Aside from all of the benefits which come from ensuring your vehicle is regularly cleaned, there's also a number of important reasons why you should wash your vehicle yourself instead of taking it for an automated or hand car wash for example.

Automated car washes that are usually found at most petrol/gas stations and forecourts are not designed to effectively or safely clean your car in any way.

Instead, they're designed to allow as many vehicles to pass through within the shortest time possible, allowing for greater profit margins for the owner.

Car Detailing

To begin with there isn't any real pre rinse or pre wash stage to remove loose dirt before your car enters. Large rollers spinning at high-speed begin to 'wash' your car and simply rub all the dirt and grit particles that weren't removed into your cars paintwork and surfaces.

It will also be noted that before your vehicle entered, a large number of other dirty vehicles will have been through the same process therefore the grit and contaminants acquired from these cars by the rollers is now also being rubbed all over your car.

This results in a mass of swirl marks and lightweight scratches and you can usually tell an automobile that has been through an automated car wash as the surface is going to be covered in tight linear scratches running along the of it, which have been inflicted by the spinning, dirty, harsh rollers.

The rollers also have the potential to inflict other harm to your car by pulling off bits of trim, damaging wing mirrors, radio aerials and spoilers for example. You do not know what goods are being used on your car if it's taken through an automated car wash. Usually it will 'clean' your car with strong, chemical-based bulk products that will remove any protection that may have been applied to your automobile, and may even damage delicate surfaces of the vehicle.

After your car has been washed inside is usually a large blower that tries to dry your vehicle but inevitably within the time it takes to accomplish the process there will still be plenty of water left on your car. If you then take out into the sun after this process the water and harsh chemical product residue will dry onto your cars paintwork and surfaces, leaving unsightly marks that could prove difficult to remove.

When it comes to the cost of using an automated car wash it's not surprising that the treatment received is basic and low quality. It's best to avoid these kind of car washes even if that means your car doesn't get cleaned, as they will likely inflict more damage on your car than leaving dirt and contaminants sitting on it for a few more days before you are able to clean it properly yourself.

Hand car washes may offer a more thorough job than automated car washes however they too suffer similar disadvantages. Hand car washes, like automated car washes are not necessarily designed to safely clean your vehicle and achieve the best possible results but to make sure that every car enters and exits sticking with strict time constraints in order for the owners to make a profit.

This is usually why there is a different person performing each part of the wash process and while this may seem efficient it's probably damaging your car in the process. Like an automated car wash when you enter help car wash the products and tools may have been used to clean numerous dirty cars before yours and won't have been sufficiently cleaned in between (if at all).

A hand car wash cannot afford to refill wash buckets/troughs for every vehicle that enters, so again you are receiving contaminants and grit worked all over your cars paintwork and surfaces.

Nearly all hand car washes also use sponges and chamois leathers for washing and drying instead of wash mitts and micro fibre towels, inflicting more swirls and light scratches. Again it is best to avoid taking your car through a hand car wash and instead leave your vehicle dirty for a short while longer until you can properly and safely fix it yourself.

Car Cleaning And Car Detailing