Looking For A Car Wash

[Lexus_swager]

Hi everyone I own a 2001 lexus is300 and im wondering where to take my car to get it washed should I do a drive in at a gas station, touchless, or do it my self pay a car wash company like genie or h2o to do it how many times do I wash my car it rained 2 days ago and my car has dirt on it and its all dried up I dont want to scratch paint any ideas?

[cduluk]

Do you have the driveway space available? And a hose and nozzle? If so, definitely do it yourself. You'll feel better!

I wash my car whenever i can see there's going to be at least 5-7 days without rain. I always check the weather forecast, and if it looks like there's going to be a nice stretch of sun i'll wash it. In fact, last time i washed my car was 3 weeks ago, and it hasn't been in the rain since! It rained a few times since then but it's been safe in the garage. I'm gonna see how much further i can go without washing it. Just as long as it doesn't rain, any dirt or pollen that collects on the car can be blown off with a compressor. I just added a little more tire shine on the tires and wiped the brake dust off of the wheels, and you'd never know it hasn't been washed in 3 weeks!

I use a microfiber wash mitt (that i wash after every use) and whatever car soap's on sale at Target... Then i wipe dry with several microfiber towels (got them at Walmart 2 years ago, can't seem to find them anywhere anymore). It's not the safest method for the paint, but i haven't had any issues with it and it works well for me!

Also be sure to wash the lower part of the car last, as it's usually the dirtiest. You don't want to drag the dirt around the hood or roof with the mitt. I do the lower half of the car last, followed by the wheels and tires. <_<

And for the caked on stuff such as bird droppings and deceased bugs, i spray on some bug and tar remover first to loosen it up. But it also removes any waxes, so you've gotta spot treat the areas afterwards... I use Collinite's Insulator wax. The stuff is SO durable.

[kyled]

I'll have to agree with cduluk, but if you're looking for something with a little less of a time commitment, keep a couple of tips in mind. First off, make sure it's a brushless automatic wash. Cloth won't damage the clear coat, as I found out recently when I took my CT hybrid in. Also, don't go for the "works" wash. It's not worth the money and can damage the exterior.

[pj8708]

When I got my 2010 ES in Black Sapphire, I noticed almost immediately that the finish was getting swirl marks every time I took it through the typical car wash. What a mistake. However, these were deep swirl marks. I went to the dealer and talked to the painter in the collision shop about the problem. He indicated that in 2010, Lexus went to a water based paint to comply with pending EPA standards for evaporating solvents, and the new paint was very soft. Almost too soft. His recommendation was hand wash only.

Since then I have found a detail shop that will hand wash the car with the usual add-ons like tires and wheels, for $25. plus tax. They also apply a product called "Showroom Shine" on the car that keeps dust and pollen from sticking so readily, and makes the car look like a million bucks. Barring any rain, I can go a couple of weeks with the car looking like brand new.

Not everyone wants to spend $25. every time their car gets dirty, but my experience tells me that having a professional do the job makes all the difference.

[SW03ES]

Thats what dealers always say, but Lexus has been using water based paints for a long time, my 03 had water based paint so did your '05. The difference is the color, the darker the color and the less metallic flake the more noticeable scratches will be.

Carwashes are bad for the car (not as bad as not washing at all), the cloths in brushless washes are dirty, the water is dirty, the towels used to dry afterwards are dirty. Little care is shown by the people who staff them not to bang vacuum nozzles into the paint and trim, etc. Best to do it yourself or hire a pro. Plenty of detailers will come right to your home or place of work and wash it for $25-30 or so. A good full service tunnel wash here costs $20-25.

[VBdenny]

Auto Bell. Get the very basic, great. Of course I usually do my own but have used auto bell twice after New Hampshire in the winter and was impressed. Paid about 7$

[13IS250C]

I would never run my car through an automatic car wash. NEVER! Go to AZ and get some Zymol wash. It is rich and yummy and smells like a piña colada. Rich lather. Worth the price.