[17rsvert]

Originally Posted by KirkH

I have only read on coin op car wash message boards that the pre rinse and soap is recycled but there are systems for sale that claim to recycle all water,so I am not sure.


Most car washes have signs that say "No Bucket Washes." Its the dumbest thing ever but they don't want you spending time in the bay without the meter running.

So don't bring a bucket.

Bring extra wash towels, pour a little soap out on them, and change them instead of rinsing.

[rallenrpd]

I have found that some of the newer car washes put the car on a conveyor belt, not just the tires. There is one near me where the entire floor is a large conveyor belt the is the width of the car. It has brushes but you can ask them to turn the brushes off and they will which makes it a touchless carwash.

[GearheadSS]

If you want something easy that you can do yourself, get some Optimum No Rinse. All you'll need is a bucket, a sponge or good microfiber towel and a good waffle weave drying towel.

You could also try to find a good mobile detailer. Check the Lone Star Camaro facebook page and see if anyone there has any recommendations for a good mobile detailer in your area that will do maintenance washes.

[jamala00]

I used to hand was all my vehicles, but not so much anymore. I'm not getting any younger. My Tahoe is too much a pain in the butt to wash by hand. Climbing up on tires to wash the hood, climbing up to wash the roof, etc. I wash the Camaro by hand though. Mine stays in the garage so I don't worry about a cover. As far as the automatic car washes. I've been using them for years. Soft touch and touch-less. Soft touch gets the car far cleaner. I get all my vehicles professionally detailed twice a year. All my vehicles look immaculate all the time. 3 of them are black and the Camaro is blue. How are you supposed to wash your vehicles in the winter if you don't go to a automatic car wash?

[GearheadSS]

Originally Posted by jamala00

How are you supposed to wash your vehicles in the winter if you don't go to a automatic car wash?

See my post above. I wash mine in the garage with Optimum No Rinse. Although, Texas winters aren't the same as what you experience.

[KirkH]

Originally Posted by 17rsvert

So don't bring a bucket.

Bring extra wash towels, pour a little soap out on them, and change them instead of rinsing.

My experiences have been that if the meter isn't running, the owner/manager comes and bitches at me. The car washes that I have tried to do bucket washes (Frankfort,KY and Bowling Green,KY) had security cams and the owner/manager drove from his home to bitch at me for doing it.

[jamala00]

Originally Posted by GearheadSS

See my post above. I wash mine in the garage with Optimum No Rinse. Although, Texas winters aren't the same as what you experience.

Ya, when your vehicle is covered in salt. Black vehicle literally looks white.. You need soap and water. You also in WI winters want to get the complete undercarriage from all the salt. You are not going to do that in your garage. Not to mention many times in the winter the garage is below freezing.

[Glen e]

Originally Posted by jamala00

Ya, when your vehicle is covered in salt. Black vehicle literally looks white.. You need soap and water. You also in WI winters want to get the complete undercarriage from all the salt. You are not going to do that in your garage. Not to mention many times in the winter the garage is below freezing.

Yep, if you are trying to get off caked on salt and debris from a terrible winter storm, there is no other way to do it except copious amounts of water and a hand mitt. Unfortunately many times that’s not possible. You must find a touchless car wash, run it through, then take it home and make it totally right with a rinseless in your garage. (Or just do the touchless and call it a day)

And if you’re looking to protect the paint, and don’t feel like doing a ceramic, the absolute best Hybrid wax out there is two coats of Collinite 845 in October, the stuff is indestructible.

[redcoats1976]

if you have 3 or 4 unemployed hot heighborhood wimmenz,put them to work handwashing you camaro in their bikinis.not only will you beautify your camaro,but all the guys in the neighborhood will thank you...

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by KirkH

My experiences have been that if the meter isn't running, the owner/manager comes and bitches at me. The car washes that I have tried to do bucket washes (Frankfort,KY and Bowling Green,KY) had security cams and the owner/manager drove from his home to bitch at me for doing it.

If you're going at an off-demand time and there are open bays (meaning you aren't preventing someone from being able to pull in and wash because all of the bays are full), then have the conversation with the owner about the fact that you are being mindful of his business and acting in a way that is not reducing his revenue or increasing his expense.

Then ask if he would prefer that you go elsewhere to spend your money instead of increasing his revenue during an otherwise slow time of day.


If you're going at a time when you are making people wait, then I can understand why he's not happy (although how he approaches this with you is what matters). If you're stopping someone ELSE from spending money and you are not "feeding the meter" at the same time, then he has a legitimate beef.

[L8Apex]

I bought some of the waterless wash, and while the panel was clean, I think I'll just wait for a real water wash, I won't drive in salt, so it's always fine to sit it out

[Jaxcam02]

What I would do if I couldn't wash it myself and didn't have a garage, is invest in a very good cut and buff with a ceramic coating or some kind of professional level sealant to protect the paint. After that when the car needs a wash, I would get up early in the morning on a cool day, if there is a lot of condensation on the car its better, and go to a touchless wash and get a wash that has a pre-rinse, a soap setting with a little bit of a sit time, and an after rinse with a good blow dry. bring some good microfiber cloths (google waffle weave for runny liquids) or a battery powered leaf blower to blow away the left over water in the parking lot.
Any left over bugs or whatever I would isolate clean at home with a bucket and good microfibers. Laundry Dryer sheets are great for stuck on bugs on an otherwise clean car.
The less you touch the car, the longer the sealant will last, and I would not recommend a car cover outside, especially in a very dusty environment. Its the same reason I don't believe in car bras. Any little bit of grit that gets between your paint and the fabric is going to scour the paint.

[KirkH]

Originally Posted by ember1205

If you're going at an off-demand time and there are open bays (meaning you aren't preventing someone from being able to pull in and wash because all of the bays are full), then have the conversation with the owner about the fact that you are being mindful of his business and acting in a way that is not reducing his revenue or increasing his expense.

Then ask if he would prefer that you go elsewhere to spend your money instead of increasing his revenue during an otherwise slow time of day.


If you're going at a time when you are making people wait, then I can understand why he's not happy (although how he approaches this with you is what matters). If you're stopping someone ELSE from spending money and you are not "feeding the meter" at the same time, then he has a legitimate beef.

Probably a better plan is just feed the meter while you are there. Believe me, these guys were PISSED that I was there and it was the middle of the night with no one there.
There was no discussion with them. They were like NO BUCKET WASHES! I think its a “thing” they discuss on their message boards and they get all fired up about.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by KirkH

Probably a better plan is just feed the meter while you are there. Believe me, these guys were PISSED that I was there and it was the middle of the night with no one there.
There was no discussion with them. They were like NO BUCKET WASHES! I think its a “thing” they discuss on their message boards and they get all fired up about.

Yep. I get it. Some people would rather have NONE of the revenue that they believe they are entitled instead of SOME of that same revenue. They genuinely don't understand subtleties like that and it impacts their ability to draw customers in and retain them over the long term.