Wash car yourself or take to car wash?

[Andy in Germany]

Thankfully I don't own one, so I don't have to worry about it.

 

[Jody]

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?

The Polish guys graft their nutts off and I'm sure make a decent enough wage. I very much doubt their is any slavery element to people working in a car wash.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I've always washed cars/bikes myself. My wife gets hers done in the shopping centre whilst she shops. She doesn't like getting her hands wet (OCD thing).

I agree that doing it yourself is also a good way to check the condition of exterior things, but I guess many people now do not want to put time aside for dirty jobs.

 

[wheresthetorch]

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.

You must live in a very liberal neighbourhood!

 

[I like Skol]

So, within 2 pages we go from 'how do you wash your car?' to discussing the modern slavery problem and now a fight between forum members. Just like the good old days......

 

[biggs682]

Classic false dichotomy

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

Glad i am not alone in this

 

[mjr]

Glad i am not alone in this

It's only the mud holding the bodywork on...

Mostly we wash it, sometimes it goes to the bus company's washers, who I hope are fairly legit, being based just across the road from various local government offices, but they use some pretty funky chemicals so I prefer not to. Should I vote for the mostly or both?

 

[vickster]

I usually do it myself, which isn't often given how little I drive so she doesn't get especially dirty

The Skoda dealer also does it when Fiona has her annual service in August This is probably the only time she gets a hoover and a dust

 

[mjr]

I've recently fitted an add on HUD. Do car washers cleaning the interior generally avoid snagging the interior cables of such things where they jump the pillar (to get from the windscreen cable channel to the door frame one), or am I likely to end up refitting the cable?

 

[Mr Celine]

Washing them myself ensures it's done properly with all mud, salt etc hosed out of the rust traps. This also allows for an inspection of bodywork, tyre condition etc.

There was an accident a few years ago (in Wales I think) where four members of a cycling club were killed by a driver who was unaware that his tyres were dangerously worn.
Some of the above posts imply that basic car maintenance is either ignored or left to an annual service. I find this attitude appalling.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Washing them myself ensures it's done properly with all mud, salt etc hosed out of the rust traps. This also allows for an inspection of bodywork, tyre condition etc.

There was an accident a few years ago (in Wales I think) where four members of a cycling club were killed by a driver who was unaware that his tyres were dangerously worn.
Some of the above posts imply that basic car maintenance is either ignored or left to an annual service. I find this attitude appalling.

I hadn't thought of that. Here we (that is, people with cars) have to use summer and winter tyres so I suspect that helps keep the standard a bit better, as a garage will be quick to point out if tyres are substandard.

 

[mjr]

Washing them myself ensures it's done properly with all mud, salt etc hosed out of the rust traps. This also allows for an inspection of bodywork, tyre condition etc.

There was an accident a few years ago (in Wales I think) where four members of a cycling club were killed by a driver who was unaware that his tyres were dangerously worn.
Some of the above posts imply that basic car maintenance is either ignored or left to an annual service. I find this attitude appalling.

Yes, it's almost like we should have some sort of national organisation checking vehicles used in traffic between their compulsory periodic MoT checks and policing compliance. A sort of traffic police, if you will, properly resourced. I wonder if anyone's thought of that? It could definitely improve motoring behaviour.

 

[subaqua]

Classic false dichotomy

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

Correct answer . Windows are cleaned before I drive it , as are mirrors lights and number plates . The rest of it gets done by dealer at service time ... it don’t get mucky sat still ...

 

[mjr]

Correct answer . Windows are cleaned before I drive it , as are mirrors lights and number plates . The rest of it gets done by dealer at service time ... it don’t get mucky sat still ...

Yes it does. Sand/silt dropped on it from the sky in the fens. Used to get coated with salt in Somerset. Do your house windows never need cleaning?

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Mine gets washed two or three times a year. It's not viable to be that precious when you're sharing the roads round here with farm traffic and egotrucks. If I have time I do it myself. If not there's a hand wash in Barnsley that doesn't seem to use slaves so I think that's ok.
I manage to do all the checks without a wash being involved.