Car wash

Digitalchaos · 06-10-03, 12:27

Hello everyone. I have a black Thunderbird SC which I am interested in maintaining, and must use the car wash to do so. Recently I purchased terry cloth cotton towels for use at the car wash. I intended on wiping the car down while it is wet with carwash soap, to assist in removing debris which otherwise might stay there due to the nature of a touchless hand car wash. Does this sound like it might work, or would it simply cause pitting & swirls in the paint by wiping in road grime?

Also, I would like to know more on carwashes in general. Do the chemical cleaners & protectants damage the car in any way, or are they simply just not as effective as other solutions? I also avoid the brush type cleaning solutions found at some carwashes because I have read that they could be abrasive to paint & clearcoats.

Lastly, I have heard talk recently of new products called sealants available for use as a replacement for carwax.. which are apparently much better at protecting the car. Are these sealants simply synthetic waxes like Zaino & Nufinish, or are they different completley?

Thanks for your assistance!

4DSC · 06-10-03, 02:24

Welcome to Autopia Digitalchaos.

I'm not exactly sure if you're planning on wiping it down before or after a touchless car wash, but I guess it would work as long as you don't apply too much pressure, rinse them out often, and the terry towels are of good (ie, bathroom) quality. Try running a search on cotton towels if you haven't done so already. Most people tend to wash with a mitt of some kind.

There's a fine, yet hazy, line between "regular" waxes and things that could be considered sealants. Zaino is definitely a sealant, but something like Nu Finish I'm not sure would qualify since it doesn't seem to last too long. It could be just a synthetic wax of some kind or maybe an older generation sealant with poor durability (not all sealants are alike and durability can vary). In a practical sense, consider sealants to have the same job as waxes. Some older threads in the Archives might do a better job of explaining the differences. Autopia tends to lump waxes into the "polymer sealant" or "carnauba" categories.

2wheelsx2 · 06-10-03, 02:36

NuFinish is a sealant, I think, Brian. It is frowned upon because it has very harsh chemical cleaners. I think DetailKing had a thread a long time ago which shows the results of rubbing different sealants and waxes on a propeller which was painted black. BF I and NuFinish both removed lots of the paint.

Anyway, back to the regular programming.

Digitalchaos

Digitalchaos · 06-10-03, 03:05

Thanks for the greetings everyone! I have known about this forum & site for a while now, being refered to by members of the SCCOA.

I also posted a topic about NuFinish there, and one of the members stated it is a much older sealant with an abrasive nature. This abrasive nature is apparently due to a petroleum distilate base, and only allows one layer to be applied.

I am also wondering about products available at autoparts stores that I could use at a carwash perhaps as a quick replacement to their own prodcuts or to assist in cleaning. There are many available at Autozone, but I am not certain about which are the safest to use. I know some things contain alcohols, silicons, & petroleum which can cause damage to various surfaces. Also, are there any good safe products available from a store like this for interior/exterior rubber & vinyl protection?

Thanks for the info thus far!

Digitalchaos · 06-10-03, 06:53

What is to be expected of the waxes and other protectants at a carwash? I've heard some of them like the clearcoat protectant can actually strip regular paint..

Also, what do the 'tire & engine' degreasers at the washes consist of? I have used these green solutions before on both tires & engine compartments. It makes quick work of cleaning a dirty engine, but I assume there is a definate risk of using this product.. especially when they say rinse immediatly with soap & avoid painted areas.

Thanks again..

Lynn · 06-10-03, 07:08

Digitalchaos.

Sounds like you have some pretty basic questions. Have you read the Autopia Guide to Detailing? Go to the home page, look in the Features box (upper left box), and click on Downloads. You'll see lots of folks here recommending, "Buy the eBook!" and that's what we're talking about. It will give you tips about washing, as well as clear discussion of waxes vs. sealants, and a whole chapter on engine degreasing. "And more -- much more!"

Just curious: Why are you consigned to the DIY car wash bays only?

Digitalchaos · 06-10-03, 07:21

This is essentially my problem. I have read the guides to products good for home use, but many of these products have little use to me because I must use the carwash. I do not have facilities to wash my car by hand with my own equipment.

Thats basically why I am interested in quick products which will improve my results at a car wash bay, and in any negative consequences the chemicals already at a car wash pose to my cars finish.

I have researched some of the chemicals used at carwashes and their properties in reacting with various substances namely car surfaces, but most of this information came from places supporting public car wash facilities.

Lynn · 06-10-03, 07:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Lynn
Digitalchaos. Sounds like you have some pretty basic questions. Have you read the Autopia Guide to Detailing? Go to the home page, look in the Features box (upper left box), and click on Downloads. You'll see lots of folks here recommending, "Buy the eBook!" and that's what we're talking about. It will give you tips about washing, as well as clear discussion of waxes vs. sealants, and a whole chapter on engine degreasing. "And more -- much more!"

Warning: I'm feeling crotchety tonight.

Do this search and you'll find some threads that have addressed exactly your question in considerable detail.

Once you do some basic reading/homework, you'll find the Autopians can give you lots of detailed, well-targeted advice.

"The search engine is my friend. The search engine is my friend."

Digitalchaos · 06-10-03, 10:20

Ok I've read the information in that search and others pertaining to my situation & I believe the question I have is this..

Is there a product or solution I can apply to my vehicle, without a bucket, by spraying or similar method that will work better than the washbay's soap solution? The only thing I can come up with short of applying a wash soap directly to my terry towels in full concentration & then applying to paint is a quick detail.. but I don't know how well that will clean anything.

I was originally intending to saturate it with the washbay's soap then rub it with the towel to remove dirt/debris coating that rinsing the soap never does.

I really would like the car to be much cleaner than the normal multi-step washbay process.. & I hope to at least get the car clean enough so it is safe to use a wax or at least a quick wax. That way the paint/clearcoat is protected and the car has a semi-nice appearance.

I would like to try some of the methods mentioned in those threads about bringing all of my own supplies & washing it conventionally, but the washbays have attendents that most definatley would not allow this.

Thanks again for your help & information; it really is appreciated!

bretfraz · 06-10-03, 10:43

Mother's sells a product called Trigger Wash that I think would work well for you.

Wet down the car, spray on the wash, wipe with a mitt or sponge, and rinse off. Basically its like bucket washing in a spray bottle.

I bucket washed my cars in those coin op joints for almost 10 years and never had a problem. If the washes you are going to are attended, maybe a polite conversation with the owner will get you some slack. I always went when the wash bays were not busy and was able to do whatever I wanted as long as I kept pumping quarters into their machines.

I would not use their soap unless I was absolutely, positively, 100% desperate. Most of those soaps are highly alkaline and designed to cut thru all kinds of gunk and grime. It'll strip your wax faster than you can think about it.

I don't think the "wax" that comes out of the spray wands will strip paint. Sounds like some old wive's tale mixed in with paranoia. If those products did serious damage to paint, a lawsuit from a customer would put them out of business within days. Even if someone sprayed the engine cleaner on their paint, it shouldn't cause permanent damage.

I see no reason why you cannot simply bring all your favorite products to the car wash and just use the high pressure wands to rinse. If a car wash operator says to you, "no bucket washing", find another car wash.

Good luck. Let us know what you end up doing.

And Welcome to Autopia

4DSC · 06-11-03, 12:34

Can you even bring a bucket of water out to your car, WITHOUT any hose or way to rinse?

If so, you'll want to find out about this great product discovered by Scottwax: Protect All Quick and Easy Wash (QEW for short sometimes). I use this sometimes and it was quite handy in the winter. It has lots of advantages actually, except for the fact that you can't hose out your undercarriage or wheelwells and it's not as good for really heavy dirt. I just use one bucket (like Scott) with 1 gal of solution, a mitt, and a couple high quality towels.

Run a search for "quick easy wash" but check off the Search Titles Only button and you should find a small handful of good reading. HTH

TortoiseAWD · 06-11-03, 07:31

Yeah, definitely check into QEW . . . IMO, it's a must-have for those with limited access to a hose.

I live in an apartment about 1/2 block from a spray bay coin-op wash; what I often do is spray the majority of loose dirt/bugs off using the spray bay rinse, then drive back to my apt. and use QEW in the driveway there.

Tort