Every car owner knows how crucial a routine car wash is in maintaining the vehicle’s value and lifespan. With the help of improvements in car maintenance, wheels these days usually last longer. Fortunately, when it comes to keeping your car spotless, you now also have many options.
There are several types of carwashing. These are self-service, touchless, and automatic car wash. Most people would prefer professional car washing than to do it by themselves since it is quicker and hassle-free. However, does an automatic car wash do an excellent job of cleaning your vehicle? What are its advantages against washing by hand?
Learn all the answers to your questions below.
What does your car go through during automatic car washing?
During the car wash, your vehicle goes through many processes. Before paying for the car wash fee, you can choose whether you want a roll-over or conveyor wash. In a roll-over wash, your vehicle doesn’t move, and the pieces of equipment are the ones that move past your automobile. While in a conveyor, your car is driven along with the machines and equipment.
Once you’ve chosen your preferred wash, you can now drive your vehicle inside. Let’s say you chose the conveyor type of wash. Your automobile will pass a series of cleaning processes.
The first one is pre-soak. It’s where your vehicle travels through a curved metal mounted with several nozzles that spray cleaning solution to wet the surface of your car and also to loosen up the dirt. Then, your automobile will travel to what they call a miter curtain.
It is a series of soft cloth hanging from a metal frame that moves back and forth. After your pre-soak, the miter curtain will wipe away any contaminants from the horizontal perspective of your vehicle. Next, your car will travel through a foam applicator and scrubbers.
The scrubbers will deal with the dirt of your car from a vertical perspective. After that, your vehicle will pass through a rotating water jet that will rinse off the solutions on all sides of your automobile, including the undercarriage.
After the last rinse, your car goes through a dryer. They are huge nozzles that spray warm air at the surface of the vehicle to remove excess water. This process of professional car washing will only take less than 5 minutes.
Pros
- Automatic car wash has a thorough coverage. This type of car wash is designed professionally to perform a specific set of steps to cover all areas of your car, including the undercarriage. There’s a slim chance that a part will be overlooked.
- This type of car wash has better paint protection. It is designed to be gentle towards the vehicle’s paint and surface. Also, it doesn’t only protect the color, but it also helps it last longer.
- It is time-efficient. One of its advantages is its speed in doing the cleaning. If you’re in a hurry and don’t have much time to spare, an automatic car wash makes the most sense.
Cons
- Your vehicle may have water spots. An automated car wash may sometimes leave some watermarks on your car if it doesn’t get air dried correctly.
- There are chances that hard grimes won’t be entirely removed since there’s less contact.
Is an automatic car wash safe for your vehicle?
Many would argue that an automatic car wash is abrasive since it uses machines and equipment that couldn’t tell how delicate the car’s surface is. However, it is not harmful to your vehicle.
This type of car wash uses a special soft cloth. It is a smoother and lighter material that gives gentle cleaning action to your precious wheels.
Is it better to do it yourself?
People wonder if it’s better to wash a car by hand. Not to lie, something is reassuring about cleaning it on your own. Whenever you wash your vehicle, you can see the details yourself and scrub away the dirt by hand while also making sure not to put too much pressure on the paint.
Nevertheless, washing your car by hand also has its pros and cons. Cleaning your vehicle on your own can guarantee higher touch. It means you give the utmost level of attention and service to your car.
You are the one taking off the grime and reaching the crevices, which suggests your car is taken care of in every nook and cranny. Aside from that, you also spend less when you do it yourself. If you have the proper tools on hand, you can wash your car anytime you want.
However, higher touch and attention to detail can also mean harm. The extra care you give to your vehicle can scrub away the paint. There are instances that you will accidentally scratch the car’s delicate paint job.
If you don’t use the correct tool, it could ruin the car’s beautiful look. Another downside of hand-washing your car is the time it takes. It will require a longer time when you do it yourself than bringing it to a car wash.
Not only that, but it can also be physically demanding. To answer the question, car experts recommend doing hand-washing sparingly. Automatic car washes are designed to give your car the clean it needs while ensuring its safety.
Is automatic car washing better than professional detailing?
Professional detailing is a little costly, no doubt. But then, it is worth every dollar that you spend. Experts recommend taking your car to a professional detailer once in a while to help maintain value and extend its lifespan. This type of car wash may take away the grime and dirt that may cause permanent damage. Detailing goes a step further since it preserves the quality of your vehicle.
So is hand washing better than professional car washing? Not really. However, the two types of car maintenance should be paired to maintain the vehicle value—these two work hand in hand to keep your car good-looking and trouble-free.
If you want your car in excellent shape, you will need to clean it regularly— or have it cleaned. After reading the information above, you already know that the best and most efficient way for you to do it is through automatic car washing. You may want to be a member of professional car washing services like SudsnSoda so that you can just bring your car to them— anytime that it needs some good washing.
