Do you wash your car or get someone else to?
Up here in leeds there just seems to be a car wash everywhere on old petrol station forecourts.
The queue is massive at £5.00 for a car standard wash spray some detergent on the wheels,bumper,lights, then moves onto the guy with pressure washer & sponge, then to drying off.
Personally i prefer to wash mine due to me been a tight git & i don't care wash it with cold water let it soak while filling up bucket with soap/wax mix then wash with sponge rinse off again with hose pipe.
In the summer i wash it every 10 days in winter about every 6-8 weeks.
I know some can't wash there own but are we been lazy or am i just tight as a camels bits in a sandstorm?
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I always wash mine, as i hate paying someone to do something that i can do myself, and it worries me how little water they seem to use at these those hand car wash places !
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I wash mine myself, though at the moment it's absolutely filthy as I'm off work sick and can't manage to wash it. Looks like I'll have to 'volunteer' my daughters for the job next time they come to stay!
Bigtee - considering the amount of salt and general crud on the roads during the winter would you not be better off reversing your seasonal washing schedule?
Edited by Badwolf {P} on 10/12/2009 at 11:24
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Bigtee - considering the amount of salt and general crud on the roads during the winter would you not be better off reversing your seasonal washing schedule?
Yes your quite correct but when it's freezing, blowing a gale, snowing, hail stones, i just can't be bothered no idea why! lol........
In summer it's a pleasure to wash it then vac it and a polish every 4 months.
Thats another thing next door neighbour does the valeting he gave me one of his "menus" £60.00 for a full valet not on your knickers i said id rather do it myself he was gob smacked i said NO!
I just think were becoming lazy and pay for owt id rather do it myself would you?
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I've never understood why it is that in France, where - by and large - cars are not pampered, there are several national chains of jetwash sites plus loads of independent sites, even in small towns, and every supermarket petrol station has an auto car wash or a jet wash, often both, while in the UK they are scarce. I went to a funeral in the Westcountry last year and in a town of 40,000-plus people I couldn't find a single jetwash to get the travel crud off the car.
Speaking as someone who doesn't want other people smearing his polished paintwork, I am very happy with the French set-up.
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considering the amount of salt and general crud on the roads during the winter would you not be better off reversing your seasonal washing schedule?
I would agree with that as well, but you come up against the problem of....... in winter when you need to wash it more often, you have less daylight time to do it in. In winter, assuming you are at work, you can only wash it at weekends (does anybody wash their car at 7pm in December? it would be easy in July). And if the weekend is wet and miserable you don't have the chance to get out and do it, so you've got to wait till the next weekend etc etc
whereas in summer, when you can use any evening, you don't need to do it so often
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And if the weekend is wet and miserable
...you save yourself the bother of having to chammy it dry afterwards!
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Armstrong Sid - you are, of course, correct. It's ironic isn't it, that it's more difficult to wash your car during the season that it needs it most!
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Bigtee: " know some can't wash there own but are we been lazy or am i just tight as a camels bits in a sandstorm? "
You're not tight - you're actually spending time (and money on water / cleaning products / heating the water) washing the thing! I think I washed mine last winter, and possibly the winter before - somewhere about 2/3 of the way through when it got so drity I couldn't get in and out without getting filthy. So I'm averaging one wash every 25k miles or so....must be trying too hard!
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I mean to have a go at mine this afternoon - just a brush on a hose job and shammy off. It spent last weekend collecting Welsh mud and have you seen the forecast temperatures for the next couple of weeks?
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have you seen the forecast temperatures for the next couple of weeks? Snow?
Thank goodness there is a pressure washer at one of the locations at work next week it will get a wash yipee.!
Do you pay for valets or do these yourselves?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 10/12/2009 at 13:11
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I wash mine myself, in fact won't let anyone else do it 'cos they won't take enough care - even my company car (and I know that's considered a bit sad). Tools are a clean sponge, concentrated wash/wax (or Autoglym if I'm feeling generous), separate sponge/cloth for wheels etc. Dry with a good quality synthetic chammy. Once a year (summer) polish with Autoglym resin polish too. tend not to use a brush or hose unless I'm doing the wheelarches (that summer job again).
I try to wash SWMBO's car (because we own it) more often but the truth is that I probably do one of the cars a month so that's 8 weeks between washes - not great, key thing is to remove bird poo as soon as you spot it, via a soaked kitchen roll and not rubbing away at it, that way your paintwork will survive looking surprisingly good for many years.
All quite straightforward really, surprising how many cars you see left covered in bird poo etching the paint, I'm told those water blades are pretty destructive too - hence my objection to using hand car washes, automated ones being even worse of course.
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I wash my own car.
The reason for this is that the most important part of the wash is to pressure clean the underside of the car and inside the wheelarches, especially in Winter, to remove all the dirt and salt that leads to corrosion.
I'm never too bothered about the shiny paint, that can look after itself.
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I wash my own car, getting a bit lazy as I haven't done it for a month or two... :O
I have only ever seen someone else on my road washing their car once - and I have lived on this road for about 13 years. Seems most people these days use the scratch inducing drive through car washes, nasty things. My car has never been in one of these and never shall be!
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Do you wash your car or get someone else to?
No.
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Just come in from washing mine - first time in two weeks it has stopped raining (don't believe that the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain) - so am forecasting more rain tomorrow!
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I tend to properly wash my car very little in the winter. I make sure it gets a good clean and waxing in the summer so that it is well protected in the winter. Washing in the winter tends to be a rushed affair and the likelihood of scouring the paint with salt etc is greater.
In winter I soak the car with water then give it a good covering of car wash from the pressure washer on low pressure, including the underside. I then let this loosen the dirt for a while and then pressure wash the whole car, including underneath, on a relatively low pressure again. I don't touch the paint with a cloth or sponge, just the windows. This seems to keep the car relatively clean and come the better weather I can spend some time getting it properly clean.
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I prefer to wash my own car, for the sole reason that I feel it is done more thoroughly if I do it myself. Especially the wheel arch areas and underside of the car which some car wash places will ignore (at the owners peril !). Agree with Armstrong Sid about winter syndrome. This means it may be a few weeks before you get round to washing a filty car. The effort is worth it though, a good clean and wax/polish makes a huge difference. I would imagine we've all had the scenario where we've parked our cars to go shopping and it starts raining. We get back to our cars to see the rain beading on the surface of the car whilst the car parked next to it shows no sign of any rain fall what so ever.
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Hi,
I used to like cleaning cars,but nowadays every time I wash mine,or the wifes,I feel like I have just spent 1-2 hours doing something I really do not enjoy.
Especially so when I know that there is an excellent hand car wash near me that charges £4!,and probably does a better job than me!
I took my last car there for about 3 years and never a scratch......
What is the point I ask myself?
Cheers..Phil.
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i only clean my car just before mot time,
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Attaboy, Zookeeper
We used to wash our before the annual camping expidition to the Continent as well mind.
I can testify that it in NO way affects the paint adversely. Ok one notices wee chips etc.
and surely yer aggressive cleaning chemicals used in most of the car washes are NOt good for the paintwork either.
jat
M>> i only clean my car just before mot time
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Metric I use is when you get your clothes dirty if you're unfortunate enough to brush against it when getting in or loading the boot, or perhaps when it's getting difficult to see out of side windows and the wipers are smearing, I find that's about 12 weeks in the summer, 6 to 8 weeks in the winter.
Still do it myself though, no car wash or nasty chemicals. Hand car washes in Surrey cost upwards of £10 too.
Edited by idle_chatterer on 10/12/2009 at 13:52
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Local hand car wash everytime for an inside and out. Can't be bothered myself. I think the last car I washed was my Mum's when I was 18 - she had me do it every other weekend from about the age of 13.
I've done my time. Now I'll pay someone to do it for me, thanks.
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Do it myself, takes 10 minutes. In the summer I spend a lot more time on it and wax it etc but there is just no point in the winter.
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I wash my own car. I have a external hot tap & connecting that to the pressure washer does a fantastic job & gets rid of all the brake dust of the alloys in an instant ( not so effective with cold water) & a good clean under the arches & bottoms of the doors.
Use it plenty in the winter to get rid of the salt & crud.
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I have a external hot tap & connecting that to the pressure washer does a fantastic job
Is it a high-end washer? I notice the ones with a metal pump are rated for hotter water than the low-end plastic pumps. It's getting difficult to know which are made from what though since the specs often don't mention it.
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I kinda have to wash my own - a valeter who didnt wash their own car would be seen as a little suspect :-)
Just a note on grit etc - small Karcher and prewash gets rid of any significant grit that would cause scratches - also great for a little extra kick cleaning wheelarches and sills.
I keep meaning to do mine but its been so hectic with work that I never get near it - penciled in for Sunday I hope as Ive been working over at local farms cleaning stuff and my goodness is the ground filthy.
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Hi Dimdip
yeah the pressure washer was about £500 ish & its all brass fittings inside but my word does it do a good job. Take a little care though to make sure i don't get the lance to close to the paint.
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Yes, but your neighbours will think you need to be sectioned.
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thanks doc, that sounds like a good compromise ? much cheaper than a full-blown hot-wash, but with most of the benefit.
Edited by dimdip on 10/12/2009 at 19:06
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It's obvious why makers only spray orange peel finish on now, the lazy motorists here (apart from one or two) never see the paint again until they come to sell.
Wash my two most weekends, and once the salt goes down the hosing down frequency increases, especially underbody.
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Something interesting to note: It's amazing how many people don't bother cleaning underneath/around wheel arches, underneath door sills and along the very bottom edge of the doors. Perhaps if everyone washed those areas more often, there would be less rusty old bangers about?
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Sorry, wash & car, am I missing something here? Not familiar with this process, certainly never paying for it!
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The problem is they know about the plastic wheel liners and think it won't rust it's plastic!
They don't think the salt gets between the liner and the body, always do mine and were i can use pressure washer over exhaust brake lines but nowhere near the engine modern electrics don't seem to like water.!
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Like to wash ours every week, mine, SWMBO and two for daughters keeps me fit.
However not always able, may do two one week and two next week.
Wash door edges most weeks and flash under arches with jet wash but hose them properly every month or so in winter.
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I'm a member over at the Detailing World forum, the stuff that some of those guys are capable of is a whole other level from most people's ideas of a clean car!
I personally like to try and wash on a weekly basis using some reasonably decent stuff, most of the equipment is semi-pro and the routine is:-
Clean wheels with Bilberry Safe Wheel Cleaner (particularly important on the diamond cut wheels)
Coat the car in foam and leave for a while before powerwashing the thick off
Clean the car with a microfibre mitt and the two bucket method to avoid swirls
Rinse and then dry down
That's a quick wash, I can add extra stages if I'm in the mood.
I think my longest session was on my folk's Z4, spent about 8 or 9 hours on it (including a machine polish) but one of my mam's colleagues asked her when she had replaced the car :-)
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Clean the car with a microfibre mitt ..........
Eugh! I can't stand microfibre cloth. It clings to the surface roughness of my hands and I find the feeling most unpleasant.
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Weekly. £1.99 car wash then drive it home and give it a quick wash with hose and bucket. only takes a few minutes. Car wash is not very thorough but shifts the bulk of the dirt. I also wonder if it leaves a wax film on the windows.
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Back when i was a lad apprentices had to wash cars at the garage weekly we were told to rinse with cold water let it stand for 2 mins then wash with soap & rinse off, shamy dry.
In reality everything above was done but the shamy just took too long!
But still to this day i do all the above but take more pride with one car than i did washing 30!
Wonder if the apprentices of today have to do these things or they employ some poor sod to do it.
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we were told to rinse with cold water let it stand for 2 mins then
I would question that method now. Surely using detergent soln as the first 'wetting', as Blue {P} mentioned, will do a much better job of softening up dry grime than using plain water? But plain water still seems to be the universal advice. Perhaps it is historical since in the past there was no easy way to apply suds without using eg. a sponge, which could cause scratching...
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Never bothered washing mine in London but now I've got a driveway and outside tap I do it myself. I don't like putting a dripping dirty car in my spotless white tiled garage so at this time of year I might give it a spray every couple of days or daily if there's sludge and snow hanging off it. There are a lot of muddy, unmade roads near me and a lovely shiny motor can come back completely caked after a quick trip to the offy.
I never wash it at the weekend though when people are around, that old joke "you can come and do mine when you've done that one" makes me want to punch people.
Slightly off topic, I put all the lights up on the house yesterday, got the disco reindeer out on the balcony, flashing lights on the tree in the garden. Classy. Just waiting for the snow.
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Wash the motors ? Ugh ! Used to use the IMO if I was passing. Cheapest wash @ £1.20 and give the lad a quid for doing the wheels.
If I ever have to do the Suzi, I have a soft yard brush which will go in the bucket of hot water and give the car a good broggling with. Hosepipe with trigger so you don't get water all over yourself.
Might do it on Sunday..it really does look a total pink fluffy dice tip ! Wifey wants the black Note doing.That's going to double my agony 'cos it's much newer and I'll have to take care.
The whole pigging job's on a par with what I've been doing today...the Christmas cards !
Ted
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 12/12/2009 at 15:11
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Kevin washes his dads car
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qUP3yHEpRw
Edited by craneboy on 12/12/2009 at 10:13
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With my smart I always do it myself. 2 dunks in a big bucket and its done ;-) with the Hyundai its normally taken to the Arc, Morrisons or the local hand car wash place. Every couple of months I give it a go over and get the Autoglym Aquawax on it (and the smart) which always leaves it lovely and shiny.
Edited by J500ANT on 12/12/2009 at 10:20
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I've got to admit to being a bit of a car washing geek; I wash mine every Sunday morning hail, blow or snow. I've even had to take the spray head off the hosepipe to let the water push the ice out before I start.
Anythings better than watching morning tv or bonding with family, and besides, I find it theraputic (or do I need therapy?).
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Brought forward the agony and did both the Note and the Vitara at lunchtime. The trigger end of the hose had cracked, due to frost probably, and water was spraying all over the place. Solved that by taking the end off and just letting the pipe flow. As a bonus, I draped it over the fence to save turning the tap off all the time. Flooded neighbours garden instead of mine...but they were out !
Did the Vit first, brush, hot water and Fairy. Sponge for the wheels. Turned attention to the Note, metallic charcoal.
Did it all,, Looked good but when water had drained off there were still patches of road-dirt on the nearside. Went over them with a sponge and the hose. It dried again and some were still there...rubbed then off with an old hand towel and rinsed...OK now.
What a palaver ! Trousers soaked, hands freezing and all SWMBO did was sit in the warm with a nice lunch.
Wonder why it's my car when it's wash or fill up time.
Ted
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i prefer to spend sunday watching QVC, the 2 hour diy shows usually have some berk demonstrating a karcher jet washer...much more comfortable from the settee with tea and toast rather than actually cleaning the darned car
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I enjoy spending the odd morning or afternoon in summer washing and polishing the cars, but don't bother at this time of year. 50 miles a day on wet, dirty motorways ensures that a clean car on a Sunday looks like it's never seen a bucket of water in its life by Tuesday. Damp cloth over the lights occasionally, but don't bother otherwise.
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...and doing the caravan....mein Gott in Himmel !!!
Ted
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i prefer to spend sunday watching QVC the 2 hour diy shows usually have some berk demonstrating a karcher jet washer...
I don't know whether it's QVC or Idealworld but I cringe when I see him directing that pressure washer at the car. Wouldn't let one get anywhere near any car of mine, except perhaps on lowish pressure around the wheel arches.
And what about those waterless car cleaners/polishes they demonstrate, as well. All their demo panels and cars don't look as though they are covered in 'normal' road dirt.
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Pressure washers are not particularly dangerous to the car if used properly, in fact they're the safest way of eliminating the surface muck before washing thus ensuring the car stays swirl-free for longer.
As I mentioned earlier, my car is coated in a thick foam for a few minutes before I use the pressure washer to remove the thick muck, this is done by using the nozzle on a "fan" setting which delivers the pressure safely (to lift paint you would need to practically touch it onto the car), the fan is jetted at the car in a methodical pattern which ensures all of the surface area is sprayed and the muck removed before I even touch the car with anything.
As far as waterless washing is concerned, I think the general opinion on the forums is that unless you're dealing with very light dust they aren't up to the job of cleaning a typically dirty car in the UK, certainly not without scratching.
Just to give some of the more wash-phobic posters a heart attack, I have been to the local Detailing Shop today and spent £125 (of someone elses money!) on a bottle of shampoo, a paint cleaner and a wax. :-)
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Haven't washed the new car since we bought it; Mrs. H is still in love with the beast so I allow her to undertake the chore! :-)
Wish I could get her to love her Harley just as much, always seems to be ME that ends up cleaning that!
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The only time a pressure washer can damage the paint is if it is too powerful - a £50 Karcher is all I need to pro valet cars so why someone needs a more powerful one for a sunday wash is beyond me - me thinks its a male ego thing, my pole is bigger than his pole etc haha.
A combination of good cleaners and adequate pressure is all thats needed and I do what I can to make my life as easy as possible, so that is the lazy mans view.
Ive never found the need for heat personally when cleaning the outside of a car although it is useful for lifting trim stains more easily :-)
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Came across this when searching for stuff:
www.verbeeck-delhelle.be/Public/pageAygo.htm
This is how everyone should clean their car, in my opinion. End result speaks for itself.
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This is how everyone should clean their car in my opinion. End result speaks for itself.
Such attention to detail - not! Goes to the trouble of opening the fuel filler cap to clean inside there, but doesn't bother removing the wheel trims and cleaning behind them, nor bothering to open the doors, bonnet and boot to clean behind the shut lines.
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DD,
To be fair to this guy, I think the dirty door shuts and dirty wheels pictures are 'before'.
Scroll down to find the 'after' pics.
Incidentally, I see the rear of the car is marked '5 Year warranty' - last but one pic.
Didn't know Toyota offered this.
My reading of the link address is that it's Belgian - is that right?
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never trust the shopping channels they use tricks to show cleaning products and equipment in a good light.
for example tile grout cleaners are used on fresh new grout thats been coated with clear nail polish and the dirt is then applied to that, a damp cloth will do the same as the product they are demonstrating under those circumstances, they probably do the same with any other cleaning gear
Edited by welshlad on 13/12/2009 at 14:55
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