Author Topic: Hand Car Washes - Good or Bad?  (Read 6013 times)

peteo48

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Hand Car Washes - Good or Bad?
« on: July 23, 2017, 11:29:10 AM »
I'm quite particular about my car's bodywork. I'm far from being a detailer but I do wash carefully with the proper products and I also wax and polish periodically.

The old boy across the road gave up doing his car when his back couldn't take it. He now uses the local East Europeans and his car always looks good and even beads when it's wet. He sometimes pays a bit extra for a wax treatment which I think is just something like Demon Shine.

But even more impressive is a 10 year old Fiesta that visits my next door neighbour. I complimented him on how good his car looked and he said he had had it from new but long standing heart problems meant that he has always paid for a car wash although never the automatic type. He occasionally gets the extra wax treatment as well. His car is in superb condition.

If you mention hand car washes on detailing forums people react as if you have just confessed to murder!

But maybe you can maintain your car quite well with a monthly trip to the Poles at your local car wash.

ColinS

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Re: Hand Car Washes - Good or Bad?
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2017, 12:23:47 PM »
The Polish team polish mine inside and out.  Yes it costs a bit but they do it far better than I ever would.  I have noticed on a couple of occasions that one of them has dropped the rag on the ground.  They immediately take it to a bin and replace it with a new one.  That told me a lot.

But I would never use a machine wash.

Jocko

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Re: Hand Car Washes - Good or Bad?
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2017, 01:20:37 PM »
For years I always hand washed my car. Just a bucket and sponge, rinsed off with water and a chamois dry. Then I worked away from home and the car was doing lots of winter miles so I popped it into the local car wash and was pleased with the results. However, I found that as I moved around, the quality of the results varied from okay to dire. I stopped working away from home so returned to hand washing. About 12 years ago I moved out of the family home and the opportunity to hand wash the car was very limited. This however coincided with the rise of the hand wash operatives and I was pleased with the results I got. Mind you, early spring and MOT time was the only time the car got washed so I do not have a lot to go on! Since buying the Jazz, a year ago, I have been washing the car by hand, myself. Being retired and it being such a small car has made this easier. Recently, after reading through the detailing sites, I have gone over to the two bucket system, using rinseless shampoo. I don't think the car is any better finished than when the local hand wash fraternity was doing it, though it gets done about once a week now.
I would advise anyone who struggles to wash their car, due to time, health issues or just sheer practicalities of washing it, to give the local guys a chance. There are plenty of them about, so you can try a few and see what's best. I always paid for the full bhuna, whatever was on offer, and was never disappointed. Give it a try.

peteo48

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Re: Hand Car Washes - Good or Bad?
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2017, 01:36:06 PM »
I think I might start using the hand car wash from time to time. The old back does play up a bit these days. The one at our local Tesco uses Autoglym stuff which seems a good sign but the task I might farm out is the vaccing. It's a real pain as I have to get the vacuum out to the end of the drive using extension leads and all sorts. Last time I was at Tesco I watched them doing a few cars and they certainly seem very thorough.

£5 for a wash, £10 wash and vac, £15 they'll add a wax which looks like a spray on product - probably Aqua Wax or the trade equivalent.

richardfrost

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Re: Hand Car Washes - Good or Bad?
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2017, 03:24:07 PM »
Haven't done an automatic car wash since I started owning my own cars again, having left the job with the company car and taking the cash option in my current job.

My only issue with the hand car washers near me is they use a wax and wash product and I hate having my windscreen waxed, it makes driving in the rain a proper pain for the first hour. They should go over the windscreen with something to remove the wax.

peteo48

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Re: Hand Car Washes - Good or Bad?
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2017, 05:54:07 PM »
Funny you should say that Richard because when I was discussing the Fiesta above, its owner said that was his only beef with his local car wash - wax on the windscreen.

Jocko

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Re: Hand Car Washes - Good or Bad?
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2017, 06:20:42 PM »
I used to ask the guys not to wash the windscreen. You still got some overspray and rinse on it, but my screenwash was always enough to cope with it.

guest7110

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Re: Hand Car Washes - Good or Bad?
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2017, 11:53:19 AM »
All depends on who is completing the works, I think if you had a regular maintenance wash by a competent detailer, i'm sure it would be fine.

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