What is the best way to wash your car?

There are really two options for washing your car – doing it at home or taking it to a professional car wash center – whether it is self-serve or automatic. Most people think the way to give your car the best wash possible is the “old-fashioned” way – in the driveway, at home. And while that can prove to be a fun afternoon activity, it can actually be quite harmful to both your car and the environment. However, taking your car to a professional carwash can ensure a safe and thorough cleaning as well as provide the means to protect the environment around you.

Unless you are someone that spends quite a bit of time researching products and in-depth methodology for washing your car at home, chances are you might be doing more harm than good to your finish. Dish soaps and other regular household cleaners are popular cleaning agents for at-home washes, but these can strip the wax from your finish, and depending on how abrasive they are, even scratch the paint. A professional car wash center will use cleaning agents that are specifically engineered to clean the surface of your car safely and effectively, and can also provide further protection with options for wax, gloss and clear-coat applications – in a fraction of the time it would take you at home.

If you use everyday towels or rags from around your home to wash and dry your car, you are taking the chance that the particles left over from their last use will also make fine scratches in your finish. You can help avoid this by having a set of 100% cotton towels that you only use for washing your car. Wash them only in liquid detergent, and never use one after you have dropped it on the ground. This will help alleviate scratching, but cannot guarantee eliminating it all together. Many professional washes offer “touchless” options – where your car is cleaned by a powerful blast of water – and no cloth or other friction material ever touches the surface. Washes that do use brushes, called “friction” washes, only use materials or cloth that are engineered to wick dust, sand and grime away from the surface, therefore protecting your finish from scratching or damage. In fact, there have been great advances in the types of materials available for friction washes, including soft foam brushes specifically designed to protect your car.

There are also environmental concerns to consider when choosing where to wash your car. Most people who wash their cars at home do so in their driveways or out on the street. The water runs directly into the storm sewers in the street. Water that comes from storm sewers is not treated at a wastewater treatment plant and flows directly into local streams, lakes and rivers. So the chemicals in the soaps and products you use go directly into the local water supply and can get into drinking water and harm local wild life. Even when you use products that claim to be biodegradable and/or non-toxic, dust and other harmful pollutants make their way into the water.

Professional car wash centers are built to provide appropriate drainage that ensures harmful chemicals do not make it into the local storm sewer system. In fact, many of them filter the water they use, and often recycle it. Also, washing your car at home can use up to 100 gallons of water per wash. The chart below indicates how washing your car at a professional wash can help conserve hundreds and even thousands of gallons of water each year.

by carwashing.com

Posted in: carwash