The Truth About Automatic Carwashes

A lot of what you’ll see on YouTube and different articles online will tell you that automatic car washes are terrible and the ONLY way to wash your car is by hand.

These guys will say you have to hand wash your car every single week, or take it to a detailer every time it’s dirty, never ever use an automatic car wash, blah blah blah...

There is some truth to that (hand washing is definitely the best way) however it’s not realistic advice for most of us.

Some of the people who say hand washing is the ONLY way, might be living in California, or Florida, or another warm climate. So life is a little different for them.

They don’t deal with things like snow in March, like we just got here in PA.

They don’t deal with cold weather, where you can’t really go outside and hand wash your car every single week…

So I’m here to tell you that if you need a clean car but you’re short on time, or it’s too cold to hand wash, then find an automatic TOUCHLESS car wash.

A touchless wash won’t get your car as clean as a good hand wash will, but it’s a great way to get a decent clean in between your hand washes.

Just DO NOT use the wash tunnel with bristles or flaps that slap and scrub your car. That is a guaranteed way to put swirl marks and scratches all over your paint.

A touchless wash on the other hand, will get your car pretty clean without damaging the finish on your paint.

If your car is ceramic coated, make sure you select the wash package that just washes and dries, without any wax or protection applied. Those car wash waxes are not designed to go over top of a ceramic coating.

Keep in mind that even though a touchless wash is great in a pinch, you still need to hand wash regularly if you want to keep your car in the best possible condition.

In addition to hand washing, we recommend having your vehicle’s exterior professionally detailed 2-3 times a year. This will ensure everything is fully cleaned and preserved, then you’ll have an easier time maintaining it between your detail appointments.

If you have questions about any of this, just email info@dinosdetail.com or give us a call at (717) 945-2450. We’re here to help!