Which car washes should not be trusted with your car

The possibilities for ridding your car of dirt in the modern world are almost unlimited - if you do not live in some bearish corner, then car washes surround you literally from all sides. However, the quality of the services they provide is not always up to par.

The wealth of choice, as you know, does not guarantee that you will not run into hacks who will ruin your car for your own money. But it is still possible to minimize the risks. First of all, you should choose the type of sink that you need.

Currently, there are only three main ways to clean a car from dust or dirt. Here we do not consider independent exercises with a bucket and a rag by the river, the purchase in the personal possession of Karcher or the use of a self-service installation.

Firstly, this is a good old hand wash, when an uncle with a sponge and a bucket rubs the car for a long time and laboriously, leaving a lot of circular scratches on the polish. Naturally, few people will like this option both in terms of the safety of the paintwork and time costs.

Secondly, fully automated - tunnel or portal. In portal car washes, the car is stationary, the washing equipment itself moves along it. In the case of tunneling, the opposite is true - the machine is pulled through stationary equipment. The detergent composition is sprayed from special nozzles, after which the rotating brushes wash it off under streams of water. This is followed by air drying. The process is fast, but due to its specificity, hard-to-reach places, which any car has plenty of, remain unwashed.

The most popular and widespread is the touchless car wash. To begin with, the machine is doused with a jet of water that removes dirt. After that, a special car shampoo is applied to the body, which is then washed off with water. Mechanical contact occurs only when the worker removes residual moisture with a soft sponge or cloth.

Naturally, other things being equal, people choose the latter type of washing. However, even here no one is immune from poor-quality work. Naturally, it is better to give your car into the hands of trusted specialists with whom you have already dealt, and in whose professionalism you are sure. But this is not always possible. And when the car is at the post, and the washers are fussing around it, then it’s too late to drink Borjomi - it remains only to wait for the end of the procedure, and then, based on the result, either thank the worker or deal with the administration, if there is one.

And yet there are a few points that you should pay attention to before driving the car to the wash. It must be borne in mind that they will not protect you one hundred percent, but they will help to somewhat reduce the risk.

First of all, look at the way the cars leave the post. If there are drips on the hood, bumper or trunk, if the wheels are poorly washed, it is better to look for another organization. Further, the washers have such a saying: "Poorly washed, but well wiped." If at the final stage there is a bucket of water next to the washer, where he rinses the rag from time to time, this means that the body is not washed well, and the worker eliminates flaws under the guise of drying. The likelihood of scratches in this case increases significantly.

Inspect the driveway - a reputable company will keep it clean. It is unrealistic to choose a car wash with local workers, at least in Moscow. Therefore, look for a car wash with friendly staff, dressed in a special and - most importantly - clean uniform. A serious bonus is a comfortable waiting room with a decent buffet.

However, even if the appearance of the sink made an extremely positive impression on you, this does not mean at all that your car will be torn off in the highest category. On the other hand, in the absence of the listed visual landmarks, it is better not to risk your car.