Car Wash
02-12-2019, 03:00 AM
#21
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Aug 1999
Location: Silicon Valley and Yosemite, CA
Posts: 5,511
Received 635 Likes
on
341 Posts
I own a chemical company, I would not take my vehicles through a touch free wash. You do whatever you want.
Before I started my company I worked almost 15 years for a company called ZEP. I sold lots of commercial car wash and what the process does is it applies acid to your vehicle to burn off the dirt and then uses an alkaline product to neutralize the acid, well...neutralizes as long as all the alkaline hits all the applied acid. It's a low ph followed by a high ph... then lots of water. The acid is a problem when it seeps into places you'd rather it not go, such as wiring, but the neutralizer doesn't get into the same spot.
You also have to be aware that the chemicals are very strong and if the chemical dispensers aren't dialed in correctly then you could be getting too much of one and not enough of another, it happens...been called out plenty of times to fix the dilution ratios. Do you think the car wash operator stops washing cars while it's not diluting properly? Hell no...he's got rent and salaries to pay!
The problem with the roll over washes is that the long cloth strips that hang down like spaghetti have dirt and crap from all the previous cars embedded in them and then you come along with your detailed, ceramic coated car and...well...I shiver to think of it. If the car was has the big rollers that have those "soft bristles" then most likely those bristles have seen better days, the ends get frayed and can damaged the finish on the cars. Think of it like a weed eater beating on your paint....ok...not as powerful but you get the idea. Those brushes are very expensive and car wash operators like to get all the mileage they can out of those....and then some. Next time you're at a tunnel wash look at those bristles, if you can, and pay close attention to the ends of the bristles....they look like split ends or some look like they've been run through a pencil sharpener.
Just hand was you lazy bastards!
Disclaimer....all the information I just gave out was free.....so take it for what it's worth!
Before I started my company I worked almost 15 years for a company called ZEP. I sold lots of commercial car wash and what the process does is it applies acid to your vehicle to burn off the dirt and then uses an alkaline product to neutralize the acid, well...neutralizes as long as all the alkaline hits all the applied acid. It's a low ph followed by a high ph... then lots of water. The acid is a problem when it seeps into places you'd rather it not go, such as wiring, but the neutralizer doesn't get into the same spot.
You also have to be aware that the chemicals are very strong and if the chemical dispensers aren't dialed in correctly then you could be getting too much of one and not enough of another, it happens...been called out plenty of times to fix the dilution ratios. Do you think the car wash operator stops washing cars while it's not diluting properly? Hell no...he's got rent and salaries to pay!
The problem with the roll over washes is that the long cloth strips that hang down like spaghetti have dirt and crap from all the previous cars embedded in them and then you come along with your detailed, ceramic coated car and...well...I shiver to think of it. If the car was has the big rollers that have those "soft bristles" then most likely those bristles have seen better days, the ends get frayed and can damaged the finish on the cars. Think of it like a weed eater beating on your paint....ok...not as powerful but you get the idea. Those brushes are very expensive and car wash operators like to get all the mileage they can out of those....and then some. Next time you're at a tunnel wash look at those bristles, if you can, and pay close attention to the ends of the bristles....they look like split ends or some look like they've been run through a pencil sharpener.
Just hand was you lazy bastards!
Disclaimer....all the information I just gave out was free.....so take it for what it's worth!
This!!! Anyone that runs their car through an auto car wash, touchless or otherwise does not have a perfect finish and more than likely is a total mess. As a pro detailer, in my entire career I have never seen an auto car washed vehicle be nothing less than pathetic. In winter, especially this one, it is better to auto wash it than let the dirt/salt sit on it, just be prepared to get it, or fix it in the spring. Not only do they use very harsh detergents, and darlinks I have these clown salesman come into my shop selling me the junk they use down the street, but then the nylon "brushes" that have dirt from the last 300 cars on them beat the crap out of your car. Oh and the touchless use such a high pressure that it literally pushes the dirt into your paint and pushes it along.Best bet contact your local detailers and ask if they hand wash cars, many do.
I used the two-three bucket method using "cut" microfiber mitts(which releases the dirt by pushing the mitt up and down several times in the rinse bucket(s), which contains a dirt guard) and Zaino Car Wash on standard coated vehicles and Gyeon Bathe on Ceramic coated vehicles.
The following users liked this post:
FYRARMS (02-12-2019)
03-15-2019, 08:28 AM
#24
Pro
I have never taken any of my vehicles thru an auto car wash, nor will I ever. As others have said the harsh chemicals damage the paint and remove protective coats of wax or sealant on the paint.
I always find a day in the winter above freezing where I can wash and get the crud off.
I always find a day in the winter above freezing where I can wash and get the crud off.