Laser Wash

[plonky]

One of my good friends owns a Carlovers and he has a brushless booth, as well as the booth with the brushes and a number of boothes with the high pressure hoses.

I always had my wife take the Alfa through the brushless carwash. Geoff would always clean the wheels and windscreen prior to going into the wash, and it would be chamoised off.

I never had a problem with any deterioation of paint with the Alfa, nor did I find that any scratches were evident from using the brushless carwash.

The detergents they use are quite mild and the cleaning system they use to seperate the oil etc are pretty good. You also must take into account that everytime it rains (and it does) the water is diluted by way of introduction of fresh (rain water) so that the water you are using is pretty good within the carwash system

(its amazing but Naughto and I actually had a conversation about carwashes this afternoon)

[ms700]

Do what I do! Store rainwater in a tub and use a Karcher! The Karcher can draw water out of a tub, it isnt quite as good as using mains pressure, but its better than driving to Carlovers and getting the car all dirty on the way home!

Considering we will be in Stage 3 for a fair while id say, a Karcher seems a cheap way to go...... and legal too.

[GOLDIE]

Here on the gold coast we have had car wash restriction for almost a year now.Plenty of sea water but no fresh water.LOL

we have never used a sponge or brush on our turbo and never will all we do is go to local car lovers and use high pressure rinse than high pressure soap followed by high pressure rinse and spot free water. using a top qaulity chamois we dry entire car and wipe the wheels with enother chamios.mequres gold glass every six weeks.

NO scratches or marks in paint.

Ian

[aniken]

  faygun said:

hey guys, as far as Im concerned, (I dont know about other states) in NSW the restrictions really start on the 1th of November. that's when they can start issuing fines for offenders. The first month of the restrictions is more of a warning and awareness for people.

Restrictions start today, fines start from 1st November. And don't think they won't issue fines - they will!

The restrictions are only Level 2, which means you are still allowed to wash your cars, but only with a bucket (no hose at all). This may become permanent from next year...

[Antisocial]

In Canberra it is stage 3 and no watering hard surfaces, eg washing cars or pavers.

I have had only one bad experience with a Laserwash and that was with the $10 super dooper wash that includes under car wash. It sprays water up under the car as you drive on.

On this one occasion it sprayed water up thru the drain holes under the A pillars into the kick panel area and shorted out the central locking in my wifes EA. So now no under car washing for me. Drain holes are designed to let water drain out freely, not stop it commining up and in....

I have a 9000L water tank which thanks to todays rain is full so I can wash it on the back lawn with the pressure washer.

But I think peole will get aggro with me if my car is always shiny and clean. And all I need is some hippy to vandalise it in the name of water conservation. :( So I washed it last weekend and it will stay dirty for a few months, should have bought a HaaG then no one could tell if it was covered in road grime.. :lol: :lol:

[BlueXR6Turbo]

Wow, I feel sorry for you guys over there in the east. Here in SA we've had water restrictions for a few months now, but nothing that severe. We're allowed to wash our cars with a bucket and sponge, and use a trigger hose to rinse it. This is Level 2. Levels 3 & 4 we can use a bucket but no hose. Not until level 5 do we have to use a car wash. Seems pretty stupid to me if you can't even use a bucket of water.

Time to cover your number plates in mud and when the cops say something to you, just say "hey, I'm not allowed to wash them". :lol:

(By the way, that's a joke. I don't actually mean for anyone to do it.)

From the SA Water website:

  Quote

Washing Cars and Boats

Water must not be used to clean a vehicle except by:

- a bucket filled directly from a tap

- use of trigger hose for rinsing only

- commercial car wash.

South Australian Water Restrictions

[GlennAUII]

We took our red AU through the carlovers laserwash and it did a cr@ppy job. I also pressure cleaned the LTD and it turned out cr@p as well. I reckon you need a sponge, car detergant, a chamios, and maybe even a polishing cloth toge your car looking real good. It also depends on what colour your car is as to whether the laserwash's $hitty job is noticable.

[KEN 24T]

OK, let me start by asking:

What is a "laser" wash, how does it work?

Secondly, I'm a little freaked out by all this talk of taking cars to commercial car washes ... RJS, maybe you can put my mind at ease.

All I want is a place that has a recycled water supply (not high pressure) and maybe a vacuum cleaner available and hopefully, close to home, so my baby doesn't get flithy again on the way back.

I'll do the rest!

[RAPHOON]

  KEN 24T said:

OK, let me start by asking:

What is a "laser" wash, how does it work?

Ken,

A laser wash bay looks very much like a normal automatic car wash, except the cleaning is done by the application of water a high pressure rather than rotating paint scratchers (ie.rubber brushes).

Based on my own experience, the laser wash will clean a car to about 90 - 95% clean, but nothing beats doing it yourself.

If you are in an area with water restrictions, then another alternative is to use Carlovers for their high pressure hose and spot free rinse, whilst the washing is done out of your own bucket.

[XRSICKT]

If I take my car to a car wash, I never use their brushes. I either only use the high pressure wash and rince or to give it a quick clean, or I take my own bucked full of hot water and car wash detergent (covered of course) and wash my car with my own sponge at the car wash then give it a high pressure rince and chammy it.

Yeah I do get weird looks, but ITS MY CAR AND I'LL WASH IT THE WAY I WANT TO!