Eek!

[ShinyMopar]

Maybe this belongs in off topic... feel free to move

Our state fair is currently going on. They always have dealership cars staged to view. While looking around I see a employee using a dry rag and normal feather duster to remove the dust. Swirl city.

At the gas station a few weeks back a guy with a pretty new Grand Cherokee was using the windshield cleaning wash and sponge to clean bugs off his painted front bumper and front of hood. WOW. You could totally tell he was trying to show it off though. People notice my new ride.

At the car lot they had a water truck with a high pressure washer and chamois. They would just spray and wipe on car after car. Same chamois. Probably no type of car wash solution in the water either.

Share your Omg moments. I know people don't really know but it is sad. I mean I have stopped traffic on the highways to avoid a water puddle. Just cleaned my car. Only a few honks and one finger. Surprisingly.

[DrdetailNashville]

Re: Eek!

Several years ago I hired a part time helper. He said he had detailed cars before, we had met through a mutual friend. I thought great, maybe I won't have to explain step-by-step how to do everything. We get to the first job and I stop him about 5 seconds before he starts pressure washing the INTERIOR! of the car!! Now everyone gets the step-by-step training

[ffboy]

Re: Eek!

Deep clean. exterior AND INTERIOR. Smart move, a good way to make a great first impression..

[paulcr39]

Re: Eek!

Last spring I stopped at the do it yourself car wash to rinse off a poop load of salt before an ONR bath. The dude in the bay before me used the foaming brush on his black Mercedes. What's worse is after rinsing he pulled a couple of red shop rags from a box in the trunk and proceeded to dry the car. I would have honked to make him move along but I was enjoying the horror show too much.

[Top Gear]

Re: Eek!

Well, none of us were born knowing anything about show car paint detailing

I do get a kick out of friends and neighbors with white and silver cars who NEVER wash them, yet they wash their clothes and keep their homes and yards clean. They laugh at me for driving a black car and detailing it, then they make excuses for the mildew, poop stains, scratches and road grime all over their disgusting vehicles. The worse is a smoker's car, which has all that and then inside is even dirtier and smells like an ashtray. De-friend! One neighbor even said once in passing that white cars don't need to be cleaned. OMG. Forget nitpicky paint corrections and detailing. How about basic cleanliness?

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Eek!

Well, none of us were born knowing anything about show car paint detailing

I do get a kick out of friends and neighbors with white and silver cars who NEVER wash them, yet they wash their clothes and keep their homes and yards clean. They laugh at me for driving a black car and detailing it, then they make excuses for the mildew, poop stains, scratches and road grime all over their disgusting vehicles. The worse is a smoker's car, which has all that and then inside is even dirtier and smells like an ashtray. De-friend! One neighbor even said once in passing that white cars don't need to be cleaned. OMG. Forget nitpicky paint corrections and detailing. How about basic cleanliness?

I own a black car and a silver SUV, and both get equal love with non-invasive car washes each week. The thing is I can afford to be more careless with the silver car because I have not yet corrected its paint (my black car was recently polished), but I still give it the same care as though it has been polished. Good habits reinforced with good routine!

[BrandIdeator]

Top Gear: As someone with a white vehicle, I must say those "I don't need to wash it" people are just pitiful. I always tend to my white paint; wipe it down after being in the rain, UWWA wipe down when needed, and a bi-weekly detailing.

I'd never argue that white is "harder" to care for than black, but it certainly isn't easy.

[ffboy]

Re: Eek!

White or lighter colored cars require same degree of care as dark colors. With dark colors, any scratch/minor swirl will be reflected. With lighter colored (and white), swirls may not be as visible, but the build up of stains and contaminants will come extremely gradually. It's so gradual, it's barely noticeable. Only when one tries a good cleaner wax massaged into paint for a period of time will one see how much difference the uncleaned and cleaned portions look like. 2 colors, both require equal amount of care, but different type of care...

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Eek!

Coming home from dinner one night with my wife, we stopped at gas station to fill up the car. As I'm standing at the pump a silver Porsche 911 pulls up on the other side of the pumps, which block most of my view. My wife, however, can see everything: the owner is doing the same thing that ShinyMopar described seeing - taking the windshield scrubber to clean a bird bomb off the hood, and then doing a final scrub with a wet paper towel and drying with a fresh paper towel. I could see non of this due to the pumps blocking my view. But when I got back in the car my wife says "How are you not freaking out right now? Aren't you going to go talk to him?" Not seeing any of this for myself, I could only be impressed with my wife's observation and appropriate horror.......I've taught her well!!

[Woodie6250]

Re: Eek!

I recently bought a new car and when I first saw it, it still had some sticky residue from the small foam protectors which they place on the doors during transport. I specifically instructed the dealer not to valet (they don't understand the term detailing) or wash the car, and indicated that I wanted to take delivery as is. To my shock and dismay, when I collected the car the following day it had been washed and the eager "car wash technician" had used a scouring pad to remove the sticky residue.

I wasn't very happy, and firmly refused the dealers offer to have the car polished. It gave me a good reason to head straight home and do a full detail myself.

[larry0071]

You folks also need to remember that the great majority of people don't know what a swirl is and as long as the car is generally observed as mostly one shade of a given color at a distance, and the thing starts and runs, they are happy.

My wife has a 4 month old Deep Crystal Tint coat Mailubu 2SA (loaded to the gills, mild hybrid) and is been washed 2 times so far after her and I getting into arguments about it. She can not care less about a shine or depth or swirls or wetness. She thinks I'm slightly insane and very OCD. Her entire family agrees with her. I've never in 20 years known her parents or siblings to clean a car inside or out. Her father had never changed oil or filter in a vehicle in his life. He's proud of that.

So, just realize that we are odd in one direction while others are odd in the opposite and then you have the million varying degrees in between.
I'm certifiable. I take pride in my things. I keep my cars as close to brand new as possible. I like to see a wet, deep, swirl free super shine!