I work at a car wash and in Detailing so here's what I can tell u
Car washes are essentially the worse place to take a vehicle for one reason in particular
Those spinning and waving wraps whip and beat the dirt, grime off And into your paint job/clear coat
It's absolutely NOT what your paint needs to go thru
Car Washes make a huge amount of money off those drive thrus but its exactly the opposite of what your trying to do, although your car comes out "looking" clean... The truth is your paint job jus took a beating... Enough of these in a year and your gonna pay for PR's or a New Paint Job after so many years bc you've spent years of your money stripping the paint and clear coat from your vehicle
That's why most Car Washes sell services such as Paint Renewal (PR) or Buff Waxing for the not so destroyed paint jobs... Another huge money maker
The bottom line is, if u don't care about your paint and jus want a 2min car wash to make your car "look" clean, then Auto Car Washes are ideal... But keep in mind your paying to have your car beat up
BUT, if your real intent is to REMOVE dirt and contaminants from your paint/clear coat, then nothing short of a decent car soap and water and New Microfiber Towels will achieve this process
But that's not the end, the real finish is always gonna be a hand or buff wax to remove the contaminants from your clear coat
The industry typical is usually a wax once a week, to keep your vehicle decently "clean" and shinny
BUT, the problem is there isn't a Wax on the planet that will Actually remain with your vehicle that long...
I don't care what any product or business states or suggests, it's physically impossible for a product to beat the harsh elements of this planet... And I don't care where u live... Wax doesn't last a week
In reality, keeping your vehicle in show room condition is a LOT OF HARD WORK
This actually requires a Hand Wash and hand or buff wax every two or three days...
Once a Week is OK, but any dirt and contaminants left to Marinate on your vehicle will cause your clear coat to deteriorate and your paint to fade...
Sorry for such a long response but simply saying Car Washes are no good doesn't really convey why they aren't.
Some people don't care or don't understand what happens to their vehicle in those machine car washes... But I have no issue telling you what those businesses won't tell u or hope u don't know
Hope this info helps and good luck
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