Drive-thru car washes?

"Rainbow" (rainbeaux) 06/04/2015 at 10:17 • Filed to: None

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Okay, I’m fed up with being sick and unable to wash my car. I have had my Oppo sticker from Funktheduck sitting in my room for months now, and I just got my Planet Express decals a couple days ago as well. So I’m itching to put them on, but that’s going to require a good wash, and I don’t have the energy.
So, Oppo, I ask you: is it worth the ~$5 for a drive-thru wash? Do those clean well enough that I can safely apply my decals afterward? Will it clean out the black lines in my slightly cracking clear coat at the corner of my hatch? Will it be too hard on my existing decals and stickers? Will it pull the Plasti-Dip from my hub caps? Will it get rid of the mud in my wheel wells (so that I can also get around to installing my mudflaps)?

bob and john > Rainbow 06/04/2015 at 10:19

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they work fine, i have no complaints

daender > Rainbow 06/04/2015 at 10:23

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I don’t the brush-operated automated car washes, they could scratch the paint. I’m more of a fan of self-service car washes. They’re pretty easy to use, potentially cheaper (use 5$ anyway, get a good wash), and you can make sure you blasted the mud straight out of the wheel wells.

Rainbow > daender 06/04/2015 at 10:25

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Still too much work for me now, but I think I’m starting to get better at least. I’ll probably just wait until I feel good enough to do it at home.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Rainbow 06/04/2015 at 10:34

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I’d avoid the ones with the spinny brushes, but the ones that just use water are reasonably good.

DrScientist > Rainbow 06/04/2015 at 10:45

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the drive through car washes with brushes spinning and slapping around may cause microscratches in a car’s clear coat. this is the cause of those “swirls” you may see even after washing and waxing and washing and waxing.

if your car has a relatively new or unblemished clear coat, i’d steer clear of the drive through brushed car washes. there are drive in brushless washes. these are not as common, but they’re around.

as far as getting your car clean... the brushed washes will do better than the brushless.

for putting your decals on: windex, a few paper towels, more windex, more paper towels, more windex, till the towels come up clean. then you should be good to go.

(just realized i assumed you wanted to put your decals on your glass)

sellphones2493 > Rainbow 06/04/2015 at 10:51

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Just don’t go to the ones that slap your car mercilessly with those mops while your wheels are held onto by some conveyor belt. Those suck.

Find one that just spits water at your car with the gun.

THIS:

NOT THIS:

GTI Sprinks > Rainbow 06/04/2015 at 10:54

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i won’t mess with car washes with the spinner brushes of death. I will however hit up a touchless car-wash because lazy.

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > Rainbow 06/04/2015 at 10:54

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Find one that advertises being “Touchless” or “Contactless”. Your car probably wont look too good afterwords unless you pay extra for a detail, but its good enough for what you need. Just take a damp rag and scrub and dry the area of the window before you put on the decal.

E92M3 > Rainbow 06/04/2015 at 10:55

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Make sure you clean the windows afterwards. The automatic car washes use a “liquid wax” that’s really just a type of oil to make the paint shine. Without cleaning the windows the residue left behind from this wax will prevent your vinyl decals from adhering properly.

$kaycog > Rainbow 06/04/2015 at 10:57

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We have several in my small town. One of them does an excellent job.

boxrocket > Rainbow 06/04/2015 at 12:00

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Just make sure you go to one that uses clean water. There were a few near me that would reuse the old water until it was almost brown, then refill the tanks with fresh, but without cleaning the tanks. Go to a reputable chain (around here we have Rain Tunnel Express, who are pretty good, and have let me go through a second time at no charge for a very dirty vehicle when I asked).