Car wash
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 344
Likes: 160
From: Maysville, KY , est'd 1767
Mercedes S560
Yep. That's why I wash my own, by hand, with waterless car wash. Have been doing so since I owned my Porsche in 2007. To each his/her own, but swirl marks are pretty bad on some cars, especially dark colored ones whose owners use the commercial car washes regularly. YMMV. I actually love to wash my car. (I know....crazy, right?!@?)
My last cars - 2012 S450, a medium AMG blue, and current 2018 S560, Emerald Green Metallic, that looks black if not in bright sunshine, show no swirls after always being washed commercially.
I am not physically capable of washing a car, but even if I could, I wouldn't.
Last edited by Lou B; Jun 24, 2024 at 08:50 AM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 8,965
Likes: 4,533
From: Maryland
2024 S580
Yep. That's why I wash my own, by hand, with waterless car wash. Have been doing so since I owned my Porsche in 2007. To each his/her own, but swirl marks are pretty bad on some cars, especially dark colored ones whose owners use the commercial car washes regularly. YMMV. I actually love to wash my car. (I know....crazy, right?!@?)
I enjoy detailing cars, just not washing them. I get the car home from the carwash and spend an hour with spray detailer etc and that I enjoy but not washing.
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 344
Likes: 160
From: Maysville, KY , est'd 1767
Mercedes S560
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 981
Likes: 555
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 8,965
Likes: 4,533
From: Maryland
2024 S580
If you get down low on the car and shine a bright light, I guarantee there are swirls. They’re there on my cars. Question is do you care? I just don’t get down low and look at the paint under a light.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes Teases Updated EQS With Steer-By-Wire and a Yoke
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,938
Likes: 396
From: Iowa
2025 EQS580
Banned
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 209
Likes: 3
just looking
Wash it wherever you want.... Wax twice a year after claying it. Your paint will look wonderful. Everything else is bull and extra work. If you use a wax titanium dioxide in it AKA "ceramic" it will bead for longer. If you have a matte finish all you require is a spray on wipe off "ceramic" spray finish instead of wax Car Polishing Service. Regular wax has abrasives that are incompatible with matte. If you require a special lamp with a ultraviolet fluorescent lamp to see a swirl or imperfection and you consider that a problem you have another problem 😉 Regular wear and tear driving on the road will cause 100 times the damage to paint than any carwash can inflict. Any good wax will protect/remedy from that.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 8,965
Likes: 4,533
From: Maryland
2024 S580
That suggestion you quoted isn't accurate. Most paint finish damage is caused by improper carwashing. Driving your car down the road doesn't swirl and wear down your finish, washing it improperly or using a carwash does. Totally legitimate not to care (I use a carwash), but its the truth. I've been detailing cars for 30 years...
Waxes are not abrasive unless they are cleaner waxes. Waxes are ancient technology, I personally have not used a wax in years and years. There are so many great spray sealants and "coatings" that if you want easy protection thats the way to go vs a wax. A well cared for car should not need to be clayed twice a year, maybe once every couple of years. Claying also can easily marr the finish.
I personally love ceramic coatings because they are super hydrophobic and they make the car stay cleaner, longer.
Waxes are not abrasive unless they are cleaner waxes. Waxes are ancient technology, I personally have not used a wax in years and years. There are so many great spray sealants and "coatings" that if you want easy protection thats the way to go vs a wax. A well cared for car should not need to be clayed twice a year, maybe once every couple of years. Claying also can easily marr the finish.
I personally love ceramic coatings because they are super hydrophobic and they make the car stay cleaner, longer.
Last edited by SW20S; Jul 10, 2024 at 10:36 AM.
Banned
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 209
Likes: 3
just looking
Harsh chemicals and car soaps. Some automatic car washing facilities use an industrial strength alkaline enhanced degreasing shampoo. These formulations are great for stripping wax, paint sealants, and even bird droppings, bug guts, and tree sap. But that aggressive soap leaves a mark on unprotected paint. In fact, overtime, it can start to eat away at the clear coat, leading to oxidation of the coat, corrosion, and eventually rust.
Water Spots. Even the auto car washing facilities with super hair driers are prone to water spotting. Most facilities use city industrial water – which isn’t filtered and contains higher calcium deposits or other minerals. As water dries on the surface exoticcarcare.ae, those deposits will dry rapidly, and leave dried mineral deposits that are difficult to remove.
The brushes are meant for durability and not for their gentleness to the paint. The dirt would stick to those brushes when not in use and when a car comes in for a wash, you can imagine what those brushes would do to your paint.
Water Spots. Even the auto car washing facilities with super hair driers are prone to water spotting. Most facilities use city industrial water – which isn’t filtered and contains higher calcium deposits or other minerals. As water dries on the surface exoticcarcare.ae, those deposits will dry rapidly, and leave dried mineral deposits that are difficult to remove.
The brushes are meant for durability and not for their gentleness to the paint. The dirt would stick to those brushes when not in use and when a car comes in for a wash, you can imagine what those brushes would do to your paint.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 8,965
Likes: 4,533
From: Maryland
2024 S580
I would like to start washing car by myself but not mentally ready to get all the bells and whistles. My plan is to use soap gun? to spray soap all around the car and let the dirt and grime just get loose and spray them off with high pressure water. Then dry off with a towel. What product should I get? Any recommendations?
What you COULD do is get a good pressure washer with a foam cannon, spray the car down very well with the pressure washer first, then spray it down with the foam, wash it with the mitt and then rinse, that would avoid you using a bucket.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 678
Likes: 258
23' EQS AMG
I don't mind the blemishes that I cause. However, I do get close up to look for markings. I'm borderline OCD (aka perfectionist), but that condition lessens as the car gets older. Just hand wash about 12-16 times a year. Ceramic spray, clay, and microfiber towel, and most importantly, garage kept and shaded any where I park. My 11 year old 7er's paint looks as good as when it was 1 year old; people say it too. Just take care of your stuff, and it will look good for as long as it could.
I get PO'ed when others don't take care or abuse my cars. Services and valet. I try to stay away as much as possible.
I get PO'ed when others don't take care or abuse my cars. Services and valet. I try to stay away as much as possible.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 981
Likes: 555
I would like to start washing car by myself but not mentally ready to get all the bells and whistles. My plan is to use soap gun? to spray soap all around the car and let the dirt and grime just get loose and spray them off with high pressure water. Then dry off with a towel. What product should I get? Any recommendations?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,810
Likes: 786
From: Pacific Northwest
2001 S600 V12 Sold, 2011 Jaguar XFR Sold, 2017 S550 4-Matic, 2018 S63 AMG Sedan
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2023
Posts: 368
Likes: 136
EQE350 SUV 4MATIC
Search Amazon for "waterless car wash" or visit your nearest auto products store to see what is available.
As the name implies there is no water involved. It is great for people who do not have a driveway. The garage in my condo is not heated but usually not freezing cold during the winter so I can use the product year round. If the car is badly soiled with mud or slush I will run it through a touchless car wash, and then do a waterless wash as the car wash does not do a good job of removing all fine deposits.
Typically, the spray bottle is used to mist the car surfaces and the cloth that will be used for wiping. After the entire vehicle has been wiped, a soft cloth is used to then shine and remove any residual fine particles. With a liberal amount of spray there will not be any swirls on the paint.
As the name implies there is no water involved. It is great for people who do not have a driveway. The garage in my condo is not heated but usually not freezing cold during the winter so I can use the product year round. If the car is badly soiled with mud or slush I will run it through a touchless car wash, and then do a waterless wash as the car wash does not do a good job of removing all fine deposits.
Typically, the spray bottle is used to mist the car surfaces and the cloth that will be used for wiping. After the entire vehicle has been wiped, a soft cloth is used to then shine and remove any residual fine particles. With a liberal amount of spray there will not be any swirls on the paint.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 8,965
Likes: 4,533
From: Maryland
2024 S580
Check out waterless washes on YouTube. They have been around a long time. Basically you mix the wash in a bucket with water and you can wash the car without a hose. Better descriptor would be "hoseless wash"
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 981
Likes: 555
I do it in my garage, out of direct sunlight. Yes, no water is used. I use ECOSmart RU, a product distributed by ChemicalGuys.com. It is a combination of carnuba and kaolin, AFAIK, in an emollient base. You spray it on, and wipe off the dirt with one microfiber towel, then buff with another microfiber towel......and you have a clean, freshly waxed car. Kaolin, BTW, is clay....so there is some semblance of a clay bar treatment in there also. I've used it since I bought my 2007 Porsche, and we were in a wash ban due to drought in San Antonio.
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 981
Likes: 555
It does sound risky....that's exactly what I thought initially. But, I have come to trust it, and I use it even if the car is heavily dirty from days of rain. If you work in small sections at a time, and you might have to change the wash cloth if it gets too dirty, but I have never had a bad result. No swirl marks, no scratches. It is an amazing product.
