Why not to use car wash vacs

[detroitdirtbag]

A lady I worked fir, use$ to take her garbage into her business to save on paying for refuse pick up. We’d loD the mini vanhalen ( chry mini van) with the garbage. Some Schlep rock at her business would unload it. One wee she got sick, maggots were crawling all over the van. So I had to vac them up at the car wash. Lol. It was a nasty job.
Never use public vacs, you never know what people clean up. Now they stir up the covid germs they say.

 

[oreck_xl]

I usually don't use car wash vacs, but about 8 or 9 years ago, I had a leak in the back of my car every time it rained heavy. My back carpets were SOAKED and you could see the water sloshing around. VW couldn't figure out why my convertible top was leaking so until the problem was fixed I used a car wash vac to suck up the water. Are they wet/dry vacs? Idk but it did the job....

 

[detroitdirtbag]

I never saw a sign at a car was saying do not vac up water, just sayin. Some don’t even give it free even when the wash is around $10.
A buddy used to work at a car was back in high school, they would fight over who vacs the back seat area, people pushed “ items” down in the seats that were getting arrested. Lol.

 

[ultralux88]

I tend to prefer using my own central vac over those stand alone car wash vacuums, as it's substantially more powerful. I do really enjoy using some of these newer carwash central vacs though!

 

[jo]

I try not to

Use the car wash vacs but will do it quickly if it’s free with the wash. But I do t use any pay ones. I also worry that if I suck up something I need to retrieve by accident that can’t be done.

I imagine the car wash vacs would be water capable because there are so many idiots out there that would ...say...vacuum up a spilled coffee or soda from the floorboard. And so many leaky cars get water vacuumed out of them I’m sure they are made for water pickup.

 

[ultralux88]

Sucking up water in them makes a God-awful mess, BUT they are designed in a way that it shouldn't damage the machine.

 

[ridgidwd0670]

The Meijer gas station (in front of the main Meijer store) in BG allows customers to use the gas station vac for free (but no 'claw' tool attached; just the bare end) so I use a Hoover WindTunnel Powered Hand Tool (pre-TTI) & the brush spins much faster than my Ridgid shop vac can

But I ONLY go to Meijer once in a while or when my car is extremely dirty

Most of the time I use my Ridgid shop vac because I use HEPA VF3503 filter bag & HEPA VF6000 filter & it has better airflow & suction (I change the bag monthly or when the bag starts to smell 'dusty')