Using a self service car wash is a good option if you don’t have the right tools or a place to use a manual car wash. The cost of automatic car washes is not affordable for everyone. This is why self serve car wash services come to the rescue!

Their services are reasonably priced, so you can take good care of your vehicle without breaking the bank. Hence, you should give them a try.

In most cases, you won’t know how to use a self serve car wash unless you’re familiar with car wash bays or quarter car washes. Don’t worry. However, a detailed yet succinct article on self serve car wash is provided below for your guidance.

Briefly, you should follow these steps:

• Clean the vehicle by parking it

• The interior floor mats should be removed

• The sprayer wand should be located

• Become familiar with the sprayer settings

• Become familiar with the payment options

• Remove loose contaminants from the vehicle by washing it with water

• Cover the vehicle in suds after adding soap

• Make sure the vehicle is completely rinsed of soap and suds

• Make sure the vehicle is thoroughly cleaned

• After rinsing, dry thoroughly

Continue reading for more details!

A Must Have Self Serve Car Wash 

Self service car wash machines require coins, along with your car (duh!). If you have any special tools for car care and maintenance, we encourage you to bring them along. Moreover, cleaning equipment has already been provided as part of these services for your convenience.

What to do if you want to use a self car serve wash?

Step 1: Clean the vehicle by parking it

Start by entering the self service car wash and settling into your own station. Parking spots are usually marked on the ground so that you can follow them. Alternately, you can park your car in the middle of the bay, which looks like a garage. In order to clean everything, ample space should be left around the cleaning area.

Step 2: The interior floor mats should be removed

The second step is to remove the rubber or plastic floor mats from the interior of your vehicle. Later, they will need to be cleaned separately, so place them against a wall for now.

Step 3: The sprayer wand should be located

The third step is to find the sprayer or spray wand. Ensure that the sprayers at the station are easily accessible. It is better to cover as little distance as possible. Changing your parking position can help you reach your vehicle more easily. As soon as you become familiar with the spray wand, you will be able to use it. Hold the trigger or handle, usually above or beneath the nozzle, when you want to release water.

Step 4: Become familiar with the sprayer settings

Fourth, familiarize yourself with the sprayer panel’s settings. Self service car wash will have a different number of settings depending on where you are. In most cases, however, there are between two and five settings available. The settings for the machine can be split into three categories: “wash”, “soap”, and “rinse”. Furthermore, pre-washing before cleaning or waxing after cleaning are advanced options.

Make sure you study the panel to determine what settings are available and how much time you need to spend.

• During the wash, you remove all the loose dust, dirt, sand, and grime from your car. The pressurized stream of water on most spray wands usually has only one or two power levels. Some sequences, however, may be more elaborate.

• Cleaners and solutions come in the form of soap. Afterward, your vehicle will be thoroughly and in-depth cleaned. There is no salt, grease, or other stubborn debris left behind.

• Your vehicle will be thoroughly rinsed to remove all soap. Your cleaning procedure will be completed automatically when you use the basic settings. Now you can drive away!

Step 5: Become familiar with the payment options

In the fifth step, make sure you look at the payment options. Coins are usually used to pay for most services. Exceptions do exist, however. Bills or credit cards may be accepted by some. Payment instructions will be displayed on a board or banner. Please read the instructions carefully before inserting the right type of money.

Once you feed money into the machine, you can jump right into washing your car once the timer goes off. In most cases, you have to pay between $2 and $5, and the condition of your vehicle also matters.

Step 6: Remove loose contaminants from the vehicle by washing it with water

The sixth step is to start washing. Hold the spray wand away from yourself while pointing it at your vehicle. By pressing the trigger or handle, you can release the pressurized water. You should stand at least three to five feet away from the high-pressure water to prevent your vehicle from being damaged. Water should be sprayed from top to bottom on your car, but avoid shooting water directly into the engine bay. You only need to do one or two laps until all the loose dust, dirt, sand, and grime is gone. Once you have set aside the floor mats, spray clean them.

Step 7: Cover the vehicle in suds after adding soap

The seventh step is to add soap. If you do the same thing as the step above, soap will come out of the spray wand when you select the soap option on the machine panel. However, to thoroughly clean your vehicle, make one more lap around it with soap. Pay special attention to the filth-filled tires and cover the vehicle in suds.

Step 8: Make sure the vehicle is completely rinsed of soap and suds

The eighth step involves rinsing. A foam brush or sponge is used instead of the spray wand in this step. It is important that you wash it thoroughly before you take any action on it. In addition, ensure that you clean them carefully because there may be debris left in them. If you don’t clean the rinsing equipment well, you will cause abrasion and scratches on your car’s surfaces. Indeed, having a fresh brush or sponge on hand would be even better.

Step 9: Make sure the vehicle is thoroughly cleaned

Your vehicle can be scrubbed with it. Take the time to reach all the corners and crevices. Circular motions will help you remove any contaminants that have accumulated. Moreover, if you don’t want the suds to sit on your vehicle for too long, take quick laps. Films can be developed by them.

Step 10: After rinsing, dry thoroughly

The ninth step involves rinsing and drying. Pull out your spray wand and select “rinse” from the control panel. Take quick, but careful laps around your vehicle to remove all the soap. The vehicle should be washed three to four times with water to ensure that there are no soapy residues left. Allow it to drip dry after that.

That’s it! The information you have just read has taught you how to self wash your car.

What You Should Know About Self Car Serve Washes

Make sure your station’s order is correct

Before you put any money in the machine, make sure that the self-serve station is working. Additionally, it’s better to be safe than sorry! Coins and bills can be lost if you are careless.

Check the direction of the wind

Be sure to check the wind direction before starting your cleaning session so you don’t stand downwind from the spray. Trust us, it makes a big difference even if it’s a small step.

Follow the directions provided with the cleaners

Be careful if you decide to use the extra services offered at a self serve car wash, like the engine and tire cleaners. Moreover, if you do not want your vehicle to be damaged, you should follow the instructions on the packaging carefully.

During the period for which you paid, you can use what you purchased

You will be automatically disconnected from the spray wand once the time that you have paid for has expired. Don’t waste your time if you still have some left. In addition, make sure you use the entire time to ensure that your vehicle leaves the bay in perfect condition.

Self Service Car Wash – Final Thoughts

With that, we have come to the end of this article on how to do a self service car wash. Moreover, as long as you followed this guide, you should now be able to use a self service car wash. Congratulations!

Please share your experience if you have used a self serve car wash after reading this. Please let us know what you think! Feel free to leave a comment if you have any other questions or thoughts regarding this topic. Our readers’ insights are always super exciting to us. Don’t wait to act!

Read More: