Im looking to get a power washer mainly for my bikes, but also for my lifter truck that no longer fits in any car wash. Is a Power washer recommended on cars at all? to spray a car down as a prewash

 

you may want to post this in the detailing forum as there may be some real experts there with much better advice than I have, however I wouldn't use the pressure washer on the car save the wheel wells. My preference is not to use the pressure washer on my cars at all but if you have one with many settings on it you may be able to adjust the spray to a low enough pressure that you can pre rinse with it. My theory is save the pressure washer for the drive way and BBQ.

 

in the owners manuel, it says to keep at least 21 inches away and dont spray the tires, head lights and a couple of other things directly.

 

I would not use a power washer . Perhaps its that my black car requires the most sensive materials to avoid blemishes . Plus a wheel weight can knock off . In my opinion its best to set aside time to clean it and it's even better to leave it dirty than rush and scratch the car .

 

No way ... no how. I would never use a power washer on my car. Too much potential to do costly damage.

 

im not talking about a 5000psi commercial washer, im talking about a cheapo husky 1500 psi washer on the low setting. They use them at the car wash anyways. Its basically the same thing. I would be using it for a prewash more then anything, to just get the car wet. I dunno... seemed like a great idea previously! hhah guess not!

 

Yes, power washing is perfectly fine for both body and engine.

 

I wouldn't use one. My car is black and it gets nasty swirl marks if I so much as look it wrong! Face it: you're going to have to wash it properly with a good mitt and proper shampoo anyway, so what good does the pressure washer do you? Nothing. It saves you no time. I'd skip it: better safe than sorry.
CATTMAN

 

What a pressure washer does is reduce the risk of scratches in your black paint. All it takes is one small, invisable piece of dirt under your mit and your finish will scratch wherever your mit goes. Power washing helps remove debris on the surface before washing it with a mit or sponge.

Personally, I ALWAYS use a power washer on all my cars because of ease. A quick wipe down with wet rag, rinse and then towel dry. Takes no more than 10 -15 minutes to clean the outside of the car and wheels each time.

Scratches are going to occur no matter how you wash a car and the car will need a more thorough cleaning and polishing periodically. How often is dependent on how **** the owner is and how much is missing in his or her life.

 

every single time i wash my car, i use a PW... obviously you dont want to use the cutting nozzle but with a proper nozzle, youll have no issues. i love mine.

i also use it with my foam cannon

 

Be careful using a power washer around paint chips. The water can get under the paint and now you have a BIG paint chip.

 

Hmmm. I personally disagree: I feel the risk isn't worth the reward. While I agree with what you say in theory, you also have to acknowledge that a power washer can also take that lodged on debris and drive it into the clearcoat, leaving micro-maring and/or imbedded debris which will require claying to remove. In addition, debris, once dislodged via a power washer, can get propelled across the surface of your car, where it could create further scratches, etc.

Proper technique with the right products (mitts, shampoo, hose with nosels) is, plain and simple, safer. Now, a schmuk with any old wash mitt or bathroom towel and a bucket of dawn suds is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a real, thick 100% lambswool mitt and highly lubrous suds (Zaino, for example), and 2 buckets with grit guards. Technique should be: heavy hose rise first before touching the car with your sudsy mitts. One bucket of water and suds to wash, another to clean the mitt after each section. I use 2-3 mitts and 4 buckets of water on my car.

But as you say, it all depends on how **** you are- and I am pretty ****. As a result, I know my way around detailing a black car, and I wouldn't use a power washer. Some may, and that's fine for them. I won't, and that works for me

My next Porsche will be silver, in which case it matters a whole lot less.
CATTMAN

 

So I was at the dealership dropping off my car for a light on the dash and as I was pulling out, all the cars were being powerwashed by an outside company they must have hired to clean their cars... so looks like im going out to go get myself a low powered power washer!

 

For what it's worth, I can tell you right now that dealerships are pretty disappointing when it comes to their knowledge of proper detailing.

Many devoted detailers, myself included, order their cars non-prepped. They won't take delivery if the dealer or port has prepped the car. We also have signs that we put on our dashboards that say "do not wash" when we take our cars in for service.

If this isn't you, then you likely won't notice any negative impact from a bad wash, or an over-aggressive jet of water.

However, I can tell you with certainty, that even a generic coin operated "spray bay" has too much power behind the water stick and the water alone will etch your paint.

Remember: the Grand Canyon got that way thanks to aqua.

But good luck- hope your car isn't black. If it is, you can read my prescription to fix it here:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ur-detail.html
CATTMAN

 

I would not do power washing