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Self-Serv Car Wash Tips

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#21 ·
Here's a fantastic tip I've been using for a few years now.

Put in the minimum amount of change required to start. Rinse the car down well. With at least a minute left, switch to the soap brush BUT don't touch the brush to your paint. Instead, let the soap shoot out of the brush and cover your car with the soap (again, don't touch the car with the brush). Now with the car covered in soap and time having ran out, you're free to take as long as you want to scrub and wash with your own wash mit. Once your done (don't take too long, the soap will start to dry after about 8-10 minutes) start the cycle once more and use the entire time to rinse.

It's the only way I use self serve car washes, it works great every time and never costs more than $4-$6.
 
#23 ·
Protip: only use the coinop pressure wash when you need to blast away mud or road salt. Wash your car at home at your convenience with a no rinse car wash like Optimum No Rinse. You don't need a hose, just a bucket and 2 to 4 gallons of water in a bucket with a microfiber mitt. This stuff cleans as good as regular car wash soap without the hassle of the hose and getting all wet.
 
#24 ·
If you use the foam brush and the foam is fairly thick, let it foam onto the roof in a heap so you can take your time with the brush after it stops foaming and just re-foam it with the pile on your roof...

If you life close to the wash place, hose your car down first as a pre-soak.

:thumbup::beer:
 
#25 ·
Lots of good tips in here. There's one down the street I live on but I've never used it. Since I don't work in a bodyshop anymore I'll be using it this summer. For winter I use the automated car wash with the undercarriage cleaning jets.
 
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#27 ·
buy your own pressure washer like i did and wash it at your convenience :) or take it to the hand car wash, they wash it by hand and it costs under $20.00

I then bring her home, clay bar it, and wax. :thumbup:
 
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#30 ·
$2 min for 4 minutes.
Rinse car off, spray with soap and fiill bucket with suds....time expires.

Hand wash car at my leisure, perhaps bring a beer with me.

$2 min for 4 minutes.
Rinse off car on spot free setting, clean up gear.

That said I usually go early on a weekend morning when the place is almost empty.
 
#31 ·
Eff_Chicago said:
I love going to them in the middle of January and watching every thing turn into instant ice on my car. Even with the engine running it's still ruff out there :facepalm:
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All the car washes here close when it gets close to freezing.
I guess they are afraid of ice on pavement liability.
 
#33 ·
BRealistic said:
So you will be washing with one hand and holding the gun in the other? :laugh:

Some of you guys live in ****ty places... gotta keep it realz. (real paranoid)

There is only one carwash here in a bad part of town, and even there it is very safe (during the day).
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Uh, no, It stays on my hip, in it's holster. I do live in Chicago and everyone of these places are in ****ty areas Lawrence/Cicero. I tend to stop at them on the way home from work around 11.

Additionally it seems all the DIY washes I've been to in Chicago are old. I've been to others in different cities that are brand new and so nice. I don't understand why we can't some of those up here.
 
#34 ·
nosrednug said:
Uh, no, It stays on my hip, in it's holster. I do live in Chicago and everyone of these places are in ****ty areas Lawrence/Cicero. I tend to stop at them on the way home from work around 11.

Additionally it seems all the DIY washes I've been to in Chicago are old. I've been to others in different cities that are brand new and so nice. I don't understand why we can't some of those up here.
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They do tend to be in places with lower property values since it takes a large space to do quarter business.
And IDK- If I was a dead beat and saw you washing your car with a gun holstered.. I might think "hey, I can walk up behind him and get a car AND a gun!"
 
#35 ·
BRealistic said:
They do tend to be in places with lower property values since it takes a large space to do quarter business.
And IDK- If I was a dead beat and saw you washing your car with a gun holstered.. I might think "hey, I can walk up behind him and get a car AND a gun!"
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This has gotten OT but it's not exposed, it's under my shirt/jacket. And no one's walking up on me without me knowing about it.
 
#36 ·
I bring my own bucket, soap, shamis, wash mitt, and the spray on wheel cleaner. That last one is the trick to getting out of there quickly.

I first spray the wheels with cleaner, then i put my money in, and fill the bucket while the cleaner goes to work. Then I wash off the wheels and car, and then go onto my own soap. The only thing i use at the car wash is the high pressure water gun and then the spotless setting.

No driveway to wash my = car wash alteast once a week. :banghead:
 
#37 ·
nosrednug said:
This has gotten OT but it's not exposed, it's under my shirt/jacket. And no one's walking up on me without me knowing about it.
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You wear spy sunglasses?? :laugh:

Image
 
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#38 ·
I personally use them just to use the high pressure washer. I see a lot of d bags take their bro dozers through there and it gets really gunky so I stay away from the brush. I just use it on the wheels. The car obviously doesn't come out super clean but most of the crap comes off. There really is not much of a replacement for a good hand wash and clay bar if it has not been done in a while.
 
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