how do coin op self service car washes work?

[RA64]

ok, this sounds dumb but i really don't know. I have passed by many of these car washes but im not sure exactly how they work. I know there is some high pressure sprayer. but is there soap? towels? are you supposed to bring your own? how much do they cost and how long does it usually take?

[dave92cherokee]

The do it yourself carwashes run on quarters and usually have a change machine(sometimes working sometimes not) and to get the best results takes about 10 bucks at most. But they have wheel and tire cleaner, soap, hot wax, engine degreaser, high and low pressure rinses, foam brush, some of the newer ones have a clear coat protectant as well. They work pretty well but if you have a real good (or expensive) paint job it's not worth it as you will not get off the dirt using only the pressure sprayer and if you use the brush then most of the time it will put a few little scratches on it(because other people have used that same brush to wash off their 4wd trucks after mudding and get the mud and rocks in it). For me only time I use the car washes is in the winter to spray the salt off my vehicle other than that I get in the backyard and do it myself so I know there won't be any problem with scratches in the paint.

[RA64]

hum... so are you allowed to bring your own brush?

[dave92cherokee]

Most places no the owners have signs up saying that there is no bucket washing allowed in the bays

[AlmostStock]

It's true that the pressure alone is usually not enough to remove all dirt. Even though most places have signs saying "No buckets or hand washing" they usually won't mind as long as you don't try doing this while other people are waiting.

Most of the soaps they have are very strong and will strip wax, or even leave spots on black trim if sprayed onto a dry section, so it's better to bring your own soap instead. I always use two separate cycles, with the selector only on rinse. On the first one I'll spray down the entire car (removing the loose dirt) and then fill my bucket with water along with a good quality soap made specifically for cars. When this cycle runs out, (usually about 4 minutes) I then splash the panels with a soapy mitt (no rubbing yet) and allow it to loosen the remaining dirt. Then starting with the cleanest sections, (roof, hood, deck) I gently wipe down one panel at a time, rinsing the wash mitt in the bucket between each section. Don't rub any harder than necessary. Finish up on the dirtiest panels, (lower fenders, rockers) because they will contaminate your mitt and bucket water the most. You don't want to drag a dirt filled wash mitt across your paint.

The second cycle is for rinse only. Doing it like this it cost me 4 dollars, (two cycles at $2 each) and the car looks great.