How do you wash your Tesla?

[jelloslug]

I would never consider buying a $150k+ car then taking it through a touch-less wash. There are people who will come to your house and wash your car (many will even bring the water) if you are unable to wash it yourself (i.e. live in an apartment or if you are not physicall able to wash the car). If you get a contract with them the cost is not that much. Around $30 to $35 per wash.

I went through the expense of covering the front with Xpel and I put crystal serum on the entire car myself. This makes it easy much easier to keep clean. The Xpel should last three years and the crystal serum will need to be done at least each year.

I had to buy a water filtration system as I have very hard water and it left spots on my car. I think it was $250 at Sam's Club. The most time consuming part of the process is cleaning the wheels. I got the helix wheels and my hands won't fit between the spokes. Therefore I have to use a special brush. I first use a wheel cleaner to get rid of the road dirt and break dust. I let it stay on while I wash the rest of the car. Any mild quality car wash works fine and I use microfiber cloth and towels. After the car is entirely washed and rinsed I then use a car dryer (blower) to dry the car. Do not use a leaf blower or shop vac for this purpose as you want to use filtered air for drying the car. I paid less than $40 for a good dryer. I use the dryer on the entire exterior and therefore do not have to use a drying towel.

Living in Florida you frequently get bugs on the front of the car. This is where the Xpel really helps. Sometimes I have to use a quality bug remover but try to wash it quickly after I get rid of the bug residue.

I wash the car every one to two weeks. I haven't gone through love bug season yet but I know I will be washing the car several times a week during this period.

Xpel has a 10 year warranty so I expect it to last much longer than 3 years.

 

[outie]

Has anyone tried the Costco car wash? We have a bigger Costco here now in Torrance that has a new car wash tunnel. Anyone tried it?

 

[UnitaryExecutive]

We live in a condo, don't own buckets and don't want to deal with lugging filled buckets of water in the elevators down 30 floors. Can you put Optimum No Rinse Wash in a spray bottle and just spray the car with it and wipe it down with microfiber towels like the Elite Detailing guys do with their product?

 

[cmd_keen]

For better or worse, I am a Zaino guy... I know there's much easier alternatives now, but for me, wash and wax is therapeutic and good exercise.
So in addition to that, 3-4 different wash mitts, two separate buckets, various brushes, tons of of border free cotton towels, and of course my favorite, the foam cannon (hooked up a 3000psi pressure washer).

 

[Rmsosu]

We live in a condo, don't own buckets and don't want to deal with lugging filled buckets of water in the elevators down 30 floors. Can you put Optimum No Rinse Wash in a spray bottle and just spray the car with it and wipe it down with microfiber towels like the Elite Detailing guys do with their product?

I use Pinacle no rinse and love it. Recommend to use in a spray bottle.

 

[Hitman007]

I cannot imagine that a no rinse wash product does as good a job as a bucket of soapy water and then a rinse with soft no spot water. But I am old school and resist change! I still use carnauba wax.

 

[ohmman]

I cannot imagine that a no rinse wash product does as good a job as a bucket of soapy water and then a rinse with soft no spot water. But I am old school and resist change! I still use carnauba wax.

I was also "old school" about washing but have completely converted to no rinse products. I'd argue they do a better job than a bucket of soapy water. Also, once you get the rhythm down, it's quicker and easier.

 

[Hitman007]

I was also "old school" about washing but have completely converted to no rinse products. I'd argue they do a better job than a bucket of soapy water. Also, once you get the rhythm down, it's quicker and easier.

I watched some videos on the no rinse product but those cars are not near as dirty as mine gets after a Florida rain.Mine gets coated with wet sand and oils from the road surface. I am sure it works and I may work up the courage to try sometime but not sold yet.

 

[ohmman]

But dont you end up with a bunch of filthily towels?

I use Optimum No-Rinse in a bucket dilution for washing, and I use the two bucket method. I have a mitt, sponge, and a sponge-on-a-stick. I'll wash a panel with the dilution (just as if I were washing with soap), and then dry each panel individually. One of the nice things about this method is you don't have to worry about things drying with spots while you're moving along to the next panel. Here in the dry California climate, things dry rapidly. Also, no worries about overspray when rinsing.

It's different, but worth a shot if you feel the motivation. Like me, you might be surprised!

 

[Hitman007]

I use Optimum No-Rinse in a bucket dilution for washing, and I use the two bucket method. I have a mitt, sponge, and a sponge-on-a-stick. I'll wash a panel with the dilution (just as if I were washing with soap), and then dry each panel individually. One of the nice things about this method is you don't have to worry about things drying with spots while you're moving along to the next panel. Here in the dry California climate, things dry rapidly. Also, no worries about overspray when rinsing.

It's different, but worth a shot if you feel the motivation. Like me, you might be surprised!

Good suggestion. I will try it because now I am curious...

 

[BrettH]

I know it's frowned upon, but I take my Model X through an automatic car wash about once a week or so. I bought an annual pass because I don't have the time to hand wash my car or the money to pay someone else to hand wash it. The car wash I use is not touchless, but so far I haven't noticed any issues (and my car isn't coated). However, I went with pearl white which I imagine is the hardest to see swirls or micro scratches. With the winters in Colorado, I didn't want to leave salt on my car for long periods of time which I knew would probably be the case if I didn't have the pass to the automatic car wash. The Model X is an expensive car (4 times the price I had ever paid for a car before), but I didn't buy it for car shows. I bought it because I wanted a long range fully electric SUV/CUV.

 

[PacManMX]

I've had mine 2,500 miles and taken through automatic car washes 7 times. No issues. One of the ones I went to was in rural OR on a road trip. It cost $6 for the "ultimate" wash and included 2 people hand drying. I HAD to! If you saw how many splattered bugs were on it I'd be fired as a Tesla owner. I was too embarrassed to go to a supercharger! Anyway, it was one of the harsher automatic car washes I've seen and the car was fine. I would hope that the paint on a $100k+ car can withstand what paint on most any other car can. My MX is silver.

Concerning Costco, 1) their automatic car washes tend to be higher quality. 2) Tesla's order page should also include "estimated Costco savings" as I go there so much less frequently now (it's impossible for me to be there without buying at least one thing I don't need! How can anyone resist that color LCD weather station for $80!?!?!) since I don't need to fuel up every week.

 

[ccutrer]

I know it's frowned upon, but I take my Model X through an automatic car wash about once a week or so. I bought an annual pass because I don't have the time to hand wash my car or the money to pay someone else to hand wash it. The car wash I use is not touchless, but so far I haven't noticed any issues (and my car isn't coated). However, I went with pearl white which I imagine is the hardest to see swirls or micro scratches. With the winters in Colorado, I didn't want to leave salt on my car for long periods of time which I knew would probably be the case if I didn't have the pass to the automatic car wash. The Model X is an expensive car (4 times the price I had ever paid for a car before), but I didn't buy it for car shows. I bought it because I wanted a long range fully electric SUV/CUV.

I've had mine 2,500 miles and taken through automatic car washes 7 times. No issues. One of the ones I went to was in rural OR on a road trip. It cost $6 for the "ultimate" wash and included 2 people hand drying. I HAD to! If you saw how many splattered bugs were on it I'd be fired as a Tesla owner. I was too embarrassed to go to a supercharger! Anyway, it was one of the harsher automatic car washes I've seen and the car was fine. I would hope that the paint on a $100k+ car can withstand what paint on most any other car can. My MX is silver.

Concerning Costco, 1) their automatic car washes tend to be higher quality. 2) Tesla's order page should also include "estimated Costco savings" as I go there so much less frequently now (it's impossible for me to be there without buying at least one thing I don't need! How can anyone resist that color LCD weather station for $80!?!?!) since I don't need to fuel up every week.

While I "caved" and will not take my X to a touch car wash, and mostly hand wash it, I applaud you two for weighing the practicalities, and sticking to your conclusion. It totally understand the bugs on a road trip scenario! Next road trip I'm packing my good car wash sponge to get them off, even if I don't do a full hand wash. A touch less just can't get them off!

 

[ohmman]

Next road trip I'm packing my good car wash sponge to get them off, even if I don't do a full hand wash. A touch less just can't get them off!

I keep a small plastic storage box (Sterilite) with a snap top lid in my frunk. It contains freshly washed microfiber towels, a squirt bottle of Optimum No-Rinse diluted in the "spot treating" ratio, paper towels, and window cleaner. I also keep a squeegee up there. I will often do some bug work at the Supercharger on road trips.

 

[ccutrer]

I keep a small plastic storage box (Sterilite) with a snap top lid in my frunk. It contains freshly washed microfiber towels, a squirt bottle of Optimum No-Rinse diluted in the "spot treating" ratio, paper towels, and window cleaner. I also keep a squeegee up there. I will often do some bug work at the Supercharger on road trips.

Man, it must be bug season. We washed the car yesterday, and "only" drove like 60 miles yesterday around town. The nose looks worse than it did on Friday! At least there isn't a layer of dust on the rest of the car yet.

 

[James Anders]

I use a touchless (spray only car wash). I find it to be a reasonable time-saving alternative and my home/driveway/garage is not conducive to washing.

I go through once with normal soap, etc and then I take it through a second time with rinse wash only.

Then I park it and use a detail spray (Zaino) to dry it and remove the water spots. I typically do this in the evening so it's not under the hot sun.

I do it somewhat regularly so the wash never has to remove a lot of crud.

I also use the borderless Eagle microfiber towels from the Rag Company. Highly recommended.

www.ragcompany.com

Eagle Edgeless 14 x 14 Microfiber Towel - BLUE

 

[EliteFinish]

I cannot imagine that a no rinse wash product does as good a job as a bucket of soapy water and then a rinse with soft no spot water. But I am old school and resist change! I still use carnauba wax.

I was the same way for years until I truly understood the damage that I caused on my past vehicles. I switched to waterless washing 5 year ago and will never go back to traditional washing. It is not the fault of the individual washing all the time, I found particles in my water when I did the 2 Bucket method long ago that caused horrible surface and clear coat damage. Plus here in California water is extremely low. I clean my whole car better and more efficient with 16 oz.

 

[xav-]

We live in a condo, don't own buckets and don't want to deal with lugging filled buckets of water in the elevators down 30 floors. Can you put Optimum No Rinse Wash in a spray bottle and just spray the car with it and wipe it down with microfiber towels like the Elite Detailing guys do with their product?

that's a sure way to mess up the paint and end up with swirls all over the place. Better not clean it at all than do that.

I learned that the hard way by the way.

 

[Boourns]

I recently bought these and they are working great. Not as super high quality as some of you are using, but very good IMO for the price. https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Microfiber-Cleaning-Cloth-Pack/dp/B009FUF6DM

Also I like them because they come in three colors, so it helps keep grittiness from cross contaminating. Blue for washing the paint, yellow for wheels and plastic around the bottom of the car, white for interior and windows.

 

[echin]

any spray solution alteratives via amazon that anyone would recommend?