Mechanical Wash Machines.......

00slk

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......Beware if you use these as I do, I have found out that if you are the first through the machine after the wash has closed over night your car will end up more dirty than when it went into the wash.
I found this out today but too far away to go back and complain when I looked at the car afterwards. The brushes aren't cleaned obviously after the last wash and are left to drip dry over night. All the dirty is then transferred to your car and only the brushes end up clean :rolleyes:
 

flowrider

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......Beware if you use these as I do, I have found out that if you are the first through the machine after the wash has closed over night your car will end up more dirty than when it went into the wash.
I found this out today but too far away to go back and complain when I looked at the car afterwards. The brushes aren't cleaned obviously after the last wash and are left to drip dry over night. All the dirty is then transferred to your car and only the brushes end up clean :rolleyes:

I hope this isn't the SL55 going in the car wash.
 

L John

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You were lucky.
Some poor sod had his car wrecked when he was first to use it in the morning.
Someone thought it would be funny to tie some nuts onto the brushes.
It was a long time ago and most (if not all) have closed doors overnight.
Even when I use the garage jet wash, I always check the brush is good and safe to use before putting it near the car.

Some of us are in too much of a hurry and when needs must, it has to go through the auto wash. I've not been in that much of a hurry yet.
 
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00slk

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You were lucky.
Some poor sod had his car wrecked when he was first to use it in the morning.
Someone thought it would be funny to tie some nuts onto the brushes.
It was a long time ago and most (if not all) have closed doors overnight.
Even when I use the garage jet wash, I always check the brush is good and safe to use before putting it near the car.

Some of us are in too much of a hurry and when needs must, it has to go through the auto wash. I've not been in that much of a hurry yet.

You are so right John, so many of us now are in so much hurry, but if we put the time to sit back and re-evaluate? the situation you will find that you gain virtually nothing in time saving. :(

I hope this isn't the SL55 going in the car wash.

Arrrrmmmm.................Guilty :Oops:
 

Chrishazle

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After the Rover 820 in British Racing Green I was cleaning for trade in got covered in microscratches by a mechanical car wash, I swore I would never use one again - and I have not! The hand wash guys at our local Tescos are really good, use only Autoglym products, so I now use them rather than get knackered/badly out of breath doing it myself.
 

AMGeed

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Never, ever put your Mercedes through a car wash if you value looking after the paintwork.

The same applies to your friendly Albanian/Romanian/Polish handwash service as well.

The one and only time I used a handwash, the fool on the jetwash got too close and removed a spot of clear coat. Never again.
 

Srdl

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Never, ever put your Mercedes through a car wash if you value looking after the paintwork.

The same applies to your friendly Albanian/Romanian/Polish handwash service as well.

I haven't used a mechanical car wash since I got my first BMW 17 years ago and the salesman then told me never to do it. As for the local Albanian/Romanian/Polish outfit, guilty as charged your honour! I haven't had any problems with the pressure washer but I do sometimes wonder what sort of chemicals they use. :shock:
 
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00slk

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Ok that's it :Oops::Oops::Oops: no more car wash glory laziness :-(
Strictly hand washing myself from now on and besides my Wife wont let me, no let me rephrase this, wont give me any more money to get the cars washed :shock: ;)
 

Xtractorfan

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lost my rear wiper to a mechanical brush last week.
 

Wearsafoxhat

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I happen to do some service work for a company that makes and sells its car cleaning products, mainly to the "forecourt car wash" Eastern European people.
We got talking about cars, cleaning products and practices, his job and one of my hobbies. He only recommended one of his products to me. Glass cleaner.
 

Kersidan

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My mantra is better to not wash the car than put it through a mechanical car wash. The dirt on the car won't do any damage, the car wash trying to clean the dirt off will.

Mark
 

Rappey69

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A neighbour many years ago took his fairly new E class through a car wash.. The problem was that the precious car left his ariel up, which got wrapped around the car wash rollers.. It then proceeded to scrath the hell out of the neighbours car !
I went through one last year, it bent the star right back on the bonnet, which then snapped off when i tried to put it back upright!
 

A.J.

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After the Rover 820 in British Racing Green I was cleaning for trade in got covered in microscratches by a mechanical car wash, I swore I would never use one again - and I have not! The hand wash guys at our local Tescos are really good, use only Autoglym products, so I now use them rather than get knackered/badly out of breath doing it myself.

Bucket and sponge, the only way :)
 

Xtractorfan

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The one I use, I was informed, uses sponge tipped brushes and their rival just up the road uses nylon brushes.
 

L John

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Bucket and sponge, the only way :)

Sponges are good for collecting grit and getting swirls, best on black cars as they show up really well.
I would never use a sponge. Mine get a mitt like this one.
 
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00slk

00slk

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Sponges are good for collecting grit and getting swirls, best on black cars as they show up really well.
I would never use a sponge. Mine get a mitt like this one.

Good call, I have heard of these before so will be getting some.
When I have been hand washing I use a sponge. Since you have mention the swirl marks on black cars I have notice mine is showing these signs :(
 

Morethanpolish

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Sponges are just bad news for washing cars - the bubbles they are made of create little pockets for grit to sit in, which users then wipes all over their cars. Any form of mitt is better, or a safe, closed cell sponge like this: http://www.raceglaze.co.uk/race-glaze/race-glaze-car-wash-sponge-white/

I'd rather drive a dirty car than a scratched one.
 
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00slk

00slk

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I now have a micro mit which I used on Sunday, the sponge is in the bin!
 

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