The Car Wash: Get the Best Bang for Your Buck

Aug 19
07:59

2011

Andrew Stratton

Andrew Stratton

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Many people live in water restricted areas where washing their vehicles at home is an impossibility. Thus, the friendly neighborhood self-service car wash lets them clean their autos without shelling out a fortune to do so.

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Today,The Car Wash: Get the Best Bang for Your Buck Articles so many people live in water restricted areas or apartment complexes that washing their vehicles at home is an impossibility. Thus, the friendly neighborhood self-service car wash has given these people a place to clean their autos without shelling out a fortune to do so. You can make the most out of a trip to these places by following a few simple tips. While anyone can insert some coins and slap a brush against their vehicle, by using a few simple techniques, you can get the best bang for your buck and drive away in a car that looks as if it were straight out of the factory.

The most important thing to remember about making your car wash time count is to prepare yourself completely before you put the coins in the slot. These operations have a counting timer, and you don't want to be racing the clock as you empty out your ashtray, pull mats out of the bottom of your car, or remove things from the backseat. It's fine to clean and detail your car at the same time as you wash it, but that doesn't mean you can't make some simple preparations before you start feeding coins into the slot.

Try to center your vehicle in the bay as much as possible. A car wash usually has hoses and brushes hanging from both sides, and you'll want to try and get equidistant from each of them. Unless you're a frequent customer, you may not quite know exactly which ones you'll want to use until you start. If you park too close to either side, you're going to find yourself cramped for space on one side and trying to stretch any hoses beyond their capacity on the other. 

The first step of your car wash should be the pre-soak. Unless the facility has a nozzle that works as both water and soap, you don't want to soap down a dry car. Think of it like shampooing your hair. You wouldn't just slap on a dollop of shampoo to a dry head of hair. Things just work better when they are wet and lubricated. The same is true of washing your vehicle. Another note: try not to use a car wash where the bays are open to the sun. The sun will dry on soap and water before it can be rinsed, thus causing spots that will be difficult to remove.

If you're going to wax your vehicle at the car wash, you will want to let it dry before you begin. Wax is applied best to a clean, dry car. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Waxing protects the paint job and can let you go longer times in between washes.