Car Wash Conspiracy?
 

After my wife got canned from her job a couple of weeks ago, one of the many things that got whacked by the budgeting axe was my at-least-weekly visits to the local Delta Sonic car wash. The main reason I did this was because of the dust that seemed to instantly gather on my car while parked every weekday at the local train station parking lot. The dust was clearly visable after the first day, and by the end of the week, the car was (at least in my estimation) filthy. Plus, the slightest amount of rain would turn the dust into large, brown splotches, and bright red paint doesn't seem to hide it very well.

Anyway, last Tuesday I finally got off my lazy ass, purchased one of those Mr. Clean carwashing kits, and washed the car by hand. Since then, it's rained like hell, twice, yet the car isn't dusty or spotted with dirt, and looks pretty much as clean as the day I washed it. That seems really strange, since I didn't wax the car.

So I wonder - it is possible that the car wash people add something to the rinse that actually attracts dirt, and thereby encouraging more frequent visits to the car wash? Or did all the dust in Northern Illinois somehow magically settle in the past week? The conspiracy theorist in me is seeing red, and not just the paint on the Mustang.

Anybody else ever notice this?

In any event, I think I'll wash the car myself from now on, regardless of the wife's employment status.

How much was the kit?

I used to own three car washes. The only thing I did to the water was run it through the softener so you got lots of suds and a spot free rinse. They never let me in on the dust gathering potion, damn it.

I'm not sure - perhaps around $20 or so. Obviously works well, and it's already paid for itself considering how much I used to drop at the car wash.

Sure sounds like a great marketing ploy, though, doesn't it?

Sure does. Car washes are a great business. You are basically re-selling utilities and there is no way anybody can tell how much money you took in.

One thing you mentioned in your first post - the soft water - made me think a feature of the Mr. Clean kit - a built-in filter for rinsing that purifies the water. Perhaps that accounts for the big difference.

Cool, thanks for the heads up.

We've got a self-serve car wash near my home that costs only 75 cents. Once on wash (brush if necessary), once on rinse and I've only spent $1.50. I can afford that.

Would this be the kit with the spot free rince?

I was paying $14 for a full wash, wax and drying. If you went back within five days, the follow-up wash was free; within 10 days, it was half price.

Still, I kind of feel like a moron now for blowing all that money on something I could easily do myself. Just got in the habit of doing it when I lived in the city (and had no place to effectively wash a car since I always had to park on the street). Now I have a garage and no excuse not to do it myself.

Mr Towne, the IRS would like to meet with you now...

It is impossible to have "spot free rinse" without using RO water (reverse osmosis). Reverse osmosis is a very involved process in which SOFT water is filter through several different types of media and then forced through a membrane removing all but .001% of all minerals and sediment dissolved in the water. Most people make the mistake of thinking soft water is spot free, or even worse that water sprayed over a filter in a at home carwashing kit makes it spot free water. When in fact it does not even make it soft water. Soft water is the removal of all but sodium cations. Spot free water is water that has been throught the RO process and has a total dissolved solids rating of less than 75ppm.

Tim, the much needed moisture we have had killed the dust. As you know, we went almost three months with only a half inch of rain. The dirt was dry and almost everything was brown. Now we have had two rains of almost an inch in a week which kills the dust. My cars are staying clean to. I do not think there is a car wash plot but would highly recommend getting that Mustang waxed. ROFL

So, the answer is "No"? :p