I vowed that I would never put my MINI through an automatic car wash (the type with brushes) and don't fancy driving to a forecourt and using a Jetwash, so until today I had always hand washed with bucket, sponge and hose.
Anyway the car was filthy with salt and grime and I couldn't face the job, so I decided to try a new car wash place that I had seen 'up the town'. (Dunfermline).
Autoshine Express it is called - I had passed bye it many times and it was always mobbed, I wasn't exactly sure what it was all about, all I knew was that it used lots of FOAM. The place always seemed to be ankle deep in the stuff.
The deal is that you stay in the car, they spray this hot foam all over the car and leave it for a couple of minutes, then they tap on the window to get you to clear your windscreen with the wipers, you drive forward to let the next car in and then they spray off the foam and grime with warm water jet lances. Optionally they can do a hot wax and alloy wheel clean. (I didn't try that).
I drove home and inspected the results, pretty good, a wipe down with a chamois and a wee clean of the wheels where they had missed a bit and it was as good as my usual 2 hour bath.
I can't afford to do this on a regular basis, but for the times when I am in a hurry or the hose has frozen it will be ideal.
The price - £3.50 , or a £6 deal with foam wash/hot wax/wheel clean.
Definitely recommended and I now see why the place is always so busy.
