Coin Wash

[mis3]

There is a new coin wash near my house. There are many selections in the dial like rinse, pre-soak, soak, soft rinse, de-iconized water, etc.

It is $4 CAN for 4 minutes, then $1 per additional minute. It is close to my house so I can theoretically bring my own Gold Class wash and bucket. If I soap with my own soap bucket, I would be wasting the minute. what do I do to maximize the use of the spray?

Also, the rinse is very, very strong. I can see it to be perfect to spray the underbody, what does it do to the car, the wax?

[wifpd4]

Re: Coin Wash

Use a bucket with a screw lid, bring water from home. Add your soap at car wash. I’ve done that in the winter (bring hot water).

[mis3]

Re: Coin Wash

Why do I bring water from home? I am thinking to bring a bucket with GC Wash and it would take 3 seconds to fill the bucket with water.

Problem is I have to wet the car first before applying the soap. The soaping part would take probably 2 minutes and this would be wasted time.

I just don’t see how, with one person, to soap and rinse the car without stoping the spray?

[americanlt]

Re: Coin Wash

Once in a great while I will bring 2 buckets with soap and a bucket of water. I skip the pre-washing and only use the water rinse. I get underneath as well. I only do this during off-peak hours as I don't want make people wait. Also, I try to avoid the owner because "buckets are not allowed" and he yelled at me the last time.

[mis3]

Re: Coin Wash

My car is a small coupe, maybe I can soap the car quickly in one minute.
No choice but to waste some spray time.

[americanlt]

Re: Coin Wash

I wouldn't want to use my local coin op's soap. I think it is too abrasive.

[mis3]

Re: Coin Wash

I wouldn't want to use my local coin op's soap. I think it is too abrasive.

I did see the soap option in the dial. It says it’s Turtle Wax. If this is true, it is not as good as Meguiars but still not bad.

This bring up a good question. In a touchless car wash, they spray soap onto the car and then rinse. Without rubbing the surface with soap and mitt, the car is clean. What kind of soap is this?

[americanlt]

Re: Coin Wash

Here in the inner city of Chicago we have limited washing options. At least $13+ for a hand wash and dry. So I'm forced to use the coin op.

[mis3]

Re: Coin Wash

Here in the inner city of Chicago we have limited washing options. At least $13+ for a hand wash and dry. So I'm forced to use the coin op.

I would not go to hand wash at all. If not too cold, I would use touchless wash. I use points for the car washes and they are free.

[Joe Dragon]

Re: Coin Wash

Yeah once you feed it your four bucks the clock keeps ticking. I hate those kinds of car washes and never use them.

[americanlt]

Re: Coin Wash

The one I go to is $2.50 for 4 minutes. BUT, if you need extra and put in a quarter it only gives you like 30 seconds. lol

[Blueline]

Re: Coin Wash

As few years ago I took my new, then black car to a new "touchless" wash and spent $15 (I think) on the works. The car looked fantastic, however by the time I got it home, it was wet with road water. By the time I got up next morning, the car was as white with dried salt as it was before the wash. I may has well have taken that 15 bucks and threw it out the window. Since then I never wash my cars in the winter. Dried salt will not hurt the car, and washing only liquefies the salt and runs into metal crevices where it can do damage. It is actually very, very nice vacation to have the winter off from this obsessive washing, blowing, detailing, claying, polishing,waxing, vacuuming, etc. etc. Fortunately the withdrawals only start in March and the cars and I return to the hostage/slave relationship we have.

[wifpd4]

Re: Coin Wash

I’m probably a car wash lover in the winter. There I said it...

I’ve done in a variety of different methods. I take a bucket of my hot water and mix in my Meguiars soap after heavy rinsing with their wand. Wash, rinse and dry before a wipe down with Meguiars products. Other times, I pull into a manual bay and pre-soak, spray wash, and rinse with their spray wand and products. Then I head over to their auto bay to wash the undercarriage and run the full cycle of the touch less and get it blow dried before driving home.

Sometimes in the winter, I just drive through the auto wash bay. I hate having salt show on my car. Whether true or not I think the salt is hydrophilic and ***** up water wherever and whenever it finds it. Pretty rare streets are truly dry and if they are there are clouds of salt/brine dust everywhere. So I wash often hoping to keep it off my exposed metal undercarriage, rims, and body.

[Blueline]

Re: Coin Wash

So I wash often hoping to keep it off my exposed metal undercarriage, rims, and body.

I would agree with you if my metal undercarriage was still factory (mine, included inner panels, is rust protect coated every fall) and I don't drive my fancy rims in the winter (I have cheap winter rims on snow tires) and salt will not hurt paint, waxed or not. However, each to their own.

[tguil]

Re: Coin Wash

I do the wash and rinse cycle at the coin-op and then head home or some protected place close by and do a rinseless wash (like or ONR) or apply Meg's Wash and Wax Anywhere. This has been my winter routine for the past several years. I never use the coin-op when the temperature is below freezing....at least not any more.