Carwash

MrLeisure757

MrLeisure757

New Member
This question is probably directed more at people who care about their cars (Jace...) My question is, do they have touchless car washes in Grand Forks? I like to try and keep the car clean, but I don't use anything but a touchless...okay, that was a weird question, but thanks!

Adam
 
MrLeisure757 said:
This question is probably directed more at people who care about their cars (Jace...) My question is, do they have touchless car washes in Grand Forks? I like to try and keep the car clean, but I don't use anything but a touchless...okay, that was a weird question, but thanks!

Adam
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No, we don't have any of those. We just got our first paved road so I don't think we have any touchless car washes. Sounds too technological for us.
 
Well it is fairly new in my area of New Hampshire so I thought that it was quite possible it was new there. I've been to GF, last summer and I'm not trying to speak down upon the place if you got that impression. It's a hell of a lot better then here.
 
Mr Leisure...

During the winter months I take my car to "Automotive Detailing" on S 32nd Ave just east of the Hyundai dealership. Their name is just that (I know, generic). Exterior washes are $14 and it's a full service detail shop. They do GREAT work and it's family owned - no teenage brats are hired to clean your car. This place takes great pride in cleaning your car well. They hand wash with a wash mit and hand dry. Usually just one person washes your car so they do a great job.

During the summer months I do it myself at the coin-op do-it-yourself car washes. I don't dare use the car wash brush (can you say "swirl marks"?). I just bring my own water bucket and car wash supplies, fill it up with the pressure washer (it takes skill to do this without getting soaked!) and drive it carefully back home to wax.

I used to own a mobile detail business in California so I know a bit about proper paint care. Do NOT use a touchless car wash because in order to effectively remove dirt without "touching", touchless car washes use stronger detergent agents that strip your wax coating. If you care about having wax protection, mainly because it's necessary if you want to prevent the affects that winter has on your car, avoid a touchless car wash. But, if you are just in desperate need to have it washed (like in the winter), it'll be fine until the time you quickly put another coat of wax on the paint. Also, avoid a "touch" car wash - such as "Valley Dairy" car washes. They have "soft cloth" systems that see dirty gravel infested cars all day and it's very easy for this gunk to get swirled around on your paint - inhibiting more swirl marks.

I'm just fussy with my car. I wax it several times per year during the above 40 degree months. I took for granted the ability to wash your car year round prior to moving to ND. My car gets so dirty during the winter months, but it should be fine as long as a good wax coating is kept on it. In fact, when it rained today the water beaded up really nicely - a sign of a healthy wax coating.

I'm still considering buying a watertank/pressure washer system for my car washing extravaganzas :D and store it in my garage because this apartment complex does NOT allow you to wash your car anywhere. I'll just sneak in a quick wash in front of my garage - screw them :D
 
Jace --
Thanks for the reply. That was a good read and nice to know about the touchless car washes. Winter here isn't too different from there I'm sure - salty roads = dirty car. So I typically just run it through the touchless to get all the grit off. In the summer I would take the time to get out our pressure washer and clean it that way. And top it off with a nice wax. But I just got the car this winter (2006 Toyota Camry), so I haven't had the chance to take out the pressure washer yet, although it was 57 degrees today and looks to be 55-60 all week. Anyway, that answered my question about a local car detailing place, thanks.

Adam
 
Yeah there is that touchless on washington and university, I believe Marks Amoco. I honestly prefer hand washing at the pressure washer, touchless ones are not perfect ones for cleaning. There is always that 'boundary layer' as mentioned in Aerodynamics too.. I personally use the touchless to keep it clean, but if I need to get down and dirty on cleaning it like after the winter I use the pressure washer.
 
Jace mentioned everything, waxing is vital, but impossible here in winter, meanwhile also underwash, reaching hard to get areas are important too to shake that salt off! Detail to places we forget, in between doors, the wheels, etc.. Car washing can take a day sometimes. I remember I used to do that like crazy in the summer, untill I got fed up of my car being a peice, recently the tranny quit, I plan on swaping it and maybe then I will be back to washing it.

Darn, this reminds me, maybe in the summer when we are bored we should have a car washing spree at the washer.
 
I usually go to valley dairy on 42nd. 11 bucks at that place to get their cheap ass "wax" sprayed on your car as well as an underbody wash. I know its the spinny brush type of car wash, but I have white paint and nothing really shows up. I wax every 3 months, so nothing really gets too out of hand as far as swirl marks go. I dont ever really see them though.

If you have any other color besides white, I would definetly hand wash. Or ateast get off what you can with the pressure washer types. I have a red 87 chevy s10 blazer back home and I learned the hard way about taking 15 year old paint with no clear coat(GM didnt use clear coat in the 80's to my knowlege)into a touchless car wash. I still have streaks in my paint. That damn detergent stripped the wax clean off and actually rearranged the paint leaving streaks in the paint itself!!!!!!!! :mad: My truck went from nice smooth GM bright red to a chalkboard with almost an orange looking color. I cant see the streaks for about two months after waxxing, but man once it starts to oxidize it looks pretty bad.
 
Dj To Rule said:
Jace mentioned everything, waxing is vital, but impossible here in winter, meanwhile also underwash, reaching hard to get areas are important too to shake that salt off! Detail to places we forget, in between doors, the wheels, etc.. Car washing can take a day sometimes. I remember I used to do that like crazy in the summer, untill I got fed up of my car being a peice, recently the tranny quit, I plan on swaping it and maybe then I will be back to washing it.

Darn, this reminds me, maybe in the summer when we are bored we should have a car washing spree at the washer.
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Im down for that. Except my car looks even more like a grandma car when its clean. :)
 
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