Drive-through car washes are quick and cheap, and for many drivers that is enough. If you care about how your paint looks over time, though, it is worth knowing what they can do to it.
How automatic car washes can damage paint
Most automatic washes use spinning brushes or cloth strips that clean car after car. The brushes can pick up grit from one vehicle and carry it onto the next, and a gritty brush dragged over paint leaves fine scratches. Over time those scratches build into the circular pattern known as swirl marks.
- Shared brushes. The same brushes clean cars with very different levels of dirt.
- Not enough pre-rinse. If the car is not rinsed properly first, loose grit is rubbed in.
- Harsh, fast cleaning. Strong chemicals and fast cycles are tuned for speed, not for the best finish.
- Missed spots. Brushes cannot reach everywhere, and some areas stay dirty.
Are touchless washes safer?
Touchless washes use high pressure water and stronger chemicals instead of brushes, so they avoid brush contact. They are gentler in that sense, but they often do not remove all the dirt on their own, and the stronger chemicals can be hard on trim.
The main types of automatic car wash
- Brush washes: rotating brushes scrub the car. Quick on dirt, but the brushes are the biggest risk to paint.
- Soft cloth washes: cloth strips instead of bristles. Gentler in principle, but they can still carry grit between cars.
- Touchless washes: high pressure water and stronger chemicals, with nothing touching the paint.
- Hand car washes: done by a person, so the result depends entirely on their tools and technique.
Signs your paint has taken a beating
- Fine circular scratches that show in direct sun
- Paint that looks hazy or dull even right after a wash
- Marks that stand out most on dark panels
- A finish that has lost its depth and sharp reflections
If you are short on time
Sometimes a quick wash is all you have time for, and that is fine. If you do use drive-through washes, choose one that looks well kept, do not put a very dirty car through the brushes, and plan a proper gentle wash or detail every so often. The most convenient option of all is having it done where the car is parked, which is how Ace works.
A gentler way to wash
A snow foam pre-wash loosens dirt before anything touches the paint, followed by a careful hand wash and a proper hand dry. Our snowfall wash is R200 and includes a high pressure wash, snow foam, hand dry and a deep vacuum, at your home or workplace.
Already got swirl marks?
If your paint already looks dull and covered in fine scratches, a machine polish can remove or greatly reduce them and bring back the gloss and depth.
