Are There Are Any Car Wash Places That Don't Wreck Your Paint?

SlavOz on 28/02/2021 - 12:00

I've visited every so-called "hand car wash" and have instantly driven away after seeing how they're run. It's just a bunch of students being paid to scrub a car with a re-used broomstick and most likely recycled water. It's essentially a volume-based model where they try to get cars cleaned within a few minutes and then move on.

I'm having a hard enough time washing the car myself without leaving swirl marks but if I do it slowly and precisely then it's manageable. To date I haven't been able to find a single place like this. Where do the billionaires get their Lamborghinis washed?

Automotive Car Care Car Wash

Comments

  • holdenmg on 28/02/2021 - 12:03
    +16

    When you buy a Lamborghini they will tell you the secret place. :+)

  • apsilon on 28/02/2021 - 12:09
    +5

    Where do the billionaires get their Lamborghinis washed

    They hire pro detailers that come to them. About 20 years ago I had a boss who was very wealthy (as in you'd know the name wealthy) who had a detailer come to the office to wash his daily driver twice a week at $400 per wash. $800 a week for just a basic wash and vac. The detailer also went to his house once a week to wash his other cars plus his wifes and daughters car.

    • IanC on 28/02/2021 - 12:15
      +15

      They don't.

      They buy a new one when the windscreen needs cleaning.

      • apsilon on 28/02/2021 - 14:32

        That was his daughter. Multiple new cars per year. Whatever was cute this week until she got sick of it.

      • pegaxs on 28/02/2021 - 18:13
        +4

        Can confirm. We had a customer when I was working at a dealership that would come in and just buy new Range Rovers like they were matchbox cars.

        He would literally drive the car up to his rural property in some rich trendy pocket farming area. Get it dirty(ish) and drive back to Melbourne and bring the car in on the Monday to trade it in on a new one.

        The same guy couldn’t get to the airport one day, so he called up and the manager was going to give him a loan vehicle. He didn’t want a loan car so he bought a new one. Drove it to the airport, parked it. Drove it back and traded it in on a top of the line RR about a month later… it had about 90km on it from when he bought it a month earlier.

        If he owned a car long enough to refuel it, he would drop it off for us to refuel it for him. We charged customers $4/litre for fuel back in the late 90’s~early 00’s.

        • IanC on 28/02/2021 - 18:50
          +2

          No doubt a successful ozbargainer lol

        • SlavOz on 28/02/2021 - 19:43
          +7

          Jesus, that's gotta be a fringe minority of wealthy people. Somehow I doubt that guy is still rich unless he was a mega mogul trillionaire.

          Rich people tend to be even more careful with money than the average Ozbargainer. I've bumped shoulders with some very wealthy people personally and professionally - never seen a bigger bunch of cheapskates.

        • Tleyx on 02/03/2021 - 10:16

          First time trickle down worked

    • iNeed2Pee on 01/03/2021 - 00:02
      +2

      Im sure thats what he did. Wash their cars…..😏😏

  • John Kimble on 28/02/2021 - 12:16

    Where do the billionaires get their Lamborghinis washed?

    They don't wash them, they just use them once, chuck them out and get a new one.

    • [Deactivated] on 28/02/2021 - 13:07
      +1

      Basically this.

      Every day its a brand new car, they have stacks of them in the garage. They all look identical so thats why you think its the same car.

      • Hybroid on 28/02/2021 - 18:52

        Steve Jobs actually did this. Exact same car every 6 months allegedly to avoid getting it registered with a number plate.

        • [Deactivated] on 28/02/2021 - 21:20

          "Hey, there is some guy in a Mercedes without plates driving around like a (profanity)."

          "Oh, yeah thats Steve Jobs"

  • Porker on 28/02/2021 - 12:46
    +3

    Don't use a brush to wash your car.

    Get a car wash sponge and make sure you blast off as much dust, dirt etc first before applying the soapy sponge.

    Out of curiosity, what car do you drive?

  • brendanm on 28/02/2021 - 12:58

    Where do the billionaires get their Lamborghinis washed?

    Detailer comes to them.

  • pharkurnell on 28/02/2021 - 13:14

    Next thread - whats a fair price for a carwash?

    I went to this carwash where lambo's get washed and detailed and they wanted $750 for the basic wash

    BTW - what car you washing? Camry?

    • SlavOz on 28/02/2021 - 13:22
      -1

      Daily driver is a Mustang, also have an an imported Skyline with original parts. It's an antique but in amazing condition so I want to keep it that way.

    • pegaxs on 28/02/2021 - 17:58
      +6

      BTW - what car you washing?

      Asking SlavOz what they drive… lol. Must be new here…

  • Euphemistic on 28/02/2021 - 13:18
    +2

    This ozbargain. You shouldn’t be paying for a car wash.

    • SlavOz on 28/02/2021 - 13:19
      -6

      By paying for a good wash it means less paint repair costs in the future and a higher resale value of the car.

      It's practically free money in your pocket (but not really)

      • Euphemistic on 28/02/2021 - 13:33
        +3

        You are kidding yourself.

        By washing it yourself you are literally keeping money in your pocket. I would suspect most buyers of second hand vehicles would not be paying for ‘paint correction’ except in the rare occasion that the car is highly collectible.

        • SlavOz on 28/02/2021 - 13:38
          -3

          I was being sarcastic but you can't deny that cars in better condition are worth more than cars in worse condition, whether it's a Toyota or a Ferrari.

          • Euphemistic on 28/02/2021 - 14:29
            +6

            @SlavOz:

            I was being sarcastic

            Based on your post history I had a lot of trouble picking that up, even after you pointed it out.

  • p1 ama on 28/02/2021 - 14:13
    +1

    I've visited every so-called "hand car wash" and have instantly driven away after seeing how they're run. It's just a bunch of students being paid to scrub a car with a re-used broomstick and most likely recycled water. It's essentially a volume-based model where they try to get cars cleaned within a few minutes and then move on.

    What do you expect?

    Suppose it takes 3 guys 10 mins to wash your car. Even if those guys are paid $20/hr or whatever the minimum wage is, that's still $10 of labour already. Not to mention the cost of hiring the location, all the bills and other operational costs…etc. and there's not a lot of margin in it if they're charging you like $20 for a wash.

  • Muzeeb on 28/02/2021 - 14:15
    +3

    If you redline every gear the dirt get blasted off from the air pressure differentiation. Try it.

    Edit:

    Wait. What? Just saw your username. Disregard.

  • mini2 on 28/02/2021 - 14:16

    Technique is one thing but trying to keep the wash mitts, drying aids etc from being contaminated tis probably your issue. Two bucket method? Pre-wash rinse? Snow foam? Blow dry the car?

  • mab5125 on 28/02/2021 - 14:16
    +3

    I do both our cars at home every fortnight.

    Both were ceramic coated, which makes it so much easier to wash and look after the paint.

    I use:
    - Karcher K2
    - Bowdens Own Snow Cannon and Snow Foam
    - Two buckets (one for washing (I use BO Nanolicious) and one to rinse the washing mitt (BO Shagamatistic or whatever it's called) which helps reduce swirl marks)
    - Towel to dry (never chamois) and again I use Bowdens Own 'Big Green Sucker' which is currently on sale at SCA.

    I also 'seal' both cars after washing with NV Nova Jet which keeps the water beading for much longer.

    I probably have the entire Bowdens Own range right now - I just buy when they're 30% off at Repco/SCA/Autobarn.

    It has cost me a few hundred $ but considering you get about 20 washes from the snow foam and Nanolicious soap, it's saved me many hundreds more compared to the average hand car wash ($30-$50 minimum).

    I washed both cars this morning in exactly the same way and total time including drying and interior detail was 3 hours. If you have the time, space and interest, you'll save A LOT of money by doing it yourself.

    • Euphemistic on 28/02/2021 - 14:28
      +7

      3 hours per fortnight? Where can I buy that sort of time?

      I guess it’s lucky I have old cars. I’d be lucky to spend 3 hours per year on each of them.

      • mab5125 on 28/02/2021 - 15:47
        +2

        It's somewhat of a hobby of mine so I find the time. I might do one car after work during the week (in summer) and the other on a Saturday/Sunday morning. 3 hours out of 336 in a fortnight really isn't much :)

        • Euphemistic on 28/02/2021 - 15:51
          +1

          To each their own I guess. 3hr per fortnight is 78hrs, or about 4 days - assuming you sleep/eat for the remaining 8hrs per day.

          I do spend a fair bit of time over the course of a year on my cars, but it tends to be mechanical (servicing) or mods, just not washing.

    • PeterSnoot on 01/03/2021 - 08:50

      Do you need a special attachment or technique with the Karcher? I have a K2 but never used it on the car because I thought it was too harsh.

      • mab5125 on 01/03/2021 - 09:20
        +1

        I just keep the lance about 30cm away from the paint surface when pressure washing and I haven't had any issues yet. I'd probably go more like 50cm for older paint or areas that might have some issues with the clear coat or stone chips etc

    • voo123 on 01/03/2021 - 19:54

      I use the 2 bucket method too with snow foam prewash and wheely spray for the wheels. Takes me 1hour to wash car, wheels, vacuum and dry. No interior detailing though. Wife goes ballistic and doesn't understand why it takes so long to wash a car lol.

  • Hithere on 28/02/2021 - 14:19
    +1

    if I do it slowly and precisely then it's manageable.

    You've answered your own question - do it slowly and precisely.

  • SF3 on 28/02/2021 - 14:46
    +3

    Where do the billionaires get their Lamborghinis washed?

    You do not meet the acceptance criteria.

    Mustang is not even close, sorry.

    • bobbified on 28/02/2021 - 15:38
      +3

      Excuse me, it's not just any Mustang. It's a manual Mustang! lol

      • SF3 on 28/02/2021 - 19:31
        +1

        Oh sorry, do you mean manually shifting from P to D, I got to get with the 21st century.

  • bobbified on 28/02/2021 - 15:03
    +3

    What you're complaining about now seems to contradict what you said in an earlier thread you created about the same topic!

    They wash hundreds of cars a day, usually employ young foreign people who are most likely getting minimum wage, and I can't imagine they thoroughly wash their tools/cloths often enough to avoid dirt buildup. But they seem to always wahs my cars with minimal to no damage.

    • SF3 on 28/02/2021 - 23:17
      +2

      Maybe had a falling out with them too, just like with his Tattoo dude.

  • Blue Cat on 28/02/2021 - 15:56
    +2

    I wash mine on the street, a simple bucket with clean water, using just a simple yellow $2 sponge from SupercheapAuto, then dry with a massive microfibre towel (I think I bought at Kmart?), then I do the same with the rims. Always make sure you start from the roof, then the windows, then the sides, doors, hood, back, and the bottom of the car for last - basically, from top to bottom. Over and done in 25 minutes and for some reason I never have any "streaks".

    Just make sure the sponge doesn't have any tiny rocks or some tiny chips and you will never scratch the paint.

  • inconspicuous on 01/03/2021 - 09:43
    +1

    All these comments and no one has attempted to answer the question… Regardless of your thoughts on this, I would also like to know of some quality car wash places.

    • terrys on 01/03/2021 - 10:12

      "and no one has attempted to answer"

      They have. The mountain moves…

    • bobbified on 01/03/2021 - 10:24
      +2

      no one has attempted to answer the question

      If OP asked where everyone got their camrys and corollas washed, there would stacks of answers, suggestions and whatever.
      But he's asking where people get their Lambos washed! Who on OzB has a lambo? 🤣

      • Never Pay RRP on 01/03/2021 - 10:49

        The crypto bros should all have at least one lambo

      • IanC on 01/03/2021 - 11:04

        I thought at least 50% would have one

        • Euphemistic on 01/03/2021 - 11:24
          +1

          My son has at least on Lambo, possibly two. Personally I never had one, but think I had a Ferrari and def had a Porsche or three. When younger my brother also had a hotwheels car wash to keep them all clean. Used a spinnaction to dry to prevent scratches.

          • IanC on 01/03/2021 - 13:56

            @Euphemistic: That's great.

            I have had at least two Malvern Star pushbikes and now have a Rollator 4 wheeled walker.

  • zzap on 01/03/2021 - 12:01

    There are car wash and detailing places that specialise in this. Where are you located? If in Melbourne, an example would be Final Finish in Brunswick. Go-to place for high end cars in the area, and you can provide your own cloths and cleaning equipment which they will store and only use for your vehicle.

  • MontyMacaw on 01/03/2021 - 12:47

    To go to the original question the only car wash I would trust enough are the brushless automatic car washes that use a spray, detergent, optional wax and optional blow dry. If your car is really dirty they won’t get about 20% of the dirt. Other than that you can’t trust anybody unless they are a high end detailer. So moving on there are some amazing car washing videos on YouTube. I know somebody who gets thank you letters from the purchasers when he sells a car when they realise how clean and detailed the car has been maintained but he regards cleaning his cars being better than sex - however he is always trolling YouTube for better ways to get that amazing look that makes people go wow when they see any of his cars. # carporn

  • casho on 01/03/2021 - 14:28

    Wash it yourself, cheaper and you can only blame yourself for the scratches

  • HeWhoKnows on 01/03/2021 - 18:41

    The one at home where you spray the car with the hose.
    You can attach a car wash brush to the hose for a better job,

  • HeWhoKnows on 01/03/2021 - 18:43

    No

  • Tiredman on 01/03/2021 - 21:51

    We have a car wash near our area http://www.watertunnel.com.au/

    Often see very nice cars there. Used their drive through often my paint looks ok.

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