Will a Car Wash Hurt Your Car's Finish?

Do you think that running your vehicle through an automatic car wash will harm the appearance of your vehicle? Unfortunately, the possibility is there. While certain kinds of car washes can be more damaging than others, each time your vehicle is being washed, even when you're hand-washing it, you are applying abrasive or harsh chemicals to the paint and the possibility of scratches and swirls on the finish are always present. This is the downside.

The good news is that when you are careful, you can limit the degrading of the appearance of your paint. Furthermore, many modern automobile finishes that are applied by the factory have a topcoat that's extremely robust and will last for at minimum 10 years.

It's also important to know that the efficiency of a car wash is different according to the model of the car as well as the quality and type of the car wash. Make sure to use your best judgment when choosing which one is the most suitable for your vehicle and how many scratches you're willing to take on.

Tunnel car wash with rotating brushes

It is the "traditional" old-style car wash using a rotating bristle brush that is often criticized over other modernized car wash technology that claims to be more gentle on your car's finish. However, head-to-head comparisons have revealed that old-fashioned car washes actually cause less harm to the car's finish over the more modern options because the brushes aren't able to keep abrasives in place (like grit) in the same way as soft cloth scrubbers do.

Soft-cloth car wash

Certain car washes have "touchless" feature flaps of cloth that gently massage your car and appear less aggressive. But they also hold the roughness of every vehicle that came before yours, much more than brushes can. The latent abrasives that are in scrubbers are the main cause of scratches to the finish of cars.

Car washing that is touchless

Car washes using an approach known as the "laser wash" approach do not have the abrasive effects on the paint finish as car washes that come into direct contact with your vehicle's surface have. But, here's the catch. They won't get the car clean since a bit of scrubbing is needed to get rid of some of the dirt and grime. They also use more acidic detergents to make up for the absence of direct contact. Touchless car washing is fine once in a while, but frequent use of these detergents has the potential of deteriorating the surface.

Hand washing

Many auto detailers who strive for perfection in car finishes insist that hand washing is the only method to help you achieve that. Even with hand-washing, there are dangers. The use of the same sponge to wash the painted surfaces of your vehicle and the wheels and tires is a common error that introduces abrasives into the cleaning process. Be sure to separate your sponges and wash and rinse them, along with your microfiber towels daily.

Here are some suggestions to ensure safe and efficient auto-washing:

If you're waiting in line for car washes and the car that is in front of you discontinue your place in line and go back next time. Car washes of all kinds "self-clean," but not so quickly. It requires a couple of cycles of washing to clear the soft cloth or brushes of grit and dirt that could cause damage to the surface.

Assess the facilities. If it's neat and modern from the outside, the odds are that they will take charge of the washing components as well.

A majority of "extras" are probably not worth the cost. Spray-on "wax" will give a lovely sheen but will lose its shine within a couple of days. Make sure to select the undercarriage clean, however, only every couple of times per year.