hand towels, unless they use clean dry towels for each car, you will get scratched as well. My advice: Stay away from them if you can.

3. If your schedule or circumstances are such that you cannot wash your vehicle yourself, find a good local professional detailer. Dont be afraid to ask for references and dont hesitate to take the opportunity to inspect some of his/her work. My advice: This is the preferred way to go if you cannot do it yourself.

 

[Buellwinkle]

The self service washes by me are $2 so it's not as cheap but I agree, the chemicals they use are stronger than typical wash and don't use the brushes they provide to remove dirt, you don't know who used it before you. Consider that I use these places after a day of motocross with my bikes covered in mud, do you want to use the same brush I used? What I do use these places for cars is for engine cleaning. They have a setting that spits out engine degreaser and soak it down and then use their spot free rinse to rinse it away (don't use the high pressure wash to rinse an engine as you can damage the electronics that way), cheaper than a can of engine cleaner and I don't have to stain my driveway.

 

[Primrose]

I used the self-service car wash down the street from where I live this morning. I had not used a self-service car wash since 1990 b/c the ones I had gone to before were not good quality.

The self-service car wash I went to this morning cost 75 cents and included about 5 minutes of rinse/soap/rinse/wax/rinse. Overall, I thought the equipment did a good job and it was cheap enough that I will consider using it again in between professional washings.

The results looked good before dawn and especially compared to how dirty it was before. However, now that it is light outside the residual spotting on the surface is fairly obvious. After I washed my car, I drove car up and down the highway to help dry it off. Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to dry the car to prevent spotting? The easier the better. It looks like the guys at the full-service car wash use regular hand towels.
blacktiedetailing.com

I do not trust anybody when washing my car, but I do not have a nice big driveway either. Does anybody know a good self-serve car wash place in Chicago? I live in the downtown area. Thanks...

 

[ianrandom]

I do not trust anybody when washing my car, but I do not have a nice big driveway either. Does anybody know a good self-serve car wash place in Chicago? I live in the downtown area. Thanks...

Hopefully someone will know.

Can I recommend putting your car details in your profile for us? Helps members answer - Complete your Profile