AppleFan1

I thought I would share the following with you folks:

For years now, I have had a subscription to a car wash company (Mr Car Wash) for unlimited washes and vacuums per month. The cost is only about $42 per month with tax. I have not seen a better car wash place than this one anywhere in the U.S. In addition to doing a great job of washing, they also towel dry it after it goes through a high powered blower at the end of the wash cycle. You can even opt for a wax protectant for an extra dollar. They also clean the windows and everything else inside the car.

In any case, the reason I am bringing this up is because of the comments I have been getting from the employees at the place. Quite a few different employees have told me that this is the best car they have ever seen and they see many thousands of them in this car wash. I bet they have also seen the Tesla Model S. They are amazed by the interior features and the technology in the S550. They also love the exterior looks (especially the front). They know that I previously owned the 2008 LS 460L and they liked that car as well (especially when I first bought it with all those high tech features at that time). But they say, this new S550 is on a different plane. This really makes me feel good on my decision to switch from the Lexus brand and go with new S550. Btw, the LS 460L is still in the family. We gifted it to my daughter and son-in-law. They are very happy to say the least. I thought you would appreciate this story.

WEBSRFR

Your S550 is perhaps the finest gasoline powered car in the world and you should be proud of it and the fact that you are in a position to enjoy it. Certainly the interior and the comfort attributes of the S class define those attributes for the rest of the market and I am sure your car is the best and most comfortable car driven by your car wash people. Enjoy your car!

TwinCam

I own a Lexus and they make an outstanding automobile for the money. I am also passing mine down to my daughter. That being said, the S550 is world class! Enjoy.

TomS

The first time I used the valet at International Plaza in Tampa, the valet was raving about how this was the nicest interior he had seen (I had purple LEDS turned on against the white and black interior). The guy that opened my wife's door was telling her how much they liked it. That mall gets some pretty high-end cars too. It is a head turner but we all knew that.

I get unsolicited comments all the time about the car from the lines to the tech inside. It is a great ride and such a dream to drive—even with my 20" RFTs.

lsdreem

I dunno dealer gives free carwashes but I have someone come wash/detail the cars weekly.

shortspark

I do not own an S class (maybe in the next year or two) but my 2012 ML350 in Diamond White has been a great vehicle for me and I have treated it accordingly. As such, I do not let anyone wash or wax that car, especially the dealer who normally does it as a courtesy after servicing. I live in the country and there are no professional detailers within 120 miles of me.

You are lucky you have people you can trust who have the ability to care for your car without introducing scratches and swirls in your paint. I have learned to detail out of necessity because of my location and have become pretty good at it if I say so myself. In fact, I consider working on my car as sort of a peaceful time - a form of therapy! I have learned a great deal about this at forums such as AutoGeek and Autopia and I use top of the line products. I must say my ML looks brand new. Even if I had a service such as yours, I would still opt to work on my car myself as I continue to find the experience most rewarding.

Kratos-TM

I love to show off the exclusive interior. Just blows people away.
Glad you found a good washer. I don't trust anyone on mine. I only want microfiber cloths touching my black paint.

AppleFan1

Kratos, this car wash is not your typical car wash. I have used them ever since I bought my 2008 LS460L in December of 2007. My LS was looking like new all those years. I'm not sure they use microfiber towels for drying but I know they are extremely soft.

WEBSRFR

The key is that they don't use the towels on a "dirty" car and then use them in your car... When I go through our car wash that is similar to what you have described, I make it a point to pull up behind a dirty SUV to minimize the risk they will use the same drying towels on my car. Ideally they should use a separate set of towels for each car but I know most are too lazy to do that...

The best way to wash is with the 2 bucket method at your own home but I'm too lazy to do that.

AppleFan1

No, they definitely throw the towels they use for each vehicle in a big laundry bucket after use.

I am also too lazy to wash the car by myself.

DaveVY

2 bucket wash is the method I use. Haven't used a commercial car wash in years. Washing the cars is my "therapy" time.

WEBSRFR

I think I need to start doing that at home. I bet it can be done quickly once I establish a routine and get all the tools I need. The only thing I am worried about is that it might end up being the opposite of therapy because I will likely see and obsess over every single hairline scratch in the car and worry over every little blemish I notice.

How do you deal with that?

DaveVY

I deal with the detail obsession in the following ways:
1) Only use quality supplies/tools. There are differences in quality between microfiber towels - one microfiber is not equal to another microfiber. The towels from big box stores are only good enough to use on the engine, otherwise those cheap towels NEVER touch the paint or interior glossy finishes. If you are familiar with the concept of 2 bucket washes then you probably understand the need for having quality wash media in addition to quality towels.
2) My "therapy" has grown on me... I now have a couple different machines for polishing in addition to various pads and polishes. This way when I see too many swirls or marring I can polish them out.
3) I never allow others to wash my car - despite the best of intentions our car dealers will install swirls and scratches in quantity. So will most car wash places. Even two bucket wash techniques will eventually introduce a few swirls or micro marring.
4) A glaze type of product can be applied before wax, or you can use a wax with fillers, to help minimize the swirls or micro marring. Personally I don't like the fillers but rather polish the paint to a perfect level or 95% perfect level and then apply a quality sealant and/or wax as the protectant.
5) In order to reduce etching from bug carcasses/guts I like to use a spray sealant across the leading edges of the car (From Adam's Polishes). I always apply this before a trip (or during love bug season, every couple months) as it makes the bugs come off much easier.

Easy answers? No, but this is my hobby, my therapy, and I get enjoyment from it.