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I know you guys are going to give me hell, but I just regularly go to the car wash (not with SL). I have one of those passes.
I did do my homework. First, rims won't get messed with because it's a conveyor belt instead of two bars you guide your tire into.
The mitters are soft. There are no visible swirls in my paint, at all. It does a great job.
All the exotics and insane-level luxury cars go there, regularly. I figure it ain't gonna hurt the LX, lol.
430 goes through a wash once or twice a month.
I do the same thing. I found the best one I possibly could find, it does mar the paint (they all do), but thats the glory of white and silver. Under bright lights the Pacifica which is dark blue looks horrible, but I don't care lol
I just don't have the time or inclination to wash my own cars, and I want a clean car on demand so having a standing detailer appointment wouldn't work for me. I have monthly on both cars, I can take them each once a day. Have the interior for the Pacifica and just the exterior on the S560 since it stays so clean inside.
I do the same thing. I found the best one I possibly could find, it does mar the paint (they all do), but thats the glory of white and silver. Under bright lights the Pacifica which is dark blue looks horrible, but I don't care lol
I just don't have the time or inclination to wash my own cars, and I want a clean car on demand so having a standing detailer appointment wouldn't work for me. I have monthly on both cars, I can take them each once a day. Have the interior for the Pacifica and just the exterior on the S560 since it stays so clean inside.
Wow, I thought I went a lot lol. I'll go 3-4xs a week. Yes we got one for the LX because it sits outside and is usually the car the gets driven the most plus I have some fun in the mud occasionally, etc. It's very convenient, and it does a good job. I'll never look at it under a black light and it looks great, great quality paint to begin with.
My friend and I have a debate over how much a wash costs them. We know it's low, because car washes are such money makers.
He said .50c, I say more because even though most of the water is recycled it costs at least .50c in juice to blow that dryer. Plus, washes do use *some* water.
What does anyone else think?
I don't have time and I don't want to fuss with washing my own cars either. I take the Mercedes to a light touch-less where I just buy a basic wash with minimal passes (not running that soft-top through a brush wash, though I bet it would be fine). And it works great!
Wow, I thought I went a lot lol. I'll go 3-4xs a week.
steve said he can go once a day, but i don't think that means he does.
i never go to car washes. they take too long. i'd rather do at home even if i don't do the greatest job. my cars are garaged which makes it less needed.
besides a good florida summer shower will clean off just about anything.
Yeah I CAN go once a day, I don’t lol. Mercedes gets washed 1-2 times a week depending on the weather, Pacifica once a week to twice a month.
Carwashes have more overhead than you think. I know the owner of the one I go to and a couple others in the industry. For one the land is expensive, the equipment is REALLY expensive to purchase and maintain. Full service carwashes have a lot of labor cost. Insurance is expensive. Not as huge a cash cow as you’d think.
I would not take your SL to a touch less wash. They have really harsh chemicals which will dry out the plastic and rubber…I would be worried about the old top etc.
the equipment is REALLY expensive to purchase and maintain.
That's one reason among several) why some car washes swirl up the paint (I've even seen windshield glass swirled-up once in a wash LOL). They are too cheap to clean or replace the brushes as necessary....and the brushes just spin all of the accumulated dirt and grit in them around.
I use a self-service car wash at a gas station near my house, where you just put some money into a slot, grab a pressure-spray hose-nozzle, spray everything, then use (if necessary) another hose for soaping/rinsing, and just dry it off by hand with a couple of towels. Usually, water alone works...I don't often need soap. They also have a coin-operated vac to use if necessary...I use it (and an old toothbrush) to get off the tree-droppings that accumulate in cracks.
That's one reason among several) why some car washes swirl up the paint (I've even seen windshield glass swirled-up once in a wash LOL). They are too cheap to clean or replace the brushes as necessary....and the brushes just spin all of the accumulated dirt and grit in them around.
I use a self-service car wash at a gas station near my house, where you just put some money into a slot, grab a pressure-spray hose-nozzle, spray everything, then use (if necessary) another hose for soaping/rinsing, and just dry it off by hand with a couple of towels. Usually, water alone works...I don't often need soap. They also have a coin-operated vac to use if necessary...I use it (and an old toothbrush) to get off the tree-droppings that accumulate in cracks.
Yeah you want one that maintains their mitters. Thats why you don't want to just use any carwash...you also want one that uses LOTS of sudsy soaps for lubrication.
Just spraying the car off and wiping it down will absolutely swirl the paint...you need lubrication.
Carwashes have more overhead than you think. I know the owner of the one I go to and a couple others in the industry. For one the land is expensive, the equipment is REALLY expensive to purchase and maintain. Full service carwashes have a lot of labor cost. Insurance is expensive. Not as huge a cash cow as you’d think.
See, that's what I thought.....it's not pennies for washes. Never thought about insurance, good point.. I imagine the juice and process of recycling the water ain't cheap either. I do wonder what it is roughly for per car. I don't mean the full service part I am just talking about running it through. The spot this new one opened up at is prime West Knoxville location also.
Originally Posted by SW17LS
I would not take your SL to a touch less wash. They have really harsh chemicals which will dry out the plastic and rubber…I would be worried about the old top etc.
The top is very very robust. I wouldn't go often either but I only wash it once a monthish. It's that until I find someone to come hand wash it at my house.
See, that's what I thought.....it's not pennies for washes. Never thought about insurance, good point.. I imagine the juice and process of recycling the water ain't cheap either. I do wonder what it is roughly for per car. I don't mean the full service part I am just talking about running it through. The spot this new one opened up at is prime West Knoxville location also.
No idea the actual cost per car...
The top is very very robust. I wouldn't go often either but I only wash it once a monthish. It's that until I find someone to come hand wash it at my house.
Personally I think it actually would be safer in the wash you use for the Lexus...
Personally I think it actually would be safer in the wash you use for the Lexus...
I agree with you, the touchless washes are harsh.....they are last resort type thing on winter for us when it's too cold/annoying to deploy the pressure washer at home.
I use subscription touch-less CW with undercarriage flush on my LS500 weekly sometimes more if it snows and want to get the salt etc. off immediately. I did this with my GS350 also and it always looked pristine.
Here are a few shots of my pit crew in action and the results.
Just spraying the car off and wiping it down will absolutely swirl the paint...you need lubrication.
Depends on how you do it....if you are careless, yes. I don't have any really noticeable swirls in my paint. Of course, the SCRATCH OUT also helps keep swirls at bay....I use it regularly instead of wax.
08-06-23, 01:46 PM
