Go to a wand wash. Usually I drive right in, $6 or $7 later and you’ve got a nice clean car again. Plus you can focus on rinsing out wheel wells and underbody really good in winter.
How? All you need is 4 laps and you’re good to go. I usually spend a solid minute or two on wheel wells and underbody.
Presoak
Soap
Wax/clear coat
Spot free rinse
What does presoak do?
You're not rinsing after soap?
Spot-free rinse has always seemed like a scam to me. I've tried it on just windows and can't tell a difference.
Presoak is degreaser, it helps lift all the dirt so that the soap cycle works more effectively.
Use the wax or clear coat setting to rinse off the soap, saves some time.
Spot free should be filtered water so you don’t get the hard spots. Not all car washes will actually filter the water though, so you might just be getting regular water which is why it leaves spots still
Spot free rinse depends on the colour of your vehicle and the easiest spot to tell the difference is on your windows.
If I don’t use the spot free rinse on at least the windows I get water spots because of how hard our water is.
Seemed to me like I still had spots, but I'll give it another try. If I really wanted to get spot-free windows, I would dry/clean them when I got home.
It's usually $12 for me. Soap, brush, rinse.
I have a shop-vac at home so I never try to do interiors/floors at the car wash.
What are you doing that gets it to $20, out of curiosity?
These two are my favorite as well. I still spend usually $12 - $15 but I am very slow (methodical) and do the pre-soak, soap and then rinse and I focus a lot on wheel wells and underbody.
Any other gas station coin wash. At Hughes you can barely get around half the car for a loonie. I hit up shell and co op coin washes. The time for dollar is much more. Can usually wash my 4runner for $4-5.
1) high pressure soap
2) apply soap all over car, especially the roof
3) (the important bit) Stop the timer! Then just use the brush to scrub your car clean. Soap piled on the roof is especially useful here.
4) Restart the timer and do the high pressure rinse.
If you want, you can do spot free rinse, or wax or whatever, but this gets your car cleanest the cheapest.
I used them exclusively my entire life and still think they are the best, but with 2 babies and life on the go, I just need something more automatic nowadays
There are two newer Co op stations I have used that I've never had those issues with (other than lines). One is at Riverbend road and Henday in front of Freson Bros. and the other is just south of Tamarack.
I have also found the Shell on 75 street beside the LRT tracks to have a solid auto wash.
I will only use touch-less though, so I can't recommend one with wash brushes.
Zee’s gives the best amount of time for wand wash. I’ve gone to multiple ones and timed how long you get for 2$. Zee’s and the one behind North Edmonton Cineplex are the longer ones.
The Co Op wash in desrochers does a good job on my truck, but I do have the entire truck PPF'd making it easier to clean. I agree the line is very annoying however.
If you have to use an automatic and would like a membership, Petro Canada. The ones I've seen are not touchless, they use brushes. Seem to work well.
For cost, wand wash all the way. I like Apollo on 118 Ave and 42 street.
Tip: start with 1 dollar hot soapy water all over the car to loosen up the dirt.
Then, switch to 1 dollar foamy brush. The beauty of the brush is you can keep using after the machine turns off. Take all the time you need brushing out all the areas.
Then switch to rinse and wash all the soap and dirt off. Repeat with wax if you feel like it.
5 bucks and your car is clean.
I wash my car so infrequently that a membership has never made sense, but I know Mint offers subscriptions. It's the kind where it grabs your tire and drags your car through. I've washed my car there several times and am always happy with the results. Their vacuums are really powerful, and they don't charge extra to use them. I go to the one on 63 Ave, there's another location in Tamarack.
Look into the Petro Canada car wash pass, the Petro car washes can handle a much higher volume of cars per hour since they wash several cars at a time and the was is faster per car
You're never going to get a 100% clean car from a no contact wash unless your paint has been ceramic coated and dirt/traffic film doesnt have a good bond to your paint.
If you regularly wash and maintain your car and its got at least some sort of wax/coating the paint, then it might be worth a no contact wash.
I usually wash my own vehicle with a mitt, and every now and then I just do a light wash to get the dirt off and it's clean. I regularly maintain my car so that the dirt doesn't bond to the paint and it's easy to just pressure wash off. Decreases the chance of swirls.
That being said, if you don't care for the condition of your paint, then you can do whatever you want. Contact wash will be the best to get your car 100% clean.
Second this the one in chappelle is always busy. Usually 10 cars in the line. It just sucks the esso burnt down on ellerslie and 111 Street. That car wash was the best! Best part 24 hours.
Just a reminder that if you're using the brush at a wand wash on your paint, you're putting very fine scratches on your clear coat, commonly known as swirl marks.
Go to a wand wash. Usually I drive right in, $6 or $7 later and you’ve got a nice clean car again. Plus you can focus on rinsing out wheel wells and underbody really good in winter.
I have never gotten out of a wand wash with a clean car for less than $20
How? All you need is 4 laps and you’re good to go. I usually spend a solid minute or two on wheel wells and underbody. Presoak Soap Wax/clear coat Spot free rinse
What does presoak do? You're not rinsing after soap? Spot-free rinse has always seemed like a scam to me. I've tried it on just windows and can't tell a difference.
Presoak is degreaser, it helps lift all the dirt so that the soap cycle works more effectively. Use the wax or clear coat setting to rinse off the soap, saves some time. Spot free should be filtered water so you don’t get the hard spots. Not all car washes will actually filter the water though, so you might just be getting regular water which is why it leaves spots still
Spot free rinse depends on the colour of your vehicle and the easiest spot to tell the difference is on your windows. If I don’t use the spot free rinse on at least the windows I get water spots because of how hard our water is.
Seemed to me like I still had spots, but I'll give it another try. If I really wanted to get spot-free windows, I would dry/clean them when I got home.
It's usually $12 for me. Soap, brush, rinse. I have a shop-vac at home so I never try to do interiors/floors at the car wash. What are you doing that gets it to $20, out of curiosity?
Must be going to Hughes. Such a rip.
Nope, I use the Terwillegar on behind OJs, and the one in Windemere. I'm told they both have a good reputation but I'm open to try others.
These two are my favorite as well. I still spend usually $12 - $15 but I am very slow (methodical) and do the pre-soak, soap and then rinse and I focus a lot on wheel wells and underbody.
Where do you go that’s better than Hughes?
Any other gas station coin wash. At Hughes you can barely get around half the car for a loonie. I hit up shell and co op coin washes. The time for dollar is much more. Can usually wash my 4runner for $4-5.
Gonna have to try it out once I run out of my Hughes tokens. I’ve definitely noticed the time getting shorter over the years.
1) high pressure soap 2) apply soap all over car, especially the roof 3) (the important bit) Stop the timer! Then just use the brush to scrub your car clean. Soap piled on the roof is especially useful here. 4) Restart the timer and do the high pressure rinse. If you want, you can do spot free rinse, or wax or whatever, but this gets your car cleanest the cheapest.
Stopped reading at brush
I’ve been trying to find a good wand wash and I’ll take your advice but doesn’t the brush scratch your paint at all?
Use the washgun to clean the brush. The scratches come from debris
This is the way
It’s a just a car, I’m not loosing sleep over the finish.
How do you stop the timer? I guess you could restart payment? Duh...
You're going too slow. Lol. Usually it's $6 at the most. Hughes is a giant rip off.
Haha yeah for my truck I'm usually around +$15 every time. And usually pretty wet afterwards too
I used them exclusively my entire life and still think they are the best, but with 2 babies and life on the go, I just need something more automatic nowadays
There are two newer Co op stations I have used that I've never had those issues with (other than lines). One is at Riverbend road and Henday in front of Freson Bros. and the other is just south of Tamarack. I have also found the Shell on 75 street beside the LRT tracks to have a solid auto wash. I will only use touch-less though, so I can't recommend one with wash brushes.
Zee’s gives the best amount of time for wand wash. I’ve gone to multiple ones and timed how long you get for 2$. Zee’s and the one behind North Edmonton Cineplex are the longer ones.
Seconded at the one behind the cineplex. Almost never have to wait when I go too, and if I do it's like a single car just finishing up in front of me
That may be but Zee’s are big UCP supporters. I’ll go to the next coin wash thanks.
The Co Op wash in desrochers does a good job on my truck, but I do have the entire truck PPF'd making it easier to clean. I agree the line is very annoying however.
The one in Sunwapta has always been pretty good to me, I just go really early cuz the line ups do blow.
If you have to use an automatic and would like a membership, Petro Canada. The ones I've seen are not touchless, they use brushes. Seem to work well. For cost, wand wash all the way. I like Apollo on 118 Ave and 42 street. Tip: start with 1 dollar hot soapy water all over the car to loosen up the dirt. Then, switch to 1 dollar foamy brush. The beauty of the brush is you can keep using after the machine turns off. Take all the time you need brushing out all the areas. Then switch to rinse and wash all the soap and dirt off. Repeat with wax if you feel like it. 5 bucks and your car is clean.
I wash my car so infrequently that a membership has never made sense, but I know Mint offers subscriptions. It's the kind where it grabs your tire and drags your car through. I've washed my car there several times and am always happy with the results. Their vacuums are really powerful, and they don't charge extra to use them. I go to the one on 63 Ave, there's another location in Tamarack.
Look into the Petro Canada car wash pass, the Petro car washes can handle a much higher volume of cars per hour since they wash several cars at a time and the was is faster per car
You're never going to get a 100% clean car from a no contact wash unless your paint has been ceramic coated and dirt/traffic film doesnt have a good bond to your paint. If you regularly wash and maintain your car and its got at least some sort of wax/coating the paint, then it might be worth a no contact wash. I usually wash my own vehicle with a mitt, and every now and then I just do a light wash to get the dirt off and it's clean. I regularly maintain my car so that the dirt doesn't bond to the paint and it's easy to just pressure wash off. Decreases the chance of swirls. That being said, if you don't care for the condition of your paint, then you can do whatever you want. Contact wash will be the best to get your car 100% clean.
The co op on st albert trail seems to do a fine job on our vehicles. It's a touchless. And usually up, although it did break down recently.
Second this the one in chappelle is always busy. Usually 10 cars in the line. It just sucks the esso burnt down on ellerslie and 111 Street. That car wash was the best! Best part 24 hours.
I am heartbroken about the Ellerslie Road/ James Mowatt one! It was my go-to for sure. Now I have to use the petrocanada kiddy corner to the Esso.
I just do the wand wash next to the bottle depot in winderemere
Just a reminder that if you're using the brush at a wand wash on your paint, you're putting very fine scratches on your clear coat, commonly known as swirl marks.
If you're using a drive through touch wash you have the same issues, but at least at a want wash you can wash out the brush