# Hand car washes



## jamesgti (Aug 9, 2007)

I know we all hate them and moan about them but my god another 2 have just opened up in my town and thats to add to the 6 we had already, do we really need anymore?

Rant over!!!!!


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

think that's bad buddy we have three 100 meters apart from each other :wall:


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

shows theres demand for it..


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## RichyMa (Feb 8, 2013)

It's because they are so popular, and generally quite cheap. To somebody that isn't too fussed about there car I can see the appeal tbh


But your quite right, there are too many too close


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

I say lets go on a DW raid and stop them all for once and for all :thumb::thumb:

We can call the club the DW'S First A TEAM on a crusude mission to perserve cars paint and value


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## cmillsjoe (Jun 20, 2012)

Theres one in our town £3 they charge i took my mums car in because i was to lasy to clean and have to say they done a great job for the price . power washed then used a mitt to wash followed by a blade to dry for £3 if your not into cars you really cant beat it


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

jamesgti said:


> I know we all hate them and moan about them but my god another 2 have just opened up in my town and thats to add to the 6 we had already, do we really need anymore?
> 
> Rant over!!!!!


I don't either hate them or moan about them, I genuinely do not understand what the problem with Hand Car Washes is.


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## Alan H (Jun 28, 2009)

We've got several very close together around here too. For the vast majority they get a shiny car for a few quid. That's all they're interested in. When you start mentioning £15 for this £10 for that and start quoting what the professionals charge, people that use these "hand" car washes baulk at that amount of money.


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## dcj (Apr 17, 2009)

-Kev- said:


> shows theres demand for it..


Not really,the works just diluted down between them all. Its been proven where I live where theres one really busy one and 2 feeding off the scraps. The chap who supplies me used to make a fortune off one of them but what he used to make in a week now only makes in a month.


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## P.A.D (Jun 26, 2008)

jamesgti said:


> I know we all hate them and moan about them but my god another 2 have just opened up in my town and thats to add to the 6 we had already, do we really need anymore?
> 
> Rant over!!!!!


The market will determine if it's needed. If not they will go.

I personally cannot see a problem with a NORMAL person wanting there car cleaned. 
It's most of us that are not normal in this respect............:lol:


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## WashMitt (May 27, 2010)

P.A.D said:


> The market will determine if it's needed. If not they will go.
> 
> I personally cannot see a problem with a NORMAL person wanting there car cleaned.
> It's most of us that are not normal in this respect............:lol:


Exactly, I'd rather have them filling up the ridiculous amount of empty petrol stations we have in nottingham than have them sit there empty!!

At the end of the day it's people setting up small businesses and being enterprising what's the problem?


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

P.A.D said:


> The market will determine if it's needed. If not they will go.
> 
> I personally cannot see a problem with a NORMAL person wanting there car cleaned.
> It's most of us that are not normal in this respect............:lol:


. If there were only one for miles around then I guess the whingers would be moaning about a monopoly. The more there are the greater the competition, the strong will get stronger, the weak go to the wall.....market forces.


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## JwilliamsM (Dec 20, 2011)

the problem i have with them is that the whole point of their business is to clean cars, but when cleaning they damage the bodywork, causing swirls and what not.

if they used a method which minimised this like using fresh buckets/2bm/clean mitts after each car that would be a start. a bit like chefs and kitchens using different coloured boards for raw meat/chicken etc etc


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## P.A.D (Jun 26, 2008)

jayz_son said:


> the problem i have with them is that the whole point of their business is to clean cars, but when cleaning they damage the bodywork, causing swirls and what not.
> 
> if they used a method which minimised this like using fresh buckets/2bm/clean mitts after each car that would be a start. a bit like chefs and kitchens using different coloured boards for raw meat/chicken etc etc


More work for other guys in the chain of car cleaning,
car gers washed / scratched then gets taken to a local Valeter or Detailer to get sorted.

All good for local business.


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

jayz_son said:


> the problem i have with them is that the whole point of their business is to clean cars, but when cleaning they damage the bodywork, causing swirls and what not.
> 
> if they used a method which minimised this like using fresh buckets/2bm/clean mitts after each car that would be a start. a bit like chefs and kitchens using different coloured boards for raw meat/chicken etc etc


:lol: please tell me that analogy was just a joke.


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

There is a huge demand for it, it's easy and convenient for the owner of the driver, plus does not cost a fortune to them, the car's clean for very little money and most customers are more than happy with the outcome; they go once, they go twice and recommend the services to others and there after wards there business takes off from there.
For us it's a hobbie and interest, we all enjoy cleaning and testing new products and looking for the ultimate shine to our cars paint, but to teh normal user the servcie is more than adequate for them; some people find it too hard work to set the pressure washer up, fill the buckets and dry the car, takes too long when their car can be washed for £5.00 pounds and they do not need to do anything, does not cost a pennie for chemicals for them, there's a huge demand now and it's popular and will be from year to year, sooner or later there will be more car wash places than before, which means competition and price will be a factor plus the performance of the wash from the car wash garage; and the car supermarket washes the brush type ones, later might be finished all together, have a feeling there will more American style ones later on eh future which might have a impact on the local 5 pound car washes, just my 2 pence on here; what do you guys think, would be keen to know :thumb:


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

jayz_son said:


> the problem i have with them is that the whole point of their business is to clean cars, but when cleaning they damage the bodywork, causing swirls and what not.
> 
> if they used a method which minimised this like using fresh buckets/2bm/clean mitts after each car that would be a start. a bit like chefs and kitchens using different coloured boards for raw meat/chicken etc etc


They are not cleaning your car, so I don't see why you have a problem with them, the claims of damage are unfounded.

You could start an outfit and choose a method which minimises your claims, and make lots of £££s surely?
But if you are honest with yourself, there is a 99% chance you would be out of custom in less than a month.


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2013)

jayz_son said:


> the problem i have with them is that the whole point of their business is to clean cars, but when cleaning they damage the bodywork, causing swirls and what not.
> 
> if they used a method which minimised this like using fresh buckets/2bm/clean mitts after each car that would be a start. a bit like chefs and kitchens using different coloured boards for raw meat/chicken etc etc


I see what your saying but even if one of these washer places brought this method in, people still would go to the £2 cheaper one up the road. These places I believe will always be in business until the country financially improves.

People that have money will go to a detailer generally. Or people that have been educated by a detailer may consider taking more pride in there car, therefore giving the big boys a go. It's a sad world but unfortunately it's like HMW going down, mainly because people buy music online nowadays much cheaper. Everything is to do with price now. People may disagree but the rich will get richer and the poor will only get poorer. (To a certain degree of course)


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## Jamie-V6 (Jan 13, 2013)

They are my biggest pet hate!!


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## WashMitt (May 27, 2010)

Avanti said:


> They are not cleaning your car, so I don't see why you have a problem with them, the claims of damage are unfounded.
> 
> You could start an outfit and choose a method which minimises your claims, and make lots of £££s surely?
> But if you are honest with yourself, there is a 99% chance you would be out of custom in less than a month.


Yup, makes me laugh all these people moaning at car washes, 'foreign this and Polish that' if it offends everyone so much get your overalls on in the middle of winter and work your ars* off starting and running a business.

I tell you this for one, you'd never catch me out there in this weather all day washing someone else car for a fiver.

I think the thing to remember is swirls are acceptable for most now days so to the average paying customer they ARNT inflicting damage, my friend runs one of these locally (he's Albanian) and although I wouldn't let them wash my car they are relatively safe and use washmitts, ect, but they do use drying blades and chamois hence why they don't do mine.

However during the really cold weather and snow I went up and used their facilities to jet the car off, for £2 they let me have a bay and a jet wash for ten mins just to clear the snow and salt from the car.


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

Jamie-V6 said:


> They are my biggest pet hate!!


Perhaps you can explain why.


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## P.A.D (Jun 26, 2008)

WashMitt said:


> Yup, makes me laugh all these people moaning at car washes, 'foreign this and Polish that' if it offends everyone so much get your overalls on in the middle of winter and work your ars* off starting and running a business.
> 
> I tell you this for one, you'd never catch me out there in this weather all day washing someone else car for a fiver.
> 
> ...


That's great dude. way forward with these places...........:thumb:

If you want to do it yourself use the bay, If not pay your money and sit in your car and let someone else freeze there fingers off.


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

fair play to them if we all and a say that loosely had there work ethic our country would be in a better place than it already is,however i do my own so don't visit them.
It just makes me laugh that theres three 100 meters apart must be under cutting each other


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## furby-123 (Dec 3, 2011)

they are just men trying to make a living, i know most on here moan about them but at the end of the day its a business with low start up costs and thats why its popular to set up, they make their money by getting them in and out, and most people just want a clean car,


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## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

I dont have an issue with these places, there is a need for them so why not run a 'legitimate' business that earns and pays tax back into the economy etc, OK, I know people will say some of them arent fully legit etc, but we only have two round my way and both of them 'appear' to be run in the correct manner, one is run by a local woman and employs plenty of staff, and they have really gone for it business wise, what used to be the shop in the old petrol station they use they have converted into a cafe, so not only are you getting your car cleaned you can also have a breakfast for a fiver too, they also have a barber and nail centre onsite too, so for many people its a one stop for those things if thats what you want, but fair play to the business they have a prime point in the town it is always busy and they must make a very good living out of it, the other one a bit further down the road is a smaller type of business and hasnt been open long 12 months or so, but this place seems to have better cleaning practices.

I have only used the second one I have mentioned, purely because we were going away on holiday and I wanted a clean car, the car was being traded in after holiday so I wasnt bothered, the day I had them do it the weather was sweltering so there was no way I was getting all the gear out, so for tenner, I had a snowfoam type pre-wash and pressure washed off, then a shampoo wash with a mitt, then a blower dryer thing, then a good hoover including mats removed and under the seats, inetrior was washed and they didnt use spray dressing as I requested they didnt, then QD style wipe down on the exterior and the wheels dried and QD wiped down and tyres dressed, and door shuts and jambs cleaned and that was a tenner, as they had about 5 people work on it, it was done in about 20 mins or so, and being honest the car was clean, OK, it wasnt like if I had done it, but for what I paid it was OK, and I checked the car for swirls afterwards and yes they had been added to but not by much.

I can fully understand why people that have busy lives and who dont see car cleaning as important will happily pay a tenner on a Sunday morning to have a car cleaned to a relatively good standard, no issue from me.

However, us as enthusiast cleaners just dont always see it, as others have mentioned we are always on the lookout for the deeper shine, the better beading, the best tyre dressing etc and thats just us.


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## T.D.K (Mar 16, 2011)

My dad took his Audi to one last weekend. £1.99 for a wash and dry. 

First stage is a guy spraying a watery solution on the alloys and bottom half of the car, then the car goes into a automatic car wash. I viewed the results after, not bad to be fair, the paintwork was clean but the alloys still had a little bit of brake dust still present. 

God knows how many scratches the process put on the car but my dad was happy.


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## GSiMrG (Feb 14, 2012)

I want to own one!!


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## bbdp (Mar 21, 2012)

I've used a place local to me a few times and only after scoping them out in advance (almost stalking). They do a very thorough job and the cleaning practises are very good. 
But on the flip side i have seen some shockers out there so my opinion is that if you have to use them you should check them out before hand otherwise you could end up with a damaged vehicle!


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## dcj (Apr 17, 2009)

furby-123 said:


> they are just men trying to make a living, i know most on here moan about them but at the end of the day its a business with low start up costs and thats why its popular to set up, they make their money by getting them in and out, and most people just want a clean car,


Low start up costs?! The one nearest to me was bought for £100,000 plus they had to have the fuel reservoir removed for an extra £50,000. The rented ones are £500 plus per month. IIRC Mat from Aspire to Detail looked at one close to us near Alfreton and that was £1000 per month. 
A friend of mine asked if I,d be interested in setting up an English car wash (ie no foreign labour) and I pointed out that the only way you could make any money is by employing foreign labour.


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

jayz_son said:


> the problem i have with them is that the whole point of their business is to clean cars, but when cleaning they damage the bodywork, causing swirls and what not.
> 
> if they used a method which minimised this like using fresh buckets/2bm/clean mitts after each car that would be a start. a bit like chefs and kitchens using different coloured boards for raw meat/chicken etc etc


That's the biggest load of crap I've read in ages... :lol:

You do actually realise, each time you clean your car, you inflict damage? Or hadn't you realised that....

I don't particular like them or dislike them but, find a good one, and yes, they are out there, then, for FFS, what's the problem?

From a personal point of view, my car has to be clean each day, and it gets cleaned each day. If I've not got time to clean it myself, and, TBH, I prefer to clean it myself, then a hand car wash it is, but, one that I trust 100%.

And I have 3 that I 100% trust.


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## Jord (Apr 3, 2012)

Never used one, never will.

If people want to use them then that's fine, 99% of people are happy with a clean car and don't know about the damage they cause.

'We' are the strange ones after all, taking care of our prized possessions and that


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## JakeWhite (Oct 14, 2011)

I will admit they used to annoy me a bit but at the end of the day they're like the rest of us, making a living. Now even though I wouldn't use one, if I didn't know/care about swirls, machine polishing, 2bm etc etc then I most likely would use one. As others have said, they can actually create work for detailers and valeters. In this respect they *could* actually be a crucial part of someone else's business, as in customer goes to car wash, sees the scratches and swirls etc then contact a local valeter/detailer to remove them. But, if everyone knew the ins and outs of 'proper' car care, then they'd all do it themselves and wouldn't have much call for valeters/detailers so these car wash places are good for the valeting/detailing economy in some ways.


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## VdoubleU (Oct 15, 2012)

For most normal people they probably do a better job than they would. Seen as every one on my road who cleans their own car uses a brush and fairy liquid :lol:


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## DJ X-Ray (Sep 2, 2012)

They don't bother me tbh.There's two on the high road near me and they're always busy.Live and let live's always my phillosophy.


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## JwilliamsM (Dec 20, 2011)

neilos said:


> That's the biggest load of crap I've read in ages... :lol:
> 
> You do actually realise, each time you clean your car, you inflict damage? Or hadn't you realised that
> And I have 3 that I 100% trust.


Thanks for pointing that out to me im never going to wash it again now


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

jayz_son said:


> Thanks for pointing that out to me im never going to wash it again now


 you're welcome fella....


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## JwilliamsM (Dec 20, 2011)

neilos said:


> you're welcome fella....


Anyone wanna buy a wrecked m3?


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

neilos said:


> From a personal point of view, my car has to be clean each day, and it gets cleaned each day. If I've not got time to clean it myself, and, TBH, I prefer to clean it myself, then a hand car wash it is, but, one that I trust 100%.
> 
> And I have 3 that I 100% trust.


Out of interest what line of work are you in that requires your car clean everyday?

I cant think of many that its a must...


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

Who cares what other people do with their cars..... The fact its getting cleaned and they are happy should be enough. 

The fact the car washes practices is probably better than 70-80% of regular car owners tells me they might be inflicting less damage by taking it there.... but it hardly effects me.

The fact both my local jet washes are constantly sh*t up with mud is of more a concern to me though.....


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## Samh92 (Aug 30, 2012)

jayz_son said:


> Anyone wanna buy a wrecked m3?


Over here:wave:


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## alan hanson (May 21, 2008)

fail to see what business it is of peoples what other peeps do with their cars in this respect or how others earn? because we are on a detailing site forum does it give us the right to say they shouldnt exist etc........... im pretty sure theres a lot of things i do in life which others would shake their head at and say theres a better way but thats life.

If you had set a detailing business up and they set up next door i could understand your frustration


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

PaulN said:


> Out of interest what line of work are you in that requires your car clean everyday?
> 
> I cant think of many that its a must...


Chauffeur.....


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## NMH (Apr 25, 2012)

neilos said:


> That's the biggest load of crap I've read in ages... :lol:
> 
> You do actually realise, each time you clean your car, you inflict damage? Or hadn't you realised that....
> 
> ...


Cheap car wash businesses don't care about swirls and they inflict far more damage in the 5 mins they take to clean the car than me spending nearly 2 hours just washing mine. No rinsing of mitts, no 2bm, poor drying technique / cloths. Its all about speed. I had to use them but stopped sharpish as they were poor. In fact I have never come across any of these places that I could trust.

No one is saying they're a problem but how many DW members use these places now knowing about swirls etc....not many I would imagine. 
Many use them as they're not aware or don't really care or don't have a choice. If a car wash is busy with customers then fair play to them. Its all about the money at the end of the day.

My neighbour only this morning (who gets his car valeted by H2O every month) took a BROOM to his AUDI TTS to get the snow off his car.....not just the windows.....the bloomin body too!!


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## ConorF (Oct 3, 2012)

2 hours to wash a car?:O


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

neilos said:


> Chauffeur.....


lol That was about the only job i could think of.... :thumb:


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## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

It would help if they used just fresh water :lol:

Surely that isn't much to ask? Maybe it is going by some people's comments on here. Probably like them because they give more business to these people in the long run

Thats my gripe with them.


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## mikeydee (May 4, 2010)

if they inflict damage would this create work for detailers?

For example, Someone takes their car for one of these hand car washes. Swirls are then inflicted. Then the car is sold a year down the line to an ethusiast, they notice the damage when they take their new pride and joy out on a sunny day. They then take the car to a detailer to get the damage sorted thus creating business for the professionals.

this is just an idea and in no way concrete but just a thought.


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## P.A.D (Jun 26, 2008)

P.A.D said:


> More work for other guys in the chain of car cleaning,
> car gers washed / scratched then gets taken to a local Valeter or Detailer to get sorted.
> 
> All good for local business.





mikeydee said:


> if they inflict damage would this create work for detailers?
> 
> For example, Someone takes their car for one of these hand car washes. Swirls are then inflicted. Then the car is sold a year down the line to an ethusiast, they notice the damage when they take their new pride and joy out on a sunny day. They then take the car to a detailer to get the damage sorted thus creating business for the professional
> 
> this is just an idea and in no way concrete but just a thought.


What I said earlier.................:thumb:


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## Hasan1 (Jul 1, 2011)

Maybe some are bad but all the people on hear bad mouthing them have you gone and looked at what they use. There not ther to damage anyone's car they are ther to clean them and make people happy. 
The ones I know of 1 of that I know the owner there are grit grill in there wash where the shampoo is with warm water in it. always pre wash then use a mit after the pre wash and also use a rinse aid then dry 

People only see what they want to see. Out the back he has 4 washing machines and 4 tumble dryers going all day.


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## Forsaken (Sep 2, 2012)

Thing is some People don't care about washing cars like us,when I talk to some people about swirls and bad washing techniques they just stare like "what's this guy on about" I'm talking about people with nice cars. 
Let me give you an example,theres a car hire+car wash place a mile away and they have brand spanking new lambos,bentleys and r8s and you should see their washing styles! You guys would faint I swear.They use a dirty rag to wash the cars with a nasty tub of dirty water and no drying or anything. 
Some people have more money than sense,but each to his own I suppose.


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## mikeydee (May 4, 2010)

Hasan1 said:


> Maybe some are bad but all the people on hear bad mouthing them have you gone and looked at what they use. There not ther to damage anyone's car they are ther to clean them and make people happy.
> The ones I know of 1 of that I know the owner there are grit grill in there wash where the shampoo is with warm water in it. always pre wash then use a mit after the pre wash and also use a rinse aid then dry
> 
> People only see what they want to see. Out the back he has 4 washing machines and 4 tumble dryers going all day.


there is one by me that actually use the 2BM. jet wash the car first etc. the polish manager bloke checks the cars as they go through and if they missed a small bit they send them through again whilst apologising to the owners. This one is located at an old petrol station and not a car park. On the other hand, i sat watching a guy in the car park of a supermarket and he dropped his sponge on the floor, then started washing the bonnet. i could see the grit coming off the sponge as he was moving it along the paint. but as i said before, it helps give detailers some work when the damage is realised by the owner.


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## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

i think mods should ban these threads.. if people want to use them why are people getting so stressed about it? its their car, their money and unless they're interested in cars all they want is a clean car- which is what they get!

if people are making money out of it then well done to them, one less benefit troll to suck the country dry!


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## mikeydee (May 4, 2010)

avit88 said:


> i think mods should ban these threads.. if people want to use them why are people getting so stressed about it? its their car, their money and unless they're interested in cars all they want is a clean car- which is what they get!
> 
> if people are making money out of it then well done to them, one less benefit troll to suck the country dry!


same here mate. it's a win win. owners are happy they get a clean car and later down the line it gives detailers work.


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## jamesgti (Aug 9, 2007)

Forsaken said:


> Thing is some People don't care about washing cars like us,when I talk to some people about swirls and bad washing techniques they just stare like "what's this guy on about" I'm talking about people with nice cars.
> Let me give you an example,theres a car hire+car wash place a mile away and they have brand spanking new lambos,bentleys and r8s and you should see their washing styles! You guys would faint I swear.They use a dirty rag to wash the cars with a nasty tub of dirty water and no drying or anything.
> Some people have more money than sense,but each to his own I suppose.


I work for a car hire firm and we have brand new cars in and we wash them with brushes I hate it but its what they do as its quick and easy.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

jamesgti said:


> I work for a car hire firm and we have brand new cars in and we wash them with brushes I hate it but its what they do as its quick and easy.


Not Enterprise by any chance? There is one across the way from my works, power washer and broom and it's ready for collection


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## jamesgti (Aug 9, 2007)

No not them but exactly same method lol I hate it as I'm really into my car cleaning so giving a customer a car full of swirls makes me cringe.


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## S63 (Jan 5, 2007)

Forsaken said:


> Thing is some People don't care about washing cars like us,when I talk to some people about swirls and bad washing techniques they just stare like "what's this guy on about" I'm talking about people with nice cars.
> Let me give you an example,theres a car hire+car wash place a mile away and they have brand spanking new lambos,bentleys and r8s and you should see their washing styles! You guys would faint I swear.They use a dirty rag to wash the cars with a nasty tub of dirty water and no drying or anything.
> Some people have more money than sense,but each to his own I suppose.


Think you live your life in a goldfish bowl and don't really understand people that don't share your OCD.

You say some people have more money than sense, so you are saying the wealthy with their exotic supercars that work hard and play even harder have no sense because they are not concerned about the paintwork on their car? I spent the best part of thirty years working for these people, some have become good friends, their values maybe different to mine but I would never dare to accuse them of not having any sense. Quite simply you do not understand them as they do not understand you.


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## justina3 (Jan 11, 2008)

neilos said:


> Chauffeur.....


dam i have been racking my brains for that answer :thumb:


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## dooka (Aug 1, 2006)

I'm going to take the van to a £5 scratch just before I detail it, just for the crack like ..


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## Forsaken (Sep 2, 2012)

S63 said:


> Think you live your life in a goldfish bowl and don't really understand people that don't share your OCD.
> 
> You say some people have more money than sense, so you are saying the wealthy with their exotic supercars that work hard and play even harder have no sense because they are not concerned about the paintwork on their car? I spent the best part of thirty years working for these people, some have become good friends, their values maybe different to mine but I would never dare to accuse them of not having any sense. Quite simply you do not understand them as they do not understand you.


Lol calm down!
i'm talking about people on my rd with average jobs and nice cars not caring not bloody millionaires,what super rich do i dont care.Also you think just cos a person is super rich and has no sense,as in damaging a very expensive car because they can afford to is a quality?
I understand perfectly well,and i'm not OCD.
Last time i washed my car was in November.


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## Scotty B (Jul 1, 2009)

I took mine to me local one and asked them to simply power rinse the 3 weeks worth of grime, salt etc, cost me £2. I then took it home and got the ONR out.


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## darkmonsta (Feb 5, 2007)

Scotty B said:


> I took mine to me local one and asked them to simply power rinse the 3 weeks worth of grime, salt etc, cost me £2. I then took it home and got the ONR out.


Confess I've been known to do this when low on time - take to local wash, get them to wash but not dry... Gives me a hard start when time is tight!


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## msb (Dec 20, 2009)

I don't use them personally but its because i enjoy cleaning the car myself, if you just want a clean car, which covers most of the population, we on here are a minority, then the local hand car wash fits the bill perfectly


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## tangledmonkey (Apr 9, 2012)

If the customers are happy with the outcome, and the guys are making there moneys, then why not! I used to use them before I discovered the evil world of detailing, and I was always happy with what I paid for.

There's a place around my area, who are quite expensive compared to the average places, always busy, but their works not all that to be honest. Makes me wonder if there would be demand for a hand car wash place around my area, using proper methods/products.


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

I think they are great, eventually the cars may come down the food chain to the detailers.
I don't have a problem, their car their money I know a few guys who run these and they just clean a car, why would they bother 2bm etc for a £2 wash.

A lot are being shut in Manchester as the authority is closing the ones who won't use the old petrol tanks in the ground for waste and get them pumped out, they let the waste go down the grid.


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## Jordy Kuga (Apr 6, 2012)

Spend thousands on a car then let it look like ****. Logic!


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## Kiashuma (May 4, 2011)

Mirror Finish Details said:


> I think they are great, eventually the cars may come down the food chain to the detailers.
> I don't have a problem, their car their money I know a few guys who run these and they just clean a car, why would they bother 2bm etc for a £2 wash.
> 
> A lot are being shut in Manchester as the authority is closing the ones who won't use the old petrol tanks in the ground for waste and get them pumped out, they let the waste go down the grid.


Ahh, we have a local one to me, wondered what the big tanker was doing at it the other day, must have been pumping out the water.

Always wondered as i knew the water was not allowed to drain away. These places water rates must be really high.


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## spacer567 (Jul 8, 2008)

*phaeton scratched*

hi just wanted to post to see how many other people have had similar problems i bought a vw phaeton in jan from a good friend of mine my second car from him the car eneded up with an oil leak so he gave the car to another garage to sort wella long story short sum ****** washed it with a brush and scratched all the paint on top of that someone used my prima wax which was left in the car nearly full and came back empty


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## Bmpaul (Apr 12, 2010)

I must admit that if I'm on shift and I wake up to a nasty car I have used my local one to give it a clean up through gritted teeth, but they do a good job. The best thing for me about them is when they do my interior as I hate doing interiors anyway. That is of course if I can get in to my local place as it's usually so full they turn cars away! On a side note me being a bit weird I look to see how freaquently owners of different marques use these places and in my local, bmws are by far the most freaquent visitors to these places


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## Kash-Jnr (Mar 24, 2013)

Gonna confess I was a supporter of my local hand car wash. I "usually" satisfied with the job they'd do but from time to time I'd get home and see parts missing and to charge a £1 for tyre shine (the one they probably use is fizzy coke) is stupid considering the wash is like £3 itself. Thats until we got our Karcher HDS 550 and my weekends have changed dramatically! I can't get enough of cleaning my car and I kind of feel sorry for people that take their pride and joy to hand car washes not knowing the damage they are inflicting on their own cars.


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## craigeh123 (Dec 26, 2011)

We have a really good one near work . Use mitts and microfibres . Bizzarely near home we don't have one ! I wanted one the other week and couldn't find one !!! Hold up maybe i should set one up lol &#55357;&#56842;


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## The_Bouncer (Nov 24, 2010)

Quick math here and you'll understand why people open them 

Lets say on average they do 50 cars a day at £5 each - many of the busy ones do more and are more expensive i.e £7.99 etc

so 1 x wash = £5.00

50 cars a day = £250

7 days a week = £1750

each month = £7,000

A year = £84,000


Certainly nothing to be sniffed at.

Many of these wash bays do 3 - 4x that amount.


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## Bmpaul (Apr 12, 2010)

When you see the maths, it's easy to see why they're everywhere, add to that the cheap labour- the owner is very happy


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## cypukas (Aug 24, 2012)

Many car washers with no understanding at all are commenting here


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## Mark Chandler (Nov 7, 2011)

One in Uxbridge is very good, they usually have a small queue of people waiting @£10 a wash basic.

Drive in and car gets wheels sprayed with TFR then car get pressure washed off, stage two a couple of chaps run around with wash mitts, they use the two trough method at sink height, stage 3 second pressure wash off stage 4, a couple of people dry with micro fibres that are rinsed and mangled while a few people hit the interior with air line and dusters, stage 5 chap dresses the tyres while the owner quality checks, he then directs people a missed door shuts etc then you get the car back. I have used them many times TBH just make sure I clean it myself and protect well occasionally.

No need to tar them all with the bad brush.


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

S63 said:


> I don't either hate them or moan about them, I genuinely do not understand what the problem with Hand Car Washes is.


Neither do I... I wont use them, because I like to care for and wash my car myself, but I don't lose sleep over there presence. For someone who cares a lot less, I can see the appeal of them.

I was enjoying using the jet wash at the local jet station to get a winter's worth of mud off my Subaru, worked very effectively for what I wanted it to do


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## DJ X-Ray (Sep 2, 2012)

I don't use em but they don't bother me,some are good,some are bad,same as in this game.


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## andystevens (Dec 12, 2011)

S63 said:


> I don't either hate them or moan about them, I genuinely do not understand what the problem with Hand Car Washes is.


They are killing the trade for mobile valeting services.......


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## -damon- (Aug 19, 2010)

The_Bouncer said:


> Quick math here and you'll understand why people open them
> 
> Lets say on average they do 50 cars a day at £5 each - many of the busy ones do more and are more expensive i.e £7.99 etc
> 
> ...


I would happily inflict swirls for 84k a year 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2


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## Kash-Jnr (Mar 24, 2013)

-damon- said:


> I would happily inflict swirls for 84k a year
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2


£84k - overheads?


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## The Pan Man (Apr 16, 2010)

I think it's all about the convenience and what people think is a clean car compared to what we on here think is a clean car. With all the bad weather yesterday was the first day that I got to give my new to me car a clean since November. Now I did a open hose 2 BM dry and inspect. That took me 2 hours. Another 1 hour to remove some imperfections only small but I spotted them. Then another hour to give it a quick coat of SRP. By then I had other thing that needed doing. Today I will be using the car but the bonnet is desperate for a clay so it's not supposed to be wet over the weekend, I might get it done, the car looks OK but there is lots to do. Mr average with 2.4 kids and a Mondeo does not have that spare time, so £3 - £5 round the corner for 5 minutes suits him fine.


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## TonyH38 (Apr 7, 2013)

avit88 said:


> i think mods should ban these threads.. if people want to use them why are people getting so stressed about it? its their car, their money and unless they're interested in cars all they want is a clean car- which is what they get!
> 
> if people are making money out of it then well done to them, one less benefit troll to suck the country dry!


If only that we're true they are paid in cash so I doubt they declare it for tax also I would like to know how many claim benefits


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## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

I've just read all the posts of this thread!

Always an interesting debate when this topic arises, some very valid arguments on both sides!

My take:

I've personally have never used them. Why? Maybe i'm tight fisted and think why pay someone to do a job that i can quite easily do? Having said that, i do spend money on the products used (not a lot though).
I like the personal satisfaction of doing things myself, and the means are the justification, not just the end result.
I find it theraputic cleaning the car.

I've seen some poor car wash places (more specifically the ones at car supermarkets pushing their trolleys of dirty water etc).
However, many of them that are run from old petrol stations with power washers, clean water, mitts etc etc are actually pretty good.

I have a confession to make, even being a member on DW, I probably cause more damage to my car when cleaning that some of these car wash places!
How? Even though I use the 2bm & mitts and half decent products, I don't have access to a jet wash - i have no way to connect the hose to the water supply properly. So a lot of that baked on grit is causing swirls, where as a jet wash would drastically reduce this. 
So some of these places are probably causing less damage then myself re: swirls, but I use better products, polish & wax etc

Also the point i wanted to raise that i believe in free-market capitalism.
These places exist because there is a demand for it - plain & simple. Whether the quality of work is good or poor at the end of the day doesn't matter that much because people are voting with their money.
Detailers/valeters who are complaining need to have a point of difference to justify to the public why they are more expensive & take longer to do the job & target their services to a different market.
There's space for everyone in the market - you have high street clothes shops selling suits and you have saville row tailor's - a huge difference in price & quality, but how many of us actually get a tailor-made suit?

How many people complaining now, also complain about a couple of newsagents on the same road/area, or supermarkets? 

How many people buy & eat supermarket products as opposed to 'organic'? Organic is much better for you, but people generally don't care about the quality, but rather on price (however the horse-meat scandal is waking people up)!

At the end of the day, it's about knowledge and educating the public on the differences between detailing & hand car washes - and let them decide what they want to go for.

So what i'm saying is, people are free to choose what to do what they like, let them be, let them be responsible for their actions.


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## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

TonyH38 said:


> If only that we're true they are paid in cash so I doubt they declare it for tax also I would like to know how many claim benefits


Quite an assumption/scaremongering though isn't it?

Some can assume that your off-work claiming benefits because shouldn't you be working your job instead of posting on the internet at this time of the day?
:thumb: 

Do you say the same about the window cleaner, market trader, local take-away, corner-shop etc who generally only take cash?


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## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

What about this for damage caused by a hand car wash place? (it's not mine)


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## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

I know of a peugeot dealership who's done similar damage, when testing the brakes! 
There are idiots everywhere!
:thumb:


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## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

kh904 said:


> There are idiots everywhere!
> :thumb:


That's very true :thumb:

Hand car washes don't bother me, if people want to use them it's there prerogative and I can see why people would use them.
If I didn't enjoy doing my car myself I'd probably go to them.


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## Aly (Oct 10, 2009)

Have one just up the road from me that uses a brush to wash the car! It looks like a bloody Vileda! Lol
I know a place in Glasgow that does a 'safe wash' I know it's a little more expensive... But if I had to I would use them!


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## weemaco (Jul 16, 2012)

Aly said:


> Have one just up the road from me that uses a brush to wash the car! It looks like a bloody Vileda! Lol
> I know a place in Glasgow that does a 'safe wash' I know it's a little more expensive... But if I had to I would use them!


Where is said place in Glasgow?


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## Scottland (May 6, 2008)

What you have to remember is that the wash job they do is about as good as what most people would do themselves, if not better sometimes!

It's like Gordon Ramsay complaining about all the sandwich shops popping up - sure he could make a better one up to his standards. But for all intents and purposes, its as good a sandwich as most people would make, but without the effort.


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## Kiashuma (May 4, 2011)

Natalie said:


> What about this for damage caused by a hand car wash place? (it's not mine)


Not good, shame until your post earlier on I have never seen a mk4 like that.

Hope it got fixed, looks bad


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## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

Kiashuma said:


> Not good, shame until your post earlier on I have never seen a mk4 like that.
> 
> Hope it got fixed, looks bad


This is how it should (and did) look Keith http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=4056858&postcount=1

He's sourcing the parts to rebuild at the moment, he's gutted as you can imagine.


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## Billy Whizz (Dec 15, 2009)

I personally don't have a problem with them...

But a couple of years ago, a large hotel/gym that my other half used to frequent, set up a hand wash, my missus thought it would be a good idea to take both our cars to this new 'service' that a relative of the management of the hotel had set up...

When I came back home and saw the damage inflicted, I'm sure I don't need to describe my language

It looked as though they had cleaned them both with a bass broom, swirls would be a vast understatement, more like skating on ice

Needless to say, the business was closed within a few days!

And for the record, they weren't Eastern Europeans etc....

Took a lot of work to correct the damage


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## TonyH38 (Apr 7, 2013)

kh904 said:


> Quite an assumption/scaremongering though isn't it?
> 
> Some can assume that your off-work claiming benefits because shouldn't you be working your job instead of posting on the internet at this time of the day?
> :thumb:
> ...


No I am retired after working for 55 years payed my dues ,no I cannot say it about my window cleaner as he takes a cheque and also still have to pay tax on my pension.


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## dcm23251981 (Jan 11, 2013)

Stay away from them thats all i say they are like a production line for swirl mark & scratch creators


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## TubbyTwo (Apr 14, 2011)

Natalie said:


> What about this for damage caused by a hand car wash place? (it's not mine)


How did they manage that? any more details?


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## Kiashuma (May 4, 2011)

Natalie said:


> This is how it should (and did) look Keith http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=4056858&postcount=1
> 
> He's sourcing the parts to rebuild at the moment, he's gutted as you can imagine.


Yours looks first class, really tidy mk4. Glad the damaged one is on the mend, will cost a bit as looks really bad. Hope he has a good bodyshop for the work :thumb:


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## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

TubbyTwo said:


> How did they manage that? any more details?


 It's really bizarre they were moving it to another part of the car wash and drove into the post, I've seen the CCTV footage and it actually wasn't going that fast when they hit it


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## Moggytom (Dec 28, 2011)

Why's he getting the parts or are they paying for it to be done ?


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## Aly (Oct 10, 2009)

weemaco said:


> Where is said place in Glasgow?


Platinum polish.. Beside the Quay


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## [email protected] (Apr 28, 2011)

Top it off i been told their not even insured


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## Wazhalo31 (Feb 16, 2013)

That doesnt suprise me.:thumbdown:

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2


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## TonyH38 (Apr 7, 2013)

kh904 said:


> Quite an assumption/scaremongering though isn't it?
> 
> Some can assume that your off-work claiming benefits because shouldn't you be working your job instead of posting on the internet at this time of the day?
> :thumb:
> ...


Well they and you would assume wrong, I am retired after working for 55 years payed my dues and still paying out of a pension and window cleaner and others are paid by cheque.


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## ianFRST (Sep 19, 2006)

you should see my mum wash her car 

makes the hand car wash place look like a luxury option :lol:


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