[ember.m4]

How do all you apartment dwellers keep your cars clean? I live in an apartment complex with no car wash spots. I'm thinking I'll mostly use those DIY coin-based washing stations and pay to have it professionally washed once in a while. Wondering how other people have dealt with this.

[kDot17]

I could be completely wrong about this, but I don't think very many people buying an $80,000+ car are living in an apartment. Not sure how much feedback you'll get on this.

I would say the easiest way would be to use those public DIY car wash stations, but bring your own supplies to clean with. I.e. use your own microfiber wash mitt instead of those awful broom-looking brushes those places all have.

Getting your car detailed by a mobile detailer from time to time is great, but you get the most out of nice details by giving your car a quick wash periodically between details. After the detailing is done your car will presumably be clayed and waxed or sealed, so simple washes every week or two with a mild wash shampoo will get it very easily clean and also maintain the wax or sealant's hydrophobic properties for longer.

[barryc365]

Originally Posted by kDot17

I could be completely wrong about this, but I don't think very many people buying an $80,000+ car are living in an apartment. Not sure how much feedback you'll get on this.

I would say the easiest way would be to use those public DIY car wash stations, but bring your own supplies to clean with. I.e. use your own microfiber wash mitt instead of those awful broom-looking brushes those places all have.

Getting your car detailed by a mobile detailer from time to time is great, but you get the most out of nice details by giving your car a quick wash periodically between details. After the detailing is done your car will presumably be clayed and waxed or sealed, so simple washes every week or two with a mild wash shampoo will get it very easily clean and also maintain the wax or sealant's hydrophobic properties for longer.

You're correct in that you are completely wrong

Maybe you live in the country side or
Something but in New York City (or any major City), Apartments are the norm for a lot of people. These relatively small apartments cost millions of dollars, so I wouldn't assume someone 'driving an $80k car' lives in house.

I pay my Detailer to hand wash the car because I live in an apartment. It's $50 a wash but it's done correctly and I don't have access to water and don't have the time to do it myself even if I did.

I did look in to this briefly and there are some 'water less' car wash techniques and products that are supposed to be pretty good in a pinch but obviously they have their draw backs

[KiloCo]

barryc365, said, "...Something but in New York City (or any major City), Apartments are the norm for a lot of people..."

barryc365, just my 2 cents. IF I lived in NYC I wouldn't purchase a
2022 M4 Comp/ Brooklyn Grey. No parking. Snow and Rain. No thanks.

[SintAFM]

Originally Posted by barryc365

You're correct in that you are completely wrong

Maybe you live in the country side or
Something but in New York City (or any major City), Apartments are the norm for a lot of people. These relatively small apartments cost millions of dollars, so I wouldn't assume someone 'driving an $80k car' lives in house.

I pay my Detailer to hand wash the car because I live in an apartment. It's $50 a wash but it's done correctly and I don't have access to water and don't have the time to do it myself even if I did.

I did look in to this briefly and there are some 'water less' car wash techniques and products that are supposed to be pretty good in a pinch but obviously they have their draw backs

Waterless is decent if you have a million microfibers on hand.

When I lived in a condo I did what you mentioned... pack everything in a plastic tote bin, throw it in the trunk, and use those coin operated pressure washers. I used gallon zip lock bags to keep everything like wash mitt, detail brush, wheel fiber brush, microfibers, etc. organized and tidy.

Alternatively, make friends with a buddy who has a driveway and a hose ... maybe a six pack every other wash for the slight water bill bump

[Custom Install]

Originally Posted by SintAFM

Waterless is decent if you have a million microfibers on hand.

When I lived in a condo I did what you mentioned... pack everything in a plastic tote bin, throw it in the trunk, and use those coin operated pressure washers. I used gallon zip lock bags to keep everything like wash mitt, detail brush, wheel fiber brush, microfibers, etc. organized and tidy.

Alternatively, make friends with a buddy who has a driveway and a hose ... maybe a six pack every other wash for the slight water bill bump

I've lived in many flats (apartments) over the years and had my own method. As OP said, living in apartments can be location relevant. I've mostly lived in the city so it's part of the deal. Next to my last flat was a garage with 3 jet wash bays. I would go very early to wash the car so as not to hold people up. I kept all my cleaning stuff in a bucket in my boot. Firstly I'd use the lance to fill up the bucket, give the car a good power rinse and then wash as normal. Ok, no 2 bucket method but a good rinse down and some common sense and your fine. Always kept a separate sponge for the wheels/under sills.
After many years of doing this I had a routine that was efficient and never once felt it damaged the car.
Actually miss it, it's a hell of a lot quicker and when your done you drive away and no big tidy up required.

[Wh4rfR4t]

Originally Posted by barryc365

You're correct in that you are completely wrong

Maybe you live in the country side or
Something but in New York City (or any major City), Apartments are the norm for a lot of people. These relatively small apartments cost millions of dollars, so I wouldn't assume someone 'driving an $80k car' lives in house.

I pay my Detailer to hand wash the car because I live in an apartment. It's $50 a wash but it's done correctly and I don't have access to water and don't have the time to do it myself even if I did.

I did look in to this briefly and there are some 'water less' car wash techniques and products that are supposed to be pretty good in a pinch but obviously they have their draw backs

This, i bring my car once a week to my detailer for a hand wash until i move into my new house and can do it myself.

[aford]

Originally Posted by sleepingplant

How do all you apartment dwellers keep your cars clean? I live in an apartment complex with no car wash spots. I'm thinking I'll mostly use those DIY coin-based washing stations and pay to have it professionally washed once in a while. Wondering how other people have dealt with this.

If you can reasonably fill a bucket with water and you have a bunch of microfiber and a sponge you can use a waterless wash. There are a ton of YouTube reviews out there. I personally have used Optimum No Rinse (ONR) and it's quite good. It's a concentrate that you dilute and as the product states you don't need to rinse it off. The key is to go panel by panel, top down, no scrubbing. Patience and you'll have a clean car in the end. If you can also manage a spray bottle you can make up a batch of ONR pre-treater so you can spray the panel and let it loosen up the dirt before bucket and sponge.

I'll be using ONR to get me through most of the PA winter. My plan is to wash before the car gets too dirty. Best of luck. Let us know what you decide.

[m4ml]

I live in an apartment in San Diego. I can tell you that the best thing that I *ever* did for washing my 2017 M4 was to get it ceramic coated with Ceramic Pro Gold.

I say this, because now, my wash routine is go to the coin op car wash with the sprayer, low pressure suds it, pressure wash, pressure rinse, low pressure spotless rinse, and then blow dry (the one by my house has a hand held air dryer).

I have some microfiber towels and some detail spray for anything that doesn't come off during the wash.

For my incoming 2022 M4Cx I'll be doing full XPEL stealth with ceramic coating so that my wash routine doesn't change.

[themnmd]

There are rinseless wash products like ONR . Use minimal water and no rinsing

[GixY2K]

To the OP:

Go to a self-serve coin operated carwash.
- High pressure rinse
- Hand wash it with your own soap/bucket from top to bottom; use your own mitten/sponge
- High pressure rinse again
- Dry it with your own towels on-site; don't drive it wet and then dry it at your place.

Note: the key here is to be the only one in the carwash so that you can take your time without having people behind you waiting to use the stall.

On a side note:
Sold my house in CO in '18 to move to CA (Lompoc/Santa Maria area). I was hoping to jump into the housing market in CA as soon as I got there, but when I saw what I was getting form half a million dollars... small, old, questionable condition, taxes, crime, etc., I decided do a turn-n-burn and applied for the first available job back in CO. I did live in base housing in Vandenberg AFB for almost 2 years. Great accommodations, short commute, safe and access to 35mi. of coastline and front view of rocket launches

Don't get me wrong. I'm from CA. Graduated from Burbank High School, went to Glendale College and then joined the Air Force. All I can say is this. For me, the current state of CA is SAD! And without getting into politics, that is all I will say. And to my fellow Californians: I understand the struggle.

[ember.m4]

Originally Posted by GixY2K

To the OP:

Go to a self-serve coin operated carwash.
- High pressure rinse
- Hand wash it with your own soap/bucket from top to bottom; use your own mitten/sponge
- High pressure rinse again
- Dry it with your own towels on-site; don't drive it wet and then dry it at your place.

Note: the key here is to be the only one in the carwash so that you can take your time without having people behind you waiting to use the stall.

On a side note:
Sold my house in CO in '18 to move to CA (Lompoc/Santa Maria area). I was hoping to jump into the housing market in CA as soon as I got there, but when I saw what I was getting form half a million dollars... small, old, questionable condition, taxes, crime, etc., I decided do a turn-n-burn and applied for the first available job back in CO. I did live in base housing in Vandenberg AFB for almost 2 years. Great accommodations, short commute, safe and access to 35mi. of coastline and front view of rocket launches

Don't get me wrong. I'm from CA. Graduated from Burbank High School, went to Glendale College and then joined the Air Force. All I can say is this. For me, the current state of CA is SAD! And without getting into politics, that is all I will say. And to my fellow Californians: I understand the struggle.

Yeah, this is pretty inline with what I've been doing, except most times I just skip the bucket wash. I have hydrophobic PPF on my car so the high pressure soap + rinse + towel actually does a decent job. My plan is to take the car in for a professional wash every now and then if the dirt starts to build up. Thanks!

[merlin3008]

Originally Posted by sleepingplant

Yeah, this is pretty inline with what I've been doing, except most times I just skip the bucket wash. I have hydrophobic PPF on my car so the high pressure soap + rinse + towel actually does a decent job. My plan is to take the car in for a professional wash every now and then if the dirt starts to build up. Thanks!

Just be careful. Those self service car washes use very harsh chemicals to get the dirt off. They really go eat into any sealant or coating you've had done.

[SteveLacy]

Originally Posted by SintAFM

Waterless is decent if you have a million microfibers on hand.

When I lived in a condo I did what you mentioned... pack everything in a plastic tote bin, throw it in the trunk, and use those coin operated pressure washers. I used gallon zip lock bags to keep everything like wash mitt, detail brush, wheel fiber brush, microfibers, etc. organized and tidy.

Alternatively, make friends with a buddy who has a driveway and a hose ... maybe a six pack every other wash for the slight water bill bump

hahaha the six pack idea doesnt seem all that bad. I honestly clean my car myself and its not that bad once u get the hang of it. as far as the water bill issue goes, you can always use plastic boxes and fill those up with water and use that water to clean up your car

[M3GABIT]

Originally Posted by kDot17

I could be completely wrong about this, but I don't think very many people buying an $80,000+ car are living in an apartment. Not sure how much feedback you'll get on this.

I live in an apartment haha. Best thing I did was get the car ceramic coated, makes washing it at a self serve a breeze. Just a quick water wash and dry with some microfibers and the car is good to go again.

[forumlurker]

Check out this method. I actually looked into this a while ago when living in an apartment. The unit is cordless and all you do is fill up the reservoir. As you can see the foam is pretty thick using a foam gun. Two buckets for paint and one for wheel is ideal. But if getting job done quick is important, all you need is one prefilled bucket with a dolly and grit guard underneath for paint. For wheels, hit it with adams wheel and tire cleaner and spray off wheel/tire brush as needed. Might want to bring an extra gallon of water. Easily done in an underground garage.

portable pressure washer : https://www.amazon.com/Karcher-11171...cher+follow+me

[GreatWhite]

• assuming that you have all the basic detailing tools, wheel brushes, plenty of microfiber towels, plenty of drying towels, wash mitts...etc
• assuming you have all the basic washing products, iron remover, soap...etc
• buy couple of those 5 gallon bucket from HomeDepot with lids (add a 2 gallon one with lid if you planning on detail clean your wheels as well).
• fill all the buckets at least halfway full plus some soap, put the lid on and bring them with you to a coin wash
• spray on your iron remover or decon. product first and give it a minute
• (coin in minimum) first wash is to pressure wash the entire car thoroughly, wash off all products you sprayed on earlier and use the last 30 seconds of your time to agitate all bucket with soap you brought with you to make it foamy
• now you can simply wash your car using two bucket system with your own cleaning tools and products
• (coin in as much as you need) rinse off thoroughly
• drying the car, move it away from the washing bay if there are others waiting
• DO NOT USE coin wash soap
• DO NOT USE coin wash brush
• you are only there for high pressure water

I did this routine for about 5 years while I was in Tulsa for work.

[RDM3]

Originally Posted by sleepingplant

How do all you apartment dwellers keep your cars clean? I live in an apartment complex with no car wash spots. I'm thinking I'll mostly use those DIY coin-based washing stations and pay to have it professionally washed once in a while. Wondering how other people have dealt with this.

ONR rinseless wash is the your best option.
Watch The Rag Company's youtube videos on this product.
You can damage your paint using the most expensive products/tools so gather as much information before using the rinseless wash method.
I have been using it for over 7 years and had no issues. Don't get me wrong it has its limitations like you still need to do a regular decon wash using fallout remover...but if used properly it can work great for maintenance wash.

[Asmedbeats]

I was reading through the posts. Do some people really do high pressure soap, rinse and wipe dry? Aren’t you going to introduce swirls doing this?

I used to bring two buckets and my own soap. Only used the pressure water and because of my ceramic coating I’d blow dry with my ego blower. People thought I was crazy with all the stuff I pulled out of my trunk.

[Nettles]

Originally Posted by GreatWhite

• assuming that you have all the basic detailing tools, wheel brushes, plenty of microfiber towels, plenty of drying towels, wash mitts...etc
• assuming you have all the basic washing products, iron remover, soap...etc
• buy couple of those 5 gallon bucket from HomeDepot with lids (add a 2 gallon one with lid if you planning on detail clean your wheels as well).
• fill all the buckets at least halfway full plus some soap, put the lid on and bring them with you to a coin wash
• spray on your iron remover or decon. product first and give it a minute
• (coin in minimum) first wash is to pressure wash the entire car thoroughly, wash off all products you sprayed on earlier and use the last 30 seconds of your time to agitate all bucket with soap you brought with you to make it foamy
• now you can simply wash your car using two bucket system with your own cleaning tools and products
• (coin in as much as you need) rinse off thoroughly
• drying the car, move it away from the washing bay if there are others waiting
• DO NOT USE coin wash soap
• DO NOT USE coin wash brush
• you are only there for high pressure water

I did this routine for about 5 years while I was in Tulsa for work.

Originally Posted by Asmedbeats

I was reading through the posts. Do some people really do high pressure soap, rinse and wipe dry? Aren’t you going to introduce swirls doing this?

I used to bring two buckets and my own soap. Only used the pressure water and because of my ceramic coating I’d blow dry with my ego blower. People thought I was crazy with all the stuff I pulled out of my trunk.

Best answers right here. The thread is getting a bit muffled with financial responsiblity and geography lol

Going to a self serve and doing what these gents recommended is the route. To make it even a little easier see if you can find a self serve that has spot free/deionezed water. That way I just on a little longer route home and let all the water fly off and/or just dry with no water spots. This is the method for you if for whatever reason you don't want to pay someone regularly to wash it for you. Waterless/rinseless is a great option, but my guess is most people don't really understand what they are doing with those options.

[icj_45e]

https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1876318
GrussGott on the X5 forums posted this

[SigmaShift]

Originally Posted by RDM3

ONR rinseless wash is the your best option.
Watch The Rag Company's youtube videos on this product.
You can damage your paint using the most expensive products/tools so gather as much information before using the rinseless wash method.
I have been using it for over 7 years and had no issues. Don't get me wrong it has its limitations like you still need to do a regular decon wash using fallout remover...but if used properly it can work great for maintenance wash.

Ever try McKees rinse less? I actually prefer it to ONR.