Laser Wash...anyone ever use it? Any concerns?

[legmaker72]

I have always been one to hand wash my car, but since moving to a colder climate I was wondering about a car wash place. There is a local place here..touch-less car wash...called Laser Wash..I guess it uses a high pressure wash system...
Any concerns with using one of those places with the magnum? Molding etc...Any experiences would be helpful..
Thanks all...

[bipto]

I too resort to these during the coldest months, and I've never had any issues with 'em. They're not the best at taking off "road film," but I'll hit 'em at least once a week just to rinse the salt off...

[Hazman]

Just drive by the touch-less car wash does not clean your car just gets it wet

[Northern Rider]

I too resort to these during the coldest months, and I've never had any issues with 'em. They're not the best at taking off "road film," but I'll hit 'em at least once a week just to rinse the salt off...

Ditto, here . . .

[magnum guy]

i run mine through one of those now and then....where i live is kind of dusty and it gets of the dust between real washes.

[bigjim]

I use them in the salt months, if it is a good one they have under car jets that get the junk you CAN'T get no matter how hard you try.

[NC-SXT]

Got a good one here. I use it all the time. I always wipe it down but it does a great job. We live a stones throw from the coast so I am always washing it.

[GasGunR]

Ok, maybe we can hear from someone who works on or builds these things.

Rumor has it that they save the water and reuse it after filtering. The spot free rinse is "clean" water but the rest is recycled by the wash.

If this is true... would the filtering process take out all the salt? or just some of it and would we effectively be giving our cars a salt bath?

Just wondering,

Don

[JaxHemi]

I agree with all that was said about the touchless washes. They don't really get off road dirt so be aware if they wipe it down or you do after a touchless wash. You could be rubbing dirt particles around.

[zonian]

Rumor has it that they save the water and reuse it after filtering.


I have heard this also...I have no idea if the filtering process gets out all of the salt/grime.

Paul

[ZMagnum]

I had never heard of the Laser Wash until I was visiting my uncle in upstate NY. He uses it on his PT Cruiser all winter. He has had the PT for many years. He really likes it and it has kept his car nice.

[crazy_luck]

I have heard this also...I have no idea if the filtering process gets out all of the salt/grime.

Paul

There where two touch-free washes in my town (they just tore one down and are currently building a highway over it) and BOTH recycled the water. They were older systems though, when touch-free washes first started coming around, so the filter system wasn't/isn't (in the case of the one still here) the greatest. Personally, I'm gonna take my car to the DIY car wash, there I can close the door to keep the 'heat' in and dry the car my self.

[Trouble]

I'm going to bet a good 90% of all car washes (at least those built in the last 10-20 years), touchless or otherwise recycle thier water. Water is expensive and getting rid of water is also expensive. There's also issues with the chemicals of course. We were working on a site plan locally for a guy that wanted to put a carwash into his gas station...I believe the equipment he was going to use claimed something like 95% water reuse...almost all of the rest is lost to evaporation, not down the drain. Pretty interesting stuff!
-Trouble

[MooNDoGGie]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but up here in Canada they outlawed all car washes that use recycled water. I'm pretty sure they all have to use fresh water.

As for touchless car washes. If you go to the handwash place and just use the wand to spray soapy water on your car then blast it with rinse water the end result will be a half washed car. So basically if you want all road film off your car you need to use some elbow grease.

[COLORADOMAGNUM]

I agree with MooNDoGGie. If you only do the spray wash, most of the real tough dirt gets left behind. Scrub with a good wash mitt will yield much better results. Rinse wash mitt often if car is really dirty. Then rinse with spot free water (de-ionized). Works wonders and you don't have to chamois your car when finished.

[MagnumFierce]

<<<up here in Canada they outlawed all car washes that use recycled water>>>

That sounds like a good idea (must be illegal down here).
During this last summer, water bans were rampant, no driveway washing. I remember reading an article that said the reason car washes (including self-serve) could operate is that they recycle the water. Makes sense, detergents are tough on metal sewers and the bay right? Just gotta hope they filter out the sand...

I want to build a under-car-rinser right at the garage door, for the road salt. Then a dryer (like a heated leafblower) in the garage.

Have you read the scary reports of the liquid they put down before snow/ice storms that eats metal even better than road salt?
DOOOH

[BrilliantBlackHemi]

I use a Laserwash fairly often, but not if I have road film on the car from driving the rain. For film and such you have to wipe it to break the film strength that holds it on. The touchless can get that off. It's great for removing pollen and other dust/debris though. I usually follow up with a Quik-Detail wipedown and some Stoner on the glass.

[MooNDoGGie]

<<<up here in Canada they outlawed all car washes that use recycled water>>>

That sounds like a good idea (must be illegal down here).
During this last summer, water bans were rampant, no driveway washing. I remember reading an article that said the reason car washes (including self-serve) could operate is that they recycle the water. Makes sense, detergents are tough on metal sewers and the bay right? Just gotta hope they filter out the sand...

DOOOH

Actually we had severe watering bans like that up here the past few years also. However car wash's were excempt from the ban because it was a business and they need water to sell their product.
If you banned all business's that used gallons of water there wouldn't be a whole lot of work getting done in summer.

Believe me washing a car in winter with recycled water is worse than just leaving the car dirty all winter.

[JamminWagon]

What I have heard is that the "spotless" cycle uses a ionization/diatomic filter system to take out minerals to prevent spotting.

Here is a link to a car wash selller, at the bottom, there is a water recycling feature. http://www.kkeindia.com/vehicle_wash_systems/car_wash_equipment_200.php

A brush car wash model from the same company with the water recycling featuer http://www.kkeindia.com/vehicle_wash_systems/car_wash_equipment_300.php

[MooNDoGGie]

Only in America :)

[JaxHemi]

I have heard this also...I have no idea if the filtering process gets out all of the salt/grime.

Paul
The reclaimed water is used only in the wash cycle of the next vehicle. All rinses are with fresh water. Whatever crap is left after the filter is kept suspended in the bubbles of the soap.

[HealeyRick]

This was posted by a pro-detailer on another forum, doesn't sound like good news for any of the car washes. Trouble is, those of us who live in cold climates turn off our outdoor water taps so they don't freeze, leaving us at the mercy of the commercial car wash.

Here is something I wrote for a paper that I thought would be good to share.

Car Washes

The ongoing debate comparing “touch-less” washing and “automatic touch” washes is still split. Even in the car wash industry, both sides argue until they get red faced over this controversy. Here are the issues, so you can decide for yourself.



Automatic Touch Car Washes

Over the years, great progress has been made in the materials used that actually touch your car as well as their design. The pro argument will state their case by asking have you ever been able to wash your hands just by running water over them? A good case indeed. We all know that proper hand cleansing comes from friction and soap. The same should be true when washing your car. The soaps used are usually not as aggressive as the touch-less washes (which rely strictly on chemicals to do the work), so there is no fear of strong acids being sprayed on your finish. Another factor to consider is that not all automatic washes are totally inside a heated environment. In areas where the temperature gets below zero, you drive your car in from the cold. The doors that let you in are subjected to the same temperature, allowing some ice to form on the machinery. Even if the smallest piece of ice gets between the brushes and your finish, it’s leading toward a disaster. We have all heard the horror stories of wheels being scratched, hub caps being lost, antennas breaking off, and so on. When you have all these mechanical components moving around your car, sooner or later something is going to happen.



Touch-less Washes

The best case the pro side of this issue has is that nothing comes in contact with your finish. But how can a touch-less wash clean your car without the friction to break down the dirt? If you remember your PH scale from high school, you will know that water is 7 (neutral) and acids are low ph (1-3) and alkalines are high ph (10-13). Keep in mind that both high and low ph are caustic (extremely harmful). Also, you should note that in order to neutralize any high or low ph, you need to apply the opposite. So if you spray acid on your car, you had better apply an alkaline or else it could damage your finish. This is how chemicals get a car clean in a touch-less wash. First, when you drive in. your car is sprayed with soap and water, then acid, then alkaline, then rinse. I have a problem with who is in charge of filling the chemical tanks. If for some reason the alkaline runs low and only acid is going on your car, I wouldn’t want that car to be mine.



Hand Car Washes

Most people that really take pride in their car go to hand car washes. Here are some of the problems I have found with facilities around my area. If they do not pre soak the car first and just start washing, all they are doing is rubbing the existing dirt into the finish. I have also seen places that use the same drying towels over and over again from one car to the next, transferring dirt particles from car to car. The kind of soap they are using also plays a role; too strong of a detergent will strip the wax or sealant from your finish. So you come out with a clean but unprotected car. The soap applicators that I have seen I would not use to clean my toilet, much less my car.



Fresh or Recycled Water

Now that I have given you all these facts to think about, here is another fact for you to consider. Some car washes use fresh water, others use recycled water. From the save the planet group, recycled water is the way to go. The question you have to ask yourself is, do you want all the dirty water that came from all the cars ahead of you used to wash your car? By law a car wash owner must tell you (if you ask) what process they use. Then you can decide for yourself.
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