Can I still get my car valeted with a hose pipe ban?
You probably will have already heard that Thames Water is threatening an imminent hose pipe ban. Whilst they are yet to release a date for the ban to commence, they state on their website;
“Given this week’s very hot temperatures and a long-term forecast of more dry weather, we're preparing to bring in a hosepipe ban — officially called a temporary use ban — in the coming weeks.”*
But how will this effect me?
Can I have a Wright Shine Valet done at my address without breaking the rules?
Firstly, (and for us) most importantly Wright Shine will be able to perform all our usual valeting and detailing services due to the nature of our business makes us exempt from the ban.
So, if you already have a booking with Wright Shine, or you are planning to have one in the upcoming weeks, rest assured it will go ahead as usual and you can expect the same great results, we have built our reputation on.
Can I still wash my own car?
As an induvial however you will be unable to use a hose pipe to clean your private vehicle.
If you are still planning to do your own car valet you will still be able to fill your buckets with water (we would certainly still advise using the two-bucket method), or you can do a waterless wash with a quick detailer. We have added some tips below for valeting your own car with a hose pipe ban in place.
Tips to washing your own car within a hose pipe ban
Careful - Firstly, you must always be careful when cleaning your car without a pre clean (Citrus pre-wash and/or Snowfoam) as there will be contaminants all over the car that can get onto your wash mitt causing light scratching across your paintwork.
Waterless - If your car is not too dirty you can simply give each panel a wipe using a clean microfibre cloth alongside a Quick Detailer. This will remove any light marks (including water residue, dust and fingerprints) and leave your car gleaming
Two-Bucket - If your car is too dirty for a quick detailer (this will apply to most cars ahead of a wash) you will still be able to do a two-bucket wash within the current hose pipe ban rules (this may change when it is announced).
For this we would start with the dirtiest part of the car, the wheels. This will be done as usual, apply the wheel cleaner and brush clean. The difference comes when rinsing the wheel cleaner off. Instead of a hose/jet spray you will need to use a watering can.
After the wheels you can then clean the rest of the car. Using your wash mitt (avoid using a sponge as this will leave and contaminants (such as dust or grit) on the surface increasing the chances of damage to the paintwork whereas a mitt is designed to prevent this) very lightly to start, making sure to frequently and thoroughly rinse your mitt in the rinse bucket (ideally with a grit guard).
When it comes to rinsing the shampoo of the car, again you will be able to use a watering can, starting at the top in order to use a little water as possible.
After rinsing off any remaining shampoo, you can then dry the car with a chamois, microfibre towel or hot air, this will avoid the water spots and streaks that occur when the car dries naturally.
To finish dress the trim, tyres and clean the glass as usual.
I can, but… should I still wash my car with a water shortage?
Even at the best of times we would always recommend using as little water as possible when cleaning your car, and naturally during a water shortage that applies more than ever.
Whilst some water saving recommendations still include avoiding washing your car, when done in accordance with the rules and our tips above, a showroom finish can still be achieved with minimal water use.
Even if you don’t feel the need to wash the entire car through the ban, bird dropping and bugs should still be removed as soon as possible as when left this will eat into your coatings and paintwork causing damage that will need to be machine polished out (a process that will use a lot more water in the long run). This can be done with a microfibre and quick detailer or a bird dropping wipe.
If you have any further questions about washing your own car or would like to book Wright Shine to Valet or detail your car, just get in touch.