1. AUTOMATIC CAR WASH WITH BRUSHES
In the world of car detailing, we learn quickly that brushes are a big no-no if you care for your car's paint. They "scrub" the dirt off while marring and swirling up the clear coat. This method usually does more harm then good, but it may be the best option for some.
Pros
- Low cost (between $10 - $20) 5/5
- Short wait ( 5 to 10 minutes) 5/5
Cons
- Brushes used to remove dirt from large panels but without the capacity to detail smaller areas. 2/5
- Wheel and arches are poorly cleaned. 2/5
- Limited extras available (no tar removal, window cleaning, wheels dressing) 2/5
- Best if you are totally indifferent about your paint's condition. 1/5
- The cleaning brushes install a great deal of swirls and damage. 1/5
- Damage caused even by one visit may only be repaired by Paint Correcting ( $500 to $1,500 ) OR Repainting (+$5,000). 1/5
Ideal for: Old vehicles, trade vehicles or outdoor trucks where the condition of the paint is beyond repair or is not an issue at all.
Damage caused by automatic wheel brushes after a single use.
Swirls heavily embedded into the clear coat after a single use of the automatic brush wash.
2. AUTOMATIC TOUCHLESS CAR WASH
Fast and fairly safe results can be achieved using touchfree car washes. Far from offering an amazing carwash result on dirty cars, but it does a decent job on dusty, looked after cars.
Pros
- Cheap (between $10 - $20) 5/5
- Short wait (5 to 10 minutes) 5/5
- Safe for most paint types 4/5
- Great for dusty or barely dirty cars 4/5
Cons
- Brief Clean, sporadically removes dirt 3/5
- No capacity to detail smaller areas. 1/5
- Wheel and Arches are very poorly done. 1/5
- Limited extras available (no tar removal, window cleaning, wheels dressing) 2/5
- May install fine swirls due to its recycling water system 3/5
- Damage caused (over multiple uses) may be fairly easily repaired 4/5
Ideal for: Daily driven vehicles & family vehicles.
Car was muddy on the sides & arches
About an 80% job - sides & arches are still dirty
3. EXPRESS HAND WASH
For more than just a wash, the express hand wash deliver a more complete and overall better clean than the automatic methods. Unfortunately, due to its quick nature, areas are regularly missed, while the overused sponges and towels will cause swirls and scratches.
Pros
- Good cost (between $30 - $60) 4/5
- Good wait (20 to 40 minutes) 4/5
- Decent overall clean 4/5
- Many extras available (windows. dressing, waxing etc ) 4/5
- Can include interior cleaning
Cons
- Installs swirls and scratches due to overly used mitts and improper drying 3/5
- Average allowance for detailing smaller areas. 3/5
- Wheels and arches are averagely cleaned 3/5
- Less gentle to sign-writing & vinyl wrapping. 3/5
Ideal for: Low to medium value, daily driven vehicles, family vehicles & trade vehicles
4. WASHING AT HOME
If the expert procedures are followed properly, washing your vehicle at home can deliver great, thorough and safe results all around - giving you the freedom to do it when time allows.
Pros
- Great clean (depending on the person's skill) 5/5
- Wheel and arches are well cleaned 4/5
- Safe (but only if following expert advice) 4/5
- Great capacity to detail smaller areas. 4/5
- Many extras available (windows. dressing, waxing etc ) 4/5
- Can do interior cleaning
- Gentle to sign-writing & vinyl wrapping (if any). 3/5
Cons
- High upfront costs (cleaning chemicals, electric & hand tools) 1/5
- Personal working time (1 to 2 Hours) 2/5
Ideal for: Personal vehicles, daily driven vehicles, family vehicles
5. DETAIL HAND WASH
When it comes to detailing, no car is too clean. Each vehicle becomes a "special" patient that is consulted and gets its own treatment based on its current state, paint type & color in order to achieve a thorough, high standard finish.
Every hand wash detail will receive a wax or sealant application.
Pros
- Detailed clean 5/5
- Safe air & gentle microfiber drying 5/5
- Wheels and arches are detailed 5/5
- High allowance to detailing smaller areas. 5/5
- Many extras available (tar & sap removal, windows. conditioning, waxing etc ) 5/5
- Adjusts to suit customers minutiae details 5/5
- Safe on coated, sign-written & vinyl wrapped vehicles 5/5
- Can include interior cleaning
Cons
- Moderate cost (between $70 - $140) 3/5
- Moderate wait (1 to 2 hours) 3/5
Ideal for: Medium to high value vehicles, personal & family vehicles, management, corporate & professional vehicles, coated, sign-written & wrapped vehicles.
For any questions, you can either comment below or contact us directly.
We are happy to help.
Disclaimer. For reading purposes we generalized each car wash method. Although the information is generally correct, each method may differ slightly even within their own category. The information provided in this article is meant to reveal the pros & cons of each method.