PRO: Much better cleaning than in years past. We always guide Ceramic Pro customers to the trusty two-bucket hand washing method – but if you’re without ability to wash your car at home, the touchless automatic car wash is your best option. Let’s start by clarifying that we’re not recommending or non-recommending (is that even a word) the use of automated car washing facilities. If you’re thinking about using an automatic car wash to keep your vehicle clean – there are some pros and cons to consider. The Pros and Cons of Using an Automatic Car Wash There are three common tunnel car washes – an express tunnel, (which completes the entire washing and drying process), flex serve tunnel (that only washes the vehicle’s exterior – usually using touchless methods), and the full-service tunnel (includes applying paint protectant spray wax or sealants in a final-optional step). If you listen carefully, you can hear this Mopar SRT screaming in pain. This is your prototypical automatic friction-based car wash. There are some commercial car wash locations that will send your car through the tunnel car wash, before completing the wash with hand drying or applying protectants. It’s called a tunnel car wash – simply because you’ll drive the vehicle through a tunnel (with the tires connected to a conveyor system). The most popular automated car wash facility is one you’ll find at gas stations, or local car wash facilities. Hybrids using the wash wheel or strips can ‘scrub’ the car clean with less aggressive soaps. Since touchless machines depend on high-pressure water – the shampoo needs to be more alkaline-based, to loosen debris, dirt, and contaminants from the surface. The hybrid will typically use a lower pH car soap than the touchless machines. The main difference with these systems is the detergents that are used to wash the vehicle. There are hybrid automated car washing facilities that use a combination of both touchless and friction materials. As such, the potential for swirl marks, paint chips, and other damage to the vehicle’s paint surface is greater than the touchless or hand wash system. These materials are made for durability – and not for gentle application of force. This uses a series of industrial-strength spinning machines with a cloth-like material that is used to wash the surface. The second type of automated car wash is the friction-based facility like that found at a gas station. Some of these touchless car wash system connect the wheels to a series of gears and a conveyor system, that move the vehicle through the touchless process – sometimes including undercarriage wash. This system usually features an in-bay automated system, where the driver pulls into a wash bay, and the system rolls over their stationary vehicle to wash it. The touchless car wash is the most user-friendly and less likely to damage your vehicle. There are basically two types of automatic car washes in North America – touchless and friction-based. In fact, there are multiple types of automatic wash techniques and facilities, each offering a different way of accomplishing the same task – remove debris from your vehicle. One misconception in the auto detailing world is that all automatic car washes are identical. Best Practices for Using an Auto Car Wash.
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