Use a Self Service Car Wash

The hollow bridge-like structure promising a clean car need not be intimidating. Sure, the directions may have rubbed off from years of wear, but most stations are the same. So, similar functions and similar equipment will give the car owner instant familiarity when driving up to a self-serve car wash. For several dollars less than a detail shop you can have control over how your car gets clean to prevent damaging external equipment like antennas or fancy grill work.

Steps

  1. Scope out the territory to find one with the car bays and spray nozzles.
  2. Drive into an empty bay centering the car away from walls. Give enough berth so that you can walk all the way around the car and still hold the spray wand. The wand is on a boom and will swivel with you where you go.
  3. Determine the cost of the wash. If writing is obscured or sketchy, go check another bay because they will likely be all the same price. Machines usually take quarters. New ones take a charge card, too.
  4. Locate the change machine in order to get the right amount of quarters or bring your own. You may need from $2.00 to $5.00 for an entire clean.
  5. Determine which direction the dial points to start. There are 4 or 5 stages of a car wash:
    1. Pre-soak (to get initial gunk off and start the soak and loosen the road film).
    2. Wash (where suds come out).
    3. Foam Brush (Using the scrub wand).
    4. Rinse (to get the soap off).
    5. Wax (which is a light coating to make your car shiny or at least to help it shed dust and dirt for next time).
  6. Be ready to move fast. Car washes are timed for your dime. Take floor mats out of the car and set them against the wall to be sprayed as you walk around.
  7. Turn the dial to the pre-soak cycle if the car is heavily caked with dirt; otherwise, put the dial on soap or wash and put the appropriate amount of quarters in the slots. Give it a second and the machine will start to run.
  8. Point the tip away from you and press whatever looks like a handle or trigger.
  9. Quickly walk around the car blasting the first round of dirt off your car. One circuit should do it. Remember to hit the floor mats as you go around.
  10. Rinse off the foamy brush with the high pressure nozzle before you activate the foam brush. Grit, sand, and mud could be lurking in the brush from previous washes, and can scratch your finish.
  11. Turn the dial to the Wash cycle and the suds should start coming out momentarily. This is where it is good to have a rag or other cloth to wipe after the suds. Maybe have a friend to help scrub as you spray. Hit the floor mats with suds if you want, too.
    • If you usually take longer than one full cycle, let the time run out while you're on the foamy brush stage so you can get good scrubbing time in well after it actually stops dispensing the foam. This period also lets you see the spots you missed as the soap dissipates, and you won't be in a hurry, since the time has already run out. Just make sure to not let the foam sit long enough on the car to develop into a film. Pass over the car repeatedly to keep the surface moist while you scrub.
  12. Turn the dial to the Rinse position and start rinsing the soap. If you go quickly, the suds will not have had time to dry a film. If there is some drying, just wipe it again and rinse, then do not touch that spot again with the rag. Don't forget the floor mats.
  13. Jump to the selection area and turn the dial to wax and do a loop around your car to use up those last few minutes. Do not wax the floor mats.
  14. Drive out of the bay and go to the area where you can vacuum the inside and throw away trash that has been accumulating in the seats.

Tips

  • You should actually vacuum your car first before washing. Otherwise if you try to vacuum a wet car, the vacuum hose will get wet from the car's gutters and door channels. A real quick and easy way to mess up the inside of your car is with dirty water.
  • You may not get to baby your car during high traffic times. So, feel free to avoid congestion in the first place and come back at another time.
  • Use the power wash cycle to hit inside your wheel bays and up underneath your vehicle. Most cars will also tolerate an engine wash. Avoid the higher pressure spray in the engine bay.
  • Bring your own quarters or good dollar bills. Machines may not read your highly used bills.
  • If the machine does not say how many minutes you get for your money, then start small. Put in the first set of quarters and see how far you get. Time that first round so you know how fast you have to go for the second round of quarters.
  • Bring wheel cleaner and spray down your wheels to loosen brake dust before entering the bay. While running the initial high-pressure soap stage, blast the remaining brake dust loose.
  • In making change, do not accidentally drop in the US dollar coins. Unless the machine says it takes dollar coins, you will only get a quarter's worth of change back.
  • Some car washes also have rug shampoo services. Consider this if you have a stain or spilled foods inside.
  • Self-service car washes don't do as good of a job of cleaning the surface of your car as can be achieved by washing your car by hand, unless you take your time and use both the pre-soak AND the foam brush cycles. To prove it run your finger over your car "post-wash." Be considerate, however, as most self-service car washes don't permit people to hand wash while others are waiting.
  • Some car washes require a minimum initial deposit (e.g. $0.75) but warn you when you are nearing the end of your time and allow you to add single quarters to get incrementally more time. This is handy when you are almost done and don't need all the time you would get from another initial deposit.
  • Despite the spot-free rinse, sometimes spots will be left on the car if the car is not dried properly. Bring a clean microfiber towel (or just a retired bath towel) to remove leftover water droplets which may otherwise leave spots on your car.

Warnings

  • Pay attention to closing signs. Lights may go out and it's hard to wash in the dark. Some electric equipment may also be shut off.
  • If you have carpeted floor mats don't use the pressure washer on them. They will take a large amount of time to dry.
  • Be aware of rust/paint damage, as high pressure can lift paint, magnetic signs and bumper stickers from your car.
  • Washing during the Winter requires quite a bit of constitution, especially if it is bitter-cold outside. The water you're spraying on the car will begin to freeze almost immediately after hitting the car, creating a thick crust of ice that may need to be scraped off after washing is complete. If you're wearing gloves to protect your hands from the cold be sure to keep your gloves dry, and if you're handling the wand bare-handed beware freezing water on your exposed skin (it will hurt, especially once you start warming your hands up after the wash.)
  • Check which way any wind is blowing and try to avoid standing downwind from the spray.
  • Be careful and stand back when spraying your car with the high-pressure washer. Try to avoid applying direct pressure (if you accidentally spray your own foot, you'll understand). It's best keep a reasonable distance from your car. Surprisingly, tires are also vulnerable as the focused, oscillating pressure can damage the cords/belts in the sidewalls, causing all sorts of problems. So take care around your wheels.
  • The brush wand may have tiny rocks in it from the previous user. Before taking it to your car let the water run through it and jiggle/knock/scrub/bump the wand over a grate or into a bucket to clear it. Don't pound it on the ground since that might lodge the rocks deeper into the bristles.
  • Some car washes have many extra options such as tire or engine cleaners. Use these with care and only as directed; they may be harmful to the paint on your car.
  • Pay attention to scrawled notes that tell you a machine is out of order. Also pay attention to whether or not the service light of a machine is on or off. Otherwise, you may lose your coins.

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