cheapest car washes in dublin

eurotrotter

hi guys
recently moved to dublin
always have my car clean, but since i have n tap in my new house, i need to resort to using a car wash facility.
i thought i saw a car wash for 2euro somewhere up by the airport, not sure if my eyes were acting up though!

anyways, please post here if u no of a good cheao car wash that doesnt scratch or damage the car
thanks gang,
ed

Tipsy Mac

I doubt you will find anything below €5 in Dublin.

Bandara

Slightly off topic but this winds me right up.

MODERN BRUSH CAR WASHES DO NOT DAMAGE CARS.

That is all.






There, I feel much better now.

Wishbone Ash

Tipsy Mac wrote: »

I doubt you will find anything below €5 in Dublin.

+1

€6 to €10 would be the norm!

Mr Magnolia

I'd rather pay more and get it done properly. Since that isn't an option for me I do it myself. Sorry I can't answer your question OP.

Lord Nikon

Do it yourself, and do it properly

daraghmack

There's a pretty good one that I use in firhouse behind the Speaker Connolly pub. It's €8 and the lads there wash it for you. I'd be very fussy about my car wash having worked valeting and washing cars for years while in college and I'm pretty happy with the job they do, they do a good thorough job and the detergent they use gives a good shine and doesn't leave too much streaky residue.

milltown

Come at the topic from a different angle. Buy your car wash (from €6 upwards I think) at an Applegreen station and you get 5c per litre off your petrol. If you're filling an average 50l tank you'll save €2.50, making your car wash €4.50. And Applegreen's fuel prices seem pretty good before the discount too.

I'd really recommend fitting a tap and doing it yourself properly though.

Hammertime: It depends how fussy you are. The detailing heads would think I'm murdering my car using a microfibre mitt and two buckets of unfiltered tap water 'cos they would notice the difference. I think mechanical washes are a bad idea 'cos I'd see the difference. People who never clay, polish or wax their cars will probably never see the difference between a €6 brush washed car and a €300 detailed car. They just see two clean cars, one a bit shinier than the other. Horses for courses.

Cyrus

Hammertime wrote: »

Slightly off topic but this winds me right up.

MODERN BRUSH CAR WASHES DO NOT DAMAGE CARS.

That is all.






There, I feel much better now.

no but they do damage the paint work, and very badly too

Bandara

milltown wrote: »

Come at the topic from a different angle. Buy your car wash (from €6 upwards I think) at an Applegreen station and you get 5c per litre off your petrol. If you're filling an average 50l tank you'll save €2.50, making your car wash €4.50. And Applegreen's fuel prices seem pretty good before the discount too.

I'd really recommend fitting a tap and doing it yourself properly though.

Hammertime: It depends how fussy you are. The detailing heads would think I'm murdering my car using a microfibre mitt and two buckets of unfiltered tap water 'cos they would notice the difference. I think mechanical washes are a bad idea 'cos I'd see the difference. People who never clay, polish or wax their cars will probably never see the difference between a €6 brush washed car and a €300 detailed car. They just see two clean cars, one a bit shinier than the other. Horses for courses.

Yeah I see your point milltown, I just get a bit sick and tired about people being stupid and not using an auto car wash for fear it will smash their wing mirrors, scratch the paint, rip off the spoilers etc etc

I operate a few petrol stations with carwashes in them and I can hand on heart I have only had two cars damaged from any of the three washes in clsoe to 5 years now.

And both of those was the stupidity of people refusing to take off/lower their big metal aerial despite them being told too verbally and there being large signs everywhere advising them to remove/lower it.

Unsurprisingly the vertical brush removed the aerial and proceeded to whack the sh!t out of the entire lenght of the car with the mangled aerial caught in brush. And then they come in screaming and shouting that "that car wash has damaged my car"

They go a bit nuts when they are informed that its their fault entirely (manily because they know we are right).

Bandara

Cyrus wrote: »

no but they do damage the paint work, and very badly too

They just don't cyrus. As I said above I am in this business and I would be spending my life in court if I damaged peoples paintwork, I do about 60,000 washes a year and it just doesn't happen.

And I wash my own cars in them at least twice a week and i've never had scratches, dents etc, ever.

Cyrus

the reason i recommend people dont use them is this



of course they damage paint, have a look at www.detailer.ie to see the work that goes into taking this swirling out of paint.

if your car is a dark colour have a look at it in the sun some day and tell me the mechanical carwash is a good thing

Bandara

Cyrus wrote: »

the reason i recommend people dont use them is this



of course they damage paint, have a look at www.detailer.ie to see the work that goes into taking this swirling out of paint.

If your saying a car wash did that then just sue them for a respray. Its simply a faulty machine.

Pretty much all car washes today are completely motorless, its IMPOSSIBLE for them to dent cars or scoure them. You can actually stand in a carwash yourself and it will not hurt you or knock you off your feet, the sensors and counter weights will steer it around you.


My current car is a Dark navy colour and the wifes is Black.

* Actually there is another way that could happen, but its pretty unlikely. If the person using the wash before you had a very very very dirty car with huge amounts of grit and tiny pebbles these could become lodged in the brushes and not all be washed out in the reverse spins after it finishes washing the car. Some of this grit could then be scoured into your car. But it really is extremely highly unlikely, we are talking tens of thousands to one.

jimmycrackcorm

Texaco at the foxhunter on the N4 have jet wash machines that give 4 minutes for €2 minimum. Handy if you are quick.

Cyrus

sorry im trying hard not to be rude here, i understand you are in the business and its in your interest to defend these things but what you have stated in the latter part of your post isnt a 10,000-1 shot, it is exactly what happens every time you use one of those things.

any car that uses a car wash regularily is covered in swirls.

if you dont notice then great, things are much less hassle, unfortunately i do so i handwash my car with decent shampoo, a lambswool mitt and dry with a microfibre cloth

Mr Magnolia

Cyrus wrote: »

any car that uses a car wash regularily is covered in swirls.

Exactly. Ask any detailer worth their salt, they're to be avoided altogether.

Seperate

I smell an experiement coming on here...

PM me where your wash is Hammertime and i will bring a freshly polished (Bonnet, roof & Boot) black car and document it. I won't name the garage if you don't want me to.

Bandara

Cyrus wrote: »

sorry im trying hard not to be rude here, i understand you are in the business and its in your interest to defend these things but what you have stated in the latter part of your post isnt a 10,000-1 shot, it is exactly what happens every time you use one of those things.

any car that uses a car wash regularily is covered in swirls.

if you dont notice then great, things are much less hassle, unfortunately i do so i handwash my car with decent shampoo, a lambswool mitt and dry with a microfibre cloth

No need to apologise at all cyrus, each to their own mate.

As for me defending them cause I'm in the business thats not the case at all, they are a very minor part of things in a service station and I have both auto and hand washes available.

I just think there is huge ott scaremonmgering about them. As I said I love my cars and genuinely wouldn't ever put them through one if it was going to be swirled or damaged. The washes i have are the top of the range turtle wax / wash craft machines and I've never had a customer once complain to me, honestly.

I hold my hands up and admit the cheap machines might not be as good at the job. A top machine is about 75k whereas you can get a basic no brand one for 30k.

anyways, I'm a lazy bugger and there's no way I'm washing the missus's car for her

:P

Mr Magnolia

Seperate wrote: »

I smell an experiement coming on here...

PM me where your wash is Hammertime and i will bring a freshly polished (Bonnet, roof & Boot) black car and document it. I won't name the garage if you don't want me to.

It's accumulative damage. One wash may fine. Washing your car weekly over the course of a number of months/years will cause swirls.

edit/ just noticed your sig, am I teaching a priest to pray?

Bandara

Seperate wrote: »

I smell an experiement coming on here...

PM me where your wash is Hammertime and i will bring a freshly polished (Bonnet, roof & Boot) black car and document it. I won't name the garage if you don't want me to.

lol, can I increase my prices just before you come in?

"That'll be thirty euro please sir"

Seperate

Hammertime wrote: »

lol, can I increase my prices just before you come in?

"That'll be thirty euro please sir"

When you see a clean car pull into the car wash, thats your que!

highlandseoghan

Yes there is a auto car wash at the airport for €2 but if you care for your car even a little bit you would not put it through this. Brush washes do mark cars maybe not dents and damage but every brush wash will put swirl marks on your car.

There is a car wash in Tesco clarehall and Tesco Artane they charge €10 but they wash it by hand, wax it, dry it and add tyre dressing I feel they do a great job and dont damage cars dueto the cloths they use.

crosstownk

Cyrus wrote: »

the reason i recommend people dont use them is this



of course they damage paint, have a look at www.detailer.ie to see the work that goes into taking this swirling out of paint.

if your car is a dark colour have a look at it in the sun some day and tell me the mechanical carwash is a good thing

That's not car wash damage - that's some muppet who was too eager with the cutting compound. Car washes don't usually swirl....

Seperate

crosstownk wrote: »

That's not car wash damage - that's some muppet who was too eager with the cutting compound. Car washes don't usually swirl....

They are the most common source of paint defects.

From the rotary machine washes, to the pole-brush washes, to the youngfella doing it 'by hand' - any service wash you use is doing damage to your paint. There are VERY few places that will not do damage.

If you think paying €2-10 for a wash is a good deal...think about how these places are making money doing it for that price.

Run_to_da_hills

I have seen some guys walking in between traffic on the M50 off ramps with sponges and suds buckets, Im sure if you give them a good tip they would wash your car while you wait. You couldnt get any cheaper than this!

bitemybanger

Was having a sambo at a service station recently and there was a guy washing cars and for ONLY 10 euro, you can have your paintwork completly destroyed. Heres how the wash goes..

Step 1: Sprays foam on your car
Step 2: Gets a brush from the black bin full of the dirtiest water ever and proceeds to your car and starts brushing like a mad thing.
Step 3: Rinses your car and you drive off.

OK
First things first, when you go to a car wash why are you there??... to get your car washed.
What does dirt on a dirty car consist of??.... Grit,mud and other nasty sh!t,
so what happens when you dont spray off the dirt and grit before spraying foam on and rubbing the crap out of the car, exatly. Irrevrsable paintwork damage folks, its like rubbing your car with sandpaper and the que for the car wash was about 5-6 cars long, all watching this guy destroying all the cars, and especially an 07 Landcruiser with alot of mud on it and he paid over 15 euro for the privillage of having his paintwork scratched to bits.

So if you want it done right, do it yourself or go to Fairyhouse motors beside the racecourse, they de-tar your alloys and all for you and rinse with filtered
wax water so you dont get streaks or spots. all for 8 euro

Doodee

bitemybanger wrote: »

over 15 euro for the privillage of having his paintwork scratched to bits.

So if you want it done right, do it yourself or go to Fairyhouse motors beside the racecourse, they de-tar your alloys and all for you and rinse with filtered
wax water so you dont get streaks or spots. all for 8 euro

Where exactly is Fairyhouse motors?

One thing some people forget is that if you live in an apartment block there is no where for you to clean your car properly.

I normally wait till i go home to the parents house, or else goto the car wash across from the mosque near UCD.

bitemybanger

Doodee wrote: »

Where exactly is Fairyhouse motors?

One thing some people forget is that if you live in an apartment block there is no where for you to clean your car properly.

I normally wait till i go home to the parents house, or else goto the car wash across from the mosque near UCD.

Its about a ten minute drive from the blanch centre heading for Ratoath, right next to fairyhouse rececourse where they have the sunday market, maybee a bit far from UCD

Bulmers

used to have a company jeep, 07 Landcruiser, ws brandnew and brought it to where i thought was a good place for a wash, guys with sponges and hoses etc.

Was doing alot of offroad at the time so the thing was caked in muck...guys washed it, brought it home, was a sunny day and in the sunlight, was full of swirls, wasn't too bothered as was a company car but when i had it infor a service, guys said to me that it was dirty water and grit rubbed in.

have my own car now so i think i'll do it myself!

HungryJoey

Exactly bumlers.

I had to have a little laugh at some posters defending car washes & brushes don't damage paint work. You's must be having a laugh?

Even brand new cars coming from factorys that are " prep'd " come with swirls and buffer trails due to poor washing practises, using dirty water and the wrong tools.

If you want to minimise swirls, damage or paint defects the least you could do is wash your car yourself using the correct "methods". It will be worth it in the long run.

miju

the ESSO Tigerwash opposite glasnevin cemetary is a great wash. The €9 wash takes about 15 minutes due to all the pre rinses / foaming to get the grit off the car before the brushes go near it.