Giving in to automatic washes

[KillaCam]

I would only wash my car once a month before I considered going through a swirlomatic. Can you not take 2 hours once a month to give it a wash?

[BlackRam]

Congratulation on the newest member of the family...but while time is tough/tight now it will loosen up a little bit soon, though just try to wash the vehicle as often you can also consider using a boars hair brush/foam/touch-less wash, and it bugs us all crazy to see our vehicle's dirty/swirled up your going to let it happen until you can squeeze enough time to remove some of that contamination/defects

Thank you she is a joy. Would you say have a boars hair brush saves time over a wash mitt? Thanks for the advice.

If you can, try and do "touchless" washes. A descent power washer, foam cannon and a metro side kick (or some sort of mini leaf blower)
1-foam the truck
2-power wash off
3-free flow rinse
4-dry with blower
Not as 2bwm, but about 90%. I to have a young baby and it's a struggle trying to keep our three cars clean. I have a 2010 Tundra that's similar in size to your Ram. It takes me about 45 minutes from the time I pull everything out to wash to putting it all away. The best thing about touchless is you won't induce any swirls or marring from trying to rush your wash.

Its good to hear u r in a similar situation. 45 min- that is quick. An ok rinseless takes me about 60-75 min. Im going to find a touchless neat me

[jamesboyy]

Great to hear, and in a sense yes a boar's hair brush cut's washing time in half cause your cleaning a larger surface area able to reach virtually every inch of the truck without taking time out to move/be careful on a work platform, also when washing the vehicle the excess soapy water from the brush is soaking the left over contamination off the lower panels making cleaning the next panel easier, basically all I am saying is that a boars hair brush removes most of the "extras" that adds time to our washing process, lastly look into a leaf blower or shop vac with blower feature to aid in your drying process too

[JHL88]

You've got to be kidding me.

At least go to a brushless car wash. Or do Rinseless washes. For my crew cab Silverado it takes me about 20-30 minutes.

If I did it with twin infant boys and 2 crazy dogs and a wife. Im sure you can too. Cangrats! btw.

[fly07sti]

Forgive me for not saying earlier. Congrats on your baby! It's a wonderful feeling being a dad.

[BlackRam]

I would only wash my car once a month before I considered going through a swirlomatic. Can you not take 2 hours once a month to give it a wash?

No no i can.

Great to hear, and in a sense yes a boar's hair brush cut's washing time in half cause your cleaning a larger surface area able to reach virtually every inch of the truck without taking time out to move/be careful on a work platform, also when washing the vehicle the excess soapy water from the brush is soaking the left over contamination off the lower panels making cleaning the next panel easier, basically all I am saying is that a boars hair brush removes most of the "extras" that adds time to our washing process, lastly look into a leaf blower or shop vac with blower feature to aid in your drying process too

Thank you for the advice!

You've got to be kidding me.

At least go to a brushless car wash. Or do Rinseless washes. For my crew cab Silverado it takes me about 20-30 minutes.

If I did it with twin infant boys and 2 crazy dogs and a wife. Im sure you can too. Cangrats! btw.

Thank you - jeez that is quick. But duely noted. Yah i got 2 crazy beagles too hah

Forgive me for not saying earlier. Congrats on your baby! It's a wonderful feeling being a dad.

No problem and yes i love it!!

[Ck996tt]

I have two little ones and my recommendation is just cut down, use a long lasting sealant, and just shorten the steps. I have two little ones and do all my detailing at night. Though my car is only driven on weekends.

[custmsprty]

I think it's one of the forum rules that you have to resign if you take your vehicle through a tunnel wash.

Seriously though, it takes time to wash, about the only thing you can do is convert to rinseless if you're not doing that already. Either that or you have to live with the boatload of swirls that the tunnel wash is going to give you, until your life situation changes.

And then it will take you 10-12 hours plus to polish out all the damage.

Trade it in for a white or silver truck.

[Blade]

9 week old - in da house!! Congrats man - I still remember my time doing laps in front of the couch at 2 in the morning! Totally loved it.

I'd rather leave that Ram dirty and grungy and give it a careful hosedown + rinseless once a month than take it to whereever you think you want to take it - I can't even say the name of the place without trembling!

[cardaddy]

Congrats on the new baby! Man it seems like yesterday we were there for 23 hours of labor, then an emergency C-section. (And it's been 26 years July past.)

Normally I'd say:

Q: What's the second most expensive thing you've ever bought in your life?
(With your home being the 1st.)

A: Your vehicle

At which point I'd pontificate about how such an expenditure should be worth protecting.

But now BY FAR the most expensive thing you've ever bought (even though you're just starting into the spending part) IS INDEED THAT NEW LITTLE ONE.

Followed by your home, and then of course your vehicle(s).

That aside; Isn't your vehicle(s) worth a couple hours a month, or even a couple hours bi-weekly?

There'll come a time when you'll be GLAD to get to the garage/driveway/carwash just to get away from a house full of kids. That surely isn't now, but trust me.... it'll come along sooner than you think.

But as for the answer to your question.... NO any drive through wash that has brushes, hanging matts, wiggling floppy thingy's, and any other type of matter that TOUCHES your vehicle(s) in ANY WAY is to be avoided at all cost.

Drive through "touchless" could possibly be done in a pinch, but even those rub the tires too much for my taste. PLUS..... once it comes out you have a host of minimum wage earners standing in line with wet/dirty/gritty/crappy/altogether WRONG towels of all sorts that they've been using for days if not WEEKS just waiting to wipe your precious investment down with from bottom to top, (perhaps in that order). If you think it's swirled now..... pfffffttttt......