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How to properly wash your car at a self-service car wash. How to wash a car at a car wash. Car wash services for personal use of equipment

Before, no one thought about how to properly wash a car. The algorithm was simple, and most importantly the only one. You take a bucket, a rag, fill up with water and go. Washing in this way was much more difficult, however, car enthusiasts had no choice, and no one suspected that such a service as car washing would ever appear.

Now owners have four main options for how to bring the car’s appearance to the desired state:

order a wash at a car wash;
wash it there, but do it yourself;
arrange a house wash using special household equipment intended for this purpose;
classics of the genre - bucket, rag, water.

Self car wash

To be fair, it is worth noting that now even the classic method of washing a car can be somewhat improved by using special washing shampoos and more aesthetic washcloths and brushes instead of rags. Plus products for final glass cleaning and body polishes, which can be used with equal success for any method of washing a car. Each of the above methods for ridding a car of ubiquitous dirt has a right to exist.

The methods differ in the costs that the car owner must incur, the investment of his own labor and personal time, but in the end they lead to the same result - the car is clean, which is undoubtedly pleasing.

How often should you wash your car?

Among car enthusiasts, there is an opinion that frequent washing contributes to the speedy abrasion of the paint, so you should not abuse this measure. Although there is something to object to. The paintwork (paint coating) on modern cars is quite durable, so if you wash it correctly, it is quite difficult to damage the surface of the body in any way. In addition, small stones and bitumen fragments when driving on our roads “kill” the body surface to a much greater extent. In addition, car paint loses color mainly from prolonged exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation. It is quite problematic to wash off the paint with water, even if you try.

The frequency of washing a car depends on many factors, which vary depending on the season, frequency of use and personal preferences of the owner. In any case, we can say unequivocally that if you wash your car properly once again, it will not get any worse. The main thing we found out is that it can be washed. Now let's look at the options.

Washing a car at a car wash

In specialized services, you can use two main types of services:

the owner is provided with premises, equipment (mini-wash) and consumables (water), which he uses independently for a reasonable fee;
A range of services is provided, which includes car washing and something else (optional). Representatives of the staff wash here. The car enthusiast is required to hand over a dirty car, wait a little, and then pick up a clean one. That is, they will do everything for you, but you will have to fork out a little.

Self-service car wash

Wash it yourself at a car wash

Such services are quite common. Designed for owners who like to keep their cars clean, but do not have the proper conditions or equipment. The scope of services provided here is limited. Washing area, equipment and access to water are provided. How to wash and with what is the client’s problem. Therefore, if you want to use such a service, it would be correct to prepare not only money for payment, but also:

car shampoo;
a set of washcloths and clean rags;
workwear;
latex gloves.
body polish and glass finishing agents - optional.

How to wash a car here? Just like a mini-wash in your own garage, namely:

Wet the body generously with water and shampoo (not under pressure), wait about 5 minutes. The dirt will become wet, including dried dirt.
Wash off dirt with a stream of water from a mini-wash. The jet should be directed at an angle to the surface. This way the paintwork is less damaged and dirt comes off faster and more efficiently.
After the first wash, it is worth correctly assessing the results. If there is dirt left somewhere and the jet does not remove it, you need to apply detergent here again and wait. Then rinse again under pressure. In some cases, it is necessary to use a washcloth and an appropriate product if stains of bitumen, tar or other petroleum products are found on the car.
When cleaning is completed, excess water is removed with a special flexible scraper, after which the body is dried with rags of soft natural fabric.
Using polish for the body surface is optional, but it would be correct to bring the glass to ideal transparency with a special aerosol and a clean rag.

Washed at a car wash

A whole range of services will be offered here. In addition to washing the outside of the car, you can usually order interior cleaning, tire blackening, engine washing and a number of additional activities. There are usually two ways to wash your car. Contactless assumes that special machines will wash the body using jets of water under pressure. If the contact method is ordered, the car will be washed manually by one of the staff members.

The car owner will need to decide on the list and nature of services. At the end of the work, all that remains is to check whether everything was done correctly. Such a service is very pleasant and useful, but not cheap. Therefore, everyone determines the appropriateness and frequency of using such services independently.

Self-washing using a mini-wash

The process of washing with household equipment is identical to that described above. However, you will have to spend money on purchasing a mini-wash. It is also necessary that the garage be adapted for water car procedures, or you will have to look for a shaded place, since it is not recommended to wash the car in direct sunlight.

Before you start washing, you need to drive the car into a special wash box, and then either purchase a special token or insert bills into the washing machine, which is responsible for the water supply. Everything seems simple, but there are some nuances. Self-service car washes have specific operating modes (almost like a washing machine).

To wash your car properly, you need to select the appropriate mode. If one mode is designed to wash away a small layer of road dust or snow, then the other will help wash away long-time dried dirt that has stuck to the body, as well as cope with heavy ice.

You can read about using a self-service car wash and other methods in our expert’s article.

The main advantage of using such a car wash is that when designing such a service, it was expected that the average car wash would take 10 minutes at a cost of 50 rubles for 2 to 3 minutes. As a result, we get about a little over two hundred.

This is much cheaper than at car washes where there is a staff. The benefit is mutual: the owner of the car wash does not have to pay the salaries of an army of washers who also work in shifts, and car enthusiasts get the opportunity to save money.

Self-service car washes also have disadvantages. First of all, when you come to such a car wash, you will not immediately understand all the principles of use. It will take some time to become familiar with the washing modes. The second important disadvantage is that specially trained employees are trained to control the powerful jet escaping from the washing hose.

The force of the jet is often so strong that it can break a car window if directed at the wrong angle. In addition, if the car is covered in dirt, then this dirt can bounce onto the driver during washing. Car washers are equipped with special protective clothing for such cases. Many people are faced with the question of how to wash a car at a self-service car wash in winter.

In winter, at particularly low temperatures, you may encounter such a nuisance as rapid freezing of water on the body. This can especially happen when using modes that provide light washing.

Finally, many people prefer not to worry about which mode is best to choose and how to direct the stream. It is easier for them to use the services of qualified workers, but pay more.

What is it and which model is better to buy for your home? Read about this in the material of our specialist.

You can read more about how this happens in the article by our qualified expert.

You may be interested in information on how to do it yourself.

How to properly wash your car at a self-service car wash

At the entrance to the car wash you can find instructions for using the service. Most often, such a car wash is a set of five functions. Of these functions, there are two types of car wash: preliminary and main wash.

This is followed by rinsing, waxing, polishing and drying. Quite often there is the option of washing hard-to-reach places in the car - the wheels. This option is selected so as not to damage the car’s paintwork with a special liquid.

This type of washing takes a very short time if the car owner is already familiar with this function. In this case, washing the discs will take about 15 seconds.

So, you have a purchased token, or the machine has already accepted your bills. You can start washing. Before you do this, familiarize yourself with the features.

Pre-wash. At this stage, the dirt is moistened. This is done using a soft jet, which avoids damaging the paintwork. Water your car evenly, preferably starting at the top. Be careful if your car is high enough not to lose control of the hose. During pre-wash, do not try to wash off all the dirt at once. The chemical elements contained in the water entering the hose during pre-wash should only soften the dirt. It is recommended to spend no more than a minute on this stage.
Main wash. This is the main stage during which hot water comes out of the gun along with foam. Evenly directing the flow of liquid onto the car body, clean it of already softened dirt. The main wash takes no more than two minutes. First, pay attention to the side of the body. Then wash the front and back, and then the rest.
Rinse. It is necessary to remove foam that has settled on the body. This stage takes no more than a minute. Rinsing is done using a specially filtered liquid.
Wax coating. This stage will help protect the car body from dirt, road dust and scattered chemicals. This stage takes no more than a minute.
Adding shine and drying. These are the final stages of car washing. The car is under pressure from a demineralized liquid containing substances that promote rapid drying of surfaces. They also have the function of protecting the paintwork and adding shine. This stage takes no more than two minutes. If you follow all these steps exactly, your car will be clean and shiny. It will also be protected from dirt and dust for a while. You should not save time on stages and skip them in order to achieve results.

So, you have figured out how to wash your car at a self-service car wash. The entire process, as mentioned above, takes on average about 10 minutes. But users of such sinks do not always have positive impressions. Many people complain that the hose has low pressure, and instead of foam comes water with a small soap content, and also that some modes do not function, or the content of chemically active substances in the liquid is insufficient.

This is caused by the inattention of those responsible for this service. However, sometimes there are car washes where the concentration of chemically active elements is controlled by the client. Some car enthusiasts even swap these options, which is not recommended.

Useful recommendations for users of self-service car washes

First of all, you shouldn’t swap options during washing and skip them. Be sure to read the rules of use the first time you visit a self-service car wash.

Relatively speaking, the whole process is divided into the application of car shampoo, supplied through a gun, and the process of removing this shampoo along with the dirt. Always follow this sequence.
Apply the liquid evenly to the surface of the car. If the body is heavily soiled locally, pay more attention to the contaminated area. It is recommended to always start from the sides.
Maintain a distance between the fluid supply hose and the vehicle body. The liquid is always supplied under strong pressure. Thus, if you point the gun at a right angle and close the distance, the liquid can knock out the glass. The recommended distance is from 25 to 35 centimeters.
Treat areas where dust and dried dirt accumulate with foam (read about how to make). Most often these are seams, rear view mirrors, glass and fender liners.
Do not insert large bills into the machine. Funds can be added at any time. To get started, deposit from 50 to 100 rubles. Next, wait a while while the car is rinsed with liquid and foam. This will allow it to penetrate deeper into the layer of dirt. If you deposit more money, it may be lost due to haste. If the car is still soaking in foam, you can spend time washing the mats.
In summer, in sunny weather, you should not bring a “hot” car directly to the wash. It's better to let it cool down a bit. This applies to any type of car washing.
Keep track of the remaining time in order to correctly distribute it between functions and not waste money on prolonging the procedure. If there is not enough time, you can add funds and the time will increase.
When making your first deposit, do not deposit more than one hundred rubles.
Switch between modes yourself as needed. A standard washing program may take longer than usual. You can avoid spending extra money by switching between modes wisely.
Deposit additional funds only after time has passed.

By following these instructions, you will be able to realize the main useful properties of a self-service car wash - low cost and speed.

conclusions

A self-service car wash will be useful for people who save time and money and prefer to take care of their car themselves, with minimal access to other people. In addition, a self-service car wash will allow you to avoid wasting time in queues that usually occur at car washes with staff. And yet, such a service is not suitable for every car owner.

For 4 years now, Grodno motorists have been using the services of self-service car washes. However, many Grodno residents still do not wash their cars effectively: they spend extra money and do not achieve the desired result. And this is even though the operators give tips at almost every car wash.

In the example given, only the red part of the flag burned out, while the black and green colors retained their intensity. From this we can conclude that low-quality red paint was applied to the license plate, which simply faded in the sun, says Nikita. - For me, my own car is always an argument. My Honda CR-V has been washed at this car wash over 400 times. I owned it for 1.5 years and washed it every two days. The condition of her body has not deteriorated at all. The Volvo CX60 from this test has been regularly washed in the same way for over a year.

If you have any questions, ask directly in the comments under the material, a specialist will answer everyone.

For many, days off are associated not only with rest after a busy workday. On weekends, many people go by car to a car wash or to a place where they can wash the car themselves. Unfortunately, most car owners wash their cars not so much to maintain their ideal condition, but rather simply for themselves. After all, a clean car gives many car owners a certain psychological feeling of satisfaction. Of course overall, it's definitely good if you. By washing your car frequently, you maintain its appearance for a long time. But such frequent car washing does not always lead to a positive effect, especially if you do not know and do not follow certain rules at the car wash. We offer you our answers to certain and frequently asked questions that relate specifically to washing a vehicle.

When should you wash your car?

Wrong .- You need to wait until a sufficient layer of dirt forms on the car body, and this is not at all the case. The most dangerous thing here is that you delay washing the car, since contamination from bird droppings or deposited road reagents may form on the car body. It is these contaminants that can spoil the protective coating of the paint layer of the car body, which may subsequently result in the repainting of a certain part of the car body.

Attention! Contamination of the car body with bird droppings, even for a short time, can cause damage to the car body coating. As a result, in the future you may need, at a minimum, grinding and polishing the elements of the body parts.

Right .- Any dangerous particles that have formed on the car must be washed off as soon as possible, i.e. delete. Wash your car at least once a week by waxing the body. This way you will protect the car body as much as possible from various unnecessary contaminants.

If there is a chemical plant in your area that emits heavy chemical elements into the atmosphere, then be sure to wash your car 2 times a week, since some chemical elements in industrial areas of a city or village can damage the paintwork of a car body in a fairly short time. In addition, in the winter season, the vehicle must be washed as often as in the first case, since on almost all the roads of our country you can see with your own eyes a certain content of chemical de-icing reagents, which in a fairly short time can damage the varnish layer on the car .

What products should be used to wash the car?

Wrong .- Many drivers, out of ignorance, often use household cleaning products, which of course is absolutely forbidden to do. For example, under no circumstances use simple laundry soap or dishwashing detergent to wash your car, as well as various chemicals for cleaning glass in the house.

Right .- Remember. You need and definitely need one, which was specially designed for automatic car washes. This shampoo has a special chemical composition that does not at all affect the paintwork of the car body. When washing your car, try to use a sponge made from natural materials. Make sure that the sponge has enough foam to apply shampoo to the car body.

Very often, hard-to-remove dirt forms inside the wheels, which must be removed. You won’t be able to wash off such carbon deposits on wheels with a simple car shampoo. This procedure may require special chemicals, which can be purchased at any store in the auto cosmetics department. To remove such contamination, try to use a soft, non-abrasive cloth.

When cleaning tires and wheels, use a separate sponge or rag, as these elements of the car may be contaminated with sand, contain dust and other small grains of dirt from the brake pads, which can damage the paintwork of the car body when washing the car body with one sponge.

If hard-to-remove dust is not completely removed from the wheel rims due to difficult accessibility, then use a vacuum cleaner to do this and collect any remaining dirt from the rims.

Are there general recommendations that must be followed when washing a car?

Wrong .- You cannot wash your car right away after you have turned it off. Also, if your car has been parked for a long time in direct sunlight, then it is not recommended to start washing the body immediately. Remember that a heated car speeds up drying, which can affect the quality of the wash. If you do not follow these correct conditions for cleaning and washing your car, then stains may remain on the body.

When washing the car body, try not to rotate the sponge or rag in a circle. With this type of washing, there is always a possibility that after all this, stains will remain on the car body. Instead, try to move the sponge along the entire body, for example from the hood to the trunk. If a sponge or rag falls on the ground or concrete, then under no circumstances continue to wash the car until you have rinsed the sponge from dust and dirt in water, because without rinsing it can scratch the varnish layer on the car body.

Right .- Before you start washing the car, thoroughly rinse the entire surface of the car body with water and remove any accumulated dirt and dust from it, which may cause damage to the coating of the car body itself during further washing. Divide the car body mentally into several stages of washing, focusing separately on each element of the body. First, wash the fender, then the front and rear doors of the car, and then the rear fender and trunk with the rear lights of the car. Repeat the same steps on the other side of the machine. This way you will ensure that your washing actions are cyclical and correct. While you are soaping the next element of the car body, the previous element will dry.

If you use a special car wash to wash the body, then immediately make sure that when applying shampoo to the body parts, enough soap foam is formed. But if you even use some special equipment for this procedure, then we advise you to clean hard-to-reach places of the car, still use the same sponge, which will best cope with this task.

When washing off foam from a car using a special car wash, try not to use the nozzle. Remove it and use a simple hose to rinse the shampoo off the body. Start pouring water on the car from the top. Without a nozzle, the water pressure will be low, which will ensure that the body retains its protective film after washing.

How to dry a car after washing it?

Wrong .- Some car owners, after washing their cars, prefer to simply leave the car outside so that it can dry on its own in the open air. This should under no circumstances be done and is categorically not recommended, since after drying the water will leave stains and traces of drops on the car body.

Right .- Immediately after washing, you need to dry the car body using pieces of microfiber cloth made from natural suede. To completely dry the car, you can also prepare special towels that are designed for wiping the body. Use more than one rag, as one rag will get wet too quickly and will leave streaks on the car body. This drying process can be accelerated by using a mop with a rubber attachment, with which you can quickly remove most of the remaining water from the body of your car.

"E If you don’t want to wash your car yourself and are used to washing it at a specialized car wash, this does not mean that our advice will never be useful to you. The point here is this. The car wash workers themselves will not take much care of the paintwork of your car, which means they will often use dirty sponges and rags to wash the car, which are clogged with small particles of sand and dirt residues, which will certainly harm the coating of the car body."

Therefore, we advise every motorist to come to the car wash only with your own sponges and rags, which you will give to the car wash workers. Also, please do not leave your car unattended, supervise the entire process of cleaning and washing the car personally. This way, you can ensure that car wash workers act correctly and prevent unnecessary damage to the paintwork on the car body.

If necessary, use all our tips to control car wash workers. If you notice that the car washer is doing something wrong and wrong, then do not be afraid to tell him about it directly, this will ensure that you approach this procedure correctly.

You can't wait until the paint becomes visible. The machine must be washed immediately after contamination (bird droppings or paint drops) appears.

If you wait until a sufficient layer of dirt forms on the body, you can ruin the protective coating of the car, which will lead to repainting the entire car.

How to wash a car? A question that interests many motorists. To do this, you must follow certain rules, because even frequent washing does not always lead to a positive result.

We take care of the coating

The paintwork of a car is very easy to damage if the procedure is carried out incorrectly on a regular basis.

Every owner should read the information on how to properly wash a car. After all, not only the cleanliness of the body, but the safety of parts depends on this.

How to properly wash your car yourself to preserve the paintwork:

First you need to knock off a layer of dust. Do this (with a special machine for washing cars or with a hose for watering plants). The pressure must be strong so that everything is removed. If you go over the body with a rag and carry out preliminary cleaning with a bucket of water, you will not achieve the same result as when using a Karcher.
After the main dust has been knocked down, it is necessary to apply a bird droppings remover. It cannot be scraped off the body with sharp objects; it can leave scratches and more serious damage. If bird droppings are not removed for a long time, this can cause the paint to discolor and the film to dissolve. In addition, cracking, blistering and swelling of the paintwork may occur. You can remove it with the following means: WD-40, isopropyl alcohol and water (1:1 proportions), Mr.Muscle. You can remove bird droppings with Coca-Cola or special body cleaners to remove traces of insects.

This manual pre-cleaning will preserve the paintwork. As a result, the car is easier to clean with soapy liquid, and due to the removal of small particles of dust and sand, conditions for corrosion are not created.

Frequency

How often should you wash your car? It's hard to find a car owner who doesn't take care of it. You shouldn't wash your car too often. It is enough to visit a car wash once a week or carry out the procedure yourself.

Is it possible to wash a car in winter?

In winter, it is necessary to resort to this procedure less often. If the garage does not allow you to wash the car yourself, then it is better to go to. The procedure cannot be carried out outside, because the water may freeze before it has time to drain.

On sunny days, you can wash your car outside, but in the shade. In the sun, the detergent will dry out faster and streaks will appear.

The frequency of car washing depends on the degree of contamination. If the body is relatively clean, you can carry out the procedure once every 2 weeks, but if it gets dirty quickly, then once a week.

Be sure to wash car after rain or if there is bird droppings.

Chemistry selection

You can only wash your car at home using special cleaning products. It is not recommended to use regular hair shampoos, dish gel and other products.

What is better and can I wash it? Unknowingly, owners often use car products that should not be used in reality.

Household chemicals for toilets, bathtubs, sinks, pipes and other things cannot be used on a car.

So what to wash with? What cleaning agent should be used to avoid damaging the coating and get the desired result?

It is better to wash the car with a special car shampoo. Such products contain a special chemical composition, it will clean well and will not deteriorate the paintwork.

with polishing effect 4 in 1 Dannev;
with Shell Wax Shampoo;
strawberry scent SAPFIRE;
for touchless car wash Karcher;
with SAPFIRE anticorrosive.

There are many other cleaning products available. Select based on personal preferences (cost, hand washing or using a Karcher car, volume, consumption).

It doesn’t matter what procedure is carried out contactless or manual. Any manipulation is good if done correctly.

The process itself

You can wash your car without streaks if you do it in the shade using special detergents.

Prepare all the materials and tools for the car so you don’t have to run around and search during the process.

Do not begin manipulation until the body has cooled down.

If there is no special shampoo in the house, you can use liquid soap or laundry soap once. But they should not be used too often.

How to properly wash cars:

Take a container, fill it with water and the required amount of detergent (read the instructions on the package).
Close all the windows in the car and remove the antenna.
After preliminary cleaning, proceed to the procedure. Use rags, a sponge, but not a brush. If you use a brush, it may leave scratches or lint on the body.
It is necessary to wash from top to bottom, touching all places, including. The wheels are cleaned last. They also accumulate a lot of dirt.
Wash the car with detergent in a circular motion. First, we soap one area and rinse it with water, then another, and so on until the entire body shines.
The sponge must be rinsed in water more often to avoid spreading dirt.
Then you need to apply detergent again to the entire body. When the car is completely soaped, start rinsing off the foam.