Car wash mishap

I used a touch less on my '12 since I got it, at least twice a month. Paint was pretty much flawless when I traded it in, so said the dealer.

 

i don't worry about that. As others have said, they'd be out of business. Certainly the crap that gets on paint just from everyday use is worse. I have several splats of bird crap on mine right now. Been too cold to wash it.

 

Sorry for the mishap. Here's the place I go weekly...never an issue in years of use.

 

I have one of those hand pump spray bottles sold for gardening or whatever, holds a few gallons of fluid and has a wand that gives a decent spray. I fill that up with hot water and put some of that waterless carwash concentrate stuff in there. Just have to use a couple of cap fulls or whatever is required for to make it basically a detailing spray. That plus a couple buckets, one with hot water and the other with an even more diluted mixture of the waterless carwash stuff, and a propane powered space heater makes the garage a lot more bearable. I'll just spray down each panel before I wipe it clean with a sponge soaked from the mixed bucket. Then rinse the sponge in the water bucket. Work from top to bottom, repeat as necessary. Then spray quick wax to finish. In the spring I'll do full detail, clay bar, paint correct as necessary, and wax/seal. Not sure if this is the right thing to do or not, but it's what I do.

I'm open to suggestions.

 

im a lot less o.c.d about my paint than i used to be. But when i hand wash i first rinse top to bottom very thoroughly to wash away any grit. I use only one bucket, and make sure its completely clean. I have a nice lambs wool mit, and make damn sure it doesn't touch the ground. I keep the mit wet and soapy at all times, don't apply a lot of pressure, and NEVER wash in circles. I use a seperate brush for tires/rims obviously. No problems, but then again i have silver.

 

I've found this helps maintain ones sanity much better. I'm definitely in the "F" it crowd 99.9%+ of the time.

 

i used to be nuts! I've calmed down, but I definitely take good care of it. Im only 26 and it's the biggest purchase i've ever made, so yeah i'm going to care for it.

 

I'm in the OCD crowd and enjoy it. I am who I am and I embrace it.

For instance, in the winter months, I keep 10 gallons of distilled water on hand. If there's salt on the roads due to nasty weather, I use those ten gallons to rinse of most of the salt. Holds it until I can give it a proper wash.

Nuts ? Maybe.

 

I used to be the same way. Generally now, unless it living and breathing, it doesn't get much of my time and even less of my care.

Yes...

 

I owns chain of hand car washes in Houston. The damage I've seen from auto washes is crazy. Don't understand the owners. Hundreds of thousands in equipment for what? I do know if you want to get in the business and you call an equipment supplier they have some of the best salesmen in the business. We wash only by hand and have a three bucket, two mitt system.

Google 2 bucket system and you'll find a good bit of info on safely washing your baby!

BTW I've seen the front window on a new suburban look like a stained glass window after using a touch free. Your wax will be gone and it's hard on your clear coat.

Wash it yourself or go to a hand wash.

 

I thought I was the only out there freezing washing my truck all winter. As long as it was over 30 I was out there washing it. Get yourself some neoprene gloves with the high cuff that velcro. I got mine at Cabela's they'll save your hands from getting wet,frozen and finger splits.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/banded-men-s-midlength-neoprene-decoy-gloves/2063201.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&N=0&fsch=true&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=neoprene%2Bgloves&x=10&y=6&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=neoprene+gloves

 

Duck Decoy gloves work great. Cheap at Academy or online.

 

Living in the desert is not the same . I use to live in Phoenix and Tucson for many years. Here in the North East, you dont see 30 degrees for weeks on end sometimes. This year is a rare exception. Too cold to wash by hand...sometimes even too cold to wash at all for days on end.

 

I have noticed with pretty much all washes of this type if you pull forward enough like supposed to and the roller hasn't made contact with your wheel when it does it jars the wheel to the opposite side of where chain is. I always hold my wheel as they all seem to jerk some and then catch back up to your wheel. Almost like once a second. My .02.

But I usually use touch less single bays.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I live in Wyoming and it has not been much about 20 degrees since before Christmas. Most days not getting above 0 degrees. Most of the car washes around here are closed because it has been to cold and they cant keep their equipment from freezing. I guess Im kinda in the screw it crowd. I usually was my truck about every 2-3 months with my pressure washer and hand soap it if i can if not I just add it to the pressure washer.

 

Not at all. I clay bar'd my truck on day 1, then applied a coat of wax. I'll use microfiber cloths and a detailing spray to keep it clean. If it gets really nasty I'll take it to a self car wash, use just water to get off most of the dirt and debris, then follow up with the spray detailer and microfiber cloths. No pasint swirls here and the finishes on my vehicles look great even after several years. I also clay again every other year and wax ever year.

 

sounds like a good routine. My comment was referring to automatic carwashes with dirty brushes.

 

I've lived in Mass for over 50 years when doing this so yes,I do know what cold weather is. I was lucky to have a lot of land and a nice space cleared out to wash my vehicles during the winter so I never had to worry about the main driveway freezing up at night. I'm OCD with my vehicles so it wasn't uncommon for me to be out there washing even when temps were below 30,not much below but I've been out there in the upper 20's. My garage was heated so I could dry it in there. I just recently moved to AZ where one of the first things I did was throw away all my winter gear!

 

Thanks for all the comments. I will be hard pressed to run it through one of those track washes again. All it takes in one screw up like what happened to me to outweigh years of no problems.

 

I came across this on the forums, some tips that are appropriate for the conversation here

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ortable-while-detailing-in-the-winter.305483/