Lesson learned: No car washes.

Yeah, but as I said, I've had pretty good luck, and I concede that some of it is luck, using the keep wax on it..AND judiciously choose you automated car wash method.

Plus you live in Rondo California. I live in the Pacific NW. When the weather is nice. I will hand wash. But really? When the weather get's bad and cold? I simply can't do it anymore.

15 years ago? I'd put on the Parka and go out with a steaming bucket of Car Wash Soap and a Hand Mitt...but I've lost that mojo...I've got to find a compromise...and this seems to work.

 

Yup, my tendinitis keeps me from wanting do much in the way of DIY.

 

automatics, storm drains and DIY pressure washers

Right before I sold my Z, I took it to an automatic car wash w/brushes that was near the dealers I was trying to sell to. I had to run it thru 2x to get it totally clean but afterward, I discovered a few new chips and/or scratches that I think were caused by the wash. Oh well. Unfortunately, I had no proof and it's moot now since I sold the car.

One thing that never occurred to me about washing at home was when I lived in WA, someone (maybe a dealer?) mentioned to me it being bad to wash your own car at home because the runoff ends up in storm drains. See Car Washing and Stormwater Permits, for example.

This never even occurred to me and I'd never heard this from anyone when I lived in CA, where I grew up. Thus, I didn't hear the above info (not the web page) until I was sometime past the age of 21... Was I just blissfully ignorant or is it something specific to certain states, like WA or did people only start caring in the past decade?

In CA, I see people washing their own cars on their driveway all the time. In CA and I think WA, I sometimes see charity car washes (e.g. raising $ for some middle or high school effort) at gas statations. Unless that station itself has a car wash, it's highly unlikely that the runoff water doesn't make it into storm drains.

Some people joke about the touchless car washes dumping a vat of acid on your car. Usually the touchless ones I've been to have some guys w/brushes cleaning your car manually before you go into the machine.

I hate the DIY coin op pressure wash places. They give you SO LITTLE time and you're in a rush the whole time. I had to keep feeding it money while in a massive hurry to get the car cleaned and then rinsed. I accidentally put my hand in front of the stream at one point and got a cut from it. :/

 

I like the coin op pressure washes. They are a perfect compromise between fully automatic and DIY'ing with a washrag and a bucket.

 

Stick to hand wash it then. You shouldn't even own a car if you drive that recklessly! In fact, your driver license should get revoked.

But if you manual wash it, you can wash underneath since not all auto-wash wash underneath, which most salt/dirt residues are.