Car Wash?

[MedusaManiac]

Not sure this is the right spot for this, but just took delivery of M3 LR and know eventually I’ll want to take it to a car wash. I’ve read other places that I should only use a touch less car wash, but does anyone have other suggestions?

Might just have to go old fashion and was the car myself...

 

[TrainedMonkey]

get a professional to wash it. i would wash it my self, out here all the carwash places are horrible always scratching the paint or rims or braking off parts.

 

[Rottenapplr]

How much do you really care about your paint?
If you just want to make it look nice but don’t care about swirls any cash will do. If you care about swirls then it’s another story. Either hire a pro, which will cost $ or do it yourself. I do it myself. I started the practice of buying new packs of micro fiber cloth to avoid scratches. My Tesla washing techniques have taken a new level of ocd.

 

[Kat Jacks]

I'm awaiting delivery of my red Model 3 this week. A YouTube video showed use of Optimum No Rinse (ONR) product for general washing. That method uses very little water and microfiber towels. Has anyone used this type product? I really want to keep my Tesla clean and won't go to traditional car washes.

 

[webbah]

I use a self service car wash bay so I have access to a pressure washer. I then bring my supplies and only use their deionized water rinse setting for the pressure washer. I have 2 buckets, one for wash and one to rinse the sponge and microfibers. I also bring a handheld manual pump foam cannon for the prewash. Takes me no more than 20 minutes and I do it 1-2 times a month. There are 3 of these locations near me that are open 24/7 so I can do it at any time of day or night. Living in an apartment that works for me and only costs $4-6 as I bring all my supplies and manually wash so only need them for the rinse with purified water so there are no water spots. Car always looks perfect and I have no swirls, etc. I do have PPF and Ceramic coatings though and one more reason I go this route is to protect the Ceramic coating for the long term using the right soaps and pre-wash which are PH Neutral. I use Gyeon Bathe for both foam cannon and washing.

 

[TypeRx]

I'm awaiting delivery of my red Model 3 this week. A YouTube video showed use of Optimum No Rinse (ONR) product for general washing. That method uses very little water and microfiber towels. Has anyone used this type product? I really want to keep my Tesla clean and won't go to traditional car washes.

Yes, ONR works great for general washing as long as the car is not caked with dirt. I'd recommend getting a garden sprayer (or at least a spray bottle) and filling it with ONR solution (diluted for use as clay lube per the instructions). Wet the area you are going to wash first and let any surface contamination emulsify for 30-60 seconds. Then, go ahead and clean the car using ONR solution (diluted for use as rinseless wash per the instructions). There are variations on how to actually conduct the rinseless wash, which you can find in this forum as well as detailing-oriented ones like autogeekonline, etc.

 

[Kat Jacks]

Yes, ONR works great for general washing as long as the car is not caked with dirt. I'd recommend getting a garden sprayer (or at least a spray bottle) and filling it with ONR solution (diluted for use as clay lube per the instructions). Wet the area you are going to wash first and let any surface contamination emulsify for 30-60 seconds. Then, go ahead and clean the car using ONR solution (diluted for use as rinseless wash per the instructions). There are variations on how to actually conduct the rinseless wash, which you can find in this forum as well as detailing-oriented ones like autogeekonline, etc.

Thanks so much!

 

[Kat Jacks]

I use a self service car wash bay so I have access to a pressure washer. I then bring my supplies and only use their deionized water rinse setting for the pressure washer. I have 2 buckets, one for wash and one to rinse the sponge and microfibers. I also bring a handheld manual pump foam cannon for the prewash. Takes me no more than 20 minutes and I do it 1-2 times a month. There are 3 of these locations near me that are open 24/7 so I can do it at any time of day or night. Living in an apartment that works for me and only costs $4-6 as I bring all my supplies and manually wash so only need them for the rinse with purified water so there are no water spots. Car always looks perfect and I have no swirls, etc. I do have PPF and Ceramic coatings though and one more reason I go this route is to protect the Ceramic coating for the long term using the right soaps and pre-wash which are PH Neutral. I use Gyeon Bathe for both foam cannon and washing.

Thank you so much. This is a big help.

 

[webbah]

Thank you so much. This is a big help.

My pleasure. I use the "sub trunk" storage area below the trunk to store all my cleaning supplies. Minus the buckets and foam cannon I have these with me everywhere I go. So If I'm stuck for 30 minutes supercharging and want to clean the windows quickly I have all my stuff. Also have a 12v car vacuum with me that's similar in shape to a Dustbuster (I see you are in the US so likely know what that is).

One thing you should be aware of, and this can happen to all new cars, is that the windows will likely seem to have or accumulate an oily coating for a few months as the plastic inside the car "off gasses". This drove me nuts! Having my supplies with me helped to quickly address that. I did apply ceramic coating window sealant as well (Kamikaze Intenso) to avoid using the wipers and have perfect clarity and beading of water. Certainly not something everyone wants to do, but if you go that route keep in mind that you should use ph-neutral window cleaning solution to protect the coating like Carpro Clarity or Gyeon Window cleaner. Hope it helps!

 

[Kat Jacks]

My pleasure. I use the "sub trunk" storage area below the trunk to store all my cleaning supplies. Minus the buckets and foam cannon I have these with me everywhere I go. So If I'm stuck for 30 minutes supercharging and want to clean the windows quickly I have all my stuff. Also have a 12v car vacuum with me that's similar in shape to a Dustbuster (I see you are in the US so likely know what that is).

One thing you should be aware of, and this can happen to all new cars, is that the windows will likely seem to have or accumulate an oily coating for a few months as the plastic inside the car "off gasses". This drove me nuts! Having my supplies with me helped to quickly address that. I did apply ceramic coating window sealant as well (Kamikaze Intenso) to avoid using the wipers and have perfect clarity and beading of water. Certainly not something everyone wants to do, but if you go that route keep in mind that you should use ph-neutral window cleaning solution to protect the coating like Carpro Clarity or Gyeon Window cleaner. Hope it helps!

I will check out these products. Thanks for the heads-up about the coating on the windows as the plastic cures/matures.

 

[webbah]

I will check out these products. Thanks for the heads-up about the coating on the windows as the plastic cures/matures.

For the plastic trims, rubber seals and to protect the tires I highly recommend 303 Aerospace Protectant. Nothing beats it and it's relatively cheap. You can even double the life of your tires using it! See here:

 

[webbah]

Here's a good shop in the US for all your car care needs. They are the only distributor with Kamikaze in the US as well (to my knowledge). And they are very helpful with questions and have tons of YouTube videos to help you out:

Easy to use auto detail products and how-to videos | ESOTERIC Car Care

 

[TypeRx]

For the plastic trims, rubber seals and to protect the tires I highly recommend 303 Aerospace Protectant. Nothing beats it and it's relatively cheap. You can even double the life of your tires using it! See here:

303 Aerospace Protectant is a great suggestion -- can be used on a variety of interior surfaces (dashboard, door panels, seats, etc.) as well as exterior, as you mention. It has great UV protection ability and mildly darkens/richens the color of the surface it is applied to. However, it will NOT double the life of your tires -- no modern tire will experience a significantly longer life by the application of any surface coating.

Its great practice to regularly "condition" the rubber seals for the doors/windows. I like to use Gummifledge but the most important step is to make sure the seals are very clean before applying the conditioning product.

To the OP, regular washing with ONR is great. Once weekly is optimal IMO. In addition to regular washing, make sure to put a good "last surface protection (LSP" on, such as a polymer-based wax, sealant, or ceramic coating. Although my cars are ceramic coated (Optimum Opti Gloss Coat), I like to apply a little Optimum Car Wax or P&S Beadmaker to the car surface as I am drying it post-wash.

 

[esundman]

Has anyone used Spiffy or a mobile washer? Don’t really have a place to wash it myself.