Has anyone tried an in-line water filter while washing your car? I just got a black TL and haven't washed it yet but I'm dreading it. I called this guy and this product seems to be what I'm looking for but he said the softener filters don't last too long.
Filters

 

Home Depot and Lowe's carry same things. These are house water filters. There are different filters depending on whether you are looking for Charcol to clean up the taste as well as filter or micron filtration to get all the smallest particals out. I also think the cartridge proces at Home Depots and Lowe's may be about the same or a little cheaper than what he is advertising. The smaller the filtertration the less useful flow usage it will have, these things are usually measured in hundreds of gallons of usage.

 

For a car wash I suspect it's a waste of money. Water filters get rid of bad chemicals and particles that are tiny to microscopic in size. Those particles are already too small to damage the car's finish - provided you use good washing techniques anyway. On the other hand, for general home use I highly recommend an in-line filter. Not the cheapest way to filter your water but it sure is convenient.