Ok....I live in an apartment (with an attached garage, thankfully), and am about to get my RX8 (tonight, if things go well).

I'd love to follow the Zaino craze, but exactly how can I pull that off in an apartment complex? I've got no hydrant for a hose, and I'm pretty sure that even if I did rig up a hose, my lease prohibits washing a car with the hose on my driveway (I'm in Texas...they're understandably afraid of Texans with mudding trucks leaving their mud all over the complex).

Do I go to one of the 'pressure wash' carwashes, and use the pressure washer just as a hose (using a bucket and a mitt to wash?), and do the claybar/rewash thing while I'm still there, then drive home and apply the Zaino (or put the first coat of Zaino on while I'm still at the carwash?)?

Any other apartment dwellers out there got this figured out?

 

Yep, I'd recommend the do-it-yourself car wash.

 

I did the whole nine yards (dawn soap, wash, claybar, wash, wax) at a friend's house. That took quite some time. I haven't figured how to do this with a coin-op car wash at a cost effective way.

A normal wash for me usually requires using the pressure washer twice. First time is to rinse the car, pressure wash the rims, and fill the bucket and then rinse the car again until the time runs out. I would then soap the car down with the mitt as quick as possible and then activate the pressure washer to rinse it out. If I want to claybar it, I guess this will be the stage to do it. After that, I'll have to soap it up again to remove the residue and rinse it again. Apply the wax in the car wash bay if you can because it is at its cleanest. Plus, the bay covers the car from the sun (I don't have a garage in my apartment ). If you hit the carwash during a slow time (early morning, late evening), you usually would have no problems holding up the bay for hours. So, this is as far as I've figured out, but doing it at a friend's place is the best way.

 

When you put on Zaino the first time, just have the car washed at a self wash place w detergent and then put on coats of Zaino when car is dry.

After first application, just wash the car as usual (hand wash place, self wash service, machine wash etc). After car is dry, apply Zaino like wax.

 

Yeah, find a do it yourself car wash, and preferably one near a Bank. Go on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday (when the bank is closed) So you can do all the washing at the carwash, then you can pull up into the covered drive-up area at the bank and apply the Zaino. I have actually done this, not with Zaino, but with other waxes years ago, before I got my house (and my beloved Garage). It works well, your in a covered and shaded area and no one will pester you.