Triple foam? Super Orange? Car wash nonsense?

July 9, 2009 2:12 PM

Automated conveyor-style car washes - what's triple foam? What's worth paying for and what isn't?

This is where I get my car washed: Quick Quack Car Wash

There's the basic wash - which is supposed to just be soap and water. Then there's the next level wash that has "triple foam" which looks like a yellow, blue and red foam that just looks like colored soap. Then there's a wheel cleaner, wheel shine, undercarriage thing, super orange, rain-x...

Once I paid for the whole deal, and my car doesn't look different from the basic wash.

If the "super orange" and "triple foam" are waxes, does it make any difference if they're only applied for the 3-4 seconds that they're sprayed on and wiped off? And wouldn't Rain-X application be bad for clearcoat if it's sprayed on the entire car?

I'd like to get an unlimited wash package, so I can wash dust and bugs that accumulate around here.

Anyone worked at a car wash before? What chemicals are being sprayed on my car? What's worth having and what isn't?

And generally speaking, what should I do be doing to protect my cars paint job?

posted by abdulf to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

And generally speaking, what should I do be doing to protect my cars paint job?

Well I'm glad you asked this so my answer won't be off topic: the best thing you can do to protect your car's paint job is to stop taking it to automated car washes. They recycle their water (grit) and those brushes (and curtains) that are used to clean your car are only a few steps shy of being sandpaper. Wash it by hand, in your driveway, at a manual car wash (or wash rack, or whatever they call the DIY stalls where you live), or pay a detailer to do it.

For your purposes, the rule of thumb should be that the more automated the car wash is, the less-beneficial add-on products and services are going to be. Just get the cheapest package if you insist on the conveyor belt. The colors, they mean nothing.
posted by rhizome at 2:16 PM on July 9

And wouldn't Rain-X application be bad for clearcoat if it's sprayed on the entire car?

I don't know, but just buy a thing off of Amazon for 62¢. There's no reason why everyone shouldn't have this on their car. It's incredible.

Buy it.
Right now.
posted by niles at 2:50 PM on July 9 [1 favorite]

And wouldn't Rain-X application be bad for clearcoat if it's sprayed on the entire car?

I've read accounts that it damages windscreen wipers, and people have found that to get back the full lifespan out of their wipers, they have to treat only the glass that is actually window, ie they don't wash it over the glass where the wipers sit at rest, and thus avoid dousing the wipers during application, and avoiding having the wipers resting on the newly rain-x'ed glass.

AFAIK Rain-x (during application) is acidic. So I'd have doubts about dousing the entire car in it. Apply it by hand, selectively, where it is supposed to go.
posted by -harlequin- at 3:09 PM on July 9

My Dad not to use soap when washing my car. Just a hose and a soft brush. He was a fire chief and said that the fire trucks stopped rusting out when they stopped using soap on them.
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:31 PM on July 9

My Dad not to use soap when washing my car. Just a hose and a soft brush. He was a fire chief and said that the fire trucks stopped rusting out when they stopped using soap on them.

Yeah, you don't want to use Dish soap on your car. They have special 'car' soap for a reason.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 4:13 PM on July 9

And wouldn't Rain-X application be bad for clearcoat if it's sprayed on the entire car?

Hell yes -- you ever spilled some? It ruins the finish, eats into the paint! (Great for the glass, though.)
posted by Rash at 6:28 PM on July 9

I worked at a car wash for 2 years. The spray wax is essentially useless. Buy/do a hand wax every couple of months instead. Buy/do an Armor-All type treatment on the tires when you do the wax and Armor-All the interior at least once a year.

Nearly all of the add-ons are useless, especially if you're getting your car washed frequently.

The lone exception is the wheel cleaner. Baked on brake dust is a PITA to get off rims, and it usually won't come off on a regular wash. If your rims have brake dust (black gunk) on them, the wheel cleaner helps immensely.
posted by doowod at 3:05 AM on July 10