Los Angeles Car Wash

[Joetnr1]

Hey L.A. folks,

I've been working my butt off with the two bucket technique and after a few months of ownership, I realize that I stink at it. I can never dry in time, leaving streaks, drips, etc...

I'm thinking I may need to have someone come by the house and knock out my wife and my cars professionally from time to time. Wondering if anyone has any recs for someone reasonable that does a great job with the Model S? Also, I'm willing to bring it somewhere as well.

Thanks!

 

[velocty]

Same. Southbay here

 

[Reekdog]

Hey L.A. folks,

I've been working my butt off with the two bucket technique and after a few months of ownership, I realize that I stink at it. I can never dry in time, leaving streaks, drips, etc...

I'm thinking I may need to have someone come by the house and knock out my wife and my cars professionally from time to time. Wondering if anyone has any recs for someone reasonable that does a great job with the Model S? Also, I'm willing to bring it somewhere as well.

Thanks!

Bump

 

[Mark Z]

I use a standard power wash at a manual car wash bay with a light single bucket mitt soaping after a 4 minute wash/rinse with the wand. Then a 4 minute power rinse (don't forget to power wash the mitt to remove dirt) and finally a 4 minute spotless rinse. Two large double sided microfiber drying towels will speed the dry time greatly with no wringing of the towel. Both of the towels are washed after use at home in the washing machine with a very slight amount of liquid detergent. The towels are then put on a towel rack to dry.

Test the pressure of the wash wand by increasing/decreasing the distance of the spray against your hand. The right distance should be comfortable. Use that measurement to keep the wand the right distance from the vehicle. Don't power wash close to taillights as water will enter the light covers (and should disappear in a day or two if a small amount of moisture appears).

I couldn't find my exact towel, but here are a list of products that I have been using and a similar towel:

P21S Auto Shampoo: P21S Bodywork Conditioning Shampoo - 500 ml | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image
Sheepskin wash mitt: DI Accessories Sheepskin Wash Mitt without thumb | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image
Drying towel: Gyeon Silk Dryer - 28" x 35" | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image
For wheels: DI Brushes EZ Detail Brush - Full Size | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image
Wheel Cleaner: P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner - 1000 ml | Free Shipping Available - Detailed Image
(5 gallon bucket is used with the auto shampoo and wash mitt.)

The wheel cleaner is sprayed on, then the detail brush is used to clean all wheel surfaces. Do this when the car wash is not busy as a courtesy to other customers, as it takes extra time for the gel to work. The Gel Wheel Cleaner must be power rinsed off with the power wash wand. Other tips here: EZ Detail Brush by EZ Products inc. – The worlds best detail cleaning brush – Proudly Made in the U.S.A.

For Model X, use a Mallory squeegee to help remove water off the windows and as an extension to move the mitt or drying towel on top of the vehicle. Saves time and effort. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mallory-Squeegee-with-8-Head/17175667

 

[Litigate28]

Bumping, any other recommendations for good car washes in LA?

 

[Vinc]

Bump

 

[SMAlset]

There have been suggestions for waterless car washes here on the forum for the LA area.

Here’s one I posted about in a thread request for Long Beach, Washos: Can’t get car washed in Long Beach?
Check under the Cities Tab. Seem to cover a large area.

I previously mentioned Envi and saw that Joe’s AutoPark in the LA area had teamed up with them. Envi at one point was doing a waterless wash by themselves. Looks like Joe’s has a number of parking garages and assume the services are/were provided while you park there. However I didn’t see anything about the washes any longer so think they are no longer providing this service.

 

[Vinc]

There have been suggestions for waterless car washes here on the forum for the LA area.

Here’s one I posted about in a thread request for Long Beach, Washos: Can’t get car washed in Long Beach?
Check under the Cities Tab. Seem to cover a large area.

I previously mentioned Envi and saw that Joe’s AutoPark in the LA area had teamed up with them. Envi at one point was doing a waterless wash by themselves. Looks like Joe’s has a number of parking garages and assume the services are/were provided while you park there. However I didn’t see anything about the washes any longer so think they are no longer providing this service.

Thanks! The last detailer I tried did not know Teslas and managed to jam my rear hatch. I drove by a place around Midtown once with a ridiculously large amount of Teslas, but I dropped the ball and did not write down the name.

It seems that Envi might be out of business, their site is down and there are no new reviews on yelp since 2016. I will give Washos a go.

 

[SMAlset]

Another suggestion would be to ask your local service center/store for any recommendations. When we bought our Model S, one of the guys told us about the waterless wash in Redwood City (we’re SFBay) that many of the highend local dealerships would use if they didn’t have time to prep. Still use them when up in that area and we’re lucky to have another company start up with waterless and expand in our area.