please forgive a stupid girl,,,lol

[alisonwonderlan]

but im new to all of this
i want to baby my new car,,,,and keep her clean
is auto bell ok?keep in mind,,,i dont know a lot about this,,,lol
my bosss reccomened it
i have a 2012 hyundai accent,,,if it matters in light blue
i have had it for a few days and its DIRTY already,,so she needs a bath badly
also...do i need a car cover?

[TroyScherer]

Did a quick web search and it appears it a a tunnel wash place using the dreaded brushes. I would stay away.... But here at Ag we will all most likely say to get your own product and do a proper 2 bucket wash.

[sal329]

Stay away from Autobell I have witness and fixed a lot of problems from their washes. Where are you located? I would suggest reading on here and other forums and maybe find a local to help show you first hand how to care for the vehicle

[alisonwonderlan]

im in charlotte nc
i dont wanna do at home because we have a dirty/gravel driveway and anyway my landlord realllyyy doesnt want us doing it at home
i was thinking of taking it somwhere or a mobile cleaning service

[Shane731]

Autogeek has several product lines that are reasonably priced that will give you awesome results: Detailers Pro Series, Poorboy's World, Collinite, Meguiar's, Duragloss, Ultima, and a couple others. With that in mind, forum member dad07 (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/members/dad07.html) is located in Charlotte. My advice would be to send him a PM (follow the link, click on Contact Info, and then click on "send a private message to dad07") and see if he would be willing and able to give you a hand. I think you will find that Autogeek forum members are pretty willing and eager to help out a fellow forum member in distress. :xyxthumbs:


By the way, :welcome: to Autogeek Online!

[Mike Phillips]

im in charlotte nc
i dont wanna do at home because we have a dirty/gravel driveway and anyway my landlord realllyyy doesnt want us doing it at home
i was thinking of taking it somwhere or a mobile cleaning service


It's great to see you excited about your new car to first research the topic of car care and then take action. Most people just take action and if they make a mistake, then they do research. :D


Quick question...


Is the car parked outside all the time? As in, at work and at home? Or do you have a garage or a carport?



:)

[alisonwonderlan]

Autogeek has several product lines that are reasonably priced that will give you awesome results: Detailers Pro Series, Poorboy's World, Collinite, Meguiar's, Duragloss, Ultima, and a couple others. With that in mind, forum member dad07 (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/members/dad07.html) is located in Charlotte. My advice would be to send him a PM (follow the link, click on Contact Info, and then click on "send a private message to dad07") and see if he would be willing and able to give you a hand. I think you will find that Autogeek forum members are pretty willing and eager to help out a fellow forum member in distress. :xyxthumbs:


By the way, :welcome: to Autogeek Online!
thanks so much

[alisonwonderlan]

It's great to see you excited about your new car to first research the topic of car care and then take action. Most people just take action and if they make a mistake, then they do research. :D


Quick question...


Is the car parked outside all the time? As in, at work and at home? Or do you have a garage or a carport?



:)
im a research it to death nerd,,,lol
i do several searches,,,compare findings and to with a trusted review,,,i do this for purchases,,vacations...anything im spending my very hard earned dollar on

[alisonwonderlan]

It's great to see you excited about your new car to first research the topic of car care and then take action. Most people just take action and if they make a mistake, then they do research. :D


Quick question...


Is the car parked outside all the time? As in, at work and at home? Or do you have a garage or a carport?



:)
forgot to add
yes,,,,car is parked outside and UNDER a tree at all times
no other choice
this is a bird poop and sap happy tree,,,,grrrrr

[Mike Phillips]

forgot to add
yes,,,,car is parked outside and UNDER a tree at all times
no other choice
this is a bird poop and sap happy tree,,,,grrrrr



Okay, so a brand new car that will be exposed to the outdoors all the time. This helps us to give you some recommendations...

Considering that it's not an option to wash your car at home, (easily), and going to any kind of commercial wash is a recipe for swirls being inflicted into the paint. See this article,

Scratch your car for $5.00 (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/off-topic/40142-scratch-your-car-5-00-a.html)


And you want to avoid car washes with brushes...

Tunnel Car Wash Brush Scratches (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/29958-tunnel-car-wash-brush-scratches.html)




If it's in your budget, here would be your best option...

Hire a mobile detailer to wash your car for you at your place of work. Do some research and find a mobile detailer with a good reputation and interview them about how they will wash your car. The best and the brightest detailers hang out on discussion forums like this one so they know how to carefully wash a car without scratching it or getting water spots in the paint. You might be able to find a mobile detailer on this forum in your area that will do this for you.

We had a couple of mobile detailers come by Meguiar's once a week and wash all of management's cars and here at Autogeek, at least one of the office employees has a mobile detailer wash their car on a regular basis.

As long as the person doing the work is doing a professional quality job it's a good option to keep your car clean without having to do the work yourself.

Prices are usually affordable, we're talking probably around the $25.00 to $30.00 range and they usually do a few extra things like dress the tires, clean the windows, etc.


Besides that your other two safe options are,

Use a Waterless Wash and become proficient and wiping your car clean and maintaining all your microfiber towels for this process.
Using a touchless was and then waxing and dressing any trim yourself at your home.


The difference between a Normal Car Wash, a Waterless Car Wash, a Rinseless Car Wash and a Spray Detailer (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/23645-difference-between-normal-car-wash-waterless-car-wash-rinseless-car-wash-spray-detailer.html)



Touchless car washes will tend to use cleaning chemicals strong enough to remove roadgrime off neglected cars and this means they'll tend to remove any previously applied wax or paint sealant.

Another option would be to apply a coating or pay someone to apply a coating as these won't wear off, or at least wear off as fast as a wax or paint sealant and then use a waterless wash or a touchless car wash.

3-Categories: Waxes, Paint Sealants and Coatings (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/34185-3-categories-waxes-paint-sealants-coatings.html)


Lots of options... hope I haven't overwhelmed you...


This thread is on-topic also...


How to maintain a freshly waxed car (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/40056-how-maintain-freshly-waxed-car.html)

How long will brand x car wax or paint sealant last? (http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/hot-topics-frequently-asked-questions/30447-how-long-will-brand-x-car-wax-paint-sealant-last.html)


:)

[FussMan]

Hey Alisonwonderlan:

Let us know what you decide to do; it will be interesting to see if you choose to invest on mobile cleaning. A car that is left outside 24/7 can get "dirty" in only a few days. I have a feeling that once the thrill of a new car wears off you will expand your washing options. If I was left with these options I would look for a brushless Auto Wash.

This is just my humble opinion

Fussman

[sal329]

Perfect product would be Optimum No Rinse for washes, there will be virtually no mess, just 2 buckets, a wash mitt (or 2), a few microfiber towels and some brushes for the wheels. You can do what I use to do and that is take all of your products in your trunk to the do it yourself car wash and use your things and not theirs. You will have a nice place to wash, water and a vacuum. I am in Winston Salem and do most my detailing in Greensboro. Any questions just ask

[CEE DOG]

Welcome to AG Alison. The only way to know for sure how your car will be washed is to do it yourself. If you decide not to do that I would try to find someone on this forum with a good rep. that lives near you. Otherwise find someone and question them based on the info you learn here.

[dwengier77]

Welcome to AGO. I have nothing more to add to what these great guys already said but i did want to congratulate you on your new car Enjoy!!!

[opie_7afe]

here is some good ideas for you to keep your car looking good, dont park your car under a pine tree(those are the ones that spray sap), secondly, i know you probably dont want to spend a ton of cash, but get a high quality car cover it will protect it from alot of the elements.(the cheap ones work but the fabric will rip faster and not last as long). i really would ask your land lord what is wrong with washing your car outside. explain to him the soaps that are used for washing cars are mostly safe for the environment.some landlords are just a pain to deal with because they are not educated about certain things, then there's the type who think they are right even if you show them in black and white print they are 100% wrong(hope you don't have done of those!). before i leave this thread my last words of advice is avoid friction type car washes like the plague(ones with brushes even hand wash places) if you don't want to wash it yourself, have a detailer from the boards wash your ride or go to a touch free car wash and then use some high quality microfiber drying towels after-wards. also, keeping your vehicle well waxed/sealed makes washing a lot easier. good luck and hope you enjoy your new ride!