Do any of you guys know if going into a drive through carwash will mess up the car's wax?

 

Avoid them if you can. If you must, go for ones that are brushless, touchless, or are hand wash only.

And just for the record, unless you or someone has detailed the car, there probably isn't much, if any wax on it.

 

The wax might be the least of the things messed up. They are also known to cause serious damage to rims.

 

After you go for the brushless/touchless ones, reapply your wax. The detergents that they use are very strong and usually will strip off the wax on your car.

Avoid the carwash with brushes. The scratch. And scratch badly. It's like washing your car with a vileda mop.

 

Excellent point.

 

you're only 16 not 60 - wash it yourself

 

Honestly its not that hard and it doesn't take that long.

 

Unless it's below 0ºF outside.

 

Yeah, that's my biggest problem. I wash it myself all spring, summer, and fall, but hard to get water to flow through your hose at 5 deg F. Anyway, I can attest to the fact (FACT) that the non-touchless washes will scratch the s&*t out of your car. I learned the hard way and have to polish out the three million little scratches in my clearcoat. It's like having your car washed with a weed whacker. If it's your only choice, leave the car dirty/salty/muddy/caked in concrete/covered in hot tar/whatever. Nothing is worse than the weed whacker car washes. If you have no other choice, drive the car off a cliff. It will do less damage.

 

tad harsh, aren't we?

 

Big, spinning brushes loaded with all manner of gray water and particulate matter are murder on a cars finish.

If you love your car, wash it by hand, frequently. To me washing a car is zen-like. It thoroughly relaxes me. Do your TSX a favor and find your car washing groove

 

It's lucky that in Toronto some (NOT ALL) gas station has 2 type of car wash, one is drive-thru and the other is SELF-Wash. Self-Wash is cool cause you have "some-kind" of indoor space, with HOT high-pressure jet and Foam Brush provided. There's Soak, Water, Wax, and SoMETHING I forgot that you can use the high-pressure gun to clean on the car. It's $2CAD per cycle (4mins), and usually I took 12mins to deeply clean my car w/out waxing. I found that it still alot cleaner than those drive-thru especially in Winter where Snow, Salt and Soil build up around the car.

 

WOW that is CHEAP ! over here is average US$3~4 per 4 mins.

 

what about "hand wash/dry" carwash, what do you think ?
I still have not found a "touchless" place I'm still apprehensive about those "hand wash/dry" operations so have not yet used it.

 

Use steel wool if you REALLY want to get the dirt off.

 

Of course, steel wool sometimes mistakes paint for dirt.

 

Man, I'm telling you I just wanted to kill myself after I went through that spinning brush car wash. And I knew better! My NBP looked almost grey, it had so many tiny little scratches in the clear coat. I hand-polished it and that minimized the appearance of the little scratches so they're impossible to see from two feet away. But, when I get up close they're all still there, mocking me, daring me to sic the Porter Cable on them. Bastards.

 

Got a meet this Saturday and it was too cold to wash outside, so I took it to a car wash...it wasn't touchless...

btw. does anyone know of some touchless car washes in eastern Massachusetts?

 

Its not really "eastern" Mass, but if you are in the area try Ernie's in Worcester (on Grove Street) and they have a location in Auburn too. Best car wash around, touchless, fast, and reliable. Its the only place I will go in the winter when its too cold to wash myself.

http://www.erniescarwash.com/

 

If you want to wash in winter, why not use QEW in your garage? You can even turn the heater on to make it cosy!

 

Some of us don't have garages

 

ahh, I thought everyone in the US had garages or parked in an undercover car spot. I don't have a garage myself and actually wash in a multistory car park (and rush off after so that they don't try to fine me for wetting the car park).

 

I wish I had a garage. Plus my complex now doesn't allow carwashing in the parking lot. Otherwise, I probably would have done my own carwashing.

 

Nope, no garage here, either. And in northern Maine, the winters will be LONG, not having much opportunity for a hand wash.

 

it's going to be 70 here in Charlotte today so I think I'll wash mine

 

Man, I couldn't imagine living up in Norther Maine. Way too long of winters for a summer guy like me.

 

I hardly ever need to wash mine, because I keep it in the garage when I'm not driving it.

 

Mine gets dirty from driving, not from sitting parked

 

I have only hand washed the TSX so far. My area of TX gets little weather and the car is garaged at home and work. However, it still gets dirty and I drive about 200-250 miles per week.

My Schedule
Hand Wash & Clean Interior = 1x Week
Machine Wax = 1x Month
Full Interior Detail = ~ every 3 months
Machine Polish and Clay Bar = 2x a year
Engine Cleaning & Detail = 2x a year

Works for me. I personally stay away from any type of automatic car wash. However, if you live in a colder climate you may have no choice. I would invest in a PC for polishing duty during the warmer months myself.

 

Yeah, I don't see myself lasting here forever. I give it another 5 years and I'll either be in CT or MA, since I have family in both states.

 

I'm assuming you're there for work reasons. I wouldn't be able to last there one year. I'm already sick of Massachusetts weather. I would love to move to Cali, but I have my reasons for sticking around.

 

i don't have a garage at my apartment so my car gets dirtier when it's parked and collecting dust and water spots from rain. i can't wash my car at the apt parking lot so i've been taking it to mister carwashes and bubbles car wash (i think that's what it's called)...i haven't found any scratches from the carwashes, but i never feel really comfortable with taking my car to those places.

i need to find a place to wash the car myself.

EDIT: also, it's getting too costly to take it to a mister carwash type place every other week or so.

 

Bucket wash at a "quarters" car wash later at night, when traffic is lighter and no attendant. You can bring your own supplies and pay for their water and spray.