To those living in apartment complexes; where/how do you wash your car?

[Frstorm]

Husker- pay my way and my hourly rate sure because its relaxing to me for my car. You get to know it better. I wanted knew wheels but more I wash it the more I fall in love with the stock wheels

[Obsidiank]

Originally Posted by The_Societan

For $45 a month I have unlimited washes(the Works package) at the Mike's Carwash near my place. I have been through their wash six times so far and the car looks beautiful. Of course, it's no replacement for a proper hand wash, but it only takes a couple minutes and I can do it whenever. I think it will come in handy when winter comes and I want to keep the salt from building up. I could go everyday if I wanted.(doubt that I will, though) I know that a lot of people swear against automatic car washes, but I think they are too obsessive about their paint. I will see how it looks in the long term, but for now, the results are satisfactory.

I used to drive a black civic and I would take that car to the brushless car wash once a week. The car would come out shining black and looking like new and I was always happy. Not once did I think about swirl marks. I didn't even know what those were. Then I bought an FRS and someone showed me the difference between pristine paint and swirled paint.



and I realized that I've been living with swirl paint on my civic for so long, but didn't even know it or care.

Given the choice of swirl paint and pristine paint, I will now always choose pristine. For anyone thinking this is obsessive, I would agree that it is. However, it takes so little work to maintain good paint, I would rather spend the 45 minutes for piece of mind.

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by Obsidiank

I used to drive a black civic and I would take that car to the brushless car wash once a week. The car would come out shining black and looking like new and I was always happy. Not once did I think about swirl marks. I didn't even know what those were. Then I bought an FRS and someone showed me the difference between pristine paint and swirled paint.



and I realized that I've been living with swirl paint on my civic for so long, but didn't even know it or care.

Given the choice of swirl paint and pristine paint, I will now always choose pristine. For anyone thinking this is obsessive, I would agree that it is. However, it takes so little work to maintain good paint, I would rather spend the 45 minutes for piece of mind.

Peace of mind from what? Honest question

I use a DIY carwash by my house. Can't wait to have a house! I got lucky, the carwash is a block from my condo. I just ..wash and drive it home to dry

[FReSh]

Yeah, I go to a DIY carwash place. I just bring along a microfiber sponge and drying towel and use the carwash place's soap and whatnot. They have a nice foaming mixture that works pretty well. Just don't use the "foaming brush" lol

[f0rge]

Lol I barely ever wash it. It's so dirty now.

If I have the time I'll usually go to a buddy's place, or if I'm near a no-rail touchness I'll do that.

My underground is so dirty anyway, 2 days after a wash the car is covered in black dust anyway.

[Frstorm]

Fresh- I have three micro fiber sponges. One for top half one for bottom half and one for wheels

[AznBRZer]

Originally Posted by f0rge

Lol I barely ever wash it. It's so dirty now.

If I have the time I'll usually go to a buddy's place, or if I'm near a no-rail touchness I'll do that.

My underground is so dirty anyway, 2 days after a wash the car is covered in black dust anyway.

LOLZ...you better watch out for the OP of this thread: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43639

Oh wait! He's already here!

[Frstorm]

Forge as long as you have cared for your carline washed it once its all good

[ZionsWrath]

damn 45 a month for washes? I'd rather leave it dirty and spray off with a hose once a week and spend for a paint correction once a year than do that. I understand some people are too obsessive about paint but that pic of 50/50 blue paint is what the average car looks like that goes through the swirl-o-matic for its washes.

If you use your car like an appliance yea it doesn't matter but I enjoy walking to my car and thinking "damn it looks good".

[Obsidiank]

Originally Posted by suaveflooder

Peace of mind from what? Honest question

I use a DIY carwash by my house. Can't wait to have a house! I got lucky, the carwash is a block from my condo. I just ..wash and drive it home to dry

Peace of mind from knowing that my car is pristine. To walk passed it and say "damn it looks good". The happiness/satisfaction that comes from a job well done after washing her.

Do whatever makes you happy. Keeping pristine paint makes me happy.

[f0rge]

Originally Posted by Frstorm

Forge as long as you have cared for your carline washed it once its all good

Hahaha if you weren't in Arkensas I would have guessed that was my car in your other thread based on the description, I had to drive through a muddy field at a festival and it looked like I had been offroading. There was mud all up the side of the car for like half the summer.

[ThisIsChrisKim]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

damn 45 a month for washes? I'd rather leave it dirty and spray off with a hose once a week and spend for a paint correction once a year than do that. I understand some people are too obsessive about paint but that pic of 50/50 blue paint is what the average car looks like that goes through the swirl-o-matic for its washes.

If you use your car like an appliance yea it doesn't matter but I enjoy walking to my car and thinking "damn it looks good".

For a lot of us, I don't see what the alternatives are other than paying out the wazoo for water-less washes. And for people like me where there are no empty spaces close by plus the 5 floors I have to drive up to even leave my parking complex, it's nearly impossible to carry even a bucket of water anywhere to wash it. I guess the brushless water jet washers are the best that most of us can do.

How do people transport the bucket of water in their cars? I'd be worried about splashing everything in my car. And will two buckets even fit in this thing? I'd spill all the water in my car by just trying to leave my parking complex

[Frstorm]

Forge- this guy looked like he used the inside like a trash can and the outside had the look like its never been washed since the dealer. We have one dealer and I check it out weekly. I like to know how many are out there in my town. Say it was sold three most prior and the look said it was about three months dirty. Not to mention I drive by the dealer on Sundays anyways and they are closed on Sundays here so it takes me like 2 minutes to drive through the lot

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by Obsidiank

Peace of mind from knowing that my car is pristine. To walk passed it and say "damn it looks good". The happiness/satisfaction that comes from a job well done after washing her.

Do whatever makes you happy. Keeping pristine paint makes me happy.

Fair enough. :happy0180: Part of the fun part on owning a white is that you can't see the swirls all that well