Cyprus-Forum.com

[B0B]

does anyone know if theres a touchless car wash in Limassol?
i mean this:

if not at least recommend a good one where they take good care
thanks

[joanna]

CAR SPA, opposit Jumbo

[123456]

It's not touchless. It is like one of those american car washes where it pulls the car through a series of high pressure hoses, washing strips and spinning brushes.

[B0B]

so i guess no touchless car wash then?
those spinning brushes are what im afraid of - when dirty they ruin the paint
and on some car washes you can see they are dirty from across the street
id wash it myself if i had the time...

[Pete_D]

If you really want to guarantee no damage then you will have to do it yourself with a sponge, bucket and a normal hose.

Even a high pressure jet can damage dirty paintwork which is gritty.

Also the car wash is unlikely to remove much crud from underneath the car, which is where it can stay on and cause damp and eventual rusting in exposed areas.

However modern paints are much better protected these days, and cars have many layers of paintwork and lacquer for protection from scratches and fade. And modern cars are coated underneath with heavy layers of sealing to protect them (and believe me - having had to undo bolts sticky with this stuff - it is pretty thick and tar like, horrible!)


It depends what attitude you take towards your car and how much you care for it. I like my car a lot and do lots of mods to it, but I can never be bothered to clean it so am happy to use the car wash. Some people I think can care for their car too much, but that is just their opinion.

Pete

[Eliko]

BOB, there are several 'Hand Wash' operators around, they do use hand held jet washers but are quite willing to observe your instructions regarding the amount of force used, they generally do an excellent job and I have found the charges extremely reasonable, get to know one personally and you will be well pleased.

[123456]

Opposite the Poseidonia hotel there is a petrol station where the entire wash is done by hand (soapy sponges and hoses). You could try there.

[devil]

A very high pressure "touchless" wash will cause more damage than a rotating sponge brush. If it doesn't, it means the pressure isn't high enough to effectively clean the car. Technical reason: crud (as opposed to loose dust) forms a hydrogen bond to the paintwork. To remove the crud, you have to apply sufficient chemical, physical and mechanical energy to break that bond. Mechanical energy (e.g., the rotating brush or sponge) is the easiest way. If you don't have that, you have to rely on the chemical and physical energy. The chemical energy is supplied by the detergent which has two actions: a) it forms a micellar bond to the crud and removes it like an onion skin, layer by layer, but the micellar bond is weaker than the hydrogen bond and it leaves an invisible single layer of crud molecules over the cruddy area, and this will be a primer for new crud to develop in the days that follow and b) the detergent itself, if strong, will form an invisible monolayer which will enhance subsequent wetting of the car by dirty spray from wet roads. The physical energy is a matter of surface tension differences between the detergenty water (typically about 25 dyne-cm) and the rinse water (pure water is ~72 dyne-cm), combined with the kinetic energy of the water velocity, which is relatively small and mostly dissipated by rebounding. IOW, rotary brush carwashes are more effective at the removal of crud. The best compromise is the manual wash by skilled operators with good sponges and leathers.

[B0B]

thank you everyone for your replies!
devil - that was quite a study! but in all the fairness touchless car wash was invented to prevent scratches from any othe kind of 'touch'
Pete - you are right - modern cars have better paint, but still a dirty brush will leave swirls all over...
Eliko - all the car wash stations ive seen here use some kind of machinery - do you mean i could
just tell them to wash the car by hand only and they will do it?
123456 - thank you for that info, could you guide me how to get to that place - im not well familiar with the town yet

[123456]

Certainly, drive along the coast road from the tourist area towards the Mirage traffice lights. Continue straight through for about 3-400m I reckon and you will see a petrol station on your left (can't for the life of me recall which brand). As you turn in the car wash is the shed behind the main garage building. They're a pretty good bunch and you can grab a coffee while you wait.