To get my car cleaned by others

[SepticTankYank]

We are going away for the weekend. Nice English holiday park. Quite anxious as to how it will work and us stay safe but we are going.

My car has apparently started to smell damp according to DP. It is an absolute mess. Boot full of shit I have acquired and not bothered to take into the house. There is definitely a white liquid (unfortunately not semen, we aren't that "fun") on the back leather seat. There is also general rubbish in the cabin.

I am WFH and am going to spend my lunch break clearing all this shit.

AIBU to take it, once cleared, to the gaggle of men that clean cars, usually found in car parks and petrol stations or is that an unnecessary COVID risk??? It always looks stunning when they've touched it whereas I will just wipe the inside with baby wipes and hope for the best.

Our local one was only doing outsides when I went recently, so it may not be possible.
The outside will look good though!

I take mine to be done. Support local businesses and all that.

My car also turns into a skip.

The one I normally go to has been open throughout which I think increases the risk.

I've not yet forgiven them for the £2 they stole out of my armrest last time.

@gamerchick yes. A skip. How?! I'm mortified but it happens every time. When we get back I know I will just go, meh and it will be a skip again.

In your shoes, I'd be tempted to do a search for recommended car detailers in your area. Don't take your car to any old car washing place on any old street. I've read of too many horror stories of people's cars being damaged because of wrong products or gritty cloths being used on their car.

If you look up videos by The Detail Geek on Youtube, you'll see what can be done by a professional detailer.

Got mine done. Not an issue.

Keep a carrier bag for rubbish. Far easier to pick up one thing and put in the bin, then lots of things.

@gamerchick yes. A skip. How?! I'm mortified but it happens every time. When we get back I know I will just go, meh and it will be a skip again

Ah I know man. It's a weird thing, especially considering how picky I am about my house! The husband dispairs of me

*despairs

I've had my car serviced this week (gutted they didn't do the valeting they'd previously promised).

Why not? We took ours to be cleaned last week as we do every few months.

I agree with you altforvarmt

Yanbu my car also moonlights as a wheelie bin but I urge you not to use the gaggle of men for a fiver type places.
We've several all using slave labour find a legit one.

I would take mine except I'm still furloughed so no point 😒 maybe give your steering wheel another once over after they're finished but considering they're using cleaning products it should be fine?

They always do a great job with mine but whenever I forget gum or tic tacs in my cup holder they always go missing. Fool me once, as they say!

I have mine done once or twice a year, it is an established business within the town.

I drive an automatic, so I can safely hang an empty Costa bag on the gearstick which takes care of the rubbish.

I also keep a collapsible box in the boot with all the attendant shite needed for a car, de icer, scraper, oil as well as walking boots and socks for going to rugby in the winter, some clubs don't even have balconies to watch from. I mean really.

Tell your DP to clean it if he's so bothered!

Just as an aside, if it smells damp, check the drain underneath your windscreen wipers haven't become clogged with leaves. If it's kept outside they can block the drain holes easily and lead to water ingress in the car, leading to a damp smell.

They stole £2?! What cheek. Especially given the clean for a fiver places are known hotspots for human trafficking and slave labour. They definitely shouldn’t be taking lose change. Ingrates.

I went to the park instead 🤦🏻‍♀️

Will probably clean it tonight. Or bunk off work haha.

I can't afford a proper detailer. I think I'll be asking to end my contract early after the holiday too due to redundancy. Not a fan of human trafficking tho so should probably stop using the gaggles. 😔

Thanks @EnterNight I think it is that as it's been parked under a tree for lockdown. There's a nice film of green on it too.

It's such a beautiful car and deserves someone who loves it and cars for it.

Well it's been a disaster.

I filled a bin bag of stuff and half a bin bag of actual rubbish and then went to the gaggle. They had gone home as it was almost 7. I went to BnM and got some furniture polish and a duster. Seats, dash and wind tunnel thing.

Went to Tesco and the Hoover was switched off. There is half a bag of popcorn in the passenger footwell. Tyres were a bit low. Filled them up. Oil is a bit low. Handbook says 4 different types of bloody oil. It's used a lot in the year I have had it. Sign of a problem. I've had it from new.

To sum up. Oil is low. Outside is still dirty. Home hoover is now blocked with popcorn.

The local car wash in my city is known to the authorities as a slave labour place. People say, oh, they do a good job. Well. The slaves have to.

When dh had his car serviced back in May, they valeted it inside and out and then covered the steering wheel and gear stick/handbrake and door handle all in clingfilm.

It's used a lot in the year I have had it. Sign of a problem. I've had it from new

Yeah that's not good.

I took mine a few days ago to a hand car wash/valet. It’s fine. They did an antibacterial steam inside and shut the door on it for 5 minutes before entering to hoover and polish. They were gloved and masked throughout.

"The local car wash in my city is known to the authorities as a slave labour place. "

Why haven't they closed it down, then. The authorities are now complicit in slave labour.