I am a proud new owner (2 days) of a 2008 Seaside pearl package #5, and I would like to see if anyone has suggestions on taking care of the paint for people who live in an apartment complex, and do not have access to an external tap water valve. Primarily I want to protect the paint, and here, the tap water is such poor quality anyway, I cringe to think of what it would do even if I could spray down my prius. (Seriously, any dark colored dishes I wash end up with bright white mineral deposits if I don't dry them immediately.) Would taking the vehicle to a coin-operated wash work, just to protect the paint, at least? I'm not too worried about getting the perfect wax shine, but I would like to preserve the paint finish itself as long as possible.
:welcome: Welcome to PriusChat, Goolash! I'd suggest using a clay bar on the finish as soon as possible so you have a good, clean base, then get some sealant on the paint (I like Zaino, do a search here for comments) so the minerals will have a hard time making a deposit. If you live in an apartment complex and can't wash your car yourself, by all means take it to a car wash, touchless preferable, to keep your car clean. The important thing is to protect your paint as soon as you can so dirt and water spots will have a harder time sticking.
The topic of rinseless and waterless car washes (neither of which require a hose for rinsing) has already been discussed to death in this thread: http://priuschat.com/forums/care-ma...m-not-allowed-wash-my-prius-what-do-i-do.html Video of ONR on Ferrari F430: [ame]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-744800996428313622[/ame]
