Are touchless car washes bad for your car?

Another safe(r) bet is the touchless car wash, using only high-pressure water jets and detergents to clean the car – without physically touching the car. With this system there is virtually no chance of your vehicle suffering any cosmetic damage. read more

Touchless car washes also use higher concentrations of soap which can strip your cars wax off more quickly. Adding insult to injury, touchless washes don’t even remove all the dirt off your car. The best these types of washes can do is remove big clumps of dirt (to be broken down and recycled against your car as projectiles later) and leave a hazy film on the paint. read more

Yes, those washes are bad. The brushes pick up the dirt and brake dust from the cars prior to yours, then rub it all over your car, scratching the paint. Try to find a touchless wash or hand wash it in one of those DIY car wash places (bring your own bucket and towels). You'll spend a bit on rinsing, but probably no more than the auto wash. read more