Unfortunately, my commute takes me through perhaps the worst route EVAR in terms of insect infestation. Those of you who live in SOCAL and have recently driven through the 241 toll road will know what I am talking about.

Anyways, there is NO POSSIBLE way not to wash your car after driving through this fwy because the front of your car IS COVERED with bug guts. And I'm not talking little ones. I'm talking HUGE ****'s PASTED onto your car.

Anyways, I've always believed in hand washing your car because of protecting your paint, but there is no way I can afford to take my car to a hand wash car wash every time I need to get my car clean. (It would have to be once a week MINIMUM). Nor do I have the time to wash the car myself. SOOOOOOO.... my father told me about this gas station car wash that offers a $26 monthly pass in which you can get UNLIMITED car washes. The problem is that it's one of those drive through machine ones.

My question is, should I bite the bullet and just buy the monthly pass? (and therefore risk the machines destroying my paint) OR just keep taking it to a regular hand car wash (and wash it myself every so often)?The current place I take my car to get washed chargeds me $11 bucks each time (plus tip, hey I'm a nice guy). But it's just getting expensive.

Whadya think?

 

How about a touchless wash?

I wouldn't trust those machine ones unless you don't mine swirls all over your paint, that is your call!

 

I'm not sure I've seen one of those in socal. I've seen them in the east, but don't ever recall seeing one here

 

machine=swirls/scratches

I wash mine every week and Im' in socal

I never trust car washes, even the hand wash ones

 

That's exactly what I'm afraid of. My parents took one of their older cars to a machine wash one time, and scratched AND dented the hood.

.... sigh.... does anybody in socal know of a gentle wash?

 

I know of a touchless car wash in San Clemente off of Ave Pico. I think it's a Mobile. Maybe call around local gas stations to see who has a touchless one or if they know of any.

 

$11 is too much. since you dont have time buy the pass

 

i have to hand wash my car wont make it in any touchless or machine wash. but im sure theres a touchless around your place. there every where just keep an eye out around gas stations

 

My local Mobile station has a automatic washer that does not touch the car. It just shoots water at the car to clean. I have to admit though that it does not do a perfect job.

 

Does anybody know any places near Granada Hills, Northridge, Irvine, Lake Forest, or Dana Point? (I know those are pretty spread out, but those where I commute to and from)

 

Wash it yourself and pay yourself the eleven bucks each time. Then with the money you saved have it professionally detailed every six months.

 

Like Booooosty, I wouldn't trust a hand wash place either. A touchless car wash is probably safer than those.

Keeping your car waxed will help a lot. If you don't have time to wax the whole car, at least do the front, A pilars, and mirrors. That will help keep the mega bugs from sticking so bad.

If you can't find the time do to it yourself, only place I would consider is a touchless.

 

One find a good touchless wash were you will buy gas. The wash will be cheaper if you buy gas most places and just b4 you go into the wash have some bug and tar remover and spray the spots on the front of the car after you come out quickly dry the car off from what the blowers didn't get and ur done, quick and easy and its two trips in one. Thats my routine in the winters. In the summer I hand wash on the weekends. Good luck...

 

I've been going through machine and handwash places since day one, and yet havent seen any swirl marks. How long does it take to see them, or am i just a fortunate person not getting them.

 

there is a brushless moble station on Lake Forest drive right off the 5 freeway,

i go to that one once in a while and it works but dosnt do an amazing job

there are these mexicans that come by my work
i take it to them nce every few months they do it for $20 inside and out and an amazing job i must say

 

I work at a car wash myself, but the one i work at is all cloth. The touchless car washes are not good cuz of the high pressure water can remove some of the paint off. Ever since my owner got into the car washing business he had never scratched a car, and his been doing it for about 6-8 yrs. So i get free car washes, and it does a pretty good job.

 

Hey gummyneo, another disadvantage and risk of taking your car through a machine wash is that if it gets damaged for any reason, whether on the tracks or by the brushes, and you need to file an auto claim, there is no way to hold the owner of the car wash at fault for the damage to your car. Trust me, I've seen it at least a hundred times (I work for Allstate claims) This would mean that you would have to pay your deductible and there would be no way to pursue reimbursement from the owner of the car wash, which means you don't get to see your deductible again...

 

Not to mention putting your wheels through the track, hope they're not aftermarkets.

i hate those auto washes, brushless or not. Especially if you've got stuff added to the car.

What about buying one of the home sized pressure washers. You can use it to zip the bugs off and it may stretch the times between the $11 washes.

 

i feel you on the bugs on the 241, I hate taking it but it cuts my drive in half so I can't complain too much. just hand wash it yourself over the weekends. or get a bra for the car and then just take it off during the weekends or even get clear bra!

 

I might get the pressure washer... Those bugs on the 241 ARE HUGE!!!! And just to give you an idea, I cleaned my windshield right before I jumped on the FWY and by the time I got home, I could barely see out of it!!!, it looked like I drove through the swamp beds or something....

Washing a car to me isnt' bad. It's drying it quickly so that you don't get water spots that annoys me. And unfortunately, I don't have a shady area to park the car to help me in the drying process..