Flash car wash

[Fen]

Call me a sucker for the advertising if you like but today I bought the Flash car wash that Jacko from Brush Strokes has been pushing recently. It costs a not inconsiderable £20 but refill filters are £5 or £6 (for 10 washes) and shampoo £4. It comes with enough filter for 3 washes and shampoo for more like 10 I suspect.

I gave it a go about 5:45 so not the ideal time in terms of drying but I used it on both the wife's Ibiza (Lazuli blue) and the 944. The real test will be the very dark metallic Pug but that's elsewhere just now... I made the following observations:

1. Because it's connected straight to the hose it uses cold water. Not pleasant compared with a warm bucket and hose to rinse like I'm used to and will be horrible in winter.
2. The device itself feels very cumbersome at first but I guess I got used to it. It also has a switch to stop/start the water rather than a trigger (which I'd prefer).
3. It uses quite a lot of shampoo, but then we have quite high water pressure and I guess it uses a venturi effect to draw it into the spray.
4. It makes really cool noises when you use the filter.

I think it actually does work! The cars look clean and the sponge gets very dirty (maybe the shampoo is to aggressive?) and although it was late for drying so happening slowly there were no streaks or persistent beads anywhere to be seen (even the glass). I'll try it with the Pug when I get a chance to do it in the afternoon (probably Friday) and post that result too.

[cupra R con]

is your name Kermit?

no?, well you sound like a gullible Muppet

[225]

Originally Posted by cupra R con

is your name Kermit?

no?, well you sound like a gullible Muppet

Oi!

[Fen]

Hairy muff, think what you like it's no skin off my nose if you buy it or not.

[cordobabrendy]

i was in homebase yesterday fen and was sooo tempted to buy it but the bathroom cleaner stigma put me off. maybe i will give it a go.

[cupra R con]

Hmmm, perhaps you took my post a little to seriously.
fair play for giving it a go, but 13 years as a valeter (along with other things) says there is no easy way of making you car look good (unless you are prepared to pay someone)
ever see those adds on late night TV for wonder cleaning products?

[Dormouse]

Did you go for a drink at Elmo's wine bar after Fen?

Dor.

[F2 Stu]

Ill give that a go for donnington

[Fen]

Originally Posted by cupra R con

Hmmm, perhaps you took my post a little to seriously.
fair play for giving it a go, but 13 years as a valeter (along with other things) says there is no easy way of making you car look good (unless you are prepared to pay someone)
ever see those adds on late night TV for wonder cleaning products?

I'm just as sceptical as anyone (more so in fact) about the "Clit Bang" (I know that isn't the real name but it's close enough and makes it funny) type stuff.

At the end of the day it is perfectly correct that the streaking you get when you let a car air-dry is down to impurities and particulates in the water. This includes an in-line filter which has to help with that. Do I believe that you must use their shampoo because it's part of the "process" or that other shampoos will clog the nozzle? Of course not, but it's not that expensive and it does get the car clean so then again why not use it? Maybe I'll try it on the Pug and decide it's rubbish, maybe I'll keep using it or maybe I'll go back to my old technique and just clip the Flash thing on for a final rinse with filtered water.

Whatever I'm not expecting it to perform miracles. I'm a commited Zymol user but I'm not insane enough to spend half a day using it every wash. If this product means I can wash my car on a weekend in 20 mins and leave it to air-dry without looking like one of those 'scratched black' smarts then I'm happy.

Chris - Fozzie & I fell out with Elmo months ago. Don't ever lend him money, know what I'm saying?

[sportbilly]

Might be worth a try , as you say could be handy for that quick wash when you dont have a spare hour or so to do it properly.

I have used a similar rinsing product before which you rinse off your car with after washing, gives the beading effect and does make drying quicker. Cant remember the exact name of it - something turtle wax I think, you plugged it onto your hoselock.

[cupra R con]

good reply Fen.out of interest have you ever used the Porsche screen wash? streaks you paint better than brake fluid
there is a product that quite a few use & it amounts to a rinse aid, wash your car using wash & wax (£8 for 5 litres in the trade, £20 for 25L) then use rinse aid (£5 for 5 litres) & it has the same effect.
maybe i should start bottling it (al la del boy) & sell it on at 500% mark up
PS, if anyone does want any, then i'm happy to get it for you if you are happy to collect it.

[sportbilly]

I have been trying to find some of this stuff I had but nowhere seems to stock it anymore, would be interested in some off you but a little too far to collect, DOH!

How do you use the rinse aid you get ?

[driveforward]

Saw the ad for the first time today.. and obviously thought "hmmmmmm".

Will await your final verdict mate.

[Talsworthy]

Certainly sounds interesting, I also look forward to your update - everytime I pop into my local garage its there on the shelf. The price of the refills put me off a bit (effectively £1 a wash) but if it works....

http://www.freshliving.com/flashcarwash/faq.htm#q1

Tals

[sssstew]

i just couldnt use it for the worry of stripping all the wax and protection of my paint work.. its something to do with the flash cleaning brand.. me worrying what its doing the paintwork.

[RobLeon20V]

Yeah on the writing it says "Will not strip your layers of wax like a pressure washer would"

I noticed in our local tescos they have a filler station with a powerjet, they have a seperate button thing for "Mineral free water for a spot free finish".
20p and you can do your whole car....

[RJMaeer]

Got to agree with Fen here.

Tried it on my Black Magic Leon yesterday and the results are very impressive.
No spotting and the car is looking the cleanest I've seen it in a long time.

As Fen said, the sponge was very dirty after I'd finished washing... at least I hope it's dirt

A big thumbs up to Flash from me.

Rich

P.S. It's in Tesco's for a £19.99 introductory offer at the moment.

[Craig Senior]

I too am a sucker for slick advertising.

Did my car and the Smart yesterday, very good results, nice and clean and no streaks but..............

....although the car is nice and clean it does seem to have lost some of its shine and it isn't as smooth to the touch as if some of the wax has been stripped off.

I will use it again as it does save alot of the messing about leathering the car off but I will definatly wax it afterwards.

[loadswine]

I've used it 3 times now on my black Altea, even in the sunshine!
It does work, though you have to wash the car in sections in sunny conditions. Have to admit I was very sceptical beforehand and was ready to send it back if it didn't do "what it said on the tin".
I am well pleased up till now, but to follow up on the dirty sponge thing, yes it gets filthy and I keep a bucket of cold water at hand to rinse it out as I don't like the idea of a dirty sponge scratching my paintwork.

[magic77]

autoexpress reviewed is on the quite as part of a world rally report where the reported used it to clean the imprezas and they were very impressed, I think though I might wait for the price to come down