I wish I could, I've got a drive, but we live in a terrace and as much as I've tried, I can't get a hose to the front and rinsing with buckets is a thankless task.
Many years ago I used to wash cars for a job and I'm not bad at it now - maybe when I move.
The OP's link looks okay, but IMO standards of 'professional' washes are pretty poor these days, it's all about 'wonder fluids' in a bottle these days, spray on 'polish' and waterless cleaning, which invariably means silicon shine.
Mine had to go in for a service the other day, a full "exterior valet" was included in the price, great because I've got a few scratches and being a black car it shows every little mark, anyway I picked it up and despite me removing the roof bars especially for them, they 'forgot' to clean it - but no worries, they'd have it back in to replace the rear discs and pads at only 150% of the going rate and they'd treat it to a "full valet" the very same one they give their nearly new stock.
Great, it's a company car so I don't pay for maintenance and it would be nice to have it clean and tidy - got it back and it was certainly shiny, the dash was thick with silicon, as was the body and the wheels, and the carpet, and the tyres, and the pedals, oh they went to work on the pedals, I nearly stalled twice on the way home and slipped of the brake at one point.
As is the way with that stuff, it looked like shit the next day, the wheels were black as the shiny crap they used absorbed all the dirt and all the scratches just looked worse - a quick polish and wax and they'd be gone - 48 hours later and it looked worse than it did before they 'cleaned' it, and the pedals were still slippery.
I use the mobi portable jet washer that plugs into the cigarette lighter. Plenty of power and enough water to wash an estate. A quick refill for a rinse and job done. I get to wash the bikes as well. Probably already paid for itself and still working after 1.5years. A large tub of shampoo and wax from costco.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobi-v-15-portable-bike-pressure-washer/rp-prod34761
Cracking thread!
Always* wash my own car. As noted by several others I really quite enjoy doing it. Put some tunes on and just zone out for a couple of hours. Love this time of year as I'm able to do it after work rather than having to wait for the weekend.
Another user of Autoglym aquawax here. I used to use a chamois to dry the car but after a friend recommended aquawax and a microfibre cloth and I tried it the chamois went in the bin. The stuff is like magic in a bottle! Some other brands have similar products but after reading the instructions it's all "don't get on plastic this and keep away from glass that" - the Autoglym stuff is good on any part of the car body. It's 9/10th's the appearance of a proper wax but only 1/10th's the effort (I'd imagine the level of protection is nowhere near a proper wax mind)
I use a new sponge every time I wash the car which then gets relegated to wheel washing sponge for next time round, then the bin. 30p from Wilko. This combined with the 2 bucket approach reduces risk of scratches/swirls to an acceptable level. Every other wash the exhaust tips get a metal polish as well.. Sat at work thinking about washing the car now! Think (know) I need to get out more...
* I was at a family wedding daaan saaaarth and car was hacky from weather/back roads so took it to the local hand job place (once in two years of ownership)on the recommendation of a family member and I could barely watch as they cleaned it.. hacky sponge going from bottom of doors straight to bonnet, jet wash brimmed with concentrated TFR, etc. etc. Never EVER again.
I use a new sponge every time I wash the car which then gets relegated to wheel washing sponge for next time round, then the bin. 30p from Wilko.
I'd steer clear of sponges if I were you.
You would be better getting a decent mitt, and machine washing it between uses. And a wheel brush too to do it properly.
Sponges don't allow any grit to move away from the paint surface, and just move it around damaging the finish over time.
pressurewasher is for taking the salt and shit off from under your car over winter - which incidently is about all i do to my cars barring MOT time when i give them a wash and a hoover as theres nothing worse than being given someone elses manky piece of shit to work on. I just use what ever sponge was lying about i dont give two hoots about "swirl marks"
Also ..... hora says i cant wash it as berlingos need to look dirty and unloved apparently.
To be fair, I'm a borderline fundamentalist when it comes to keeping vehicles clean and well looked after.
But I wouldn't wash a berlingo either 😉
Also ..... hora says i cant wash it as berlingos need to look dirty and unloved apparently.
No.... Pandas, (old shape) Berlingo's and Fiat Doblo's look cool dented and dirty.
Clean they look like they are owned by
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I think I've always liked the convenience of a stack of new sponges as opposed to having to wash a mit in between washes but I think I'll give it a go and see how I get on. Cheers Neal.
I wash my car at tesco for £3.20 every few months. Probably costs me a bit more than a tenner each year with the rain doing the rest.
Edit: Just read the prices of the gowashmycar site. If it was £15 I'd do it myself.
Tesco takes 5 minutes and it comes out sparking.
Finally buying a nice car and being handed a big hold-all of Autoglym cleaning products by the dealer was all it took to turn me into a complete clean-car freak.
Anyone who says you can clean a car in 15 or 30 minutes is, frankly, not doing it right. I fairly regularly spend 4 or 5 hours obsessing over tiny details and getting everything spotless. I have wasted hours of my life fruitlessly chasing perfection.
Occasionally I don't have time in the week and it looks filthy, so I pop in to a handwash place. They do a decent job for the money and it saves a lot of time and effort, but they don't get it anywhere near as tidy as me. Since I have become completely irrational over this, this state of affairs has a highly corrosive effect on my remaining sanity.
I wish I didn't care, but I can't seem to help myself. I am also a proud addict to Autoglym Aquawax. The fact that our garage has a classic car in it slowly rusting away, meaning the other car has to sit on the drive, so it only takes about 6 hours for it to get rain/condensation spots on it is frankly maddening.
I've even considered putting a 'car-port' type construction up to keep it tidier for longer.
I need help.
The bike racks prevent me from heading to the local machine wash, and the guy at work on Mondays charges £25! That said, its the execs in stupidly overpriced automobiles who line up for that. An yes, if you thinks it's ok to park your 4-wheel drive Porsche with its personalized plate in the handicapped parking because its in the line to get washed, you are indeed a knob-head.
Bucket and sponge for me. Like at least once a season!
Tesco takes 5 minutes
Supermarket guys with a trolley, no running water, and 1 bucket, half filled with water that's got the dirt from the last 20 cars in it. Plus a handful of filthy rags that they have been using all day.
Good job they only take 5 minutes, if it took 20 they would do 4 times as much damage.
Sorry, but it's sparking because of all the Silicone spray they use. It's not clean. And it's more damaged after than before, you just can't see it because of the silicone.
Supermarket guys with a trolley, no running water, and 1 bucket, half filled with water that's got the dirt from the last 20 cars in it. Plus a handful of filthy rags that they have been using all day.Good job they only take 5 minutes, if it took 20 they would do 4 times as much damage.
Sorry, but it's sparking because of all the Silicone spray they use. It's not clean. And it's more damaged after than before, you just can't see it because of the silicone.
Don't be daft, I use the proper car wash in Tesco, not the trolly wash while you wait rubbish. They have this at sainsbury's, but they charge a fiver and don't do as good a job as the http://www.imocarwash.com/ at tesco for £3.20
Handwashing a car on the street is illegal in this part of the world! 😮
Jeeze Hora... where did you find that picture of me just after washing my Passat Estate?
I discovered that every time I wash the car it rains just after. So I don't wash it much anymore.
Paying someone? Only a couple of quid to the kids if they do it. It will be filthy a day or two later so hardly worth it.
Don't be daft, I use the proper car wash in Tesco
Fair enough. My mistake.
In terms of damaging your paintwork that would come below the trolley wash guys, and above the drive through hand wash option.
But they are all varying degrees of the same thing.
Had my car from new and so im the only person to wash and wax, wouldnt say i love cleaning it but i like to do it very few weeks and do it properly, inside and out, wash , wax and dry etc
Id rather leave it dirty than pay someone else to do it !
Having seen the damage inflicted on my 3 month old van by our local ford main dealer by "cleaning" it, I now wash our van & car myself using a couple of buckets/wash mitts/hose.
3 pages on car washing?
3 pages on car washing?
"A whole forum about pushbikes!"
Had my car two years, never washed or had it washed.
Come to think of it, never checked the oil or inflated the tyres either.
I wash my car myself - 2 reasons - I think I make a better job than a machine or some chancers with a gritty sponge and a frothy bucket..and I quite enjoy doing it!
Roter Stern - MemberHandwashing a car on the street is illegal in this part of the world!
SchLand!
3 pages on car washing?
I've not had a post go to the hundred for a while. Not sure if it's good or bad that this one has 😀
As you were...
where did you find that photo of me hora ........ you been stalking again ?