Professional Car Wash Review

Alexsered

Member
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2007 Mazdaspeed3 Gt
Okay, so for the Majority of us, it's Winter and we hate to go out and wash our car and freeze our hands. Here is a video about carwashes, and which one does the least amount of damage. I think after watching this video, I'm going to go home and give my baby a good hand bath.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZjWkB_q2lE

This is all reviewed by a professional.
 
I wish they had also tested a touch free wash like the lazerwash. I guess you can assume it would be the least damaging, but I always question how good of a wash it is compared to normal carwashes.
 
good post, good to know, but if you do take your car to a car wash with those spinning brushes, watch it I used to work at green lantern, and you wouldnt believe how many car antennas get broke off and stuck in the brushes and then tear the hell out of the next car, and they dont regularly check the brushes, they wait till some one gets screwed over, then they take care of it...
 
The "touch-free" car washes do nothing except collecting your money. I've used one years ago, and the car stays pretty much as dirty as it was. And, frankly, no one is going to wash your car as well you. And if you take into account the associated with going to the carwash risk of damage, washing the car yourself is the only way to go. My car doesn't even know what a carwash is, though the sad fact of life is that I don't really have the time to do it often enough. Between the kids, work, and school I barely find the time to do the installs.(sad2)
 
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I hate to admit it but my car has been through a touch wash once, first and last time. It put scrape marks all over the car, white car so its most noticeable on the windows and black trim at the B pillar. It did a great job cleaning the car, probably one of the better washes around but I'm still going to need a good wax and clay come spring. I rather drive a dirty car in the winter than goto a touch wash.
 
The touch-free car washes do a decent job to get most of the salt and dirt off the car. They are by no means perfect, but at least they don't physically touch your car with brushes. Since my temps are around 25 degrees daily in the winter, I usually run through one of those 5-dollar "basic" washes and it does a decent job, getting the salt off the car and the wheels (which is what I'm worried about), and I don't need to freeze my ass off outside.
 
i actually run my car through a touch free car wash every couple of weeks in the winter to get all the salt off the undercarriage.
 
I had a bad experience with a touchless car wash, well I didnt but the msp did, one of my ex-roomates took my car without me knowing it, put gas in it and I guess left the gas cap off and got out in the car wash and tried to close it but that arm thing came around and bent the **** out of my door, and then he didnt tell me, I found out from one of my friends that was with him, but at least he didnt know he took my car ****** asshole.
 
We have a Laserwash around here. It was ok until they raised the price for a basic wash from $3 up to $6.

But basically any car wash that doesn't touch your car is never going to get your car completely clean, there's always a thin layer of dirt on the paint that needs physically rubbed off.
 
I love the lazer wash by my house, but one of my biggest pet-peeves is a clean car with dirty wheel wells, so I blast the wheels, wheel wells and rockers myself with the hand-held, then run it through the lazer wash. I love the blow-dry feature and spend a fraction of the time drying.

Automatic car washes with spinning brushes are the work of the devil. Water blades are too.
 
Great find! Thank you for sharing. I've always wondered what was "best" for my car, and I'm happy that a properly done handjob can be the best way (if you leave out the squeegees). With this in mind I'll keep washing my car every other weekend with some microfiber gloves.
 
Great video. I went to the Shell Station Express Car Wash and got the express wash, which is $6. I thought it did the job of cleaning my car, but I believe (or I am just paranoid) that the brushings have left little scratches. So, I guess I will just keep washing my car at my regular place that has been washing all my cars well.
 
While i think that video is a good example of what improper washing techniques can do to your car, it doesnt really prove anything.

Hand wash car washes arent all equal in skill. An improper handwash can do more damage than others, so dont think that all hand wash places are equal. They will use inferior products, and their ultimate goal is to get you in and out quickly, with little focus on whats best for the paint.

When it comes to detailing you get what you pay for.

however the guy the interviewed knew what he was talking about.
 
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i didn't even know there was still a "5th gear"...i figured that "top gear" used to be "5th gear" with a different host forever ago. the only other "5th gear" episodes i've ever seen had old 1st gen mr-2s and supras. they look like the same production and editing too
 
top gear has been around since the late 80s early 90s.

Im not sure when 5th great started, but its pretty much the same show. I prefer top gear, 5th gear to me just seems unoriginal after watching every season of top gear.

oh and theres been two different top gears. The old original one from the early 90s, and the new top gear which started in the early 2000s. Jeremy clarkson was in both tho.
 
Fifth gear ******* sucks. They wouldn't even review the MS3 vs. cars like the Euro Civic Type-R and whatnot because they said it was too boring looking.

And their editing is ******* horrible compared to Top Gear.
 
yeah thats really where top gear shines is the ever changing camera work and editing. Theres something new and different each season to keep you saying whoa.

ahem.

back on topic.
 
Worst video I've seen yet, but worth watching and NOT a bad post. Like any moron that cares for their paint knows NOT to use the brush at coinops (I only use it for windows (if cakey) and wheels).. and the california wiper blade is just an obvious... There is just soo many simple do's and don'ts when it comes to washing your car. That is, if you give a ****.

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5 dollars and 5 minutes at a coinop goes a long way during winter.
 
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