Can you ever trust the dreaded car wash brush?

[ALM]

Last week I applied AIO on my windows in hopes that it would work just as well as Rain-X. I just got the opportunitly to test the Klasse driving in the rain, and it works just as well as Rain-X did, and hopefully it will last alot longer!! I used to be a die-hard Rain-x user, but now im switching to AIO for my windows!

[imported_User Name]

So, us folks who are in DEEP winter prep mode have to consider such idiotic things during the winter.

Last year I had an "indoor self wash" place open up where you can wash your car "coin-op" style in a heated indoor facility. A nice idea in Soviet Canuckistan. However, because it is indoors, the owners watch you like hawks and fully enforce a NO BUCKET, NO WATER, NO MIT policy.

The place is new and the facility and equipment is pristine. I once "rinsed" my car off there to check it out.

Now... giving you all of that background info... assuming I was able to FULLY clean the cleaning brush, would you trust it (and their water and soap) to wash your car in the dead of winter?

[QUIK4DR]

I would not trust ANY public wash brush myself.:scared:

[Husker Z]

I would not trust ANY public wash brush myself.:scared:

I have to admit, I have used the foam brush at car washes numerous times in the past. I do, however, use the pressure washer with soap and thoroughly spray it off prior to using it. Normally I used it just to get some of the winter road grime off and I always had pretty decent luck, no scratches or anything.

[QUIK4DR]

I used one on my Dodge Ram a few years ago and I sprayed out good. There must have been some sand stuck deep in there or something. It spiderwebed my black paint so bad that it almost made me cry.:scared:

[imported_RaskyR1]

HELL NO!

Is ONR not an option for you? I will run down to the coin opp in the winter and just pressure wash the car down well before using ONR in the garage.

[imported_ZimRandy]

Nope. :out:


Around me, they use the brushes to clean the mud off of ATV`s and mud trucks. The brushes also seem popular with those who feel to need to brush under the hood and on the wheels and tires. One day, there was a guy doing a coolant flush in the stall. :rofl:


I usually go late at night and bring my own supplies. So far no one has said a thing. If anyone said anything, I`d just drop some money in the slot and then they can`t say anything if the meter is running. I`m also as fast, or faster than most people that use the brush, too, so it isn`t like I`m clogging up the stall. Rinse, lather, rinse.

Randy

[imported_RaskyR1]

Nope. :out:


Around me, they use the brushes to clean the mud off of ATV`s and mud trucks. The brushes also seem popular with those who feel to need to brush under the hood and on the wheels and tires. One day, there was a guy doing a coolant flush in the stall. :rofl:


I usually go late at night and bring my own supplies. So far no one has said a thing. If anyone said anything, I`d just drop some money in the slot and then they can`t say anything if the meter is running. I`m also as fast, or faster than most people that use the brush, too, so it isn`t like I`m clogging up the stall. Rinse, lather, rinse.

Randy


That too!

If anyone ever said anything to me I would simpy swipe my card and let the meter run. ;)

[imported_User Name]

HELL NO!

Is ONR not an option for you? I will run down to the coin opp in the winter and just pressure wash the car down well before using ONR in the garage.

My Garage is not heated and not insulated, so when it get down in negative numbers, ONR is just not going to work.

Even if I bring in portable heat, I`m not convinced it will do anything because the garage is not insulated.

[Tuck91]

Might just have to wash your car a couple times a month or something.....:smile:

[imported_RaskyR1]

My Garage is not heated and not insulated, so when it get down in negative numbers, ONR is just not going to work.

Even if I bring in portable heat, I`m not convinced it will do anything because the garage is not insulated.

It may be worth a try. You can pick up some decent electric heaters for pretty cheap. Even if you were only able to get it up to 45 in there it would be better then taking a broom to your paint. ;)

[imported_Luster]

I too have been the King of the Midnight Bucket Wash!!! No brushes for me!

[imported_akimel]

A related question: Will the soap that is used in the coin-op pressure washer strip the wax/sealant? Or should I be content to simply use the rinse and then, like Rasky, speed home and complete the job with ONR?

[imported_Luster]

A related question: Will the soap that is used in the coin-op pressure washer strip the wax/sealant?

That`s an excellent question. I`m guessing that the soap is pretty harsh (industrial). Simply because they are selling you the "wax" cycle so they don`t care if it strips the wax or not.

[dennn]

Many of the coin-op car washes use some sort of high quality synthetic brushes that are quite soft. The bottom of those soap buckets also has a grit guard type object to trap dirt. It is not ideal, of course, to wash your beloved cars at the coin op, but if you must necessary wash your car at one of those places, you shouldn`t worry too much about it.

Those soaps they use are not your typical consumer grade car wash soaps. No, many of those places use some very high quality industrial grade soaps that can really dissolve grime. They use powerful shampoos to prevent sludge and tar from sticking permanently onto the brush, and to make your life easier. Those soaps do in fact strip wax to a certain degree, but they are also rich in polymer to seal in the paint to repel dirt.

Coin-op car washes are operated by profit-driven business establishments. They want your business repeatedly, not just once, and in order to do so, they must provide some quality assurance with their equipment and material. Of course, I am speaking about competitive coin-op washes in populated cities where there are competitions.