Wash car yourself or take to car wash?

[mustang1]

This morning I saw a rather filthy car. I figured the guy is too busy to wash it so he should take it to the car wash centre.

But then I thought you have to drive there, wait in a queue, wait for the wash/dry/vacuum, then drive home. Probably takes only a little more time washing yourself but at the car centre you could make phone calls, mobile working, whatever it is he does.

How do you get your car washed:
Yourself or outside or one of those mobile services? Or any of them (which is what I do)?

 

[Slick]

I must admit, for the sake of a few quid, I go to the local boys who do a sterling job. I do feel lazy, but there's other things I'd rather be doing so I just drop in on the way past from time to time.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Twice a year when it gets a serviced at the main dealer. Just to clarify; the dealer washes it, I don't.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I take mine to the chaps at the local car wash, where I get an NHS discount.

Do you ensure they are filing their tax returns correctly with their cash only model?

Now understand why you're not supporting Brexit otherwise who would wash you car [Do we have a joke smiley?]

 

[MikeG]

Classic false dichotomy

Wash the car? What sort of crazy idea is that?

 

[I like Skol]

Wash my [wife's] car by hand on the drive. This is an opportunity to check over a few things and spot any problems before they become a problem. If I let her have her way and take it to a car wash then who/when would the tyre pressures/tread get checked, lights tested, oil level checked, screenwash topped up, etc. These are all part of the responsibility of car use/ownership and far too many people deem it below them or not their job which leads to unsafe and unroadworthy cars being on the road.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Classic false dichotomy

Wash the car? What sort of crazy idea is that?

^This. We've even paid the guys in the car park at Sainsbury's, on our rare visits, and told them not to wash it.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Wash my [wife's] car by hand on the drive. This is an opportunity to check over a few things and spot any problems before they become a problem. If I let her have her way and take it to a car wash then who/when would the tyre pressures/tread get checked, lights tested, oil level checked, screenwash topped up, etc. These are all part of the responsibility of car use/ownership and far too many people deem it below them or not their job which leads to unsafe and unroadworthy cars being on the road.

Is there some reason the little woman is unable to check these things herself? My doris manages to do so, though I had to mansplain it to her several times.

 

[Globalti]

Almost always wash it myself unless it's dirty and I'm going from the office to the station or the airport to meet overseas business visitors, in which case I drop in at the local Kurdish immigrant slave labour place. The guys there are very friendly.

However they finish the car with a hydrophobic polymer wash, which makes it look shiny but actually deposits a thin layer on the bodywork including the windows, making it impossible to get the glass really clean. I worked as a showroom valet when I was a student so I'm very fussy.

Washing myself gives me a good little arm and shoulder workout and burns off a few calories and while I'm out the front, neighbours walk past and I can stop for a gossip. It's also considerably cheaper than the slavery place; the bucket of hot water costs about 20p and mains water for the rinse costs about £0.016 a litre, which makes you realise how much bottled water is a rip off. While washing I also vac the inside, wipe the door shuts and wipe the insides of the windows with a slightly damp cloth to remove the build up of plasticiser film. People sometimes comment that my car looks like new.

 

[Rooster1]

I love my car and love washing it by hand

 

[I like Skol]

Is there some reason the little woman is unable to check these things herself? My doris manages to do so, though I had to mansplain it to her several times.

She could do it, but I enjoy it and the way we have divied up the responsibilities she does other things in that time that I don't need to try to squeeze into my crammed head

 

[Dirk]

Mine goes through the local car wash twice a year, whether it needs it or not.

 

[numbnuts]

Wash myself, the day I can't I'll give up driving

 

[Levo-Lon]

I love cleaning the car and van..and my bikes.
I find it relaxing on a nice Sunday morning..wife in bed and I am an early bird so car clean it is..
I stopped using the slave Labour car wash a few years ago , as I find them a wasteful shameless setup..
I do occasionally use the garage car wash if it's filthy and dark..winter etc

 

[Globalti]

Those Polish or Kurdish guys are slaves; if they arrived with a passport it was taken off them and they work for peanuts. How do you think the owners keep the prices so low?