Euro Car Washes, are they really that bad?

[big_pete]

Get a water filter, sheet the car off with the filter and let it dry. Less contact made the better. I'm going to buy a proper air dryer in the summer but only to aid with drying times

 

[Jason]

C5 = Tear on, if it gets washed 4 times a year its doing well

Good cars = Would only wash personally in great detail!!

 

[tim]

Black Barons or the likes are about the safest way to dry a car. Contactless and electric so no oil/residues to worry about.

In the same breathe, they are also a complete pain in the ass and actually take longer! The water they are able to pull from the back of head and tail lights, trims and shuts which although will leave the car entirely dry, it takes an age to do so.

Also great for wheels and arches, leaves brakes completely dry so no rusty discs and drys tyres out perfectly ready for dressing. Complete pain in the ass otherwise!

Impressive on full protected cars mind you

 

[colin84]

Never ever again would I go to one of these places. I went to the one in Glengormley, and when I got home and looked at the car I was speechless. The car was half cleaned for a start, but the nightmare was the scrapes all over the black paint.

 

[Antoin]

I wouldnt pay anyone to wash my car, moreso because im tight and i can do it myself rather than caring about the paint quality.
I might start to care more if i get a car with decent paint to start with though.

 

[Rover Repair]

I would rather pay someone whos an established local retailer like a jet wash or car cleaner than these businesses. People are so quick to cry about shops closing down in the high street, or local places no longer there but throw their car in for a quick wash rather than DIY or spend it in local maxol for example.

Keep your money local imo and not being all anti-immigrant or anything, I married one ffs lol.

 

[Chris100]

Not a euro car wash but its the only place I take mine when I can't be bothered to wash it myself is the place on the Holywood carrigeway, never had an issue with these guys.

 

[ossy2004]

I use them all the time (crumlin road).. They know I'm fussy so seem to do a good enough good for the money.

I don't let them use the acid spray at all that they use on the wheels etc, the glengormley one spray was really strong once and when getting the van washed the acid burnt the black wheel hubs to white, I went back and went nuts cuz they didnt let on, manager 'Sergio' cracked up at staff and took them and resprayed them the next day to a proper car painter.

Moral of the story, don't let them use acid and you get what u pay for lol

 

[moorsojr]

when i cant be bothered to get the hose etc out i go to tesco jetwash, rinse it and turn on the brush, drip all the foam from the brush onto it and get out my own mit, then rinse it and wax it. cost me £2 last time and no big ugly grit marks

 

[Coog]

No-one touches mine. Not even the Jeep get washed by anyone else. In the 10+ years I've had my own motors I've yet to have a motor washed, valeted or even detailed that's been a job I'm 100% happy with (and to be honest I don't think I'm all that fussy). I'd rather it lay dirty for a few extra weeks and cleaned properly by me than swirled silly by some eejit firing an auld dirty sponge over it or rushing through and missing bits.

 

[Mel]

Get a water filter, sheet the car off with the filter and let it dry. Less contact made the better. I'm going to buy a proper air dryer in the summer but only to aid with drying times

I will look forward to testing it out lol

 

[S2000-sam]

Get a water filter, sheet the car off with the filter and let it dry. Less contact made the better. I'm going to buy a proper air dryer in the summer but only to aid with drying times

(For a moment there you gimps were sounding female!! haha.)

And there was me thinking you's already used it on our cherished automobiles

 

[Ghisallo]

maybe because its on finance and theyre gonna give it back after the 3 years anyways?

I reckon this has a lot do with it. A large proportion of nice new cars are not owned so why would the average doofus give a toss when they'll be handing it back. Also, not everyone is anal about car care and/or have other priorities.

 

[Gaz]

Bear in mind half the people going into these places in pricey cars may want their car looking well, but they're not cleaning experts (or even car experts) and many haven't a clue about the damage that some of the strong chemical cleaners can do. They'll assume car cleaner is car cleaner.

 

[dub]

Get a water filter, sheet the car off with the filter and let it dry. Less contact made the better. I'm going to buy a proper air dryer in the summer but only to aid with drying times

I picked up a small DI vessel that's reuseable once the resin has lost it's capability to filter the water. Couple of clips to install it by the outside tap and yer sorted!

 

[CR]

Have you ever tried explaining to some one who questions what your doing and then tell why you use the two bucket method, use safe chemicals, snow foam and all that?

You can basically see their eyes glaze over at the thought of it lol!

In my opinion its got dam all to do with finance etc! Some people just see a car as a lump of metal that gets them from a-b and if they pay a 5er and its cleaned and looks shiny then happy days! And when it's dirty, back next week!

Edit- For example mum goes to some place in coleraine every week and she says they do a great job, my reply is that they do the paint work no good though, Her reply- Well get out and get all your fancy equipment and you wash it every week lol!

 

[Saunts]

I used to use a place in Chester which cost £7. They used the two bucket method with proper mitts, dressed the tyres, cleaned the windows and dried with a proper drying towel.

I must have went about 9/10 times and when I inspected the paint everything was fine. I only used this as I had no driveway while I was living there... I wouldn't take it anywhere over here as I can do it at home lol.

 

[mrloaf]

no - its paying someone to do a job..badly..

 

[IL]

I love my car, but I live in an apartment and have no choice sometimes! I don't have an outside Tap, hose reel and buckets kicking about. So my only option is to use these car washes when I'm living in the city..

I agree that the tfr just wipes the wax off the paintwork but it's a hell of alot better than a drive through!

 

[Jola]

Euro car washes make me cringe. I pass the Glengormley 1 everyday + it is always jam packed, I have been in the queue at the traffic lights + watch them, not 1 of them have any care. I would rather leave my car dirty than get it washed there after witnessing their methods.

 

[TheDaniel]

No-one touches mine. Not even the Jeep get washed by anyone else. In the 10+ years I've had my own motors I've yet to have a motor washed, valeted or even detailed that's been a job I'm 100% happy with (and to be honest I don't think I'm all that fussy). I'd rather it lay dirty for a few extra weeks and cleaned properly by me than swirled silly by some eejit firing an auld dirty sponge over it or rushing through and missing bits.

Would have to agree with this entirely. Likewise, nobody has ever touched my cars in my ownerships but myself & intend to keep it that way. I'm not a professional but surely I'll do a better job than them guys, even if it's just a quick going over.

To be fair, it's cheaper doing it at home too, if possible. I bought a Kartcher on offer from tesco a while back for £80 and it's a belter. Then I buy the Kartcher wash and wax stuff to put in the machine, it's a 10'er for a bag of the stuff. You get your money back after a few washes. Also, if you're just giving it a quick lick, it takes no time at all & it even makes it easy in the winter.

 

[DavyH]

I saw a VW Touareg getting "the treatment" at the carwash opposite M&S on Boucher Rd. They were standing on the spokes of the alloys to reach the middle of the windscreen! I kid you not. Even my wife grimaced lol.

 

[Jola]

Yesterday I was in the queue at the traffic lights in Glemgormley, 1 of the euro hand wash guys was cleaning a grey Rage Rover sport. He was standing on the tyre with a knee on the bonnet to clean the roof so that info does not shock nor surprise me DavyH.

 

[killerzkurtz]

Took the other halfs car down for the mini valet on Saturday!
While I waited I counted the cars that came in!
In the 25 min time I waited
13 cars had been in
There's making some crazy money

 

[dub]

They definitely will make a killing, but I'd sooner let my motor get boggin' than let them at it lol.

People these days purely don't care.