Question about touchless car washes

BillNorth · 08-02-01, 07:00

Will these things cause swirls, scratches etc. Winter in TO is rough. From Nov-March it's impossible for me to handwash. It's too cold. The only choices I have are not to wash and let the salt eat at my paint, or go to a touchless wash. Last winter I went to soft cloth car washes. I know, big mistake. I've learned.

Thanks everyone.

Ron Ketcham · 08-02-01, 07:15

Bill, the problem is that there are thousands of self-serve washes out there.

You will have a hard time finding out what their supplier is providing them to clean.

My advice,(and, yes even though I own several detail shops, have to use them sometimes on the road)is to never, never use the "pre-soak" as it is always very caustic.

These washes, depending on the owner/operater, may use products that will clean the hell out of the car, "eats the dirt" off, but in the process, kiss your lovingly applied wax/sealant goodbye!!

If you can obtain some pH strips, check the run off of the cleaning(soap) for it's level.

Most that are the least agressive are going to be around 10 to 10.5. Not good, but then some will have a 4 to 5, on the acidic side.

Seems some think that a hydrofluric or bi-ammonium/ammonium fluride solution is not going to damage a clear.

WRONG!!

As you are aware, any coating you apply to the paint surface is in reality a "sacrifical" coating, it takes the beating rather than the clear.

It can and will be removed by agaitation, high or low pH cleaners. (Dawn, but I still don't understand the use of that)

You are right, get the heavy deposits off, just understand that any cleaner solution that will take off the grime, will attack and weaken the coating you applied.

BillNorth · 08-02-01, 07:44

So it's not a question of getting swirls with touchless washes, it's about the solution weakening the clear. Is it safe to assume that one pass through will wash all sealants off of my vehicle? And after that, my clear will be attacked?

For those of you who live in winter climates, where do you go to clean your cars during the winter?

Thanks everyone.

JasonC8301 · 08-02-01, 07:46

The BMW 323 I detail gets his car washed at a hand wash place during th winter. I have yet to see a swirl, but it'll get one or two as soon as this next winter passes by. Then its time for a buff with 3M FI and PC.

Ron Ketcham · 08-02-01, 07:53

As I posted, it depends on the chemicals used as to how much damage may occur.

The "brushes" are what will produce the "swirls", the guy in front of you just used it to clean his F-150 4 wheel drive after a trip to the boonies and the grime is still in the brush.

One really needs to know the composistion of the cleaning solutions used, which is where the pH strips come in to play.

They are not the total answer as anyone with a basic knowledge of surfactant chemistry can tell you.

They are an "indicatior" of what the base is though.

These guys count pennies on each wash, so if they are putting 2000 vehicles a day through their self-serve and save 2 cents a car, it is big numbers over 365 days.

Sodium Hydroxide, TSP, etc, all strippers, all caustic on the top side of the scale.

Would you wash a car with "lye"?

Will do the same to the clear, removes the plastizers, enters the resin system of the clear and just sets and waits for some heat and water to enter the clear again and then it is like putting water to the battery acid you got on your blue jeans.

Not a problem until you wash them, then, BIG HOLE in the jeans.

Don2000g · 08-03-01, 06:49

I've used the touchless car washes a few times before. However, I take my own buckets, car soap, and chenille mitts. Laters.