Ok, I know that you should not use automatic car washes and most of you guys who live in the warmer climates hand wash and wax all your cars - - - because you can! For those of us who live in the colder climates, we just cannot wash our cars every week in 10 degree weather, so we are forced to go to automatic car washes.

For those who do, what has been your experience? Have the soft cloth washes harmed your clearcoat at all? Or do you stick with the no-touch, even though they do not completely clean the car?

For me so far, I've put the X through 3 soft-cloth washes and haven't seen a single scratch. I did get the paint sealant put on by the dealer before we took delivery - I wonder if that helps the scratching at all, or if that's just for protecting from fading?? Over time though, I worry that the soft cloth washes might start wearing on the paint...!

So for the winter months, I'm forced to use the automatic car washes, but definitely once we can turn our faucets back on in the spring, all car washes are hand-done!

What does everyone else do??? Soft-cloth vs No-touch???

 

I try to avoid the soft cloth washes, simply don't want to take the risk. I use the automatic when necessary. Doesn't really get the car clean, but it's better than nothing.

 

Never have used an automatic car wash. Always the DIY in winter just to rinse off the heavy stuff.

 

I am in Utah, its 9 degrees right now and I still go to the do it yourself car washes. Sometimes the soap and water freezes before I wash it off but I get it done....

 

Wow, you guys are hard core! Mad props to the guys who do it in freezing weather! Marv, I'm with ya on the automatic car wash. When I had the time I used to take my car to the DIY place over near my university. My friends all thought I was crazy! Now, I don't even bother. Having had a black Subaru WRX (the paint is proably the worst paint ever) and having driven that thing through automatic car washes every winter for over three years, I've found that as long as you get the car detailed really, really well at least once or twice a year, it doesn't do too much harm. It does harm the paint, yes, but, IMO, it's worth not having to freeze my butt off outside. We got the car professionally detailed and every time it turned out great. Even handwashing the Subaru during the summers created very minor (but still noticeable to ME) swirls. I think the G's paint is much better, though. But we shall see how it holds up!

 

I take mine to a touchless car wash....$10 and I get the works, which includes the undercarriage wash. $hit....if I bought this $30K plus car and can afford 93 octane gas, I can afford $10 car washes during the winter to clean & prolong the life of my car.

 

only my civic hatchback goes through those washes. **** I'll wash my car in 45 degree weather with the wind blowing before I would allow my G35 to go through one of those.

 

Agreed. The last time I tried washing the car in cold weather the water was frozen on the back half of the car before I could finish drying it off.

I'll do touchless maybe once a month in the winter to get the dirt off. Its kind of hard to find one since most stations closed theirs down due to the cold.

 

One worry about the brushes is that it may still carry stuff brushed off the previous car.

In the "manual" car washes, I always rinse the brush before I use it.

 

I still hand wash my car, even when it's 18 degrees out... I just use a wash bucket filled with hot water....

Some of my friends went more extreme, and actually had the outside water spigot connected to the hot-water heater...

The 2 bucket method, with hot water also makes it so that you don't freeze your hands off. (Though I've been known to wear gloves and tie a plastic bag around them to keep them from getting wet.)

I would avoid any type of automatic car wash.... Even the DIY ones, where they provide the sprayer... You aren't doing your car any favors using recycled water, that contains all sorts of salts and minerals dissolved in it, as I doubt any car washes put their water through reverse-osmosis to remove dissolved salts/minerals. You're just giving your car a salt bath....

 

I just spray down the car again to melt the ice, and use the leaf-blower to dry the car off. Although even in 18 degree weather, the water never froze to the car before I could dry it with a leaf blower... (The drive way on the other hand...... I just had to spray it down every now and then)

 

interesting stuff - I didn't know the DIY places recycled their water - how is that possible? Doesn't the water just go down the drain?

that's also an interesting method, hot water in a bucket...I might look really really crazy to the neighbors, but they are all really strange in their own way too. I think I might try that, at least just give it a rinse and drive immediately into the garage so the water doesn't freeze.

The problem is I haven't been able to locate a no-touch anywhere...there use to be a few, but they've all since switched over to the soft-cloth, probably because of complaints that they dont' clean everything off...

thanks for your input everyone!

 

I just took my ryde in for the first time since a yr and a half of owning her and they did an excellent job. Quite impressed...not as good as doing it myself but I didn't feel like washing the car where my hands get frozen. $15 for a wash, wax, undercarriage, sealer, clear coat...and it smells like Jasmin! Good stuff...

 

no-touch or soft-cloth wash?

 

find a no touch wash. get it cleaned with their best wash possible then drive the car to a parking lot or home and hand dry it with MICROFIBER towels. It will shine you baby right up...def easier in the winter to do then a full clean. gl


-noth1ng