Horrible Car Wash!

[Joshs2013MSAltimaSL]

So I'm driving by this car wash place today. This is the type where they run it through the wash (already starting off wrong lol), then pull it out to finish it up. They have 4 or 5 cars out near the street where all the workers are finishing up drying, dressing, etc. I decide to stop in to watch. Well, there are a couple little cart type things next to them that hold all the different products they were using, and a pile of red towels all scattered on the floor!! I watched one guy use a towel (not sure if it was MF or not) to dry the wheel wells, throw the towel in the pile, then a totally different person picked up the same towel and was using it on a different car's paint! But wait, it gets better. One person used a towel from the pile to dress the tires, threw that back into the pile, and I watched someone else pick up the same towel, fold it to a clean side, and use it on the windows. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. They noticed me watching them, and asked if I wanted my car clean because my car is a little dirty right now, and with a smile, I replied "My car's better off the way it is." I've never been there to have my car cleaned, and after what I saw today, I definitely won't take my car there.

[Harleyguy]

And what do you think they charged for this great job ??

[ScottB]

I'll share a quickie with you from back in the day...

We drove to Key West one early morning and car was full of bugs. I stopped at the local car wash and really wanted to remove the bugs on that hot summer day before the heat was to set it. Luckily a gentleman saw me and remarked that as a joke the local kids tie bolts to the hairs of the spinning heads to damage the tourists car. Now I admit these car washes are far gone and most use flaps or touchless features but again I am showing my age.

Luckily I found a store nearby that sold towels in bulk and car wash. Bought a couple dozen and drove around back and found a hose and washed off what I could and felt all the better not seeing paint chips.

[crash93ssei]

Amazing how little most people actually know about proper paint care isn't it.

I was on a local car club forum and somebody posted about a car wash they had seen that had a bunch of good looking women in bikinis washing cars. Everyone was all about going out there...

Sorry.. I don't care how good lookin you are, you're not touching my car:D

[Joshs2013MSAltimaSL]

I want to say it's like $25 to get it washed, dried, and dressed. They do have a little building with a bay in it. I'm guessing that's for the "Professional Job." My dad told me the other day he drove by a place where they were cleaning cars and they were using brooms (yes the kind with the hard bristles, and you use around your house) to clean the car :eek:

[01SportChic]

Amazing how little most people actually know about proper paint care isn't it.

I was on a local car club forum and somebody posted about a car wash they had seen that had a bunch of good looking women in bikinis washing cars. Everyone was all about going out there...

Sorry.. I don't care how good lookin you are, you're not touching my car:D

thank you! lol

A guy on a forum I am on posted pics of girls in heels crawling all over the hood of their shop's Ford GT. I was at a meet last night and saw him and said..."Sorry, but the pictures of the girls on the car's made me cringe!" Without a second to spare his words were..."Hunny! If there aren't a$$ prints and heel marks on the cars then we are doing something wrong!"

LOL yea.....

[Old Pirate]

All the local car washes have broads with business cards for folks to put up, I have mine on the broads also. some of the owners don't like it at all. I have got some detail's from that....:D

[dublifecrisis]

i drove by one of the busier full service tunnels the other day by my house. It's always slammed. There was a red light there so I gotta a chance to watch for a minute. i did see some gallon size mirror glaze stuff on their carts. I'm thinking "ok, that's not too bad" Could have been dressing or maybe some sealant or #60/66 or whatever the AIO is called. Anyways, I'll never take my cars to any of those places because they might try to a degree to use some form of quality, it's stories like Josh and others that puts your car at risk for some serious damage.

If I was an entrepreneur and had the cash though i would certainly invest in some form of business like that because it's making mad cash.

[RaskyR1]

I was riding with my old roommate once and he stopped into one of those washes with the good looking girls. His car was not a show car but it was a nice looking black Passat with nice wheels, System, TV's....Anyway, I said dude they are going to trash your paint, and I had just polished it out 6 months prior. Then he was like o-well, that's what I have you for and it will totally be worth it. :D

[AudiTTman]

Josh you are always coming up with the best threads lol. Well time for my 2cents lol


I read everyones stories and we all tend to have the same pattern going....its these quick drive in, drive out deals and its basically body, tires and ur done.

Well this is just an idea of how bad the detailers are around my area. I was going to a friends house to actually work on the hood of an older black Miata. Had all my supplies stuffed into my little coupe and when i came up to the first stoplight, i was greeted by a truck which i will use the term.........Looked "Holographic". Literally, then entire truck(royal blue) was covered in so many holograms, streaks, marring that you would have thought it was done on purpose.

Most of us can tell when someone has only washed a car, and then got a bottle of the turtle wax out and gone to town with it. Yea.. the car is shinny, but its not quite there lol. Well the trucks driver is giving me a stare which i found uncomfortable and he took off. On his tailgate read these words

"RAYMONDS AUTOMOTIVE DETAILING"
I know that wasnt a great conclusion, but point being, i would much rather prefer someone who loves cars and loves the art of detailing, than someone whos out to give you the "5min special" w/ complementary tire shine ! hahah

[crash93ssei]

Ouch!! I can't believe someone would even attempt to open a detailing business with work like that! I have had stunning results with my detail jobs so far, but I don't think I am near experienced enough to try to open a business. It is just amazing how many hack jobs there are out there!

[Larry A]

There are 2 big car washes by me .One is Turtle Wax car wash and the other is Fullers car wash and they both do a good job. Fullers is a little expensive. There is also a small soft cloth car wash by me and they only charge $6.00 and there job is not to bad , they only do the outside. Ive never seen any of their guys thro towels on the ground and reuse them. Delta Sonic car wash is about 8 miles away and they do a very good job. Ive notice that people with older cars go to the $6.00 car wash and people with newer and nicer cars go to Fullers or Turtle Wax.

[SPiN]

my neighbor is obsessed with "detailing" his new f150 with big flashy wheels on it. I see him cleaning/ scrubbing it with a house type broom.

[AudiTTman]

my neighbor is obsessed with "detailing" his new f150 with big flashy wheels on it. I see him cleaning/ scrubbing it with a house type broom.


May the Detailing God's have mercy on his soul. I just feel bad for the truck now..poor paint hahah