teamtlr

I was told by a few car gurus here at my workplace that moos-moos soft brushed automated car wash removes your wax/polish overtime, cause marks in paint, etc. My 2013 LX is a week old and ready to give it a good detail, but Ill leave the washing to either a touchless or a moos-moos type place. Opinions on the differences and whether it will remove your wax/polish over time? Thank u!

malba2366

Automatic car washes leave swirl marks on your paint...there is no way to avoid the swirls if you go through those car washes. Toucheless car washes are fine, but the stubborn dirt stays on, and the chemicals they use are quick to remove waxes. If home washing were not an option I would have the car opt coated and use the touchelss car wash.

teamtlr

I thought so about the swirls. Home washing is an option, but I have 3 cars to manage. Ok thanks for the reply.

roblim

I use a California duster between washes. It really reduces the frequency between washes. It does not scratch if used properly. I had a lot of reservations at first, but now i am sold on it. You can actually cause a lot of swirls by just normal washing.

ggebhardt

+1 on the Calif duster. Used correctly it will keep you car looking better between washes.

Not all auto car washes are the same.

I wax my vehicle often and have found no damage from the auto car wash that I use. They do not use the hard plastic spinning brushes but instead have the softer cloth brushes and I have no swirls after many uses. To me the secret is keeping it waxed for protection.

I know this goes against how many feel but constant hand washing is not an option for me.

I am on my 5 or 6th LX570 and each have had a showroom finish when I sold them.

AustinHusk

I own 3 Lexus's: 06 GX470, 16 LS460 FSport and '16 LX570. Maybe it's just me.... I would NEVER run them through ANY car wash. Aside from the swirl marks and other machines that come in contact with the vehicle, the absolute garbage products that get sprayed on your vehicle is borderline criminal.

I know it's time consuming but hand washing with a good sea sponge + shampoo (like Poorboys World) is magic.

malba2366

[QUOTE=AustinHusk;9472564]I own 3 Lexus's: 06 GX470, 16 LS460 FSport and '16 LX570. Maybe it's just me.... I would NEVER run them through ANY car wash. Aside from the swirl marks and other machines that come in contact with the vehicle, the absolute garbage products that get sprayed on your vehicle is borderline criminal.

I know it's time consuming but hand washing with a good sea sponge + shampoo (like Poorboys World) is magic.[/QUOTE

I used to spend time washing and waxing cars but the way I am doing it with the New LX is:
1. Opti-coat the car
2. Wash using electric pressure washer and foam cannon.
3. Rinse with CR spotless system from Costco.com.
4. Dry as much as possible with leaf blower.

This will take my total wash time down to less than 30 minutes and will be much better than going to car washes or spending 2-3 hours washing and waxing a car.

ggebhardt

A friend swore by Opti-coat till a bird did a big dump on the truck lid of his RC. He washed it the second he got home but a large yellow stain persisted. After many looked and had ideas to remove the stain or which none worked, he ended up having the trunk lid repainted.

What is great is we all have a choice about how we take care of my vehicles.

yakim

I do hand wash my black car and use exclusively Zymol products, starting with their shampoos, pre-waxes and several layers of Japon wax. Bird droppings, once discovered, must be removed immediately. Its not always possible but a few layers of wax mitigate the potential damage.

I find the experience of hand-washing and waxing the car deeply immersive and meditative, a cure for the racing mind. I always make time to do it at least once a week, and its well worth it, Carwashes are a curse.

ClaytonW

Hmmm, for me, my LX570 is a family car - always dirty inside because of children and always covered wit some mud from off the pavement trips. So when it's raining, I park it outside the garage - it helps :-)

malba2366

I doubt that was due to the opti coat. Whatever got on his car ate through the opti-coat and the clear coat.
Opti-coat is not a magical shield, it should be thought of as a long lasting wax coating.
It is also possible this happened before the opti coat fully cured.

REDHORSE

At 73 I have given up hand washing with water & sponge. However, I get excellent results with "waterless" washes. I have used it for years on my Porsches, and on m black Audi S8. If you follow the directions you won't get swirls and it takes much less time than hand washing.

ggebhardt

It was about 30-40 days after the Opti-coat was applied.

Just pointing out that NO product is a guarantee against damages. I prefer multiple coats of a good wax spread out over time instead of depending on a single product to protect for longer term.

Choice is good. Care care comments are like talking religion or politics, each has their own preferences.

AustinHusk

I LOL'd at that. So true

Except that in my case, I always seem to start the process on Sunday evenings around 7pm and within 15 mins the wife/kids keep asking "are you done"?

Sheesh!

I must say though that the Wolfgang paint sealant is unbelievably resilient. The car always looks like a mirror and even after dust gets on it it's easy to hose off. It rained a couple of times last week and hardly any dirt stuck to the surface. Barely used any shampoo to wash it