# Petrol Station Jet washes? Help and advice please!?!?!?!



## lambo_xx (Jun 7, 2009)

Ok firstly I should explain I have NEVER used them, I've seen people drop the sponge thing on the ground then use on their pant then back on their bodywork it's just carnage! However, I was on holiday this summer in Spain and I was staying at my Granddad's holiday apartment and using his car down there. I'd left the car parked outside one night and it go covered in tree sap and dirt. Spoke to him on the phone and he just said take it to a carwash He's 80 something so doesn't really care too much.

I used one of those power washers's at a petrol station and it didn't have a sponge or mitt. All it did was power wash the car, foam, rinse, foam, rinse and that was it and it actually came up bloody well. It was like essentially just snow foaming the car. My questions is

1)	I've never seen that in the UK, the one's I've seen always have a Mitt, so does the UK have them?

2)	Seeing as nothing is touching your paintwork i.e. a dirty mitt, surely it can't be bad for it?

3) Is there anywhere you could actually buy the equipment and get it hooked up at your house?

I use to be really into Valeting and detailing my car buy nowadays I just don't have time and tend to get the pros in. I just thought though it would be a good thing to have if I could use say once a week just to keep the cars clean between details.

Found this video it was kind of like that except you didn't have to change attachments and the foam came out a bit more watery: 




Any help of info appreciated.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

Plenty have posted threads on the topic :thumb:


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## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

Use them through winter.. much better than having to drag your own pressure washer out. Usually a hot foam and a cold rinse will do. You can get the car generally 95% clean if it has a good few coats of protection :thumb:


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## trv8 (Dec 30, 2007)

lambo_xx said:


> 3) Is there anywhere you could actually buy the equipment and get it hooked up at your house?
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## alan hanson (May 21, 2008)

alan_mcc said:


> Use them through winter.. much better than having to drag your own pressure washer out. Usually a hot foam and a cold rinse will do. You can get the car generally 95% clean if it has a good few coats of protection :thumb:


same here though its usually trying to find one working which is the hardest part


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## centenary (Sep 5, 2010)

They are normally a lot higher pressure than normal run of the mill domestic power washes. If you use them I'd suggest not getting the nozzle within 12 to 18 inches of your paint work else you may find your lacquer not just dirty is blasted off the bodywork!


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## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

^ Your PW must be pretty low pressure/flow rate.. as the nearest garage PW (6 miles away lol) doesn't have a patch on my Halfords HP2000.


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## Spoony (May 28, 2007)

alan_mcc said:


> ^ Your PW must be pretty low pressure/flow rate.. as the nearest garage PW (6 miles away lol) doesn't have a patch on my Halfords HP2000.


On the contrary they are ALOT more powerful than your standard domestic.

Even with the superb water pressure I get my PW is not a patch on the one at my garage. Perhaps the one at your garage is mince. lol.


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## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

honestly I used my pressure washer to strip paint off of the NSR wheels - there's no chance the garage PW could have hacked that. it's one of those big £2 for 3 minutes type machines


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

They work in two ways, High PSI and TFR never a grat combo if your into keeping your paint fresh, for joe public its what they want so give them it.


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## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

visited the garage PW tonight, can honestly say the pressure doesn't feel as much as my Halfords machine, however did notice the fan is much wider and the pressure is constant across unlike mine.

only a pound for 3 minutes :thumb:


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## Deeg (Mar 30, 2009)

If I need to use a garage pressure washer I like the ones the Asda's round here have. (not sure if it's a national thing but probably is) KArcher job for £1 a go and I just use the plain water rinse option and get the worst of the crap off untill I have the time to get it done properly. I avoid using the foam option as it seems to have stripped the protection I had on the car the one time I used it.


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## Alsone (May 19, 2010)

alan_mcc said:


> visited the garage PW tonight, can honestly say the pressure doesn't feel as much as my Halfords machine, however did notice the fan is much wider and the pressure is constant across unlike mine.
> 
> only a pound for 3 minutes :thumb:


A lot of garages keep the pressure down to reduce the risk of damage from those people who put the nozzle onto the paint. You have to remember their target audience is joe public not the enthusiast. That said, they will still clean your car so no reason not to use.


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## sheffcruiser (Oct 31, 2011)

Im using petrol station washers alot atm as i have no pressure washer  I use them as i would use my own, rinse, then have the hot foam brush - but use this to cover the car in foam then clean car with mitt then rinse. After - home dry off and give it some TLC as usual


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## jbguitarking (Oct 5, 2011)

I also dont have my own pressure washer (no garden tap!) so i take my buckets/sponges/clay to the petrol station and just the use the pressured water and nothing else the machine has to offer. I probably look like a right nutter but at least my car is properly clean and not scratched to hell, that broom thing looks lethal!


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## sheffcruiser (Oct 31, 2011)

jbguitarking said:


> I also dont have my own pressure washer (no garden tap!) so i take my buckets/sponges/clay to the petrol station and just the use the pressured water and nothing else the machine has to offer. I probably look like a right nutter but at least my car is properly clean and not scratched to hell, that broom thing looks lethal!


Them brushes might aswell be a stick with a few nails on the end, i cant count the amount of people i see pick them up off the floor and drag them straight across the roof! :wall:


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