Can You Go Through a Carwash With a Roof Basket?

Attaching a roof basket to your car is not hard, but it may take time. However, attaching and reattaching the roof basket should seem like a hassle. You probably think of taking your car to a car wash with your roof basket on, and you wonder if it’s safe. Here is your answer;

Most manufacturing companies do not recommend you take a carwash with a roof basket. Most parts of your roof basket can get caught in the washing process. Besides, taking a carwash with a roof basket can cause severe damage to its features and may also damage your car washing system. Make a habit of removing your roof basket when going for a car wash.

This article discusses the types of car wash, materials and detergents to use for cleaning, and the importance of a roof basket.

Safest Types of Car Wash

Although there exist many washing choices, not all are safe for your car. Selecting the wrong choice can interfere with your car finish or damaged parts of the roof basket.

However, each roof basket comes with its pros and cons. You have this article to help you know what fits your car.

Handwashing

This is the safest method any pro expert will advise. This method is the oldest, ranging from two-bucket to the high-tech, hose pressurizes pipes. During cleaning, you will use water, soap, and a soft hand mitt.

Sometimes you have no option than taking a carwash with a roof basket. Maybe because the process of unmounting is too hectic for you, how will you hand wash your car with a roof basket?

Firstly, locate the tools you will use. Which are these tools, then? Soap, bucket, mitt, piece of rug, and plenty of water should be the tools.

Then wear your mitt and pre-clean the car with only water to remove any dust and soil particles. Create foam, and cover the car until it looks like snow with the foam while using the piece of rug.

Ensure you do not use too much force to not interfere with the car’s finishing. Use plenty of water to rinse your car. Why didn’t we mention pressurised horse pipe? Well, that will be a topic for another time.

Lastly, let the car to a drier. Do not ever hit the road before drying up your car as most people do. The wetness will stick with dust particles.

Therefore, you will take your car for another wash in no time. Funny right? Then don’t be ignorant. Take the precaution and save your money.

Waterless Wash

With hand wash discussed, let us now dive to waterless wash. What is this waterless wash? While the name suggests, it’s a wash without using water.

You need to have a sprayer with a waterless product; a wiper, mostly a micro-fiber, is recommended. Why do most people prefer this type of car wash?

It does not consume much time; you can clean your car with a roof basket. You need to spay your car with the water-less product and wipe using the microfiber wiper.

However, there are some drawbacks to this type of car wash. This car wash with a roof basket does not remove soil or rock particles in the metal joints.

After your road trip, you should take your car for a pressure wash but ensure to unmount your roof basket before washing. Here is the reason.

The pebbles embedded in the joints will interfere with the car’s finishing. How? The force of removing can end up causing friction on the car paint, exposing the metal.

Eventually, the metal will get rust. The results after that won’t be welcoming.

Rinse-Less Wash

There is a difference between a waterless wash and a rinse-less wash. It is, however, a hybrid between a waterless wash and a hand-wash.

How is it done? Take a product of your-rinse less wash and mix it in a bucket with plenty of water. You won’t produce suds; you will not need to rinse. Use a wiper and wipe down the car to dry.

You can do the rinsing process with a microfiber towel or wash mitts. Therefore, this type of carwash mostly favors those who are underwater restrictions where you have limited space.

But the discouraging part is that you cannot remove large soil particles. Also, you can scratch more on the finishing than hand-wash but lesser than waterless.

Automatic Wash

Most people prefer this as a tunnel wash. What generally involves is taking your car inside a tunnel with conveyor belts that will lead your car to a series of brushes.

Imagine how these brushes look. They should be of different sizes, meaning there should be more chances your roof basket will get damaged.

That won’t be the only reason for the damage; remember, many cars come through this washing system. Most likely, bristles have contaminations with abrasive materials from the previous cars.

These abrasive products will heavily interfere with your car’s finish. The cleaning materials commonly used here can corrode the painting or even fade the finishing.

Then why do most people prefer this type of car wash? It’s simple to wash and inexpensive. Besides, you only need a short time to wash your car.

The effect you get from using this type of car wash is what forces most people to pay for paintwork correction.

Brushless Wash

A Brushless wash has not much different from an automatic wash. The brushless wash uses strips made from soft cloths; unlike the automatic wash, you find brush bristles instead.

Probably, you think this solves the scratching problem, unlike brush bristles. You may be right but remember contamination of the soft cloths also cause scratches on the finish.

The other common thing also this type of washing system uses the same chemicals as in automatic wash. Therefore, interference with the car finishing is a common thing.

Therefore, besides damage that may occur on the roof basket as you take it for car wash, what importance do these roof baskets bring to the car users and drivers?

Importance of Roof Basket

Unlike in the older days, most people today own roof baskets, and there should be a reason for this.

Improves the Car’s Appearance

Whenever you want to enhance your car’s appearance, a roof basket should be your choice. In most cases, a bare roof makes your car look more simple.

If you need a way to enhance your car’s appearance, you have to mount something on the top, which can be the roof basket. The most important and good thing with this is that you can unmount the roof basket whenever you need it.

Ensures Fresh Air Circulation in Your Vehicle

Think of a situation where all your sweat clothes, sporting gear, food, or a gallon of your backup fuel with all inside your car. How will the smell be inside?

However, such things will not end up inside your car with a roof basket. Therefore, ample space will leave plenty of air circulation in your car. 

Conclusion

It is risky taking your car for a wash with a roof basket. Car washing with the roof can lead to severe damage to the roof basket.

However, safer caw washing methods exist that will ensure minimum interference with the car finish. These methods include handwashing, waterless and rinse-less.

However, automatic and brushless can interfere with the finishing. Simple because the contamination of the piece of cloth or brushes and the chemical used will remove the painting.