Are car washes bad for your car?
A well run wash is safer for your paint than dirt left on it. Here is what can hurt a car, and how we avoid it.
What actually damages paint
Old hard bristle brushes, harsh acid cleaners, and grit dragged across the paint are what leave swirl marks. So does a dirty towel at home. Bird droppings, tree sap and road film left on the car eat into the clear coat over time, which is the bigger risk for most cars.
How our wash is built
Our tunnel uses soft cloth and mild cleaners, never acids or harsh brushes. Our crew preps every car by hand before it goes in and dries it by hand after the blowers. Nothing touches your paint that we would not use on our own cars.
When to skip the tunnel
Fresh paint should cure about 30 days first, so check with your body shop. Vinyl wraps, ceramic coatings you want babied, and show cars are better off in our hand wash, done with a wool mitt and spot free water. Trucks over 84 inches tall and dual rear wheel trucks cannot go through.
Questions
Hard brushes and dirty equipment can. Our tunnel uses soft cloth and mild cleaners, and the crew dries every car by hand.
It is gentler and slower. It is the right call for fresh paint, wraps and show cars. For a daily driver, a soft cloth wash with a hand dry is safe.
Wait about 30 days for new paint to cure, and check with your body shop.