The 3 gallon, No Hose, Home Carwash
 

For years now I've lived in condo buildings where I didn't have access to a hose and couldn't hand wash my car at home. With the purchase of my new Z, I decided I needed a solution to the problem as I don't like to pay for car washes nor trust that a hand car wash uses clean water in their buckets. Further, in Chicago winters I needed a way to rinse off the road salt without going through a whole carwash each time.

I came up with this:
Went to Home Depot and bought a 2 gallon hand-pump sprayer used for lawn and yard weed eradication ($18). I tested it today and, I'll be damned, it works pretty well. It took about 1/3 of the sprayer's volume to rinse the car. Then I had another 1 gallon bucket filled with soapy water for the wash. The remaining 2/3 of the sprayer volume was just enough to rinse the rest of the car and do the rims. In the winter, I'd probably use another 2 gallons (full sprayer) to rinse the undercarriage.

Just an FYI post for all you guys in the same 'hose-less' situation where you're looking for a way to handwash the car.

This is awesome.

I don't have access to a hose either since I live in an apartment. This is actually a really good idea. Thank you so much for the idea!

Rep. added.

That's very ingenious, poor mans hand powered pressure washer.

I just bought a 3000 psi pressure washer today which I used to clean my vinyl siding that was starting to turn green. It kicks ***! I plan to wash the cars with it as well, on the lowest possible pressure setting of course.

Thanks guys. It just dawned on me one day...I've been making lots of trips to Home Depot lately and saw the sprayers sitting there. I've gotten in trouble with my apartment building management enough times for washing my car with their hose that I was bound to find a better solution.

Good idea.

I would add another bucket to use as a rinse for your sponge or wash mitt. You'll be amazed how much dirt will get trapped in the rinse bucket.

Thank you for this post. I'm in the same situation and wasn't sure how I was going to clean this beauty. Got the sprayer last night on my way home from Home Depot and when/if it decides to stop raining here, I'll give it a whirl!

Thanks again!

I had green stuff on my driveway walls. It took it off pretty easily.


I thought apartments had some hoses for ppl to wash their cars. The apartments/condos have it near my place. What do ur neighbours do??

Drive down the street and shell out $12-20 for a carwash. Most of the Chicago apartments don't allow use of their hoses in my experience.

that sucks...but ur plan is pretty good.

over here, we have no water meters.....most cities do...we pay one fee and use as much water we want...so maybe that's why...

thats strange that you guys don't have a car wash area at your apt complex. its very common here in atlanta for apt complexes to have them. mine even has a pressure washer and vacuum at it but the vacuum isn't free.

Lol growing up in Los Angeles, there was absolutely no amenities in my apartments that I grew up in. Maybe a pool and that was it. However, apartments were in a whole different league when I got to Oklahoma because the last apartment I lived before moving in to my friends house included:

Car washing station
Pool + jacuzzi
On-site management office
movie rentals
doorside trash pick-up
fitness center
and probably more that I can't recall or unaware of.

A 3 bd/2ba was only $900. :tup:

Yeah mine pretty much has all of that except for the trash pick-up and a 3bd for $900. I think the 3bd go for $1300 here.

The beauty of geographics. I live in Chicago, we pay $525 a month in assessments alone. The mortgage on our 2 bed/2bath is $1900. No car wash station.

is that for a condo or a house?

Don't forget the property taxes!! Chicago has crazy taxes.

Is the $525 the property taxes or the condo fees? I live in a house so no condo fees, property taxes however are very high in this area, about $500 a month.

Well some house owners have to pay home owners association fees in addition to property taxes. :S

I'd hope its not $500/mo. HOA fees are usually $500/yr around here...and thats average.

I'm moving into a condo real soon here and there's a mandatory $350/mo HOA fee. Thanks Los Angeles.

Mandatory as imposed by the City of Los Angeles? Who does the money go to?

Sorry that's not what I meant. I was just implying how expensive the cost of living in LA is since $350 can get you a 1bd apt here in OKC. :/

Anyways the HOA pretty goes towards the amenities within the complex.

Well, we just refinanced on the condo. We now pay $1900/mo which includes our tax escrow account. The $525 is for condo association fees in addition to the $1900 making it a painful $2425 monthly. Ah, the cost of living in a great city.