Completely inadvertently I ran my coupe through a "basic" car wash at Shell the other day. After a few days of wet winter road driving, I noticed that my car (black exterior) was cleaner than a few days after running it through an "ultra" or "ultra +" wash at Shell.

My theory is that the extra layers of protection that you get with the ultra or ultra+ actually attract and attach dirt to the car in the winter, especially if the road has been treated with salt. With the basic wash, the moisture from the road does hit the car but it rolls off and takes longer to "stick".

Anyone had the same experience or tested this out before?

Given the cost difference between a basic wash (around $7.99) versus ultra+ (around $15.99), if my theory is right I can afford to wash my car twice as often in the winter.

The other point to make is that I much prefer Shell's car wash system to Esso, Shell is much more effective in getting even a very dirty car clean.

Looking for feedback

 

i'd steer clear of automated car washes. as an alternative, try a power rinse with a wand-wash. better still: hand washing with proper methods...

 

Sorry for the ignorance, by why are aumotated washes no good? A credible link would be ideal.

Also, I am not really sure who washes there cars by hand in winter. Whoever does must be reallly motivated.

 

bundle up and use a thick rubber glove on the hand that you wash it with. have coffee to keep your insides warm.

 

Noodleman does. He's a really motivated individual.


I know a few other people who hand washes their car too, but they have heated garage... bastards.


There are two kinds of automated wash. The brush ones and the touch free ones. Both are not recommended.

Brush ones generally collects dirts from other cars and scratch your paint. i never go through brush anymore after seeing the amount of scratches I had first I tried it.

Touchless isn't any better. There are lot of arguments saying that the chemical is too strong and actually weakens the clearcoat or something.

 

While I agree that hand wash is preferred to brushless, I would never go for an automated wash where they were using brushes.

My points were relative to a brushless automated car wash.

Regardless of whether you agree or not, if you are up to the "risk" of using brushless automated car washes, test out my theory for yourself and see if basic is better than ultra car wash...that was in fact my point.

Didn't intend on starting a battle on the merits of hand wash versus automated.

 

For some reason anytime anyone mentions an automated car wash, that's exactly what the thread turns into - a debate about the merits/problems of differing car wash methods.

I'll occasionally use an automated wash if I'm very pressed for time and the salt/sand/grit from the road has been eating away at my paint too long. Fortunately it's warming up here, but if I have to use automated again I'll test out your theory.

Luckily it's warm enough for the high pressure self wash, but not yet warm enough for hand washing.

 

Interesting observation.
I will test it out this weekend. My car just went through a lot of brand new subdivisions where the road are NOT built and it is all muddy.
It needs a car wash for sure.

 

Touchless are good but watch out for the guide rails that may rub on wheels especially on coupe wheels.
C.

 

I sometimes wash my car by hand in my heated garage using soft water. Does that make me a bastard? Sometimes my neighbor's 19yo daughter comes over and washes it for me, wearing wearing her lambswool bikini top (guess the rest).

 

^^^



soory...I just had to....

 

And dries it with her waffle weave microfibre mini skirt no doubt.

 

Chamois actually - microfiber isn't absorbent enough and requires too much wringing...

 

I'm not a big fan of Automated car washes in general.

In winter, I usually just to to Hugh's and use their wand wash. Only a couple of bucks and I get a lot of comments at work (underground downtown parking) about how my car always looks so clean.

 

Lemme know if she needs a 'hand'.