Everything about car washing - our information!

Thomas Wachsmuth June 12, 2023 Tips, products, information & Co.

Reading time 9 Min.

Are you ready to bring your vehicle to a high gloss with your own hands? Grab a microfiber cloth and bucket and off to the self-wash facility! Exactly, you got it right, we're talking about the car wash, not your home driveway. This is because washing at home can be tricky for a number of reasons and is even illegal in many cities and towns. We will now explain what you absolutely need to know about car washing on private property, what consequences you can face and how you can get your car perfectly clean with the superior option, the self-wash system.

What is allowed?

Washing your car on your own property is generally, with a few exceptions, illegal! Although there are no national guidelines for washing cars on private property, most of them are illegal. The background: Harmful chemicals must never get into our groundwater! Therefore, the legislature has set up a legal framework, but the interpretation of this is up to the local city or municipality ordinance. According to the Water Resources Act (WHG), the statement is clear: "A permit for the introduction of substances into the groundwater may only be granted if no harmful pollution of the groundwater or any other adverse change in its properties is to be feared."

Only in official car washes!

Although there are exceptions where washing is allowed on private property under certain conditions, we don't want to promote it here and instead advocate for responsible use of the environment! So off to the next car wash, please! Not only is washing on unsealed surfaces extremely harmful to the environment, washing on sealed surfaces such as the street is also risky, as not every drain ends in the sewage system. In this way, dangerous substances can get into seepage systems and thus into the groundwater. If you wash on your private property, you can hardly guarantee that no waste water will flow into the sewage system, over gravel areas or directly into the ground. What could get into the sewage? Chemical residues, tar, grease, soot, heavy metal dust, oil residue.

Put simply: A quick wash at home is not a trivial offense. Fines are justified. The amount of the fine varies by region. Pollution of groundwater can result in a fine of EUR 25 up to EUR 100.000 (depending on whether it is a misdemeanor or a criminal offence). Because just one drop of oil can pollute up to 6000 liters of groundwater. This is a fact that you learn in driving school.

Clean the car in the self-wash facility!

Why the self-service box? Because deep car detailing is illegal on private property in your local area. A washing area in a car wash or self-wash facility is designed to collect removed grease, oil, cleaning agents, fuel residues, dirt and solids. Self-washing systems are also designed to conserve resources and circulate the water. You can clean your car more extensively there! Reduced risk of scratches etc.! Those who clean their homes with a bucket and rag run the risk of scratching. A high-pressure cleaner, on the other hand, also reliably removes stubborn dirt particles without scratching the car. Anyone who cleans at home skips this first, essential step.

Clean in the self-service box!

The washing processes have different names in the different systems. Also, not all operations are available everywhere. So, just work through the wash programs from top to bottom. The order is logically structured to prevent scratches and to achieve an optimal result! The general rule: When cleaning the car, you should work from top to bottom and keep a distance of 30 to 50 cm with the pressure washer. From experience, there are primarily two mistakes in self-washing in the box.

Often because the paint was scratched with the brush. It is advisable to clean the car from top to bottom to ensure that any remaining sand and dirt from previous cleanings does not fall onto previously cleaned areas. At the same time, when handling the hoses of the tools, care should be taken not to pull them over the paint to avoid scratches or damage. The same applies to the suction hoses. (Keyword: scratch alert!)

Hand wash instructions:

Buy the necessary laundry coins.
Collect coarse particles such as leaves and branches from the vehicle - for example in the cavity under the windshield wipers.
Check if the matching brush in the box is clean, or clean it if it is!
Prewash: vehicle intensively with the Pressure Washer rinse off Now without cleaning agents. And by intensive we mean INTENSIVE! Not just the visible insects on the hood.
remember, the wheel arches (to remove mud and road dirt), the rims (to remove brake dust), the side skirts (the metal profiles below the doors), the radiator grille, the front apron, the exhaust pipe, the rear diffuser and the windows.
Pre-clean: Some car washes offer a special pre-cleaning program with a foam that is applied to the vehicle and softens the dirt. For a better result – definitely use it!
main wash: Clean the bodywork with appropriate cleaning agents. Now the cleaner, also called power foam in some systems, is applied to the car. This laundry is often warm to increase the cleaning effect.
Foam Brush - This is the actual main wash: The vehicle is cleaned with the provided brush. We recommend using the brush with a microfiber cover, also known as a brush cover.
Rinse or clear wash designates the process in which the cleaning agent used is carefully removed. Clear water is used to completely remove all residues.
Care: Preservation/foam wax/power wax/shine conditioner, etc. Some of the facilities also offer particularly high-quality care. This provides special protection for the paint against insects, tree resin, dust and bird droppings. Programs such as a gloss rinse ensure that the paintwork is upgraded. Older cars in particular benefit from the extra shine. The washing programs available for care after the main wash vary depending on the type of self-wash system. Such programs also break up the water film, which means fewer stains can form due to dried water.
Dry: Be sure to use a large microfiber cloth for this. Spread this out on the paint and gently pull (do not rub) to avoid water stains.
Then care for all strips and rubbers with a rubber care product. Above all, rubber door seals will thank you - this is particularly noticeable in older vehicles in winter, when the door does not freeze so quickly.
The tires can be polished with Tire Shine!
The interior cleaning is also part of it! Plus there is HERE own post.

What is needed?

Special cleaning agents can be helpful to improve your cleaning performance. Just spray it on, leave it on and rinse it off. For a perfect result, treat the rims with a rim brush. Note the exposure times! You can either purchase these cleaning supplies locally or bring them with you. The necessary equipment for exterior cleaning (interior accessories not included) are: Window cleaner, wheel cleaner, microfiber cloths (you need them for wiping rims, windows and for drying), insect cleaner for insect remains, rim brush, rubber care, Tire gloss, Gloves.

car shampoo – for those who prefer manual work. Don't forget to take TWO buckets with you! With the Two Bucket Method is the best way to protect the paint.

What about Sundays and public holidays?

Depending on the federal state, automatic car washes and self-service car washes may be open on Sundays and public holidays.

The advantages of the car wash:

A ride through a Car wash is safe - provided that it is not a system with brushes, but with soft textiles! In this way, your car is cleaned gently and without the risk of scratches. One tip: You should treat your vehicle with insect and rim cleaner beforehand, as a kind of pre-wash. You can also improve the cleaning result by cleaning yourself after washing, especially the rims!

The advantages of hand washing:

Not every car fits into the lane of the car wash - for example some large US models, buses and extreme sports cars. Also with some youngtimers and oldtimers the car wash is not an option because the risk is simply too great. In addition, with the necessary specialist knowledge, the right instructions and the right accessories, you can usually achieve a better washing result than in the car wash. Often the necessary know-how is simply missing! Or it saves on the necessary equipment. It is important to pay attention to high quality products that match the car, the interior and the rims!

Tips & information for care!

Drops of water leave unsightly water stains after a short time. Therefore, it is imperative to dry the car thoroughly after washing!
Careful pre-washing is essential! Especially in areas of the car that get dirty quickly, such as the wheel arches, sills, rear, etc.!
In the meantime you can leave the wheel rim cleaner and insect remover on!
Attention in the hot season: do not wash your car when it is hot. Overheated paint allows cleaning agents to evaporate immediately. As a result, they cannot develop their effect. In the worst case, stains can even appear!
Avoid using home remedies! This is a false saving!
High-pressure washing boxes are recommended. But usually with your own sponge and bucket, because the brushes there are always dirty and scratch the paintwork. However, a brush cover can help here.

It's summer and your car is full of dried stains from insects, resin, pollen and bird droppings?

In short: Soaking is the magic word. Use either a damp cloth or kitchen paper soaked (do not rub) about 30 minutes before washing the car. With newsprint, however, there are concerns about the printer's ink!
An alternative is to use a previous rain shower. Let your car soak in the rain and drive to the car wash after the summer rain when everything is still soaked nicely. This makes it much easier to remove heavy soiling.
Once burned in, stay burned in! Those who wash too late pay the price. Bird droppings and insects in particular can burn into the paintwork if they are not removed in good time.
If you use aggressive, acidic rim cleaners and do not pay close attention to the exposure time, you will damage the surface of your rims. The wheels may still look acceptable after one or two uses, but over time the surface will become duller and rougher. Dirt sticks more easily. Therefore, a non-acidic cleaner for the rims is recommended! It is better to touch up manually with a rim brush, rim glove or microfibre cloth!
An Lacquer sealing may seem superfluous and expensive to many. But if you want to drive your car longer, you can protect and "preserve" your paintwork with the washing program. This keeps the car attractive for longer.
Bird droppings contain a lot of acid and can therefore damage the clear coat. An undamaged clear coat is therefore not only important for visual reasons, but also protects the colored coat from external influences.

Conclusion on car washing:

Most of the time it is not allowed to clean the car on your own property as this could pollute the ground water. It is strongly recommended to use approved car washes to protect the environment and avoid possible penalties. Self-service car washes have their advantages, including being environmentally friendly, resource-efficient in operation and thorough cleaning. However, it requires expertise to avoid scratches and other damage. Following the correct car washing sequence is crucial to prevent scratches and get the best result.

For effective cleaning in a self-service car wash, you need the right accessories, such as a wheel rim brush or a brush cover, and suitable cleaning agents (in particular rim cleaners and insect removers) essential. Depending on the federal state, car washes may be in operation on Sundays and public holidays. Whether you opt for an automatic car wash or a hand wash in the self-service car wash ultimately depends on the vehicle type and personal preferences.

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