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I asked this last fall but i'm hoping to get some more detailed answers. Where are some DIY or self-serve car wash bays in toronto/gta?

Can i bring my own supplies (ie. car soap, wash mitt, towels, and car wax) or do they make you use their soap and tools only??

Having never been to a car wash bay before, im guessing you basically pay for the water (or time?) like coin operated $2 per minute of water? or something.


I did a search online and it's very hard to find them! They're always those touchless car washes as self-serve lol. No, i want to do everything by hand. My hand.

I found one at 2059 Victoria Park: website: http://www.quarum.com but i don't know if its closed down or what.

I used one in markham once in a blue moon.....To be hoens ti hate them...can never get anything done in time....so i have to buy water again

how much was the water? and the rate?

I figure you only need the water 2 times. 1st time to rinse it , then 2nd time to rinse down the soap.

I use the self serve at the corner of Dundas & Mavis next to the Canadin Tire.

You can't bring your own washing equipment, but the price is reasonable for what it is. I use $8 to wash the Fusion including going over the car with the "foaming brush" (You can probably get away with $6 with the Focus and being able to move properly ;))

There's also a DIY in Aurora off Wellington (The cross street is Marcy St. IIRC) that I've used, the advantage to that one is that they have a rinse agent option at the end that causes the water to just fall off the car.

Those are two that I like that give me good results (Though in both cases the vaccuums they have are really bad and don't pick up anything)

NefCanuck

cornflakes,Apr 23 2009, 02:31 PM Wrote:I asked this last fall but i'm hoping to get some more detailed answers.  Where are some DIY or self-serve car wash bays in toronto/gta?

Can i bring my own supplies (ie. car soap, wash mitt, towels, and car wax) or do they make you use their soap and tools only??

Having never been to a car wash bay before, im guessing you basically pay for the water (or time?) like coin operated $2 per minute of water? or something.


I did a search online and it's very hard to find them! They're always those touchless car washes as self-serve lol.  No, i want to do everything by hand. My hand.

I found one at 2059 Victoria Park: website: http://www.quarum.com but i don't know if its closed down or what.
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There's a DIY on Victoria Park between Ellesmere and Finch. It has about 5 double-bays, with all the stuff you would find @ a regular car wash.Maintained very well and kept clean. Very busy on the weekends. The bay also comes equipped with an "air" nozzle so you can quickly air dry your car. Cost is $3.00 a cycle, each cycles last for aprox. 3 minutes. They also have shop/vac style vacuums on the property also with a steam clean type of vacuum as well.

Now--- most of the DIY bays/carwashes do not permit "bucket" washing. They want you in and out a.s.a.p. Double check the bay before you enter your vehicle into the bay. By this I mean check the brushes before washing your car with it. There are some people out there that actually wash their engines with these brushes and thats all you need to do is rub somebody's oil and gunk onto your ride.

If you can spare the time, go late @ night when the bays aren't in use. I use to do that and brought my own bucket lol. Late at night I use to rinse down my car, and at the same time fill up my bucket with soapy water and "go to town" without being pestered by other people/management. :ph34r:

U can use a bucket.... Just go later at night.

Here are some that I remember (they may not be still in operation):

Bayview & Major Mackenzie NW corner (Richmond Hill)
North side of Dundas Street East just as you cross into Mississauga from Etobicoke (Mississauga)
Weston Road just south of 401 west side (Toronto)
Bathurst Street NE of Dupont (Toronto)

Heres a helpfull hint. When putting the soap on your car, wait till you have 20 seconds left on the foamer brush, then put as much foam as possibly on the top of the car, and on the hood/windows, then when the time runs out, you do not stick another loonie in the slot yet.. use the existing soap suds on the vehicle, and the scrubbing brush to clean your wheels, tires, fenders, weel liners, bumpers, head lights, etc... while you still have the suds available on your car. you can really stretch your dollars this way then when you have finally scrubbed the sh1t out of your car, you can toss in another loonie and put the selector switch on rinse or wax and clean off all the soap suds and you will have a squeeky clean car. My friends usually gets away with 5 minutes of scrubbing the car with the existing foam, hes saved a good 6 bucks in change on the co-in op wash bays this way.

Theres a really good one at Keele and Eglinton and one on Dundas around Scarlet as well and i usally go to the one on Albion just east of hwy 27 on my way home from work. As for bringing your own stuff if its busy its a big no no pple will start beeping at you and going crazy even if you use the foam brush like paolo said my suggestion to you if you really want to bring your own stuff and take your time Go late at night or during a weekday while most pple are at work.

I NEVER use the brushes at carwash bays on anything other than my stock rims or tires (even then I sometimes don't bother). I only use the high powered soap, rinse, and wax. I then take my ride out on the highway and blowdry it that way. When I get home, I use diaper cloths and bug/tar remover in a spray, wipe the truck down with the diaper cloths, and then again with microfibre. Then I hand wax the truck with Either Turtlewax ICE, or Turtlewax Platinum paste, then remove it with microfibre cloths.

Good car washes in Ottawa...

Glebe Car Wash on Glebe, Forget the name of it, but there is a carwash on the street that runs from Clyde to Kirkwood behind Canadian tire and Campbell Ford, across the street from the Pontiac/Buick/GMC dealership overstock lot.

paolo,Apr 23 2009, 08:38 PM Wrote:Heres a helpfull hint.  When putting the soap on your car, wait till you have 20 seconds left on the foamer brush, then put as much foam as possibly on the top of the car, and on the hood/windows, then when the time runs out, you do not stick another loonie in the slot yet.. use the existing soap suds on the vehicle, and the scrubbing brush to clean your wheels, tires, fenders, weel liners, bumpers, head lights, etc... while you still have the suds available on your car.  you can really stretch your dollars this way then when you have finally scrubbed the sh1t out of your car, you can toss in another loonie and put the selector switch on rinse or wax and clean off all the soap suds and you will have a squeeky clean car.  My friends usually gets away with 5 minutes of scrubbing the car with the existing foam, hes saved a good 6 bucks in change on the co-in op wash bays this way.
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I'll have to try this.

As for the brushes beast.... just spray them out before you use them.

I prefer doing it at home, but this time of year I have yet to drag the hose and pressure washer out. There is a half decent coin op on Lawerance around Midland. I can do the car for around $6. It also has a large parking lot which gives you lots of space to pull out and dry off. It hasn't been to busy yet this year. No waiting.

The best one that I know of is Cawthra and Queensway behind the Sunoco gas station....$8 gives you 20min....It has pre soak, rinse, wax, rim cleaner,soap spray, brush, spot free rinse, and a separate gun for Triple wax boo ya.

I always use my own soap, bucket and glove when I go.

Check this wash bay out....Oh and don't go on the weekend very very busy.

yeah Cathra and Queensway Kar Wash (with a K) is good, my deadbeat cousin works there. Ask for Mario, tell him Paul sent ya!

There is one on Finch right after Weston Road (after McDonalds and BK) Pretty decent. $2 for 2 minutes and they have everything a regular car wash has. I've used a bucket with my soap before without a problem.

I only use these self serve bays to rinse off salt int he winter, that's it. Most of them have brushes that will swirl/scratch the s**t out of your paint. If you do use them, bring your own brush/wash mit, never use tehir brushes, you never know what the previous 1000 people used it for.

I'm with Nate on this one, I have used car wash bays... and even the brushes before, but I would not recommend it. Too often I see 4x4's in there cleaning off tons of mud, all that crap is definitely stuck in the brush.