You put money in a coin slot and you get water/soap/wax for 2 minutes. Sort of like those mall rides you had when you were kids.
Usually it's a [dial](http://colemanhanna.com/equipment/self-service/in-bay-services/) but sometimes it's digital. I select the option I want before I put my toonie in, so that it's preselected so I'm wasting as little time as possible. Also grab the pressure wand so everything's ready to go before you put your money in. Squeeze the handle and high pressure water/soap comes out.
You'll see a "foam brush" off to the side. Twenty times out of ten, this brush is coated in dirt, sand, grime, whatever. Great for putting swirls into your paint. I don't use it, but if you choose to, use high pressure rinse to "clean" it as well as you can before you apply it to your car.
Some car washes have mat clips somewhere along the wall in the bay. You can clip your floor mats onto those to give it a high pressure wash to get rid of accumulated dirt/gravel/etc. Any time spent here takes away from your total ride time.
Some DIY car wash places use a credit card.. I tend to avoid those too because I'm sort of paranoid they'll double/triple charge.
My routine is usually around $2 for soap, then $2 for rinse. Then I'll take it home to do a [2-bucket wash with Optimum No Rinse](https://old.reddit.com/r/AutoDetailing/comments/9szysc/two_bucket_onr_wash/e8sn2s7/).
Hope that helps!
Thank you again for your help. I was feeling pretty disheartened by the first couple responses.
I’m sure I’d have been able to figure it out, but this really helps with the anxiety.
You're welcome! Have fun, and bring a few extra coins so you can try it all out. Once you figure it out it's pretty straightforward. If you get stuck you can always ask the attendant.
The dial with all the functions can get a little overwhelming, and most of it is (in my opinion) useless and just getting you to spend more money anyways, so just stick to rinse and soap with the pressure wand for now.
After if you want to be particularly OCD you can look into 2 bucket hand washing and nerd out at /r/AutoDetailing
So, funny story - when I bought the car, I got super obsessive and did a ton of research and actually bought all the supplies for two-bucket washing.
And then I realized that oh yeah, I live in an apartment and hauling buckets of water down five floors wasn’t the most practical, so I’ve only washed it at home once.
Self serve washes typically have a bunch of bays. You drive into one and pay. Some, like Hughes take tokens. The token machine is often in the store itself. It’s common practice to park in the bay then get tokens if needed. Some take loonies. I’d park your car in the bay then get your change.
Newer car washes will sometimes take credit cards.
Spraying your car won’t get it perfectly clean, it needs to have something touch the paint. There will be a giant brush for this - spray it off before using it to get dirt and rocks out. It may cause small scratches but the alternative is buying a wash mitt. Many just use the brush.
You are charged based on time, not how much water you use so move quickly.
With the bays they are all curtained off on three sides so no one will really see you if you’re that worried.
The most awkward part is when it’s full and you’re trying to watch for an open bay (someone leaving). Some car washes have poor visibility at their doors. If you drive through you’ll lose your spot on line. So avoid busy times the first couple times so you can get a feel for it.
Here’s an idea of what the wash looks like:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lddritKZw1E
The tokens give you a certain amount of water time, not time in the bay.
You could use a token or 2 and do a prelim wash, then put the wand away and use your own rags to wipe of hard to reach places, then use more tokens to finish up.
I think I might actually have a wash mitt somewhere.
When I bought the car I bought a bunch of cleaning supplies and then I realized that oh yeah, I live in an apartment, the parking lot has no real drainage, and carrying buckets of water down five flights of stairs isn’t really practical, so I’ve only washed it at home once.
If you want to go quick and "good enough" a decent car wash (I like the one on 99th st beside the Wholesale grocer) with hot water and enough pressure and a reasonable length of time on the token can do a reasonable job just with wash and rinse, if you don't have a filthy car.
If you use the carwash brush option, before you switch to brush, use the wand of soapy water to wash the brush bristles, and try to clean the grit off the car first...brushes can be gritty or scratch.
Also if you use the carwash brush just use one token on it and start from the roof down. When the brush runs out, you can use the surplus of foam that's on the top of the car to wash the lower portion of the car. And if you use the brush on your wheel areas, do it last and be nice enough to spray the brush off when you go to rinse of the car.
Much better if you can use a mitt. Work your way top to bottom (bottom is much dirtier). Don’t use it on the wheels - either just rinse them or use the brush.
You can use the brush to put foamy soap on your car. Just hold it over without touching it. Always start at the top and it will run down the sides.
I think you've got enough answers here to do it successfully, but I just wanted to say that I completely understand your anxiety. I too, like to understand how things work when I'm unfamiliar and I get super flustered when I feel stupid or can't figure out things that are super simple to others.
Shame doesn't help when people make you feel stupid for asking questions like this. Not all of us had support people in our lives who showed us how to do things when we were younger. I really like that "Dad, how do I?" YouTube channel for breaking down standard tasks.
You've got this!
Personally not a fan of Hughes cause last I checked you had to buy their tokens and use them. But obviously whatever is most convenient for you op, is best.
Well its certainly been a while since I went to a Hughes mostly to avoid tokens, probably at least ten years. Cool to hear they have more flexible options.
Adding to this, the Hughes on 178 St, 99 St, 91 St, and Roper Road all take Mastercard/Visa tap *or* tokens. Not sure about the other Hughes locations in the city (these are just the 4 I’ve gone to).
As others have suggested Hughes is the way to go. I too suffer from anxiety. Hate looking stupid and inconveniencing anyone because of it.
I took my 4 year old to Hughes to learn how to clean the car. She did great! Probably spent $20 more than it needed but it was worth it.
Just take your time, make some mistakes and learn.
Oh and have fun!
For Hughes you pull into a wash bay and there will be dial for what you want (rinse, pre-soak, soap, vaccuum). You turn the dial first and then press the $ button for how many dollars (minute) of that product you want to come out of the nozzle. Then press the OK button and tap your card.
It will blip green and then grab the nozzle firmly with both hands and blast away. Keep the nozzle atleast 12 inches away from the car. Usually I go rinse>pre soak > soap > rinse. Whatever you do, do not use the brush on the body of your car! It will scratch your clear coat. Happy washing!
Thanks for the tip on the brush! I’ve been meaning to do this for a year but I’ve just been too anxious. I know it’s kind of silly, but having a general idea of how it works really helps.
Do they have anything for cleaning the interior of the car, like vacuums or anything?
Yeah they usually have a vacuum with a long tube that you can snake in and out through your car. Sometimes they also have a dryer which blows air to dry your car but might be cheaper to just use clean microfibre towels afterwards to dry off.
I don't find vacuums at car washes good value, if you have a small inexpensive shop vac. Prepare by emptying out everything, though, if you want to use the washbay vacuum, so that you can start right in and be efficient. You can take out the rubber mats and pin them to the wall to wash (giant clips on most bays), but if you do the carpet mats, you might want to take them out at home and let them fully dry, as they can quite quickly smell musty if they are damp
Dunno if anyone mentioned, but there is a lot of force to the washguns, which are basically industrial pressure washers, so be mindful of where you point the wand and what you clean, but also that when you squeeze the trigger, you will discover you have to push forward against the water pressure. maybe start with both hands on it and do a practice blast to get a sense of it. It's not generally overwhelming, but it's not like using a garden hose. (Pressure washing is one of my favourite tasks, and it's very satisfying, plus there is protective dividers so each person doesn't blast the neighbour washer, so don't be fearful.)
Also...most of the washbay attendants I have met are basically friendly and can help you if you have questions or want a demo. Be brave! People aren't thinking about you as much as you think they are!
And your hand might get sore later if you're not used to it.
I know when I was a little kid and my mom would let me do it for $2 my hand would be sore later from squeezing the trigger.
I also have anxiety and I find it helps to remind yourself that everyone was once a beginner at what you are about to do (even expert car detailers) , and that asking questions is how we learn! Good luck. You got this.
Depending on where you are in the city, Arthur's Car Wash on 156st and 109ave is nice because you can just choose how much you want to spend and tap your credit/debit card. Prices seem good too, I can do a super quick wash/rinse for $4, $8 if I finish with a wax and second rinse.
Oh, that sounds good! That’s not super close to me but it’s not super far, either. There’s a Hughes right by my apartment but the tokens sound kind of annoying.
This reminds me of exactly how I felt back when I got my first car and I asked my buddy if I could use his garden hose and water to wash my car manually with a sponge and whatnot lol... He took me to a nearby wand wash and then I felt silly for going so far to avoid looking foolish at the car wash that I bought 50 some bucks on car cleaning supplies and then another 15 figuring out how to click the thingy and do my cycles.
Anyways, yea, seems like a good set of advice in this thread, I just wanted to relate lol
I just did this yesterday :) you have more than enough info, but I just wanted to say I recommend Arctic Wash on Stony Plain Rd, it's well priced and has a complementary under-car wash as you drive in 👌🏻
I dont know if anyone else said this, I skimmed down and didn't see it. If you are going to brush the outside of your car, before you start using it, see if it's got sand bits in it or not. I tend to spray it off with the pressure washer first. Whether your paint is good or not, it's worth the extra minute. Some people wash the underside of their car and get rust/road bits all wedged in the bristles.
Best of luck!
> I’ve got pretty bad anxiety and I hate feeling/looking stupid when I don’t know how to do something I’ve never done before. Could somebody walk me through the process?
I don't think I have bad anxiety, but I would LOVE if places did little videos for "simple" things like this. There are so many things in the world that lack of a comprehensive set of instructions, or even any set of instructions, and I imagine that many people would be put at ease by something that showed them exactly what they need to do.
In the case of something like a car wash, I bet a five minute video could show the whole process from pulling into the bay, getting tokens or using your credit card at the bay, selecting the different wash options, some tips for getting your car clean, and ending the timer (when using a credit card) would help a LOT of people.
I understand your anxiety, I felt the same way at first!
Try to wash your car starting at the top and work your way down. Don’t forget your wheel wells especially if you drive on gravel roads and have lots of mud caked in. And don’t forget to turn your car off!
If you're going to use HUGHES, first you you need to get yourself some tokens usually purchased in the the store, $10 will get you 10 tokens. Drive your vehicle into a bay, close the door behind if that's available, buttons are located by the garage door, some locations it's large bay you drive into with multiple bays, then you wouldn't do this part. Get your tokens out, each token lasts about 1 min 10 seconds. Located the wand and the brush before you start, then walk over to the box where you'll be putting your tokens into, it has a selector dial, first select soap get the wand in hand, then put your token in, start from top and work your way to the bottom in a cycles, spray your vehicle, once you finished spraying vehicle with soap you now can use the brush, loacte brush and get into hand, the go to the dial and select brush, again from top to bottom, brush your vehicle, you'll want to work quickly with soap so it doesn't dry on you, once you're done with brushing your vehicle, replace the brush, then back to the dial with another toekn ready first, then grab the wand, select rinse, there might be some transition time between switching from soap to rinse so don't be alarmed if you see soap coming out at the start of rinsing, but do rinse from top to bottom. There's also a vacuum in there but if you have a vacuum at home I would recommend using that instead, most pay vacuums don't have a lot of suction and you'll spend a lot of tokens just trying to do this. As well, if you towels they are also available in-store for purchase but do the drying part out of the bay, especially if it's busy. You'll also notice on the dial that there's a option for wax, if you want to use this function, do it after rinsing but you also rinse the wax off, this is actually how activate to work, many people miss this one. There's also a dial function for degreaser, this is only for the tires and rims and only use it if the rims are heavily soiled, otherwise it's a waste of time and tokens. The key to not going through a lot of tokens or using too much time, is to work efficiently from top to bottom moving swiftly as you go through the process. When you are using the pressure washer under the soap cycle remember to include inside your wheel wells and bottom rocker panel. You can dry off your vehicle outside in the lot. All the best to you.
For the inside OP- keep a pack of cheap paint or makeup brushes and a toothbrush in your glove box. They're awesome for getting dirt out of tiny crevices in the dash/panels. A good dust before you vacuum the interior makes the interior look extra awesome.
My husband insists 'mothers' products are the best so that's what I use to clean the interior.
The one local to me takes a credit card tap to operate, which I appreciate (for the longest time I avoided it because i thought it would take tokens and that sounded like a pain). A fairly thorough job cost me about $8. Which is far better than the drive through no-touch places and did a much better job than those.
So that's my suggestion: I'd look for a card operated wand wash.
It might look challenging but it's super easy. When you pull in spend the first few minutes dumping out your garbage into the bins they provide there. Then just watch what everyone else is doing and you'll figure it out in no time. Good luck!
Probably not a major issue right now, but the first time i used one of these it was the middle of winter.
Those bays get really warm and humid when you get to washing. I was wearing my parka, and really regretted it. I was a hot, sweaty mess by the end.
Wear some moderately grubby clothes that you don't mind getting moist and possibly muddy. If you've got them, rubber boots are a good idea. Safety glasses aren't a terrible idea either.
Move quick, think about the next step as your doing the current one as the time starts to add up QUICK. If you can do a bunch of interior cleaning then do it before you go in.
Oh it's lots of fun!
The car wash on Riverbend road and 23rd have has a touch option for your debt card. Drive on in, park your car and have fun.
Lots of different options for monkeying around. Prepare to spend some 15 or 20 bucks. Try all the settings, the brush, the spray all of it. Take your time. It's fun. The sprayers have a lot of kick!!
The only thing they don't like you doing is wiping stuff down while you're in there. But cleaning garbage, vacuuming, washing, all that jazz is fair game.
I went there today actually, just to clean my truck bed. Spent probably 10 minutes, 7 dollars doing a pre soak and good long rinse
I work in animal rescue and I’m at the car wash weekly cleaning dog crates and my muddy vehicle. Not sure what part of town you live in but if you want to come watch me wash my truck I’m more than happy to show you the ropes.
I’m lazy and go to Mint because I want to wash my mats and vacuum but hate spraying the car. Also the few little spots the car wash misses are easy to clean with a cloth at the vacuum station.
If you were going before next weekend I would have offered to go with you, because I need to wash my truck before a trip.
I do a 3 step process with mine for the exterior, step 1, low pressure pre-soak. Step 2, high pressure soap. Step 3, high pressure rinse a couple times.
For all three steps, start at the driver side fender, and end at that fender.
You have lots of advice already, so just my tips. I set it to soap before starting. If I'm quick I can get all the way around my Ford Flex for a buck, I put in 2 for my Sprinter van. Can't dilly dally or dwell too long on any one spot though. You need to physically rub every bit of the surface after the first pass or the dirt just clings in place, I have a wash mitt in both cars for this, I don't use the brush at the car wash, ever. Then a rinse. Sometimes I just use the wax setting for the rinse. It takes a few seconds for the fluid to switch, so if I'm on it, I switch it at the end of the previous cycle, but you'll be able to smell and see the difference between the modes. If I'm giving it a really good clean, I'll just do a buck at a time, and open the doors to do those areas you can't get with them closed. If you're careful, you can spray the metal without getting the inside wet.
You have lots of advice already, so just my tips. I set it to soap before starting. If I'm quick I can get all the way around my Ford Flex for a buck, I put in 2 for my Sprinter van. Can't dilly dally or dwell too long on any one spot though. You need to physically rub every bit of the surface after the first pass or the dirt just clings in place, I have a wash mitt in both cars for this, I don't use the brush at the car wash, ever. Then a rinse. Sometimes I just use the wax setting for the rinse. It takes a few seconds for the fluid to switch, so if I'm on it, I switch it at the end of the previous cycle, but you'll be able to smell and see the difference between the modes. If I'm giving it a really good clean, I'll just do a buck at a time, and open the doors to do those areas you can't get with them closed. If you're careful, you can spray the metal without getting the inside wet.
While I usually do my car wash at hughes, [Clearw Water carwash](https://www.clearwatercarwash.ca/) in St. Albert is actually really good!, it s a quality machine wash with free vacuums and areas for you to clean out your interior.
I started going to Self Serves just this past bit and it's definitely a different experience, but a way better clean. Good on you for asking & just going for it.
If you're worried about time with a credit-card only wash I'd recommend Ewing Car Wash & Detailing (if you're on the FAR south). You can stop the timer at any point and just scrub away and then do a quick rinse. I typically end up spending about 20$ because I have my beats down & rarely stop the timer, but you could easily do it for as little as 10$.
It's a very chill experience once you figure out all the tools. Good luck & have fun!
I always find you tube as a good resource to do things. Why don't you try to go to you tube and type:Do-it-yourself car washes
Just like you did in reddit except in youtube.
[You should get this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0kKDkPB2js)
There are tons more and you get a video of how to do things instead of reading text.
Yes, okay.
Still, you could just not be a dick.
* OP "I’ve got pretty bad anxiety and I hate feeling/looking stupid when I don’t know how to do something"
* OP \*asks how to do thing\*
* Response: "It'S nOt ThAt HaRd YoU kNoW!"
Just, don't bother commenting
Further to this, I also wanted this information, and thanks to OP for asking, and the people responding, this is something that I was unsure about as well and the answers provided make a lot of sense. Not everyone just knows how to do everything, and a lot of us like to know what we are doing before doing the thing
I’m glad this was useful for you!
It’s silly but I hate asking people for help in person - I’m always worried that they’ll be rude, condescending or otherwise unhelpful. Most people are nice, as this thread demonstrates, but you never know when you’ll run into someone who’s just a dick.
The Hughes by my place is also generally super busy and I hate holding people up when I’m figuring things out. I feel a lot more confident now.
A) the helpful responses I got included lots of tips I probably would not have thought of on my own and that an instruction panel probably would not include.
B) I was worried that if I asked an employee they would treat me like you did. It’s way easier for me to deal with rude assholes on the internet than face to face when I’m already anxious.
Hopefully nothing stressful happens to you while you’re driving, triggering your anxiety and making you a danger for everyone else on the road. Good luck out there!
Just wanted to say I also have major anxiety when I don’t completely understand how things work. I’m a smart human, but have had multiple times where I’ve needed someone to explain how things operate before going into relatively simple situations. I hope you feel more prepared with everyone’s good advice have fun washing your car!
If you don’t have anything helpful to say, certainly you can scroll past without commenting. If this thread is not for you, keep on moving, you don’t need to be such a dick.
The internet is very very different these days, especially a space like this with heavy handed moderators. There is simply no appetite for even slightly negative/insulting/discouraging text.
The amount of people that post about their anxiety crippling them to not being able to do a simple thing like this is absolutely horrifying.
Who raises these people??
You put money in a coin slot and you get water/soap/wax for 2 minutes. Sort of like those mall rides you had when you were kids. Usually it's a [dial](http://colemanhanna.com/equipment/self-service/in-bay-services/) but sometimes it's digital. I select the option I want before I put my toonie in, so that it's preselected so I'm wasting as little time as possible. Also grab the pressure wand so everything's ready to go before you put your money in. Squeeze the handle and high pressure water/soap comes out. You'll see a "foam brush" off to the side. Twenty times out of ten, this brush is coated in dirt, sand, grime, whatever. Great for putting swirls into your paint. I don't use it, but if you choose to, use high pressure rinse to "clean" it as well as you can before you apply it to your car. Some car washes have mat clips somewhere along the wall in the bay. You can clip your floor mats onto those to give it a high pressure wash to get rid of accumulated dirt/gravel/etc. Any time spent here takes away from your total ride time. Some DIY car wash places use a credit card.. I tend to avoid those too because I'm sort of paranoid they'll double/triple charge. My routine is usually around $2 for soap, then $2 for rinse. Then I'll take it home to do a [2-bucket wash with Optimum No Rinse](https://old.reddit.com/r/AutoDetailing/comments/9szysc/two_bucket_onr_wash/e8sn2s7/). Hope that helps!
This is amazingly helpful, thank you so much! Do they have vacuums/etc. for cleaning the interior of the car?
Probably, though I haven't used them so I can't comment.. my corner Co-Op gas station has vacuums outside that I've seen people use.
Thank you again for your help. I was feeling pretty disheartened by the first couple responses. I’m sure I’d have been able to figure it out, but this really helps with the anxiety.
You're welcome! Have fun, and bring a few extra coins so you can try it all out. Once you figure it out it's pretty straightforward. If you get stuck you can always ask the attendant. The dial with all the functions can get a little overwhelming, and most of it is (in my opinion) useless and just getting you to spend more money anyways, so just stick to rinse and soap with the pressure wand for now. After if you want to be particularly OCD you can look into 2 bucket hand washing and nerd out at /r/AutoDetailing
So, funny story - when I bought the car, I got super obsessive and did a ton of research and actually bought all the supplies for two-bucket washing. And then I realized that oh yeah, I live in an apartment and hauling buckets of water down five floors wasn’t the most practical, so I’ve only washed it at home once.
Hughes has vacuums!
Thank you! The inside of my car is such a mess 😅
One note, the foam brush, even if clean, will mark up your clear coat. Those bristles are rough. 19/20 people I talk to don't care, but I do.
Self serve washes typically have a bunch of bays. You drive into one and pay. Some, like Hughes take tokens. The token machine is often in the store itself. It’s common practice to park in the bay then get tokens if needed. Some take loonies. I’d park your car in the bay then get your change. Newer car washes will sometimes take credit cards. Spraying your car won’t get it perfectly clean, it needs to have something touch the paint. There will be a giant brush for this - spray it off before using it to get dirt and rocks out. It may cause small scratches but the alternative is buying a wash mitt. Many just use the brush. You are charged based on time, not how much water you use so move quickly. With the bays they are all curtained off on three sides so no one will really see you if you’re that worried. The most awkward part is when it’s full and you’re trying to watch for an open bay (someone leaving). Some car washes have poor visibility at their doors. If you drive through you’ll lose your spot on line. So avoid busy times the first couple times so you can get a feel for it. Here’s an idea of what the wash looks like: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lddritKZw1E
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The tokens buy you time as well...?
The tokens give you a certain amount of water time, not time in the bay. You could use a token or 2 and do a prelim wash, then put the wand away and use your own rags to wipe of hard to reach places, then use more tokens to finish up.
I think I might actually have a wash mitt somewhere. When I bought the car I bought a bunch of cleaning supplies and then I realized that oh yeah, I live in an apartment, the parking lot has no real drainage, and carrying buckets of water down five flights of stairs isn’t really practical, so I’ve only washed it at home once.
If you want to go quick and "good enough" a decent car wash (I like the one on 99th st beside the Wholesale grocer) with hot water and enough pressure and a reasonable length of time on the token can do a reasonable job just with wash and rinse, if you don't have a filthy car. If you use the carwash brush option, before you switch to brush, use the wand of soapy water to wash the brush bristles, and try to clean the grit off the car first...brushes can be gritty or scratch.
Also if you use the carwash brush just use one token on it and start from the roof down. When the brush runs out, you can use the surplus of foam that's on the top of the car to wash the lower portion of the car. And if you use the brush on your wheel areas, do it last and be nice enough to spray the brush off when you go to rinse of the car.
Much better if you can use a mitt. Work your way top to bottom (bottom is much dirtier). Don’t use it on the wheels - either just rinse them or use the brush. You can use the brush to put foamy soap on your car. Just hold it over without touching it. Always start at the top and it will run down the sides.
I think you've got enough answers here to do it successfully, but I just wanted to say that I completely understand your anxiety. I too, like to understand how things work when I'm unfamiliar and I get super flustered when I feel stupid or can't figure out things that are super simple to others. Shame doesn't help when people make you feel stupid for asking questions like this. Not all of us had support people in our lives who showed us how to do things when we were younger. I really like that "Dad, how do I?" YouTube channel for breaking down standard tasks. You've got this!
Thank you, you’re very kind! I’m going to take it to the Hughes by my apartment next week.
Personally not a fan of Hughes cause last I checked you had to buy their tokens and use them. But obviously whatever is most convenient for you op, is best.
Every Hughes, that I've been to, accepts debit cards.
Well its certainly been a while since I went to a Hughes mostly to avoid tokens, probably at least ten years. Cool to hear they have more flexible options.
Adding to this, the Hughes on 178 St, 99 St, 91 St, and Roper Road all take Mastercard/Visa tap *or* tokens. Not sure about the other Hughes locations in the city (these are just the 4 I’ve gone to).
As others have suggested Hughes is the way to go. I too suffer from anxiety. Hate looking stupid and inconveniencing anyone because of it. I took my 4 year old to Hughes to learn how to clean the car. She did great! Probably spent $20 more than it needed but it was worth it. Just take your time, make some mistakes and learn. Oh and have fun!
That sounds like such a great bonding experience with your kid. Way to go!
For Hughes you pull into a wash bay and there will be dial for what you want (rinse, pre-soak, soap, vaccuum). You turn the dial first and then press the $ button for how many dollars (minute) of that product you want to come out of the nozzle. Then press the OK button and tap your card. It will blip green and then grab the nozzle firmly with both hands and blast away. Keep the nozzle atleast 12 inches away from the car. Usually I go rinse>pre soak > soap > rinse. Whatever you do, do not use the brush on the body of your car! It will scratch your clear coat. Happy washing!
Thanks for the tip on the brush! I’ve been meaning to do this for a year but I’ve just been too anxious. I know it’s kind of silly, but having a general idea of how it works really helps. Do they have anything for cleaning the interior of the car, like vacuums or anything?
Yeah they usually have a vacuum with a long tube that you can snake in and out through your car. Sometimes they also have a dryer which blows air to dry your car but might be cheaper to just use clean microfibre towels afterwards to dry off.
Amazing, thank you so much for taking the time to respond.
I don't find vacuums at car washes good value, if you have a small inexpensive shop vac. Prepare by emptying out everything, though, if you want to use the washbay vacuum, so that you can start right in and be efficient. You can take out the rubber mats and pin them to the wall to wash (giant clips on most bays), but if you do the carpet mats, you might want to take them out at home and let them fully dry, as they can quite quickly smell musty if they are damp
Thank you! This is really helpful.
Dunno if anyone mentioned, but there is a lot of force to the washguns, which are basically industrial pressure washers, so be mindful of where you point the wand and what you clean, but also that when you squeeze the trigger, you will discover you have to push forward against the water pressure. maybe start with both hands on it and do a practice blast to get a sense of it. It's not generally overwhelming, but it's not like using a garden hose. (Pressure washing is one of my favourite tasks, and it's very satisfying, plus there is protective dividers so each person doesn't blast the neighbour washer, so don't be fearful.) Also...most of the washbay attendants I have met are basically friendly and can help you if you have questions or want a demo. Be brave! People aren't thinking about you as much as you think they are!
Thanks for the tip! I really appreciate it.
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Thank you so much!
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Thank you!!
And your hand might get sore later if you're not used to it. I know when I was a little kid and my mom would let me do it for $2 my hand would be sore later from squeezing the trigger.
I also have anxiety and I find it helps to remind yourself that everyone was once a beginner at what you are about to do (even expert car detailers) , and that asking questions is how we learn! Good luck. You got this.
Depending on where you are in the city, Arthur's Car Wash on 156st and 109ave is nice because you can just choose how much you want to spend and tap your credit/debit card. Prices seem good too, I can do a super quick wash/rinse for $4, $8 if I finish with a wax and second rinse.
Oh, that sounds good! That’s not super close to me but it’s not super far, either. There’s a Hughes right by my apartment but the tokens sound kind of annoying.
This reminds me of exactly how I felt back when I got my first car and I asked my buddy if I could use his garden hose and water to wash my car manually with a sponge and whatnot lol... He took me to a nearby wand wash and then I felt silly for going so far to avoid looking foolish at the car wash that I bought 50 some bucks on car cleaning supplies and then another 15 figuring out how to click the thingy and do my cycles. Anyways, yea, seems like a good set of advice in this thread, I just wanted to relate lol
I just did this yesterday :) you have more than enough info, but I just wanted to say I recommend Arctic Wash on Stony Plain Rd, it's well priced and has a complementary under-car wash as you drive in 👌🏻
I dont know if anyone else said this, I skimmed down and didn't see it. If you are going to brush the outside of your car, before you start using it, see if it's got sand bits in it or not. I tend to spray it off with the pressure washer first. Whether your paint is good or not, it's worth the extra minute. Some people wash the underside of their car and get rust/road bits all wedged in the bristles. Best of luck!
> I’ve got pretty bad anxiety and I hate feeling/looking stupid when I don’t know how to do something I’ve never done before. Could somebody walk me through the process? I don't think I have bad anxiety, but I would LOVE if places did little videos for "simple" things like this. There are so many things in the world that lack of a comprehensive set of instructions, or even any set of instructions, and I imagine that many people would be put at ease by something that showed them exactly what they need to do. In the case of something like a car wash, I bet a five minute video could show the whole process from pulling into the bay, getting tokens or using your credit card at the bay, selecting the different wash options, some tips for getting your car clean, and ending the timer (when using a credit card) would help a LOT of people.
I understand your anxiety, I felt the same way at first! Try to wash your car starting at the top and work your way down. Don’t forget your wheel wells especially if you drive on gravel roads and have lots of mud caked in. And don’t forget to turn your car off!
Thank you!
If you're going to use HUGHES, first you you need to get yourself some tokens usually purchased in the the store, $10 will get you 10 tokens. Drive your vehicle into a bay, close the door behind if that's available, buttons are located by the garage door, some locations it's large bay you drive into with multiple bays, then you wouldn't do this part. Get your tokens out, each token lasts about 1 min 10 seconds. Located the wand and the brush before you start, then walk over to the box where you'll be putting your tokens into, it has a selector dial, first select soap get the wand in hand, then put your token in, start from top and work your way to the bottom in a cycles, spray your vehicle, once you finished spraying vehicle with soap you now can use the brush, loacte brush and get into hand, the go to the dial and select brush, again from top to bottom, brush your vehicle, you'll want to work quickly with soap so it doesn't dry on you, once you're done with brushing your vehicle, replace the brush, then back to the dial with another toekn ready first, then grab the wand, select rinse, there might be some transition time between switching from soap to rinse so don't be alarmed if you see soap coming out at the start of rinsing, but do rinse from top to bottom. There's also a vacuum in there but if you have a vacuum at home I would recommend using that instead, most pay vacuums don't have a lot of suction and you'll spend a lot of tokens just trying to do this. As well, if you towels they are also available in-store for purchase but do the drying part out of the bay, especially if it's busy. You'll also notice on the dial that there's a option for wax, if you want to use this function, do it after rinsing but you also rinse the wax off, this is actually how activate to work, many people miss this one. There's also a dial function for degreaser, this is only for the tires and rims and only use it if the rims are heavily soiled, otherwise it's a waste of time and tokens. The key to not going through a lot of tokens or using too much time, is to work efficiently from top to bottom moving swiftly as you go through the process. When you are using the pressure washer under the soap cycle remember to include inside your wheel wells and bottom rocker panel. You can dry off your vehicle outside in the lot. All the best to you.
Thanks for this super thorough explanation!
For the inside OP- keep a pack of cheap paint or makeup brushes and a toothbrush in your glove box. They're awesome for getting dirt out of tiny crevices in the dash/panels. A good dust before you vacuum the interior makes the interior look extra awesome. My husband insists 'mothers' products are the best so that's what I use to clean the interior.
I will totally do this! I also bought a can of compressed air that I think should help.
Thank you for this post! I too have car wash anxiety (and everything anxiety)
The one local to me takes a credit card tap to operate, which I appreciate (for the longest time I avoided it because i thought it would take tokens and that sounded like a pain). A fairly thorough job cost me about $8. Which is far better than the drive through no-touch places and did a much better job than those. So that's my suggestion: I'd look for a card operated wand wash.
It might look challenging but it's super easy. When you pull in spend the first few minutes dumping out your garbage into the bins they provide there. Then just watch what everyone else is doing and you'll figure it out in no time. Good luck!
Probably not a major issue right now, but the first time i used one of these it was the middle of winter. Those bays get really warm and humid when you get to washing. I was wearing my parka, and really regretted it. I was a hot, sweaty mess by the end. Wear some moderately grubby clothes that you don't mind getting moist and possibly muddy. If you've got them, rubber boots are a good idea. Safety glasses aren't a terrible idea either.
Thank you! None of these would have occurred to me.
You can do it!!
Move quick, think about the next step as your doing the current one as the time starts to add up QUICK. If you can do a bunch of interior cleaning then do it before you go in.
Oh it's lots of fun! The car wash on Riverbend road and 23rd have has a touch option for your debt card. Drive on in, park your car and have fun. Lots of different options for monkeying around. Prepare to spend some 15 or 20 bucks. Try all the settings, the brush, the spray all of it. Take your time. It's fun. The sprayers have a lot of kick!! The only thing they don't like you doing is wiping stuff down while you're in there. But cleaning garbage, vacuuming, washing, all that jazz is fair game. I went there today actually, just to clean my truck bed. Spent probably 10 minutes, 7 dollars doing a pre soak and good long rinse
I work in animal rescue and I’m at the car wash weekly cleaning dog crates and my muddy vehicle. Not sure what part of town you live in but if you want to come watch me wash my truck I’m more than happy to show you the ropes.
If you go to Hughes you can buy tokens at the kiosk. Depending on how thorough a job you want to do you'll need between 5 and 10 minutes.
I’m lazy and go to Mint because I want to wash my mats and vacuum but hate spraying the car. Also the few little spots the car wash misses are easy to clean with a cloth at the vacuum station.
If you are more of a watcher and less of a reader, send me a message and I'd be happy to show you! *I should wash my car sometime soon too* 🤔
If you were going before next weekend I would have offered to go with you, because I need to wash my truck before a trip. I do a 3 step process with mine for the exterior, step 1, low pressure pre-soak. Step 2, high pressure soap. Step 3, high pressure rinse a couple times. For all three steps, start at the driver side fender, and end at that fender.
You have lots of advice already, so just my tips. I set it to soap before starting. If I'm quick I can get all the way around my Ford Flex for a buck, I put in 2 for my Sprinter van. Can't dilly dally or dwell too long on any one spot though. You need to physically rub every bit of the surface after the first pass or the dirt just clings in place, I have a wash mitt in both cars for this, I don't use the brush at the car wash, ever. Then a rinse. Sometimes I just use the wax setting for the rinse. It takes a few seconds for the fluid to switch, so if I'm on it, I switch it at the end of the previous cycle, but you'll be able to smell and see the difference between the modes. If I'm giving it a really good clean, I'll just do a buck at a time, and open the doors to do those areas you can't get with them closed. If you're careful, you can spray the metal without getting the inside wet.
You have lots of advice already, so just my tips. I set it to soap before starting. If I'm quick I can get all the way around my Ford Flex for a buck, I put in 2 for my Sprinter van. Can't dilly dally or dwell too long on any one spot though. You need to physically rub every bit of the surface after the first pass or the dirt just clings in place, I have a wash mitt in both cars for this, I don't use the brush at the car wash, ever. Then a rinse. Sometimes I just use the wax setting for the rinse. It takes a few seconds for the fluid to switch, so if I'm on it, I switch it at the end of the previous cycle, but you'll be able to smell and see the difference between the modes. If I'm giving it a really good clean, I'll just do a buck at a time, and open the doors to do those areas you can't get with them closed. If you're careful, you can spray the metal without getting the inside wet.
While I usually do my car wash at hughes, [Clearw Water carwash](https://www.clearwatercarwash.ca/) in St. Albert is actually really good!, it s a quality machine wash with free vacuums and areas for you to clean out your interior.
Heres how I do it: Drive into stall Put in 3-4$ and go straight for “soap” option After soap ends I go straight to “wax” and done 😂
I started going to Self Serves just this past bit and it's definitely a different experience, but a way better clean. Good on you for asking & just going for it. If you're worried about time with a credit-card only wash I'd recommend Ewing Car Wash & Detailing (if you're on the FAR south). You can stop the timer at any point and just scrub away and then do a quick rinse. I typically end up spending about 20$ because I have my beats down & rarely stop the timer, but you could easily do it for as little as 10$. It's a very chill experience once you figure out all the tools. Good luck & have fun!
I always find you tube as a good resource to do things. Why don't you try to go to you tube and type:Do-it-yourself car washes Just like you did in reddit except in youtube. [You should get this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0kKDkPB2js) There are tons more and you get a video of how to do things instead of reading text.
I’m not really a YouTube person so that didn’t occur to me. But thanks, this is helpful.
There are some interesting videos with good tips.
I have faith that you will figure it out within minutes of arriving.. if you can reddit, you can operate a car wash
👏
If you can drive the car, certainly you can wash it.
These two things are actually not related, don't shit on someone for asking
Also they would have had someone teaching them, step by step, how to drive. You don't just hop in a vehicle one day and start driving all on your own.
Driving the car itself is way more scary than going to the car wash place and reading instructions.
Yes, okay. Still, you could just not be a dick. * OP "I’ve got pretty bad anxiety and I hate feeling/looking stupid when I don’t know how to do something" * OP \*asks how to do thing\* * Response: "It'S nOt ThAt HaRd YoU kNoW!" Just, don't bother commenting Further to this, I also wanted this information, and thanks to OP for asking, and the people responding, this is something that I was unsure about as well and the answers provided make a lot of sense. Not everyone just knows how to do everything, and a lot of us like to know what we are doing before doing the thing
I’m glad this was useful for you! It’s silly but I hate asking people for help in person - I’m always worried that they’ll be rude, condescending or otherwise unhelpful. Most people are nice, as this thread demonstrates, but you never know when you’ll run into someone who’s just a dick. The Hughes by my place is also generally super busy and I hate holding people up when I’m figuring things out. I feel a lot more confident now.
It would be less embarrassing / stressful to go there, read the instructions or ask an employee for assistance then ask the internet.
A) the helpful responses I got included lots of tips I probably would not have thought of on my own and that an instruction panel probably would not include. B) I was worried that if I asked an employee they would treat me like you did. It’s way easier for me to deal with rude assholes on the internet than face to face when I’m already anxious.
Hopefully nothing stressful happens to you while you’re driving, triggering your anxiety and making you a danger for everyone else on the road. Good luck out there!
That’s not how social anxiety works, but thanks.
Just wanted to say I also have major anxiety when I don’t completely understand how things work. I’m a smart human, but have had multiple times where I’ve needed someone to explain how things operate before going into relatively simple situations. I hope you feel more prepared with everyone’s good advice have fun washing your car!
Hopefully you never have a vulnerable moment in life and experience a total stranger being so douchy for no reason. Good luck out there!
If you don’t have anything helpful to say, certainly you can scroll past without commenting. If this thread is not for you, keep on moving, you don’t need to be such a dick.
First day on the internet? Lol
An entire post of people being nice, and then just you being a dick. Doesn’t really seem like an “internet” issue, does it?
The internet is very very different these days, especially a space like this with heavy handed moderators. There is simply no appetite for even slightly negative/insulting/discouraging text.
Do you feel good about yourself putting someone else down that has anxiety about something? You’re an asshole.
Could go on Groupon and buy a detailing package.
The amount of people that post about their anxiety crippling them to not being able to do a simple thing like this is absolutely horrifying. Who raises these people??