Textile Car Wash - Any Good?

[starkey444]

Anyone got any views on these textile (ie not bristles) car washes that promise a 'scratch-free' soft wash?

Sure, I prefer to wash by hand for all the usual reasons, but I was interested in how the traditional carwashes are fighting back against the increases in 'superstore car-park' hand washes.

I wouldn't let a superstore car wash attendant near my lovely new IS250. One all my trips to Sainsbury and Asda, I've never seen them rinse out the sponges or jetwash the grit off first - its gotta be a bad deal for shiny paintwork.

But near where I live, they've upgraded the auto-carwash to a 'Scratch-free, Microvel soft textile' wash where they manually jetwash the car first before it goes through the rollers. Now, call me cynical, but I've always thought that carwashes are bad for the paintwork, but is the advertising on these new 'scratch-free' ones to be believed or is this yet another marketing ploy?

Would anyone trust them?

[Chris.S]

To be honest id never take a car through an automated car wash.

[Exiled]

Haven't used a mechanical car wash for fifteen years, even if they have improved I wouldn't risk it.

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

It's not the bristles that cause the problems - most of them has a freyed synthetic brush which is actually not to "hard" or bristly. The problem is in the crud that is held in the brushes...it sand blasts your car!!

All that grit....

No - I never use them. I don't even like Lexus to wash my car after a service

My local Sainsbo's have a Jet Wash and Deep Lather treatment before conventional autowash - we use it for Company Peugeots, Fords etal!! It still scratches the paintwork...

http://www.dibo.com/dibo/producten/product...amp;cat_id=1311

Dunno - I wouldn't trust them. Anyway, more chance to feel my car I don't call her Alexis for nothing...;)

[matt555]

Bit of a condradiction here!

I would never use and automatic car wash - but you'll often see me lining up to have the local 'Jani's carwash' in Witney handwash the motors! Grit, scratches - surely not :shutit:

[starkey444]

Bit of a condradiction here!

I would never use and automatic car wash - but you'll often see me lining up to have the local 'Jani's carwash' in Witney handwash the motors! Grit, scratches - surely not :shutit:

Does Jani use Microvel though? According to the website Jamboo listed, Microvel doesnt get very wet or hold grit. Hurrah for Microvel then. :P

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

I wouldn't want to find out...if it does hold grit or not...especially in the Lexus and it's "superlative" paint

[Matus]

OK, so how do you wash your car in winter?

I mean in winter, when it is constantly -5, -10 degrees celsius.

[tyrrp]

OK, so how do you wash your car in winter?

I mean in winter, when it is constantly -5, -10 degrees celsius.

Actually I don't wash my car in the winter. I usually just give it a good prep job. Seal the paint and 2 or 3 coats of a good wax. They don't use salt on the roads over here though. Only grit so no stuff to slowly eat the paint just some nice violent stones.

So no wash from Nov till end of Jan

[matt555]

OK, so how do you wash your car in winter?

I mean in winter, when it is constantly -5, -10 degrees celsius.

I've booked a detailing session for the Lexus next week, hopefully that'll see it through the winter....

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

OK, so how do you wash your car in winter?

I mean in winter, when it is constantly -5, -10 degrees celsius.

We seem to get much milder winters (not like the old days), so if it is Minus 5, you just wait a couple of days and it's plus 12 degrees (typically inconsistent English weather)

[eyes200s]

OK, so how do you wash your car in winter?

I mean in winter, when it is constantly -5, -10 degrees celsius.

We seem to get much milder winters (not like the old days), so if it is Minus 5, you just wait a couple of days and it's plus 12 degrees (typically inconsistent English weather)

Yea like when it snowed earlier in the year and a few days later I was washing the car in my shorts in the sunshine. NOT a pretty sight!

[Matus]

Actually I don't wash my car in the winter.

I'd prefer to not wash it, but...

this is after two wet weeks...

BTW we use salt here...

[purplebadger]

Personally I wouldn't care if an automated car wash promised a wash that was smooth, soft and silky with feathers added for good measure, I still wouldn't trust one! I don't even like a Lexus dealership to clean mine after they have serviced it.

Trust no-one with the cleaning, other than yourself!

As for the winter, be a lot easier if the Highways agencies didn't use salt & grit on the roads at all, plenty of other Countries manage without it and have far worse weather than we do in the UK. I have on plenty of untreated roads abroad and never had any problem whatsoever as long as you drive according to the road conditions...

As for passing a gritter lorry coming the other way, that gives me nightmares! Several years ago on a fast stretch of road one passed me in the opposite direction, I slowed down but the rattle of spewing grit was louder and harder than anything I had experienced before. It left several very nasty chips on my bonnet, front wings and windscreen (so badly damaged it needed replacing) of a previously owned GS. Thankfully I pursued a successful claim against the council concerned and they paid for all the repairs, turned out that they discovered their own driver was going far too fast in an attempt to finish his round early. At certain high speeds the grit is expelled with such force it is likely to damage oncoming cars....so you have been warned!!!

If its not automated car washes, then the gritters will almost certainly get you this winter!!!