Saul_Good Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 I am in SoCal and we have ash from the wildfires. Is it okay to wash the ash off with a pressure washer? One of my neighbors said washing it would damage the paint and that I should use compressed air first before i got dousing it with water. Let me know if he is wrong or not. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 A pressure washer is never good for the paint and sometimes damn harmful. I would be very careful if you do use one. These things strip paint and grease off of cement, so imagine what it can do to the fragile paint on your car. And don't kid yourself... your paint IS damn fragile. OEM paint is crap for the last four or five years. If you have the option of just using a normal bucket and hose then I would go that way. There is no reason to use a pressure washer to get ash off. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LGT-NY Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Power washer = Saul_Bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyBob Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 A pressure washer is never good for the paint and sometimes damn harmful.[...] What about do-it-yourself car wash facilities? Would you consider those to be pressure washers and thus dangerous? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Yes. But not everything that is dangerous is going to FUBAR your paint right away. I have seen those coin op car washes peel paint off cars though. I've got scars on my hands from accidently getting them in the way of the stream as well. In fact, last year I used a coin op car wash to remove some vinyl decals a customer had on his back window that I didn't want to take the time picking off with a razor blade. It is still very high pressure, but sometimes you don't have much choice. As long as you are keeping the tip a couple feet away from the paint then you should be ok, but just be aware of the danger. Avoid the edges of panels if you can because that is the easiest place for the stream to catch an edge and start peeling paint. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Sinister Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 ^ Does the same hold true for those touchless automatic car washes? Once it gets cold outside, those are my only option if I want to get the car washed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Touchless is better than nothing. Sometimes they don't do the deep cleaning that is necessary, and some of them use some pretty strong detergents that can impact the durability and performance of your sealants and waxes. Still, getting the car clean is the priority, so that is why I recommend using a strong sealant like Klasse Sealant Glaze in the winter that won't wear off when long periods of no washing and strong winter wash processes are used. I always begin the spring knowing that I'll have damage to repair, but if I have been careful during the winter then the cleanup is often just a clay job and a light polish and then it is back to perfection. Winter can be harsh and the winter prep is probably the most important part of keeping a car looking good. I'd wager that a large percentage of the damage your paint receives will happen during the winter. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Sinister Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Cool. Thanks for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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