Car washes (manual, automatic, contactless). Which to choose? Pros, cons and cost comparison

Clean car. For some, this is a priority and pleasure, for others, a routine job. Washing a car under a cloud, under a block or on your own territory is a great pleasure, a considerable savings, but also a risk. It is worth remembering that the law prohibits such activities and provides for high financial sanctions - up to 500 zł. So where can you wash your car so that it is not only effective, but also cheap and safe for the paintwork? We compare manual, automatic and touchless car washes.

You cannot have everything. There is no solution that is fast, convenient, cheap, efficient and at the same time safe for paintwork. Usually, when choosing a car wash method, you have to limit yourself to two, maximum three of the above signs. If it's fast and efficient, it won't be cheap, and it won't be safe for the lacquer. If we care about the safety of the paintwork, then we have to work a little, and the perfect car wash can be difficult and time consuming. What are the advantages and disadvantages of manual, automatic and touchless car washes?

Hand wash/detailing studio

For many car enthusiasts, hand washing is the only reasonable solution. Why? Well, some drivers treat their four wheels a little differently than just getting from point A to point B. For many, a car is a dream come true, often a savings investment. It doesn't matter if the car costs PLN 20 or PLN 000 - for the driver, this copy can be priceless. Therefore, regular washing and care is not a duty, but a pleasure and a way to spend your free time.

For such users, hand washing seems like an obvious choice for several reasons:

1. Safety for the paintwork - in manual car washes we always have the opportunity to choose the right ways to wash the car; from a selection of sponges and brushes to an arsenal of specialized chemicals designed for specific applications. Depending on the type of paintwork, its condition, applied protective coatings (wax, ceramic, foil, etc.), the user or car wash employee can choose the appropriate washing method and type of chemicals.
2. Washing Accuracy - Neither an automatic car wash nor a pressure lance can clean nooks and crannies, such as discs, or gently remove insect debris or bird droppings. In addition, in manual cleaning, you can pre-coat especially soiled areas with active foam or shampoo to dissolve the dirt, and then safely remove it. In contactless car washes, and in automatic ones in particular, there is no time for such procedures.
3. Comprehensive services - at contactless and automatic car washes, body washing is a priority. Sometimes you can find places with a vacuum cleaner, there are also places that offer steam cleaning, but this is rare. At manual car washes, in addition to a thorough washing of the body, you can also use additional services, such as cleaning the upholstery of the car and even removing the mold of the air conditioner.
4. Convenient location and convenience - in most cases, hand washes are located in close proximity to large shopping malls, galleries, cinemas, etc. in underground parking lots or gas stations. While washing the car, other passengers can go shopping, and the driver either takes care of his vehicle himself, or entrusts everything to professionals who will clean the car body, polish the paint, wash the upholstery, clean the air conditioner and prepare the car for pickup at the specified time.

Disadvantages? Of course, there is no solution without drawbacks, as is the case with hand washing. As I mentioned at the beginning, when choosing a product for thorough cleaning and protection of the paintwork, you have to give up other characteristics. In this case, unfortunately, it's time. This is not an option for those who want to wash the car in 10-15 minutes and immediately hit the road. Here you need to invest much more time, several hours, sometimes a whole day. If someone takes the car to a professional detailing studio, it usually takes a whole day or several days for the whole process if it is a thorough wash, wrapping, color correction, upholstery washing, etc.

See also: Accident or collision. How to behave on the road?

Another disadvantage, of course, is the cost of hand washing the car. You have to pay between PLN 30 and 50 for a fully basic package including body wash, dry cleaning, wheel rim washing, tire blackening and sill cleaning. It takes from 30 minutes to one hour, but this package will give you a better result than washing your car in an automatic or touchless car wash. If you add basic vacuuming of the interior with a vacuum cleaner, cleaning of plastic and windows from the inside to this set, then both the time and the price will double. If you add waxing, washing seals, washing upholstery, removing insects, etc., the price can increase to several hundred zlotys, and the time required to complete all actions increases to several hours. Comprehensive detailing services, including hard waxing, plastic restoration, etc., can cost up to PLN 1000, but then the car looks like it has been rejuvenated by half.

Automatic car wash

Now a completely different front - automatic car washes. Car enthusiasts bypass them and consider that this is the worst evil for the paintwork. There is a lot in this, because automatic car washes are fast, convenient, relatively efficient, but not always cheap and certainly not always safe for paintwork. This type of car wash is commonly used by transport companies, car rental companies, carriers and bus and van owners. Not everyone has the time and desire to drive a pike around the car every evening after work or clean the rims with a soft sponge. You drive in here, wait a few minutes, and leave in a clean car. What will the varnish look like after several or several dozen sessions at such a sink? Well, maybe in different ways...

Of course, automatic car washes have many advantages, including:

1. Convenient location - usually at gas stations, so the driver can do everything in one visit, i.e. fill up the car, add washer fluid, eat a hot dog, drink coffee and wash the car.
2. Save time - and all of the above tasks will be completed in a maximum of 20-30 minutes.
3. Convenience - the driver does not have to do anything during the wash. It is enough for him to drive up to the indicated place, select the appropriate washing program or enter the code printed by the cashier and ... this is where his role ends. Often you don't even need to get out of the car.
4. The cost of washing - washing at an automatic car wash is usually quite inexpensive. Basic programs, including washing the body, rims, basic waxing and drying, cost about a dozen zlotys. If we choose washing with active foam, additional waxing, polishing, washing the chassis, etc., the cost can even double, but even the most expensive programs do not exceed the price of PLN 45-50. Many car washes also offer discounts for those who frequently use, for example, the offer of petrol stations.

The disadvantages are quite obvious. This is primarily the risk of damage to the paintwork or protective coating in the case of frequent use of automatic washing. It happens that in smaller, less popular automatic car washes, the brushes are already worn out, neglected, dirty or of poor quality. If someone has special concerns, before using a particular car wash, they can familiarize themselves with the effect of the machines or ask the employees about the details of the services provided. Automatic car washes are also very often wrong. Even the best sensors are not able to judge their work and at the end of the program it may turn out that the dirt has not been washed away. At manual or contactless car washes, we ourselves evaluate the effect of the work and, if necessary, it is enough to spend a little more time in a particular place.

Contactless car wash

For many drivers, a touchless car wash is the best solution. It's safer for the paintwork than an automatic car wash, faster than a hand car wash, and much cheaper. This solution is for those who are in a hurry, want to wash the car quickly, for example, after a route, but do not want to torment the paint with dirty brushes. In addition, a car wash can cost less than PLN 10, and this is by far the most profitable solution.

The biggest advantages of touchless car washes are:

1. No contact with the varnish - both in manual and automatic washing, the varnish comes into contact with detergents such as sponges, rags, brushes, etc. or shampoo, and then using pressurized water with a special powder that removes dirt.
2. Hard-to-reach areas – touchless car washes are ideal for cleaning hard-to-reach areas such as the inside of rims, wheel arches, bumper recesses, chassis, etc., performed in an automatic car wash. After riding in the field on a touchless car wash, we will also wash the dirt from the undercarriage, bumpers, nooks and crannies, etc.
3. Flexibility in time – Touchless car washes are usually open 24 hours a day, XNUMX days a week, so we can visit them whenever we want. We are not obliged to limit ourselves to the opening hours of the shopping center or service point. The driver can visit a touchless car wash for XNUMX minutes after work or spend up to an hour in the late evening.
4. Availability of additional services - in many cases, touchless car washes are located in convenient places. In addition, they have stands for vacuuming the interior, washing the upholstery, where you can check and pump up tire pressure or use the machine with drinks even late at night.
5. Low prices and discounts - rinsing a car from dust and light dirt will not cost more than 3-4 zł. Washing and waxing, with proper practice, will not exceed PLN 10, and a solid washing and vacuuming of the entire car will fit in PLN 20. In addition, contactless car wash networks have discount offers, loyalty cards, various promotions, etc.

It would seem that a touchless car wash is the most optimal solution, but this is only an appearance. If used incorrectly, it can be both ineffective and dangerous to the paintwork. Very high pressure water with micropowder can damage the paintwork. If the lacquer is already damaged, such as cracks or chips, high-pressure water can get under the lacquer layer, and in extreme cases, completely tear off the damaged part. Touching the lance too close to the seals can damage them. You should also be careful with small elements or mirrors, because a jet of water can even break them. Touchless washing can also be tiring, and quite uncomfortable at low temperatures.

Summation

Can you choose the best solution? Yes, but whatever we choose, there will be those who will deny our choice. As car enthusiasts, the most suitable choice is of course hand washing the car, which is not only the most efficient, but also the safest for the paintwork. The car looks great after a comprehensive cleaning and cleaning of the interior, and the driver can feel like driving a much younger car. The disadvantage, of course, is the cost and duration of the service. The biggest advantage of automatic car washes, in turn, is the very short wash time and relative efficiency. The cost is also low, but is this argument enough to ruin the paintwork? Touchless car wash is the best one-time solution that will allow you to clean the car from small dirt at minimal cost. However, it should be remembered that larger contaminants will be difficult to wash off with water under pressure, and improper handling of the spear can damage the paintwork, gaskets or delicate parts of the body.

See also: Jeep Compass in the new version