Has anyone used an IMO carwash?

I've never used a carwash in my life, always done it by hand but I've not been well lately and with the weather being awful as well I really can't be bothered this time.  The cars done 100k, and been written off once so the paintwork isn't fantastic anyway lol.

Just seen I can get a half price carwash at IMO with my AA membership...but I have no idea how much they are normally?  Anyone know?  Also, I think it's the type where you sit in the car, how long does it take roughly?

Cheers
Tom

Never heard of IMO. You can wait till you get better and wash it yourself. I wash mine myself on the drive using a pressure washer, 2 buckets, snow foam cannon with snow foam mixed in, wheel cleaner, shampoo, finish spray etc. 

I'd still rather do it myself, even if it's with a hose pipe and a bottle of fairy liquid (or a £3 bottle of car wash if you wax your car) I'd get a better result. These car washes do so many cars a week without washing the 'flappers'? Anyway it's probably similar to buying a sponge at 17 years old and still giving your car a weekly wash (without it being rinced out) at 70.

43 minutes ago, Luke4efc said:

I'd still rather do it myself, even if it's with a hose pipe and a bottle of fairy liquid (or a £3 bottle of car wash if you wax your car) I'd get a better result. These car washes do so many cars a week without washing the 'flappers'? Anyway it's probably similar to buying a sponge at 17 years old and still giving your car a weekly wash (without it being rinced out) at 70.

I'd not recommend taking the car to a hand car wash or even a automated one. I learnt with my previous car which I used to take to a hand car wash near me once a month. They accidentally broke the rear wiper also. The paint was covered in scratches. 

4 hours ago, Luke4efc said:

I'd still rather do it myself, even if it's with a hose pipe and a bottle of fairy liquid.

Nooooooooooooooooo!

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3 hours ago, zain611 said:

I'd not recommend taking the car to a hand car wash or even a automated one.

This!

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42 minutes ago, TimST2 said:

Nooooooooooooooooo!

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Why not? Lol.

Nope, I never use an automated or hand car wash. 
The best option is to either jet wash it at home (if you have the ability), hand wash it yourself (using clean sponges and microfibre cloths for buffing) or just take it to a garage jet wash. 
I sometimes hand wash my car (multiple times using various products) or just pop it down to Sainsbury's where it's £1 for 3 minutes (a fiver usually enables a thorough clean). 

Hand car washes often use the same sponges etc on multiple cars so there is a high possibility of grit etc being embedded into the sponges or cloths. 
Automatic car washes are just as bad. The brushes are not good for vehicles with a softer compound paint as they are quite stiff. Also, grit etc accumulates inside the brushes so when spinning at high speed, it will just fly out and scratch the paint or worse. 

36 minutes ago, Luke4efc said:

Why not? Lol.

Contains salt.

1 hour ago, eddie eastwood said:

Contains salt.

It's not like road salt though. There's nothing that will corrode through the paintwork. Even if there was you're only leaving it on for a few minutes compared to days/weeks with road salt...

Your paint probably gets damaged more every time it rains...

13 hours ago, Luke4efc said:

It's not like road salt though. There's nothing that will corrode through the paintwork. Even if there was you're only leaving it on for a few minutes compared to days/weeks with road salt...

Your paint probably gets damaged more every time it rains...

Could the salts act as an abrasive when your wiping the car? A shampoo I recommend getting is bilt hamber auto wash. Just add around a table spoon into a bucket and it creates thick suds. I found its best to fill the bucket up a little then place the end of the pressure washer hose in the water then spray it in. The pressure washer force helps to stir up the soap and it won't be splashing out the bucket if the end of the hose is in the water. 

Washing up liquid is designed to remove grease, it'll strip off any paintwork protection you've got, wax, polish etc...  A decent shampoo is designed to gently remove dirt without stripping everything else.  Salt isn't a huge issue on a daily, while it will dry out the lacquer most of our cars will spend 3 months or so covered in road salt over winter anyway.  If you've got a classic/retro you'd want to be more careful about letting salt sit on a car.

 

Anyway, it's usually me taking threads off topic...how the tables have turned!!   I simply wanted to know how much it'll cost and how long it'll take at this particular car wash.  I know hand washing is better for the car, I've been doing that for 10 years, but it's just not an option this time and I can't see out of the rear window or read the numberplate so something needs to be done.  I will just wipe these over with a damp rag for now if the carwash is too expensive.  Do you honestly think it's ever been handwashed before in the 96k before I bought it?  

 

We have a good car wash by us (hand car wash) which they do a good job for £5 and you get a wash and dry but 2 main problems with it and i have never used it myself

is that.........They use a brush dipped into the soap bucket........then jet wash it off (thats good)..........but a leather,a leather aint touched my cars in years always a cloth.

Could come to a stage where we all might need some sort of car wash,bending and my legs are getting older lol.

4 hours ago, jace1969 said:

We have a good car wash by us (hand car wash) which they do a good job for £5 and you get a wash and dry but 2 main problems with it and i have never used it myself

is that.........They use a brush dipped into the soap bucket........then jet wash it off (thats good)..........but a leather,a leather aint touched my cars in years always a cloth.

Could come to a stage where we all might need some sort of car wash,bending and my legs are getting older lol.

If you're after a better job than that you're getting into the detailing range. That will cost you haha

Anyone wanting their car detailed they can ask me 😂. Did very well with mine. 

If you're after a better job than that you're getting into the detailing range. That will cost you haha

Or go to Halfords and buy some autoglym bodywork shampoo, aquawax and wheel sealant with your FOC 15% discount and do it yourself properly with a home pressure washer, wash mit and some microfibre cloths to get a better result and and a protective finish.

 

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10 hours ago, Luke4efc said:

If you're after a better job than that you're getting into the detailing range. That will cost you haha

No mate,i have scratches and don't want more,first thing a brush......No way ...and second thing a Leather that's spent more times on the floor with Grit/dirt on it.

Roller brushes are better that this at least you car get a hot hair blown at it to dry it so no leather.