How are people washing their cars during water restriction?

[turboveedubb]

G'day,

I wondering how people are washing and maintaining their cars during water restrictions. I'm in melbourne where we have 3a restrictions and it means we can't wash cars unless it's at a car wash which recycles it's water. Buckets are only allowed to clean windows and wash bird poo away.

All of the places around me are the coin operated broom-handle style washes which kinda does the job but doesn't at the same time if you know what I mean.

I don't want to do the wrong thing and wash it at home, more of a conscience thing than anything else.

I'd love to find out how people are washing their cars and keeping them in show room condition.

Thanks!

[DubSteve]

I have a Karcher System that I use, 10L bucket with a Karcher pressure cleaner hooked up to it does the trick and is legal heaps good, can do the whole car with 1 1/2 buckets all up :)

[peedman]

Since the nats ive only washed my car once lol! I think u should lend that karcher to members here steve, support the community!!! j:

The fine is huge now if ur caught using a hose...

[VW Convert]

We are on water restrictions here too which I would suggest will become permanent barring a repeat of Noah's great flood! I don't think our restrictions are quite as drastic as Melbourne though.

I'm lucky, I live in a suburb with recycled water so I'm not affected, just give her a wash every Sunday with the hose. Best move I ever made buying here. :)

If I didn't have that luxury though, I would definitely have rainwater tanks for garden and car washing use.

Cheers

George

[BL33SU]

i jst use the hose

[Tim]

same as steve i have a karcher hooked up to a 60L rubbish bin that ive modified with a hose fitting at the bottom.
I just fill it with rain water we collect from the garage roof.

[DubSteve]

Since the nats ive only washed my car once lol! I think u should lend that karcher to members here steve, support the community!!! j:

The fine is huge now if ur caught using a hose...

$5 for 2 hour use :D

[vkswgn]

I'm in Melbourne too. I go to the local BP (coin operated hose thingo). I emplore you not to use the broom - it will scratch the @#%* out of your paint! I take a bucket with my own car shampoo in it (no water obviously), a mit and sponge. $1 for pre-rinse, $1 to fill my bucket, then wash as normal with mit. $1 to rinse off soap, then use sponge and left over bucket water for wheels and wheel arches. $1 for final rinse and under the bonnet. Total cost = $4 :) .

[turboveedubb]

very nice!

Although they say that there is no bucket washing of the cars on site... although if you go a weird times of the day.. say 10pm on a tuesday night, no one's there to stop you and no queue of people to hold up.

That's a pretty good idea!

[REDMKVGTI]

I'm a serial re-offender from the Final Inspection fraternity...

[Tim]

i was thinking of visiting final inspection. they have opened up on brunswick rd or something havent they? Be nice to rid myself of all the swirls the dealer put in my paint! Is their pricing reasonable ?

[572]

Karcher pressure washer and 3500L rain water tank for me haha!

I must get the Mazda detailed before it gets traded though.

[95vr6]

Twice a month from the good all garden hose:D

[Jarred]

use the water from someone else's rain tanks!, joshs in this case, works good; and is free!

[MattyT]

We have water restrictions over here too but its nowhere near as harsh as syd/melb. So its hose + bucket for me :D

We've got a karcher here but its bloody fiddly, you look like a tosser and I hate it.

[dilbert_rocks]

G'day,

I wondering how people are washing and maintaining their cars during water restrictions. I'm in melbourne where we have 3a restrictions and it means we can't wash cars unless it's at a car wash which recycles it's water. Buckets are only allowed to clean windows and wash bird poo away.

All of the places around me are the coin operated broom-handle style washes which kinda does the job but doesn't at the same time if you know what I mean.

I'd love to find out how people are washing their cars and keeping them in show room condition.

Thanks!

Brizzy is on Level 6 - but sim restrictions to Melb by the sounds. So my nice new black car looks pretty filthy all the time thanks to the intermittent rain showers that we get nowadays. I got the 5th Dimension package so have used the supplied Dry Car Wash stuff a few times. Leaves it nice and slippery afterwards. But I try to get rid of the bulk of the dirt first by just using the rinse hose at a similar car wash setup. I flush the previous chemicals over the wheels first, and when the paint is really wet (I don't use the high pressure), just rub lightly with my hand to try to avoid scratching (down the side panels in particular which seems to catch the most dirt). Then drive home, let it drip dry and use the dry car wash. Otherwise I'll just hit the nose, bonnet and back with the dry car wash.

Drove to a friend in Caloundra a while back (where they have no water restrictions) and used the supplied shampoo (but not warm water), and wasn't real pleased. Didn't have the same slipperiness afterwards.

[The_Hawk]

I just can't bring myself to use the "waterless" car wash stuff.

Personally I think the whole no using hoses on cars is a joke. I have a watering can which I have used and I can tell you in the time it takes till fill the watering can ONCE I have rinsed off the whole car vs 2 or 3 cans to use the watering can. Call me crazy, but by using the hose I save water!

That and I wash the car on the front grass anyway. And I NEVER water the garden, so I most likely use less water than the neighbours who water during allowed times.

The in laws have a kartcher thingy with a 25L tank hooked up to is for washing cars, seems stupid that you can fill that up from the hose, then use it, but you can't use the hose directly.

I still like my black car.

[Ben_GTI]

Karcher pressure washer and 3500L rain water tank for me haha!

I only have 2500L but it is a dedicated car tank. :?

[LookOut]

Ive been using a couple of buckets of bath water and an Enjo car glove followed by an Enjo drying/polishing cloth. These do all duco and Wheels, and get washed bewfore they are used again. No peeing in the Bath!!!

[Droog]

C.B.O. = Covert bucket operations method at the carwash,midnight.:cool: