Can automatic car washes damage your car?

These tips will help you save money and keep your car in good shape.

It can save you time and trouble to use an automatic car wash machine. But are self-service car washes safe for your car? For many people who want to keep their car clean, they are actually the best way to do things.
People who clean their own cars often don’t use enough water to get rid of the dirt safely, or they wash the car in direct sunlight, which makes the paint soft and spots it with water. Or, they use the wrong kind of soap, like dish soap, which takes off the wax that protects the finish and leaves a chalky film on it. Or, any of a number of common mistakes can turn out to be worse than helpful.

Keeping your car clean and in good shape can also help you get more money when you want to buy a new one. If everything else is the same, a car with worn paint and a dirty look will sell for 10 to 20 percent less than a similar car that has been well taken care of.

How often should you get your car washed, then? How fast it gets dirty and how dirty it is both matter. For some cars, once a month is enough, especially if they don’t get used much and are kept in a shed. But some cars will need a bath more often. These are cars that are left outside and get bird droppings or tree sap on them, or cars that are driven in places with long, harsh winters where the roads are salted to get rid of snow and/or ice. Before you use a robotic car wash, here are some things you should remember:

Brushless is the best.

Some older car washes still use rough brushes instead of cloth, which can scratch the shine of your car. Most light scratches could be buffed out of older cars with single stage paint, which means there was no clear coat on top of the color coat. Modern cars, on the other hand, use a “base/clear” method where a thin, clear coat is put on top of the color coat to make it shine. If this thin clear coat gets damaged, painting over the damaged area is often the only way to get the shine back.

The touchless car wash is also a safe bet. It cleans the car with high-pressure water jets and chemicals, but no one touches the car. With this method, there is almost no chance that your car will get any damage that looks bad. Also, some places have self-service hand washes that you can use with coins. These are great for getting rid of thick layers of dirt. Most of the time, though, you’ll need to bring your own bucket, wash cloth or sponge, and dry blankets.
Be careful with the wipe-down after washing.

Most automatic car washes use a strong jet of hot air to remove any extra water from the car after the wash. After getting your car washed, many full-service car washes will have you (or someone else) drive it away from the wash area so that employees can wipe it down by hand. Most of the time, this is fine as long as the staff is using new, clean, soft towels. But be careful on busy days when a lot of cars have gone ahead of you. Say “thanks, but no thanks” and drive away in a wet car if you see the workers wiping down the car with obviously dirty rags. Just like sandpaper, the dirt and other rough things in the rags can scratch the shine. The best way to make sure you don’t damage your car is to drive away from the car wash and let air flow over it to dry any water that’s still there. Any streaks that are still there can be easily removed at home using spray cleaners that are made just for this reason. A bugs, tar, road grime, and other things without water.

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