For those of us who live in the snow belt during the winter months its too cold to wash a car by hand, so what kind of a car wash do people recommend?

Its also too cold to Zaino it, so once again any recommendations for this? Has anyone had any luck convincing the dealer to Zaino a TL as part of the delivery?

 

To get some handwash shop, they can do it for you...

Just ignore those big brush wash...

 

I wash mine in the Garage with the doors down and the heater on.

RB

 

In Toronto, there are power wash bays where you do it yourself for about $4. You get a lot of options to choose from and you can even use a soapy foaming brush. What I like about it is open at all hours.

 

Where are they? Are there any downtown? Thats one address I'd like in my navi.

 

Dont use the soapy brush. That will leave a world of swirl marks on your paint finish. Most times using one of those preasure washers outside when its really cold the water freezes before you get a chance to dry the car off. I have used warm water in a bucket before to get that hand wash look before. Then for drying just drove around the block a couple times. As for zaino, put the car in the garage turn the heater on and zaino away using zfx of course.

 

The soapy brush is not that bad where I go. Its a new operation in Toronto on O'Connor just west of Victoria park - and you can buy as much time as you want, just keep putting quarters in the machine. Of course, you have to rinse first, before using the soapy brush. And the water is so hot that even in the very cold it'll do the trick. Heck, when you have as much road salt and road sand in the winter as we do, you need something.

I've got it! Next time I'm there I'll ask for the current location on my Navi and give you the exact coordinates! There's a couple in Scarborough too, one is on Brimley just south of Eglinton I believe. The one at O'Connor is not tough to get to as I live in a fairly central location in the City. Bascially its over the Leaside bridge, onto O'Connor and keep going west.

 

Don't know why my quote came up, anyway here's the address

1702 O'Connor Dr. North York
LA 43 43 03 N
LO 79 18 18 W
ELEV 140M

I took my best car wash sponge and used it instead of the foaming brush. They've got a neat wax spray function too. Check it out.

 

There's a power wash bay at the north west corner of Kingston Rd. and Queen St. E. It's a little hard to see the entrance, but it's there. I've taken my car there to clean. Only issue I have is that it is hard to dry the car and not leave horrible looking streaks on it. Does anyone have any good suggestions? When you power wash the car it is very wet when you're done. I have chamois, but they streak and with the dark blue car it is a mess in the end.

 

I use a large white cotton bath towel. This works really nice to get most if not all of the water on the first pass.

 

Thanks that would be great. I am really getting spoiled by the navi and I basically don't have to think anymore.

 

Thanks this one is in now. I wonder how many you can put under user1? I guess its in the manual and will probably tell me when it's full!

 

i think you're allowed 50 addresses per user

 

The most important thing is to wash the UNDERSIDE of the car where all the road salt residue accumulates. The DIY pressure washer bays are ideal for this - just wear your waders and knee pads.

You'd think some smart snowbelt entrepreneur would invent a car wash with jets that spray upwards from underneath the car as the car moves over it on the track. Then maybe Canadian cars would last longer than 4 years...

 

Actually, I rarely see the new cars rust much anymore. At least not in the first 5-6 years.

 

15 years ago (at least) I saw this on brushless car washes, it was called an undercarriage wash.

 

They still have them. I know several gas stations have them on the touchless washes. Maybe things get up to Canada a bit slower...

Just kidding to all our Canadian TL friends...

 

Most of the touchless washers have under carriage wash. Actually there's a service in my office building and for those that work downtown in TO, most of the big buildings around Bay and King have a hand wash service that's quite good - inside, out and a wax - $29.

 

Does anyone know of a touchless carwash in downtown toronto or anywhere near the Beaches neighbourhood? I miss the touchless car wash that used to be at Parliament St. south of Wellesley.