Any articles on why NOT to use a drive through car wash?

[Lonely Raven]

I'm looking for articles, FAQ, theory, or Scientific Proof that drive
through car wash are bad for your finish, and why hand washing
(and waxing/detailing etc) is better.

Any help with this oh Megs gurus?

[LnkPrkSoldier]

well in my opinion, it doesn't do that good to wipe off all the dirt, since its just pressured water, there is no mitt to wipe off the dirt... but i reality, i think drive through washes aren't that bad if you jsut want a wash. oh and it depends on what kind of soap thye use

[SVT Lightning]

Just take any car that has been hand washed and put it next to any car that has been maintained by machine washes and put them in sunlight. You'll be able to tell the difference. No need for any articles!

[gb387]

Originally posted by SVT Lightning
Just take any car that has been hand washed and put it next to any car that has been maintained by machine washes and put them in sunlight. You'll be able to tell the difference. No need for any articles!

I have not seen an article but I have seen it with my own eyes... I am convinced! Its not the best option but in the winter for example I don't have much of an option so I opt for the do it your self automated car wash (wand).

[Murr1525]

It doesnt take an article with scientific proof to see the scratches a spinning brush instills, or the drag marks from the cloth ones. And it is just as easy to see and feel that the harsh cleaners took the wax of the paint.

[Lonely Raven]

I'm trying to prove a point to people at work, and people in the
Scion club, so I need more then telling them to look.

These guys love that Mr Clean ****, so I'm trying to convert them!

[Murr1525]

Scion eh? Take a black one through one of those 'all in one' machines lots of dealers use. That really ruins the paint...

We do have threads on the Mr. Clean machine thing on here somewhere or other..

[vosstire]

Hand Washing

Depends what type of wash you use, most tunnel washes use some form of hand washing inspite of the equipment, so they are doing pretty much what you are doing if you wash the vehicle yourself by hand.

If you find a hybrid wash, one that washes your vehicle with pre-soaks and high pressure water, then uses cloth and uses very minimal prep, then you have a pretty safe wash.

And any car that has been hand washed will be more harsh than a well designed hybrid wash.

[trubluscrew]

As like everyone else posted, your best bet is to use you eyes. But here are a few points to ponder.

Auto car washes are put out there to make money, not public service. The cloth strips cost money; so how often does it get changed/washed? They are most likey filled with dirt.

Touch free washes, don't have the benefit of "scrubbing" the dirt away, so it must use harsh soaps/cleaners to get the grime off. If it eats the dirt away, how do we know it's not eating away at your clear coat?

Some washes use recycled water; too bad that mircon filters cost lots of cashloa. So the dirt that wasn't filtered out is now being tossed at your vehicle at warp speed. (ie. courtesy sandblasting of paint with every purchase).

Now that being said, yes I do use the touch free washes in the winter and I do use the Mr. Clean for my mid-week washes (just don't use any other soap then the Mr. Clean. It gets messy fast ). I just find that it does not have as much "POP" to it after washing, then the two bucket Mequiar's method.