Car Wash

O.K. So it looks like I have neglected my car.  Dirt and dust has accumulated with rain spots on the rear so that finally I took the plunge.  I had to have my car washed.

I have sat at Danny's Carousel car wash watching the attendants wipe down the cars after they are put through the automatic process of being sprayed, washed, rinsed, and then vacuumed.  I noticed how well these car wipers performed, and then I read all kinds of advice about protecting your car from harsh brushes, and bad towels that can become like sandpaper when misused.

I hit the internet to see what kind of car washes could be found in my region.  The reviews were so negative that I did not know which to use.  I finally found one that had positive reviews. Every comment was favorable.  And what is more, it is right near to where I live, at least close enough for me to get to it easily late this afternoon.

Bubbles is its name.  It is on Oak right next to a laundry mat that I once won a scratch ticket with matching numbers so that I have never forgotten it.

I decided to try it, and so took my complimentary car wash kit that Chapman had given us at our Saturday meeting. It had a microfiber cloth in it to use.  That is all I took. What did I know?

Sure enough, it is right next to the laundramat and so I drove into it to find five small stalls all equipped with a wand and a brush, and a chart that explains all the varieties of washes that one can use.  There is a little gadget that one uses to select which operation one wants to use, and so I took my dollars and changed them into tokens at a vending machine.

There were two cars and one truck already getting washed so I parked my car to watch each one of them to see what they were doing.  The first guy was already into rinse, and told me about the vending machines.  He was at the end of his job.

So I went to the next guy who was scrubbing down a yellow corvette with a sudsing brush and I watched him, then asked him some questions. He was nice enough to tell me that I could wash my car for probably only $5.00 and that it was easy to do. He said that he travels 19 miles to use this particular wash because he does not want to put his car through an automatic wash.

Then the truck driver responded well when I asked about the vending machine, and then said he would show me what to do and how to do it.  I went back, got my car, and parked it in the fifth stall.  I walked around and studied the place to figure it all out.

The truck driver did come to explain how to use the wand and the gadget where you select the kind of operation to clean the car.

First, comes presoak.  Then you could clean your tires with a special wash, and that includes the engine as well.  That aspect of cleaning the engine frankly scares me yet. i will have to find out about that before I ever do it.  But I could do tires if need be.  As it is, I used only the regular wash on them.

I did as the guy said and rinsed first, then presoak, then wash, and then rinse again. I rewashed again, and rerinsed again.  I got my $4.00 dollars worth and then added another token for another wash and rinse.  I intended for it to be thoroughly cleaned.

Then I used my handy little microfiber cloth to wipe the car thoroughly and completely.  I could not reach the roof so the truck driver was nice enough to slightly wipe one side of it.  I need to take a step stool next time I go.  What did I know?

There is a vending machine where one can buy towels, cleaners, even deodorizers.  I bought a glass cleaner which works wonderfully for windows and mirrors. I was really pleased with how well that one cleaner worked to make my windows shine.  So clean that there was no reflection from the lights at night.  That is well worth the trouble to go there.

There is a vacuum cleaner that one can use to clean the floors of the car. I had already done that last time I gassed up so I passed on that. My car is relatively clean and is now spotlessly clean.  (except that spot on the roof I missed.)

So now I plan on washing it once a month.  I have found my car wash. Bubbles on Oak Street in Scottsdale.  Total cost with glass cleaner was $6.00. Not bad.