Washing Micro Blue Stinger Car Wash OK?

[Wilzer]

Wonder if there were any real reasons not run my new Stinger GT2 Micro Blue through a car wash occasionally. Back when, on a '74 Explorer, brushes wore paint of spot in roof.

 

[nhcowboy28]

Don’t do brush car washes. Find a touchless one. others will yell nooooooo. Only hand wash... but come on. As long as you use a detail spray right after... and wax/seal often (monthly for waxes, 3 months for sealant... and even layer them if you like), your finish will be fine.

The most important thing is to use high quality microfiber towels THAT FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY HAVE NEVER TOUCHED THE GROUND. Personally, I don’t ever wash/reuse (at least not for car detailing)... as microfiber will suck up contaminants that may not wash out and scratch the finish.

 

[OriginalRobby]

I have been using a quality touch less car wash - no issues - I prefer touchless over hand wash in winter for obvious reasons - also don't like to use cloths with dirt on the car as it can scratch the paint and thus touchless (no rails) are a good choice for me.

 

[mldavis2]

I am fortunate to live in a house where I can hand wash my cars. I use only the soap made by the manufacturer of my car wax (currently Maguires) and a soft wool mitt that is washed in the washing machine after every use.
Many people can't do that. If you must use a commercial car wash, even the "touchless" ones, make sure they don't grind your wheels against the guide trays when pulling the car through the wash. Also, recognize that even touchless washes don't remove all dirt as hand washing does.

 

[washguy]

Guys as ive stated in the detail posting....I owned 5 carwashes one of which was touchless....first off never ever run your car thru a chamois or brush type full serve wash...think about it...you are getting the cars dirt that's in front of yours. you are not getting much water either..your ride will look like crap by summer...your paint is being hammered along with your rims...On the touchless side of things....what removes road film? friction removes road film...that be the brushes ,and chamois straps beating the crap out of your paint... Touchless of which I owned and ran....what is the friction that removes the road film? you say the high pressure water and soap...nope guess again....the friction that removes the road film in a touchless is very alkali harsh presoaks/soap...then the removal is basic chemistry...harsh acid rinsing...hoping to get to neutral ....and you think all the spot free water and rinsing is removing those chemicals....why sure...on about 97% of you car...the rest just finds a nice crevice to sit in...don't be foolish....never ever use a touchless...you think the guy mixing the chemicals is a chemistry major? nah I don't think so......so what to do...too cold to hand wash.....go find a good self serve carwarsh and use it...find a good one...yes most are crap but theres always the good one in town,the one with long lines....friction....yes the foamy brush....never ever use a plastic hair foamy brush...look for the owner that offers real hogs hair brushes...if you cant find one...be a smart guy...go to kleen- rite carwash parts house order online a hogs hair brush for about 55 bills the universal is a good brand...the fittings are standard so what you do is take your vise grips and remove that nasty brush at the wash...put yours on ,doesn't need to be super tight...use it and then remove yours and put his back on....easy peasy...always soap up first and wash top to down....if your wash has hogs head brushes before using hit it with hi pressure soap and clean off the other guys dirt.... Wash

 

[westcoastGT]

Guys as ive stated in the detail posting....I owned 5 carwashes one of which was touchless....first off never ever run your car thru a chamois or brush type full serve wash...think about it...you are getting the cars dirt that's in front of yours. you are not getting much water either..your ride will look like crap by summer...your paint is being hammered along with your rims...On the touchless side of things....what removes road film? friction removes road film...that be the brushes ,and chamois straps beating the crap out of your paint... Touchless of which I owned and ran....what is the friction that removes the road film? you say the high pressure water and soap...nope guess again....the friction that removes the road film in a touchless is very alkali harsh presoaks/soap...then the removal is basic chemistry...harsh acid rinsing...hoping to get to neutral ....and you think all the spot free water and rinsing is removing those chemicals....why sure...on about 97% of you car...the rest just finds a nice crevice to sit in...don't be foolish....never ever use a touchless...you think the guy mixing the chemicals is a chemistry major? nah I don't think so......so what to do...too cold to hand wash.....go find a good self serve carwarsh and use it...find a good one...yes most are crap but theres always the good one in town,the one with long lines....friction....yes the foamy brush....never ever use a plastic hair foamy brush...look for the owner that offers real hogs hair brushes...if you cant find one...be a smart guy...go to kleen- rite carwash parts house order online a hogs hair brush for about 55 bills the universal is a good brand...the fittings are standard so what you do is take your vise grips and remove that nasty brush at the wash...put yours on ,doesn't need to be super tight...use it and then remove yours and put his back on....easy peasy...always soap up first and wash top to down....if your wash has hogs head brushes before using hit it with hi pressure soap and clean off the other guys dirt.... Wash

.................TOTALLY AGREE 100% !!

 

[OriginalRobby]

The LASER Touch less car wash I go to at UltraMar and Petro Canada are very good - I'm quite amazed how clean they wash the car and well it dries it. Sure, there will probably be some of the strong chemicals and recycled water making its way in some crevice somewhere but if you are going to be that paranoid about a car then how are you going to handle driving it in the first place - or is my thinking off? I don't know maybe it's just me but I believe the touch less car washes have come a long way in the last 5 years or so...

In the spring I shall give the car a good hose wash, or several and all will be just fine! Then a detail and all set for the next year.

 

[washguy]

Robby your thinking is off,but its your ride of course....as a touchless carwash owner in the recent past I would never expose any of my cars to the touchless...remember the only thing that gives shine to your original paint is the clearcoat applied in the painting process at the factory...its only millimeters thick...once you haze or scratch or mar that lil bit of clearcoat...bye bye shine forever
heres just one product offered to your lazer wash owner
Kleen-Rite In-Bary PreSoak 30 Gallon
A fast acting, luxurious foaming PreSoak that produces high foam levels. It has concentrated alkaline chemicals that produces medium foam levels and free rinsing. Our Most popular touchless automatic detergent! Will easily remove road film, windshield residue and other road soils!
this is a milder version of soaps too.....you may think touchless has come a long way in the last 5 years,but you are only seeing flashing lights,and the boom moving faster and smarter for collisions...what you don't have a clue to, is inside the pump room...same ol same ol....better computing sure....but the same ol cat 3535 with a 35hp electric motor hammering your paint with very sharp angled spray at very high pressure....feel your car rock as the boom travels around your paint....Yikes!...and a host of alkali and acidic chemicals attacking that clearcoat....you say you buy the colored foaming wax? In the industry that's called dummy wax for two reasons...one for the dummy that bought it..and two for the wax that's not a wax at all....they have to put a drying aid no charge on your car to help dry it quickly and you see it bead...gives you a shine for bout 24 hours.....you want to subject your nice new stinger to a minimum wage yo yo buying/mixing harsh chemicals from the cheapest source to put on your car....be my guest Wash

 

[MerlintheMad]

Wonder if there were any real reasons not run my new Stinger GT2 Micro Blue through a car wash occasionally. Back when, on a '74 Explorer, brushes wore paint of spot in roof.

Well, that's a reason right there! But in Florida, you can always hand wash your baby. I know I would nine times out of ten. In the winter here with salt on the roads, even if it is above freezing, how do you get salt off the undersides? You don't. So during this season I have been getting unlimited car wash passes. The salt is a worse hazard than the repeated contact of the car wash with the paint.

I don't know of any hand wash stations around here that have a facility for spraying under the car. That is the prime reason why I use Magic Clean. I'll just deal with a full detail come spring and do the full monty if necessary, including ceramic for from now on. Once the weather gets back to no salt on the roads, I'll get back to hand washing myself.

 

[washguy]

Merlin Living in a warmer climate I didn't take the harsh salt ice snow problem collecting in your undercarriage importantly enough.....so,if one doesn't have a "beater" to drive in the winter you must wash the nice car's undercarriage ,and the paint wash that comes along with the wash at a touchless wash...I agree...yes there are trade offs in life. Maybe I can help Yall preserve your paint from the caustic touchless and still get your undercarriage cleaned?
Lets use a home pressure washer as a start,,,they are fairly cheap now days, and do have a lot of different uses....so buy one of those,and then attach a car undercarriage blaster to it
this is from amazon 40 bills and attaches to your pressure washer.....so you can take care of the undercarriage and not harm your paint. Wash
Amazon.com: BE PRESSURE 85.400.062 16" Undercarriage Cleaner, 4000 PSI: Industrial & Scientific

https://www.amazon.com/BE-PRESSURE-...ocphy=9026945&hvtargid=pla-385623899268&psc=1

heres another
BE 85.400.062 16-Inch Undercar Vehicle Cleaning Water Broom

fire up the pressure washer with any of these roll around nozzles and you will get the undercarriage cleaner than if you used a touchless.....you can even have carwash soap in the lines and do a great job

I guess why when growing up I was taught to never buy a car from up north...cause of the salt damage.
with your own pressure bar underneath you will achieve a much better cleansing than the wash too !
just trying to save your paint job is all Wash

 

[OriginalRobby]

washguy - you may be right and you know your stuff but the only thing I would be concerned about is the 'high pressure impact' part of the jets - I can see how the high impact can cause clear coat pin needle penetrations over time - but we've been washing my wife car for years with no problem at quality touchless car washes - you can tell the ones that don't have as high impact jets, you just feel it...

I used to have a LANCER and never took it to touchless, only did the self washes and in 4 years a hole appeared in the under carriage...

 

[brancky3]

Personally I'd rather use any car wash available and not have salt build up in the winter time. Paying for paint correction (or DIY) in the springtime to remove all the swirls you'll get is much better than paying for corrosion repair.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Merlin Living in a warmer climate I didn't take the harsh salt ice snow problem collecting in your undercarriage importantly enough.....so,if one doesn't have a "beater" to drive in the winter you must wash the nice car's undercarriage ,and the paint wash that comes along with the wash at a touchless wash...I agree...yes there are trade offs in life. Maybe I can help Yall preserve your paint from the caustic touchless and still get your undercarriage cleaned?
Lets use a home pressure washer as a start,,,they are fairly cheap now days, and do have a lot of different uses....so buy one of those,and then attach a car undercarriage blaster to it
this is from amazon 40 bills and attaches to your pressure washer.....so you can take care of the undercarriage and not harm your paint. Wash
Amazon.com: BE PRESSURE 85.400.062 16" Undercarriage Cleaner, 4000 PSI: Industrial & Scientific

https://www.amazon.com/BE-PRESSURE-...ocphy=9026945&hvtargid=pla-385623899268&psc=1

heres another
BE 85.400.062 16-Inch Undercar Vehicle Cleaning Water Broom

fire up the pressure washer with any of these roll around nozzles and you will get the undercarriage cleaner than if you used a touchless.....you can even have carwash soap in the lines and do a great job

I guess why when growing up I was taught to never buy a car from up north...cause of the salt damage.
with your own pressure bar underneath you will achieve a much better cleansing than the wash too !
just trying to save your paint job is all Wash

Thanks, Wash. Why have I never learned about pressure washers before? Answer: I don't care about weathering, at, all. My wood turns grey; my cement gets discoloration and a "patina" and I, don't, care. Siding? Bah! Let it turn whatever color Nature applies.

So I have no idea beyond gas or electric. And more to the point of winter use: I have no idea where the water is supposed to come from. If you are going to tell me that a garden hose is required, that is a non starter where I live. Nobody, but nobody, uses outside water in the winter around here. First of all, no hose uncoils when cold, much less frozen. And turning on outside water is asking for frozen water in the nozzle if there is any drip whatsoever. Putting the hose on and taking it off after every use in the middle of the winter is a chore from hell. But as I said, no hose will uncoil in the first place, so forget that.

Have I overlooked something?

 

[OriginalRobby]

You'd have to bring it in a bucket from inside - I also shut my water off in October because I don't need busted frozen pipes leading to the outdoors

 

[nhcowboy28]

You guys are really overthinking this.

I’m telling you from years of experience (with black cars that were kept FLAWLESS) that if done properly, there is 0 damage done from touchless washes. High pressure or not. The touchless is just get dislodge most of the crap off the car. You then detail with fresh MF towels and detail sprays (first pass gently to remove remaining crud), then 1-2 more with more detailer to get spotless.

Your more likely to damage your paint from contaminated MF towels (microscratches/swirls).

Will I have to wax more often because of the touchless... maybe. But I do mine monthly anyway. For those less inclined to do that much effort. A good detailer (you pay) will use good sealants that can last up to 6 months even under pressure.

Of course wash will go on 10 pages about how he owned a toxic car wash that melted his paint blah blah blah. That doesn’t mean every touchless carwash is evil.

It would be a crappy business model if every customer’s car was damaged and sued you.

 

[OriginalRobby]

cowboy28, totally agree, the detailing for me is in the warmer weather though...

 

[washguy]

Of course wash will go on 10 pages about how he owned a toxic car wash that melted his paint blah blah blah. That doesn’t mean every touchless carwash is evil.

I never said mine were toxic if you could read correctly...I took great pride in giving a great wash via touchless or self.....it was the other guys that had bad touchless washes....even though I owned and titrated chemicals myself ...I still wouldn't use mine on my car....... Wash
Lemme clue you in one the business model for a touchless wash.....one is to attract you into the lazer wash so the new ones have nice lighting and such...then to sell you the add ons.....and beyond that its ROI...buy the cheapest chemicals you can......most cities make the wash use recycled water or the owner just chooses to because its cheaper than paying for hazardous wastewater which is exactly what carwash sewer water is...I don't think its hazardous ,but the State and city does..a nice big add on to ones water bill...so if you recycle you save on your water/sewer bill....BUT the customer gets micro bits of rocks/dirt what have you hitting your paint at high pressure....its a trade off...yes you have to keep your undercarriage clean and have some nice paint too....

 

[nhcowboy28]

I never said mine were toxic if you could read correctly.. Wash

Just sayin... (I thought it was your wife car... my bad... it was your mom’s jag... and you said heavy duty alkali instead of “toxic”...close enough)

“I had a touchless wash in one wash of mine .....I was there on the job for the whole install and the testing of it...and to learn the computer programming....so one of the vehicles we used to test was my Mom's brand new Jag......
.so heres why a touchless is just as bad or worse than a brush/chamoi strip kind of wash. To get a car clean you need friction to get the magnetic road dirt/dust whatever to release from the paint.....I say magnetic cause it is...as your rolling along you suk up the dust from the air /road whatever and it sticks to the paint( static charge ) thats how they paint and undercoat new cars on the dipping and paint line they charge them with either neg or positive and the paint and undercoat will cling to the panels....so back to touchless...since their arnt any brushes to cause friction....the touchless uses heavy duty alkali on the first pass (presoak) then followed by super heavy alkali soaps on the next passes....thats for friction...then if you picked out a decent place they next passes would be acid based to neutralize the alkali 's that were laid down .....then rinsing and spot free.... the touchless is using chemicals for the "friction"...those chemicals will hide in crevices everywhere.........so back to Mom's new Jag....after a couple days of testing it had millions of pinholes in the clearcoat.....YIKES......for very 3 degrees of temp rise in the summer the whole chemical strength will change.....my question is...."Do you want to expose your ride to some YOYO guy running a touchless?" not me......” - Washguy

 

[washguy]

Heres an article on winter washing ....I didn't finish the article so I cant tell how they cleaned the underside Wash btw they have good pricing on detail products

How to Safely Wash Your Car in the Winter | Ask a Pro Blog

 

[BBB]

Guys as ive stated in the detail posting....I owned 5 carwashes one of which was touchless....first off never ever run your car thru a chamois or brush type full serve wash...think about it...you are getting the cars dirt that's in front of yours. you are not getting much water either..your ride will look like crap by summer...your paint is being hammered along with your rims...On the touchless side of things....what removes road film? friction removes road film...that be the brushes ,and chamois straps beating the crap out of your paint... Touchless of which I owned and ran....what is the friction that removes the road film? you say the high pressure water and soap...nope guess again....the friction that removes the road film in a touchless is very alkali harsh presoaks/soap...then the removal is basic chemistry...harsh acid rinsing...hoping to get to neutral ....and you think all the spot free water and rinsing is removing those chemicals....why sure...on about 97% of you car...the rest just finds a nice crevice to sit in...don't be foolish....never ever use a touchless...you think the guy mixing the chemicals is a chemistry major? nah I don't think so......so what to do...too cold to hand wash.....go find a good self serve carwarsh and use it...find a good one...yes most are crap but theres always the good one in town,the one with long lines....friction....yes the foamy brush....never ever use a plastic hair foamy brush...look for the owner that offers real hogs hair brushes...if you cant find one...be a smart guy...go to kleen- rite carwash parts house order online a hogs hair brush for about 55 bills the universal is a good brand...the fittings are standard so what you do is take your vise grips and remove that nasty brush at the wash...put yours on ,doesn't need to be super tight...use it and then remove yours and put his back on....easy peasy...always soap up first and wash top to down....if your wash has hogs head brushes before using hit it with hi pressure soap and clean off the other guys dirt.... Wash

Well said! But the soap from the touchless carwashes sure does smell good