Car Wash/Wash by hand XKR
 

I have always washed my Jag by hand I never trusted a Car Wash. Does anyone use a car wash ??

Never. I don't like others washing my car by hand either. Washing is where all the scratches happen if not careful.

Never.

Not even when I had a black XJ8L that needed washing two or three times a week.

Those machines are like giant flap wheels. :eek:

Graham

Never,
Washing/detailing my car is my therapy!

Hell, I won't even let anyone wash my Mustang! I wash it myself!

And don't think that a "hand wash" is automatically better than a machine wash. You need to know how to do it properly!

Never an automated car wash for the XKR. I use a local coin wash because I find it easier than washing at home, the pressure wand gets most dirt off without rubbing, the foaming brush has long and soft bristles for removing the rest of the dirt (good for getting in-between the wheel spokes too), and then clear water pressure rinse off.

I carry two thick cotton bath towels that I open up flat and pull across the hoods, glass and roof that soak up the water on those surfaces remarkably well without rubbing, and then use them to gently wipe the sides dry.

I carry a smaller cotton towel to basically dry bodywork areas below door level, for trunk and engine bay openings, and lastly any dirt on the wheels that the foaming brush missed.

Towels get laundered and then bagged in the trunk for next time, with a spare set at the ready at all times in the garage! The only cleaner I use is a Mothers Pre-wax product that's good for removing tar and road grime that the car wash foaming brush doesn't remove.

Bruce

Same here. My once a week event. My car and bicycle are my two "hobbies" and for sure I will be doing both on the weekend.

My Explorer, yes. The P-cars, BMW's and soon to be XKR, no way. I find it therapeutic, even had a hot water tap installed to handle in the winter. That is really nice to have!

dd823,
First of all I want to say, hello neighbor.
I agree with all about hand wash is the best and use to always wash my cars and loved doing it but now @60 I use the Silverton Car Wash on Hooper Ave. I keep a good coat of wax on it , which I do myself, helps to protect it from the brushes and let the car wash wash it. When I get it home I do a fine detail.

By the way, nice Jag.

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Never!

Hand wash only

I think you will find that typically people who use brushes on the paint and/or go through the machine washes have silver, white, or otherwise lighter colored cars. Try those tricks on a black or dark blue/green car, and the results will be very different, especially when the sun shines on it!

Well the car wash is so-called brushless but I think amcdonal86 has a good point, my Jag is silver and the Mustang is white. I might think differently if they were dark colors, I hate seeing swirl marks.

What about those automated washes that are essentially big moving pressure washers? I don't think I could consider going to a place that has brushes, but I'd be lying if I hadn't considered running through one of those pressure-wash deals. Can't imagine it'd look as good as when I do it by hand, but for a couple bucks and a couple minutes it seems like a good option to make the car look decent...

The other thing I do is not use soap unless i'm going to wax. All you need to do is wash off the dirt and make sure the car is wet. Your trying to break the "bond" of the dirt to the car. Use a chamois to dry followed by micro-fiber cloth to shine. Using detergents removes some of the wax and polish you put on each time you do it. It's easy, quick and allows the car to maintain a freshly waxed look and feel. My cars get wax a couple times a year and look great. I may occasionally do the hood and roof an extra time.

The problem with those things is that it doesn't get bugs off very well, and after a couple washes, it just leaves a film on the surface of the paint, windows, etc.

Couldn't agree more.

Pressure washers remove a lot of loose dirt, but leave a lot also. That remaining dirt needs a brushing or wiping of some sort, and the best you can do is do it gently with something soft, keep it lubricated with water and flush the dirt out of it often or it'll act like sandpaper. You will get some swirls over time, whether visible or not, but a good coat of wax and an occassional buffing will keep it looking its best. I have a black Supra that I've hand washed and waxed for years that's very ready for its first professional buffing...and I don't think there was anything I could have done differently to avoid that.

Bruce

Never.

After doing the wheels, I rinse the car with water then soap it down with a foaming nozzle and rinse that off. Foaming nozzle a second time and wash it with a microfiber mitt. Rinse and dry with a waffle weave microfiber towel.

I learned a trick recently to make drying easier...after the final rinse, take the nozzle off the hose and just let the water run all over the car from the top down.
Doing this sheets most of the excess water off.

Like others this is my therapy and as a DD I do it about three times a week.

I still get minor scratches which really show up in the sun.

Never, never, never!

When I first got my XKR, I was terrified to wash it myself so I took it to a local, high-volume detailing shop -- BIG MISTAKE. After finding a private detailer on this forum who did a proper detail job, the depth of shine in my XKR is unbelievable. This guy also came back and showed me how to properly wash a car between detail work. I'm no longer afraid to wash my Jag -- in fact now I enjoy it. I use the 3-bucket method and blow dry the car with a leaf blower. Minor water drops can be dabbed up with a microfiber detailing towel -- the key here is not to use the towels to rub -- that's where your swirl marks start to appear. My XKR keeps that "just washed" look for several weeks (except for the damn brake dust).

Mike

The sides get dirtier than the roof and hood, but not as much UV.