Heres a little video showing the kind of damage those automatic car washes can do to your car just in case some of you still do this

YouTube - Fifth Gear 15x01 Car Wash

 

darn... i use one of those silicone body thingies too...

 

That's a half ass hand wash using dirty old "wash mitts." That just goes to show that self wash w/ own materials is still the best.

feared: Invest in an Absorber. They last forever and do it's job great without scratching the paint (as long as you keep them clean). About $9 at Walmart/Target I think.

Amazon.com: The Absorber Synthetic Drying Chamois, 27" x 17": Automotive

 

microfiber cloths are even better than chamois. they can pick up and trap dirt and other particles more efficiently instead of dragging them around on the paint. you can get a pack of ~20 or so from costco for some amount of money i can't remember.

 

How many microfiber cloths do you go through drying your car? The Costco ones seem to be a great deal. I'd get them but I have a bunch that are still good.

 

Order some waffle weave microfiber towels instead. You only need one and they do the job waaaay better than the absorber or just plain microfiber towels. My favorite waffle weaves are the ones from Aloha & Welcome to Our Oasis for All Your Auto Detailing, Auto Detailing Supplies, Auto Detailing Equipment, Auto Detailing Products, & Auto Detailing Accessories for all your Automobile Detailing

 

Shamwow vs Absorber which one will win??

 

Hahaha

 

i work at Chevron the gas station as a cashier and CAR WASHER... it doesnt mess up the car as much =P i mean if your cars dirty you send it through and when it comes out its not that bad =P i dont wash my car at my work place though cuss my cars too low for my wash and not jsut that i know what cars i washed and ill never send it through again =P not jsut that if the tire brushes are too big it can make a nasty scratch on your side skits =/ i only wash my car at my friends work place (honda Clawson) cuss im lazy =P plus its not as bad as other places =)

 

While it may appear clean, put it under direct sunlight or halogens and check out the damage it caused. Dealers are just as bad. I specifically told the dealer not to wash my S2000 and yet they did. I asked to see the materials they used and saw mitts on the floor, one bucket, a bath towel and some dawn dishsoap. Needless to say I raised hell and had to re-detail my entire car to get rid of the swirls and scratches.

Here's a pic after I got it home from the dealer.



After my detail:

 

I use a California water blade too, but I always make sure the blade is clean and free of dirt. Then I use the Absorber to pick up whatever water is left on the car.

 

Great video, thanks for posting. Renews the commitment to hand washing with the right tools...

 

I always hand wash my cars. In the winter time I use the 25 cent DIY booth for the pressure washer only. No soap

 

The only reason I hate winter can't wash the car. I never go through hand, auto or any kind of car washing place.
Like above I will take down and power wash the salt and grim off and let it air dry. Looks pretty good since it started the winter with a good claying and wax job. That will have to do until the water hoses thaw!

Also Meguriers has some great waffle towels for drying and microfibers that are great. The Absorber is the best.

Cat :x

 

So what the video showed is that other than a professional quality detailing (whether you are skilled and patient and free enough to do it or you pay big bucks at a high class detailing place), machine car wash is still the best option.

That is consistent with the (exasperating) research I've been doing. Right now what I do is I take the car to the machine wash and then I use a waffle weave microfiber cloth to dry off the remaining water. That avoids the water marks shown in the video.

It does remove the luster a little bit and it does create tiny swirl marks. But most of the time there is no serious damage to the clear coat and the paint. So the protection of the body panels stay intact most of the time.

Once in a while a serious scratch would occur because some foreign object didn't get removed by the pressure water. I wish there were a better alternative. I wish car manufacturers made cars with replaceable plastic panels on top of the metal panels. You can replace them after they get scratched up if you want the car to look nice. But if you just want to prevent corrosion to your metal panels, you can keep using the old plastic panels.

 

sounds like self-healing paint nissan has is more in your taste.

actually metal panels typically rust from the inside out, not outside in so
plastic over metal is not going to help too much.

 

I'll try looking up this self-healing paint you're talking about. What keywords should I search for?

Actually, I have a Chevy Lumina APV, and it's basically got a plastic covered body. I love it.
From Wikipedia:
"these U-body vans consisted of a galvanized steel spaceframe wrapped in composite plastic body panels that were impervious to rust and minor dents and dings, a manufacturing technique developed on the Pontiac Fiero and used extensively on General Motors' Saturn line of vehicles."

 

Oh that's interesting. I've been so concerned about car wash and things like that because I am concerned about rust and perforation. The perforation warranties tend to make a big deal out of it. like you have to promptly repair all your paint damages otherwise it voids your perforation warranties.

So what you're telling me is that, if I don't care how my car looks, I can pretty much completely ignore the painted exterior of the car. I just need to focus on washing the grime from the underbody?

Wait so why does car rust from inside out? Because the outside is protected by the paint and clearcoat? If that's the case then I DO need to work to protect my paint and clearcoat from the elements right?

 

Automatic car wash = Fail.

Hand wash top to bottom, or washing with 2 x buckets, microfibers, and a pressure gun = the correct way.

 

BUMP. Just in case