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Washing Your Jeep

4K views 20 replies 16 participants last post by  FAUEE 
#1 ·
So reading through the "do you let your dealer wash your Jeep" thread, it got me thinking - if you guys don't trust your dealer to wash your Jeep, where do you wash it?

Let me preface this by saying that I live in a condo complex and do not have access to a hose/water to wash it myself.

Sometimes I'll take it to a bay and just soap it down and then spray it, but usually it doesn't look that good afterwards (water spots, etc).

There are a few places that can get the Jeep pretty damn clean, but I'm half worried that the brushes are going to be dirty and scratch my paint.

Is a touchless drive thru the best option? Also, I worry about my wheels getting scratched going through.
 
#2 ·
I take mine to a touchless wash sometimes. They also have wash bays where you put your money and wash it yourself. The automatic wash does not dry the Jeep really well... hence I actually prefer washing it myself these days 'coz for the same $8-$10, I can wash it and dry it really well.

I drive the Jeep home and then wipe off the water marks using some quick detailer and a microfibre cloth. Also clean up the windows, windshield, etc etc after coming home.

The first day I drive the Jeep after a car wash, it rains without fail, not heavy but just enough to make it dirty. :(
 
#3 ·
I also live in a condo with no water. I recently picked up Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine from Detailed Image. This stuff is great. I use my own mitt/drying cloth and my car looks amazing. I do not have to use the harsh car washing places stuff. All you do is fill a bucket with some of the wash and water then when the area is still wet you wipe it with a drying cloth. Very simple and very quick!
 
#4 ·
I don't live in a condo but do live where we are almost always on water use restrictions. Optimum No Rinse is exactly as advertised. Check out some of the YouTube videos about it and be sure to go to the Detailed Imaging forum and the detailing forum on this website and learn the two bucket method. When drying use a waffle weave microfiber towel (several actually) and a spray quick detailer of your choice will also pay big dividends. :thumbsup:
 
#6 ·
Do a touchless drive through, use the spotless rinse setting then pull over into the lot, find a shady spot and dry it with a set of microfiber towels. Use one towel to get most of the water off, squeezing it out as needed. Use that towel to work the bugs off the front as they will be softened up by the wash. Then use more towels to completely dry it. Use a quick detailer on any spot you missed.

Here's another tip: use the clean damp towels to clean your interior, then your door moldings.
 
#9 ·
I also live in a condo, and while we do have hose and water access, I prefer to wash my Jeep either at a friends house or at my parent's house since they live nearby and let me wash it whenever I want.
 
#11 ·
I live in a house with a driveway and hose connection. I am cheap and an old fart. I just wash mine myself and use a chamois to dry it off. Call it old fashioned, but it works.

If I did not have a water connection, I would use the local no-touch wash and still dry with the Chamois.
 
#12 ·
I have a 2012 Overland with just a little over 6,000 miles on it. IT has never once been through a car wash and I intend to keep it that way. I always wash it myself in the driveway. My garage has a hot and cold water spicket which is super nice. I wash the car in the driveway then pull it inside the garage to dry it and do anything else I need to do to it.

If washing at home wasnt an option, I have actually always had very good results from all those local $3.00 automatic car washes. They are not touchless, but touchless usually doesnt really clean the vehicle. I never had any issues with scratches or anything and im pretty anal when it comes to detailing my vehicles. I was also always impressed with the results from those washes.
 
#14 ·
Optimum No Rinse is great. I first used to use it when I lived in an apartment. I still use it at my house because I can wash the car in the garage, it's quicker than the hose/bucket method and safer.

ONR is a great product and is a far better alternative to "touchless wash". Touchless washes use harsch chemicals that will remove most waxes. They also don't remove most of the dirt. They remove larger pieces, but always leave a film and a trace of dirt behind. Take any white car through a touchless and you'll see the film that isn't removed from the paint. Then you're going to dry it with a mf towel and rub that dirt all over your paint? Not good.

The easiest way to keep the car in great shape is use the ONR and then spray it down with optimum's spray wax or their opti-seal. I don't work for optimum, but the way I push their products, I should. It is by far the best car care stuff I've used and the easiest to apply.
 
#15 ·
I agree the touchless carwash does not get your vehicle clean. I would never take my nice vehicles through the carwashes that do not have someone working at them monitoring the cars that go through the wash. Those are the places I always took my vehicles after going off road and getting really muddy to get the big mud off that way the other carwash would let me go through. I take mine through a local car wash place called Mike's carwash at least once a week and sometimes even twice a week. My jeep is black and I have never noticed any scratches in the paint. I have done some research on them and they do not use any brushes in the wash. They actually use all cloth. They will not let really muddy vehicles go through nor will they let people have stuff in truck beds so that mud and rocks will not get in there cloth and scratch other vehicles. From what I have seen they have locations in Indiana and Ohio I believe. I do not travel out of state much but I would assume there are other places like this in other states.
 
#16 ·
Bump. Thanks for the info on the ONR - I think I'm gonna pick some of that up. Looks like it is online only (not at Autozone, etc)? Is there a kit online to buy the 2 bucket + chamois + ONR etc ?

Next question - what do you guys use for your interiors? I want something to just wipe everything down and won't leave a sticky residue or anything. Whatever they "detailed" my Jeep with at the dealership when I bought it... I could feel it for at least a few days afterwards - did not like that.
 
#17 ·
for the interior I use 303 Aerospace protectant. It cleans and protects the surface and doesnt leave that greasy feel to me. I also use it on all the black plastic trim around the car to give it a nice black look.
 
#19 ·
I just recently tried ecotouch dashboard protectent and their leather conditioner.

It seemed to work pretty well on the dash and I noticed the leather seats definitely got softer. Plus no bad environment chems.
 
#20 ·
I have used automated car washes quite a few times since picking up my Overland. I also live in a condo with no access to a hose and water. Only issue with scratches so far is from the guy who uses that brush to scrub the back of your car before going through. I will be sure to tell the guy not to in the future.

If i have the time I will go to my parents house about 10 minutes away and wash/clay/seal there every few months. The benefit of Stone White is that it hides scratches extremely well and I just touch up with spray sealant as needed.
 
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