Car Wash Nightmare

Dennisrh

True Classic
A few weeks back at an autocross I manage to do a little offroading in my X and got the underside covered in mud. Luckily nothing got damaged, just really dirty. So on my way home from the autocross I stopped at one of those "do it yourself" carwashes. I spent a good amount of time using the high pressure wash and rinse to remove all of the mud that was caked on inside the wheel wells and around the jack points. As the car was already wet and I was at a car wash, I decieded to wash the rest of my car. I used the soft foaming brush to gently wash my car and then rinsed with high pressure water. Unfortunately, when I got home and looked at my paint there were brush marks all over where I had used the soft foam brush. I rewashed my car with a soft cloth like I ussually do and then used some cleaner wax to see if I could lift the scratch marks. No luck. The brush marks were deeper then I had originally thought.
So today I spent close to 4 hours polishing the car with a mild polish trying to get the brush marks out of my paint. The result was pretty good. I'd say I got about 90% of the brush marks completely off and the few that are still visible I probably just need to polish a little more.

Now for the good news. Just finished up as it was getting dark and my paint looks awesome.






 
I have half a mile of country (dirt) road to traverse before I reach civilization (pavement) so my car is always getting dusty. I sometimes think it would be cheaper if I bought my own carwash as it seams I am always rinsing my car off. Those brushes are a plague to a decent paintjob. I know for a fact that they can harbor dirt and small rocks because I have seen people use them for some of the muddiest messes. The spray wand is nice for blasting off mud and the like but be careful around any chipped spots. The pressure can be strong enough to actually tear paint away if hit just right at close range. Not only do I enjoy hand washing my car it is the best and safest way to preserve a paintjob. Use a mild soap and a soft mitt and plenty off water. Pick your soap carefully. Laundry soaps will strip wax. After initially rinsing the car start at the top working your way down using a lot of water and soap. I use a different mitt for the rockers and wheels. The main thing is keep the mitt soaked and water flowing all the time so the grime will have plenty of moisture to wash it away. My two mitts have different colors on them so I can tell which was used on the dirtier parts. After washing the car thoroughly was the mitts for next time. That is the basics. Sometimes when I am feeling extra anal I beak out the soft bristle tooth brush and air hose.
 
I travel about 2 miles of dirt road and before reaching the pavement a fine patina of dust blankets the Queen's normally brilliant paint. At the paved road I stop and use a "California Duster" and within minutes the Queen's paint is back it's normal luster. :nod:
 
Indeed... Looks Great... but NEVER, EVER...

use that (or any other) car-wash brush again!

Geez!

Who knows where it coulda been!

I do use one I purchased at Big Lots for 10 bucks and use it on my wife's Pilot to do the roof and stuff I can't reach without a stepladder. But I am not using it for mud or undercarriages and the like... which is probably what happened to the one you got at the DIY wash.

Glad you got it fixed... looks great!
 
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