Power Wand Commercial Car washes questions

[rvx290]

I am wondering about some of the options @ car washes...

-The presoak, I have soaked my vehicle with normal high pressure soap & then gone around again & the dirt seems to come off the same. Is the presoak a waste of a buck?

-Rinse after wax, ( When spot free is not available) I have finished off with the wax & have never noticed a difference than if I would have rinsed after. Is it pointless to rinse after wax?

-I also am wondering if there is a difference between the tire cleaner & engine cleaner modes? (also if a vehicle is very dirty, can you spray the body with one or the other? or will it strip the wax?)

-Foam Brush question, if my vehicle is very dirty & I didnt get a chance to wash it in time, no matter how much I spray the vehicle (presoak or not) not all of it comes off, But I am scared of the foam brush leaving scratches, if the vehicle is soapy and wet, & you rub lightly with the foam brush, will it not scratch the paint? If it still will, how can you get off that etched in dirt/salt without damaging the paint? (These questions are coming from a guy who lives in the cold north without a garage, so in winter all my washes are done @ the carwash.)

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Power Wand Commercial Car washes questions

Perhaps one of our forum members with first hand knowledge will chime in or perhaps you can find a forum specifically geared toward automatic car washes.

[don63011]

Re: Power Wand Commercial Car washes questions

I took care of several self-serves for about 11 years although several years ago I don't think sthings have changed that much so maybe I can help. Presoak is a solvent base that is supposed to cut through the road film and used before the high pressure soap. Depending on the dirt on your car it is sometimes not necessary to use it. Rinse wax, I use it mainly to rinse after using the foam brush as it acts as a lubricant and makes the foam come off quicker especially if the foamiis shaving cream thick.. Tire cleaner-engine cleaner' where I worked engine cleaner was not used although pre-soak will do the same thing. Tire cleaner to achieve good results needs to be caustic the higher the pH the better. Since it is used in a public area it cannot be as strong as used at a tunnel wash. {The owner does not want to pay to have a customers car repainted because they covered their with tire cleaner} Foam brush- if the wash is a quality operation they will be using the same boar hair as sold by many detail suppliers. I prefer good thick foam but still wet enough to lubricate while using . I generally rinse the brush with hi press soap before use just in case. I livi in St.Louis and self serve in cold weather and hand wash in summer. Hopefully you have competent quality minded wash operators in your area. I go past two washes to get to the one I use because I don't like their operation. Hope I helped some .

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Power Wand Commercial Car washes questions

Thanks Don for chiming in!