The 21st century has brought many things that we did not expect. Things like the iPhone, the 300 mph hypercar, quinoa, a healthy McDonalds menu, and self-service car washes. Here’s the thing about the last evolution point. Self-service car washes without proper instructions are a trick. They ruin your paint job and have even more potential to ruin your car. But you’re lucky, why today? I am here to help. I’m going to show you what my detailing department considers the best and safest way to use a self-service car wash.
What type of self-service should I use?
Good question, most car washes have two ways to wash your car. Whether with an automated laser wash or a manual high-pressure hose system. Ironically, the manual method is much cheaper and more comprehensive. But, and here’s a big but, what if your car is in its first six months of life? A deep wash could do more harm to your clear polish than good.
Therefore, car owners, who are in their first 6 months of ownership, should take a simple wheel cleaner and spray it on their wheels before going through an automatic laser wash. Then use a damp suede or microfiber cloth to dry when finished. I think you’ll find that more than enough for a new car. If your car is older? Hand wash it. See tips below.
The pre-soap feature exists for a reason
I see so many people skipping different features depending on the type of self-service car wash they use. Serial offenders will always ignore the engine/wheel wash function and the pre-soap function. I tend to believe this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make at a self-service car wash. You can’t always remove dirt or grime from your car with a high-pressure hose.
This is because if you’ve owned your car for a long time, chances are the polish will slowly start to get more textured rather than totally smooth. Because of this dry dirt, it has a better chance of clinging to your paint. As such, you should always spray the wheel wash solution on your wheels first, then pre-soap the entire car. You won’t have to wait for the soap to soak in, it doesn’t take long to lubricate all that dirt.
If you really want to be pedantic (like me), spray some wheel cleaning solution on your wheels before you drive the car to the wash, it gives a much better end effect.
Never use a foam brush all over the car
The foam brush is my worst enemy in a self-service car wash. I found this out the hard way with the first car I ever owned. It was a very well maintained BMW 5 series from the 90s. When I started washing this self-service car, I noticed that scratches were starting to appear on the paint. After talking to a mobile retailer about it, he was quick to let me know that the foam brush really affects the clear coat.
Now, in case any of you don’t know what a clear coat is, your car is basically painted in 4 steps. There is an undercoat, two top coats and a clear coat to finish. The clear coating protects your car from water, dirt, sand, salt and all other environmental factors that may occur. When you scratch off the clear coat, chances are it will damage the topcoats and undercoats that make up your car’s main layers of paint.
With that in mind, the foam brush is still there for a reason. It is used much more effectively to scrub wheels, windows, mirrors and lights. The wheels, in particular, tend to get ridiculously dirty, so the brush is ideal for removing dirt.
Always rinse before waxing and polishing
The soap does not react well chemically with the solutions used to maintain the high pressure polish or wax that most car washes use. You have to rinse first, which is why the car wash places the rinse function after the foam brush in the order of its features. You should always rinse between washing and maintaining the paint.
the light coat
Brand new polish, when viewed under a microscope, looks almost completely smooth. After a few months it starts to develop bumps and texture (which I was referring to above). Strip with me at this point, because every self-service car wash calls nail polish maintenance something different. But there must be a separate little device at every car wash that spits out colored foam. For some this foam is the color of the rainbow, for some it is blue, for others it is green. It is an absolute must when washing your car. This foam provides fill points for your veneer. It makes your light coat softer. That is why, after rinsing the foam from the car, you will notice that the water begins to flow out of the car quite easily.
The wax also helps clean the coat
The high pressure wax feature that most car washes have works like a very rough but still effective hand wax. It is like waxing and polishing the car yourself little by little with dry wax. You should always do this as it once again helps to keep your car’s upholstery clear. After rinsing off the wax and polish suds, your car should have some shine. Something I didn’t have before.
The jury came out of the flawless rinse
It’s tough, some retailers claim it helps identify trouble spots in the car that might need more work. Others recommend not using it because you want the car to dry with as few watermarks as possible. I’ve personally used this low pressure water rinse just because of the next point I’m going to make (and I’m pretty pedantic).
Don’t think it’s over when you get out of the car wash
If you let your car dry on its own, you’ll notice that it’s still shiny, but you can usually see streaks of dirt here and there.
It’s solid opinions from me and I that you should always, always suede or clean your car with a microfiber cloth. It’s almost like your last line of defense. It may take a little extra effort, but it will help make your car look better than a show car. Believe me, deer is king.
One more thing
Have you ever walked away from your car and wondered “why doesn’t it look as good as when I pulled it out of the showroom?” Well my friend, I am going to share with you a super secret trick that will shock you. Two words – wheel oil. If you buy a bottle of these things at your local auto parts store, it will be the best investment you have ever made. Use a brush and paint it as if you were going to paint a wall. It will make your car perfect in every way. You will have all your friends totally amazed at how your car looks.
So there it is. Keep your car looking its best while spending as little money as possible. Except everything else, I recommend getting a professional to clay and wax your car 2 years after purchase, then once a year and a half after that. They are not that expensive. If you really want to keep your car in good condition? After about 8 years you should consider repainting the varnish. This clear coat is essential for fighting rust later in the life of the car. But in the meantime, keeping it clean with the tips above should really extend the life of your car’s paint. Keep it clean, kids.