Garden Hose or Manual Car Wash?

[Marc93lx]

What method do you prefer to use to wash your pro? In the driveway with the garden hose and a bucket of soapy water, or go the the manual car wash and use the high pressure washer?

I usually just go to the manual car wash and then park the car and dry it. Then I polish the rims, clean the tires and spray on tire shine, and clean the windows. Then I will go home and use the shop-vac on the carpet/seats and clean the dash and center console area with the Meguiar's.

The only draw back to the manual car wash is that the quarters add up, but I like to use the high pressure washer and its faster. Occasionally I will just park it in the driveway and go at it there, takes longer but usually comes out better. Plus its cheaper that way. Im thinkin about just abandoning the car wash and doing it all by garden hose from now on.

So lets see what everyone else does and how often you clean your car. I try to wash the outside at least once a week and will vacume and clean the interior about once or twice a month.

[kopp0041]

Watch for the deals. Where I live there's a wash place that has 50cent Thrusdays. Half price day.

[onehawaiian]

i like both. but i think the gun would get the edge if i could sit there and wax my ride too. but usually too crowded.

[Esteban Toledo]

I prefer the "manual" way. It's easier. However, washing w/ a mit, bucket and hose is more effective.

[beachnut]

Well, I know that you guys up north have a hard time keeping your rides clean over the winter months, so a coin-op might be a good choice then. NEVER run your car through an auto wash if you value your paint job. I prefer the manual method myself. I use two buckets, one for soap, one for rinsing the mitts. I use two real cotton wash mitts. My wash of choice is Meguiar's Gold Class.

[Dermen]

I use the hose in the summer and wash about once a week. In the winter its too cold so I go to the car wash and use their hi-pressure thing. I have a high pressure sprayer at home and I still prefer to use a regular hose.

[McCorkle]

I wash my car once a week with the high pressure hose. I then dry, polish wheels, and apply tire foam. I then apply the rain x and windex to get the windows nice and shiny and streak free.

[cjb200]

Hose and bucket, and unfortunately it only gets done about once a month. They won't let us wash our cars at my apartment unless we use the designated washing area, and it's always crowded.

[Natey]

I like the hose and bucket method. It's easier on the car,(who knows if the last guy scrubbed his greasy engine with that brush or not?) and it also gives you a chance to look for dings, tar and other crap.

Plus you're not watching the clock!

[Marc93lx]

Originally posted by Natey
I like the hose and bucket method. It's easier on the car,(who knows if the last guy scrubbed his greasy engine with that brush or not?) and it also gives you a chance to look for dings, tar and other crap.

Plus you're not watching the clock!

I don't ever use the brush. I just set the sprayer on wash and go at it with the hot soapy water. Then follow up with the rise. You just have to make sure you concentrate on the more dirty areas so you don't leave dirt. I usually end up spending over $3, thats why Im thinking about going strictly hose and bucket. Plus it always seems cleaner that way. Yeah, tar sucks!

[itzkcatz]

I take it to charlos. They vacum it . then they send it into the huge car wash. And when it comes out the other side a bunch of guys jump in it and wash the windows clean the console and dash and hand dry the whole car. Jon

[Marc93lx]

Originally posted by itzkcatz
I take it to charlos. They vacum it . then they send it into the huge car wash. And when it comes out the other side a bunch of guys jump in it and wash the windows clean the console and dash and hand dry the whole car. Jon

I couldn't trust anyone with my car though. A guy I work with took his truck to one of those and they went through all his ****, (glove box, center console) and someone stole $200 he had folded up under some stuff at the bottom of his center console. Bastards.

[itzkcatz]

i dont carry money in my car. And i watch them when they do there stuff lol ..Jon

[Natey]

Be careful of those things if you have low profile tires. The tracks can really mess up your rims.

[asylum24]

I usually just waash my car at the car wash and then go and wax it behind hte washing area.... then everyother day or so I jsut go out rinse it off wit hteh pressure washer... then about every other month or so I cough up $90 and get the whole car detailed(minus the engine bay) I dont know the **** they use cuz they wont tell me but you look at the paint and you dont see the coor of the car anymore... all you see is your face and everything else