How do you wash your car?

[down_with_the_system]

This applies to people with water restrictions. I'm in Melbourne and we aren't allowed to wash cars. We can only take them to car washes. So how do people prefer to wash their cars? I find the brushes on the self serve car washes look too harsh and the touch free ones i'm not too sure about either. I just brought a new car and i don't know what would be best. Any advice?

[TVR-190]

just wash it anyway, we did here during the restrictions, if the patrol come around hose them down the second they come on ur property

[GILLO]

Are there any places where you can hand wash your car with your own products but use their water to rinse? I dont like using the soaps and brushes at the car washes so i need to find a place. I usually just rinse mine off at the car wash or i use a bucket to wash at home then rinse off at the car wash.

[nathg]

I usually just rinse mine off at the car wash or i use a bucket to wash at home then rinse off at the car wash.

Lol you actually let the suds dry whilst you drive to the car wash?
To the OP, have a look out for the waterless car wash products, avail from supercheap, repco etc.

[GILLO]

Why not? It's only for a few minutes of driving, then it rinses straight off.

[kniever]

ive got a nice micro fiber cloth that i take to the car wash and use that instead of the brush, imo i can clean the car faster with the cloth than with the brush. also i agree those brushes are really bad sometimes

[down_with_the_system]

ive got a nice micro fiber cloth that i take to the car wash and use that instead of the brush, imo i can clean the car faster with the cloth than with the brush. also i agree those brushes are really bad sometimes

I thought of doing that but what soap do you use? So you use the colourful 'shampoo'
stuff that comes out of the little gun?

[kniever]

i just spray with the high pressure soap 1st so the whole car is wet and soapy then go over it with the cloth then rinse and use the clear coat wax then chamois

[GetToDaChopa]

I think people use more water with the buckets then a quick spray of the hose. So i say use the hose to give it a little sprinkle and then use a bucket of water (with some wash and wax) with a sponge to go over it and then another spray of the hose (while no one is looking )

[Escape-The-Fate]

we got a 5000 and a 10,000 liter water tank..otherwise i go to the car wash with my own sponge, rag to clean spokes on the wheels and chamios..use the suds, pressure wash, wax and spot free rinse there but use my own cleaning utensils..i use there brush to put the soap on and thats it..then use my own spounge and rag to give it a good clean..drive out next to the vacuum and chamois and clean inside of the car costs about 8-10 bucks all up..never been a big fan of them auto/laser washers..they reck your car in my opinion

[danja]

I have a couple of watering cans I fill up to wash the car.

1) Use the can to wet the car, start at the roof and work your way down - don't wet the whole car at once, because it will be dry by the time you get around to most of it, so just do one panel or side at a time.

2) Use the two-bucket method (one bucket with clean water + car shampoo, another bucket with just water for rinsing the dirt into), and wash the car panel-by-panel, rinsing each panel from the watering can when you are done washing it.

3) Chamois or towel dry each section after you rinse it. It usually helps to wash a few panels first before you dry, give it a chance to dry itself a bit, just don't leave it too long or you'll get water spots.

4) Detail/polish/wax etc as you normally would.

Works well for me, doesn't use much water, should be restriction-legal (though you should double check for your state) and there are no compromises that could damage your car.

I hate those DIY and auto car washes, the DIY are bloody expensive, and because you are working to the clock you can't do such a good job as you would at home (also the brushes scratch the shit out of the car) and the auto-washes are no better.

[down_with_the_system]

Has anyone used the touch free pressure car washes? I used it the day i got my car and it did an okay job but didn't get into every nook and cranny. As i was sitting in the car i was a bit worried with the amount of pressure the water was under. Do you think its safe?

[danja]

Has anyone used the touch free pressure car washes? I used it the day i got my car and it did an okay job but didn't get into every nook and cranny. As i was sitting in the car i was a bit worried with the amount of pressure the water was under. Do you think its safe?

I once lifted a huge chuck of paint of my VT using a gurney. Now I steer clear of them. They certainly aren't doing your paintwork any favours.

[Dayvo]

I do it at home with the pressure washer hooked up to the water tank or the swimming pool.

[Holdfast]

This applies to people with water restrictions. I'm in Melbourne and we aren't allowed to wash cars. We can only take them to car washes. So how do people prefer to wash their cars? I find the brushes on the self serve car washes look too harsh and the touch free ones i'm not too sure about either. I just brought a new car and i don't know what would be best. Any advice?

Congrats on th new car.

Have a look around; a few commercial car washes do a great job. Nowadays commercial car washing facilities are tops; the best ones don't use harsh brushes.

Consider that the novelty of a new car, will and does wear off. Work harder, do overtime and let someone else wash your car.

[fuzzy2308]

since i grew up in victoria with the hardcore water restrictions and im now in qld i try to make up for it by soaking my car in water then i leave the hose on full ball will i go over every bit with soap and then i rince it and drop the hose still on full bal i soap er up again then rince it off with the hose drop the hose sit down for a few minutes the shamie the car and some times polish it after that i go play computer then i turn the hose off. then i hose down my drive way for about 1hour or more and some times my house after that i water my lawn for a few hours.
also i dont have to pay for water

[danja]

. then i hose down my drive way for about 1hour or more and some times my house after that i water my lawn for a few hours.
also i dont have to pay for water

Are you saying the hose will clean off skid marks, or is that preventative maintenance?

[fuzzy2308]

Are you saying the hose will clean off skid marks, or is that preventative maintenance?

LMAO im never gonna live that down also i moved house. but i have to admit that after the old man got home i relised that the drive way was made of bricks and i could of just turned them over LOL.
and my new drive way is grass

[danja]

LMAO im never gonna live that down also i moved house. but i have to admit that after the old man got home i relised that the drive way was made of bricks and i could of just turned them over LOL.
and my new drive way is grass

Think of it as character-building

Easier to turn over bricks than to re-grow grass in a couple of hours!

[ausleo]

i use a bucket to wash at home then rinse off at the car wash.

Try getting hold of a pressure washer and modify the connector hose to go into your bucket of water, that will give you a good blast to clean the suds off and wont use much water.

[padrickz88]

ive got a nice micro fiber cloth that i take to the car wash and use that instead of the brush, imo i can clean the car faster with the cloth than with the brush. also i agree those brushes are really bad sometimes

Same here :P stuff using there brush, only thing i use there brush for is shaking the soap onto the car then i go crazy with my mitt

My process
1. quick rinse
2. shake the soap over the car from the brush (never touch the body)
3. do my rims and guards with the blush lol
4. scrub like a mofo with my mitt
5. rinse
6. shamois.....
7. go eat macca's because im a fat arse lol


In summer replace step 2 with take my own bucket and use my own car wash

[Drewie]

We have a water tank and I use the Karcher and a Meguiars mit and Meguiars wash.
Prior to getting the rain water tank I ran the Karcher from a 50lt plastic rubbish bin, we collected the cold water from the shower whilst waiting for the hot to come through, from memory the Karcher used around 20lt to wash the VX SS.

[Dan366757]

I used to live in Toukley on the N.S.W. central coast and we had crazy restrictions there for a while so when i would wash my car i would just skip my shower for the day, figured that worked out even. Now im near morisset there are no restrictions so i just go for it and use all the water i want. But seriously bugger water restrictions just wash your car how you want to.

[sycvs]

i use the rain it keeps your car wet and the soap does not dry comes out nice afterwards and easy no hose or restrictions

[arrow224]

Haha, I don't. Seriously, in the 3 years that I have had my car, I have washed it at most 7 times. Indeed, I haven't washed it since January this year.

Usually though I use a Karcher, a water tank, and some random car wash soap stuff.