Vicious Car Wash

[HopeImRight]

I've always thought those high pressure jet lances damage cars.  So I put my car through an Istobal tunnel wash.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a8i1OoDtnc

 

The rotating foam fingers are so brutal they flattened both "wing" mirrors to the side of the car.

On my Rapid the mirrors are very hard to move manually. One I have to hit with the heel of my hand to get it moving or it smacks folded very fast.

 

Istobal must know what they are doing but such pressure from foam rubber fingers seems paint damagingly harsh to me.  Anyone any experience of this.  I think I will go back to getting my wife a new bucket and sponge.

[bealine]

I always wash my car by hand - no pressure washers and absolutely no rotating brushes.   A pressure washers successfully blew the paint off the plastic bumpers of my Volkswagen Touran a few years ago.   A couple of tiny stone chips had opened the paint surface which allowed the water to blast in from behind and start lifting the paint from the bumper!

 

Rotating brushes put millions of tiny scratches across the delicate paint lacquer surface!

 

Washing the car using "Autoglym" and a soft sponge once a week (whatever the weather) takes an hour, start to finish and leaves the car in tip-top condition.

[grr666]

Washing the car using "Autoglym" and a soft sponge once a week (whatever the weather) takes an hour, start to finish and leaves the car in tip-top condition.

Some may beg to differ on what defines 'tip top' and how it is achieved.

[littleade]

Those types of automatic washers are suitable for only trains and commercial vehicles!

Forget the sponge as over time it will do similar damage to your car. The stying and care section has some great advise on 'how to' from some really committed guys but beware, go there and you'll never be the same again.......

[MarkRawlinson52]

Years ago I took my Rover 214 (white) thru an auto car wash   NEVER again willI use one of them.  Came out covered in 100's of tiny scratches took me 2 months to get rid of them.

Edited 18 June, 2014 by MarkRawlinson52

[ChrisRs]

1. As above.....DONT USE AUTOMATED CAR WASHES!!!!!

2. I will NEVER wash a car with a sponge

3. Pressure washers are safe..with common sense..I never wash a car without one!

[giandougl]

My tendency is to use waterless wax polish whatever the state/dirty car is, ie 'Showroom Shine', some members would argue with me, but my hands-on experience contrary to that argument. 

The swirling nylon brushes must be avoided at all costs, again through the hard way = experience.LOL, otherwise countless lines of scratches left-in paintwork or a lacquered surface, will be evident. 

[ChrisRs]

DONT use Showroom Shine either!!!

Not just my words of caution either:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=322000

[MickA]

Can't beat the good old bucket and sponge method, good quailty shampoo and a large microfibre drying towel.

 

I cringed when my neighbour told me he takes his new car to the local car washing team, pressure wash, dirty old cloths to wash (well push the dirt around) and any old cloth to dry. There's a line of cars waiting for them to do and they use the same cloth to wipe around the wheels and windows

[bealine]

Those types of automatic washers are suitable for only trains and commercial vehicles!

Forget the sponge as over time it will do similar damage to your car. The stying and care section has some great advise on 'how to' from some really committed guys but beware, go there and you'll never be the same again.......

 

Okay - Life-changing car-washing habits changing forthwith!

I'm getting my new, beautiful, Rapid Sport next week (car transporter and dealer's PDI team permitting) so I will adopt the"Styling and Care" guys methodology forthwith!

Edited 19 June, 2014 by bealine

[silver1011]

A sponge for me.

 

I've never plucked up the courage to 'wear' one of these in public

 

[P6bJOHN]

Whoa! I'd give that the choked barrel if I saw it running around loose.

[bluecar1]

A sponge for me.

 

I've never plucked up the courage to 'wear' one of these in public

 

I think you need to go and see the old doc about the growth, looks a bit terminal that does

 

at least its not fluorescent pink

 

I know I will regret this

 

but I have never worked out the advantage of one of those mitts over a sponge, so long as both are rinsed properly between each use what is the difference?

 

personally I am a sponge man, not a mitt ******        

 

im off to hide in the naughty corner (rapidly)

[littleade]

I think you need to go and see the old doc about the growth, looks a bit terminal that does

 

at least its not fluorescent pink

 

I know I will regret this

 

but I have never worked out the advantage of one of those mitts over a sponge, so long as both are rinsed properly between each use what is the difference?

 

personally I am a sponge man, not a mitt ******        

 

im off to hide in the naughty corner (rapidly)

the differemce is that the sponge will trap the dirt/fine grit between it and the surface of your paint which effectively makes your sponge like very fine wet and dry sandpaper and puts fine scratches in the lacquer while mf mits (or sheepskin which is better) allow the dirt/fine grit to move away from tne paint surface down into the fibres so it doesn't scratch the surface. HTH....

[ChrisRs]

A sponge for me.

 

I've never plucked up the courage to 'wear' one of these in public

 

You need to pop round here, so I can show you what to use!!

[richmitch]

DONT use Showroom Shine either!!!

Not just my words of caution either:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=322000

well ive used it for years and had no problems with it

[ChrisRs]

I find it very hard to believe that your car will be swirl free

At the end of the day...Your choice, but I will never advocate its use under any circumstances

[silver1011]

You need to pop round here, so I can show you what to use!!

 

I know, I spent a few hours cleaning it yesterday, it does so well in the 10 metre test, it looks (in my eyes) really well.

 

However once you get closer the fine scratches and swirls become increasingly obvious.

 

I am also 100% sure I have caused this over the years, probably by using a sponge!

 

I did buy and try a mit once but found it held too much water. Perhaps I should give it another go.

 

Getting over to you is on my list Chris, it's just balancing your diary, my wife and kids and a full day out into the equation!

[ChrisRs]

Ok mate...Just send me some dates in my 'Sponsor' thread and I'll get back to you

[Alexei Egg]

Can't quite get my head around detailing. Bet they use bidets.

And why use two buckets when that's double the trip hazard. Doesn't a rinse of your sponge from the hose work just as well....not compared to the bidet obviously...

[bealine]

Okay, as I am getting my new Rapid Sport in virgin white on Saturday, I plucked up the courage to buy a mitt!  

[bluecar1]

rinsing the sponge with the hose may push the grit and dirt further into the sponge

 

What it comes down to is time.  you have to traded off time against the finish you want and how much you are prepared to pay for the products you use

 

personally I use a single bucket with a sponge and a watering can to rinse as I go, every time the sponge goes in the bucket I squeeze it out a few times to clean it out

 

if the car is really dirty with a lot of mud / crud sprayed up from the wheels I use the pressure washer to wash most off before my sponge goes near,

 

start from roof and work down. more frequent rinsing the sponge when nearer the bottom of the car to keep sponge as clean as possible

 

keep it polished so most water and rubbish runs off without sticking also helps

 

gives an acceptable finish for me, each to their own

[Alexei Egg]

Ditto. Glass first (and wiper blades) then top down squeezing the sponge out after any particularly dirty bits. I never submerge it far and leave floating for any sediment to sink. An old sponge is used for the wheels and sills at the end, and I hose down (again if hot and previously done before sills and wheels) but can never be bothered to chamois.

I'll only ever wash if the car is not going to remain parked up - or skip the wheels so the brakes don't get wet.

I rinse the sponge from the clean side with hose to flush out the crud.

[ChrisRs]

As said..."Each to their own"

Just a final thing....Read this:

 

 

Why You Shouldn’t Use A Sponge To Wash Your Car

 

The vast majority of people will use a regular jumbo sponge to wash their car and initially there may not seem to be any problem with this until you consider the alternatives that are available and then ask why would there be any alternatives if a sponge was sufficient.

A sponge can effectively clean your, but at the same time it will undoubtedly be inflicting damage onto the surface of your paintwork that will show itself as a mass of light scratches & swirl marks. The problem is that when you wash your car, even if a thorough pre foam & rinse has been undertaken, there is always going to be tiny particles of dirt still present. Although porous to allow for the absorption of water, the general face of a sponge is flat which means that these small particles become trapped between the sponge and your cars paintwork and are then drawn over the surface and it is this that results in the fine scratching and swirl marks.

 

The safe alternative to using a sponge to wash your car is to use either a lambswool, a micro fibre or plush synthetic wash mitt or pad. These wash mitts/pads are made from long fibrous materials which draw in and hold water just as well as a sponge but they also draw in and trap any loose particles of dirt at the base of the mitt and safely away from the surface of your paintwork. The materials wash mitts are made from are much softer than a sponge and in comparison a sponge can actually feel slightly rough to the touch. As they are mitts they fit over the hand like a glove which gives more control during washing and eliminates the risk of dropping it on the floor which commonly occurs with sponges.

The term ‘squeaky-clean’ is often used to describe the sound a sponge makes when cleaning and implies that ‘squeeky-clean’ is a good thing. The opposite however is true, the squeak is created from friction occurring between the sponge and the surface of the paintwork and this is exactly what is not wanted when washing your car. What you want is your wash implement to glide freely over the surface of the paintwork creating as little friction as possible and this is exactly what a wash mitt does. So next time you wash your car switch to using a good quality plush wash mitt instead of a sponge for an effective and damage free clean.

 

[MickA]

4 sponges for a quid at Asda. I've bought a stock of them and use a new one everytime I wash the car. @25p it's not going to break the bank and minimise the scratching effect.