i use a TOUCH FREE WASH. its like 12 bucks for THE WORKS and the lowest is 8 bucks. i would never go into anything but a TOUCH FREE. and if i dont go to that car wash im out doin it by hand. its winter tho so its like by the end of that day its dirty again lol. fuhkin salt,snow.slush,sand, FUhK WINTER!!!
This might make you think twice about the "touch free" wash. I have to include the entire following article due to copyrighting, but I'll try to bold some important parts.
‘Touch less’ carwash
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Proper Technique
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Product Quality and Technique
Proceed with this in mind; the products you use constitute a very small factor in the equation. Methodology and technique constitute 95%; the reasoning behind the choice of quality products is to eliminate any limiting factors, thus enabling you to place emphasis on technique used. There is no `one correct way' to apply a product; the way detailing products are customized are what each individual finds give them their desired results.
Aesthetics
The aesthetics- of a vehicles appearance is very subjective to say the least, the only best wax or sealant that really matters is what looks 'best' to you. In the final analysis it all come down to; 85% preparation, 5% product, 7% application methodology and the balance is in the ‘guy’ of the beholder
Research
Research others opinions and products, test them and then make an objective decision based upon factual information not marketing hype or brand loyalty. I have always thought that the more facts and information you have at hand the easier it is to judge what information you are being given. After all, how can you fully understand and properly use any product unless you have all the facts?
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Should work on their real merits, not ‘smoke and mirrors'. Most importantly - choose carefully whose advice you listen to, and more importantly what advice you act upon, so I would strongly suggest that you verify any information that I or anyone else shares with you.
'Touch less’ carwash
Most so called ‘Touch less’ car washes today use Hydrofluoric acid as a first step, an alkaline to neutralize the acid and then high pressure water to wash cars. Hand washing is MUCH preferred, don’t use an automated car wash period, touch less or not, there are a variety of reasons: You should never, under any circumstances use a car wash that requires you to let another person drive your vehicle onto the ramps or into the wash, notice the disclaimer “No responsibility for damage to customer’s vehicle.”
Local by-laws require car washes to re-claim or recycle water. This means they have two choices.
a) They can collect the water in tanks and pay to truck it away to a recycling centre.
b) They can filter and then recycle the water (dependant on how often the filters are cleaned/changed) will affect how much dirt content there is. Recycled meaning re-use the same water, which may include any road dirt/grit that is not filtered out is used to high-pressure (1,000PSI) wash your vehicle (somewhat similar to sandblasting) the final rinse is usually twice-filtered re-cycled water, this is to give the appearance of a clean surface on the vehicle.
c) To help clean the recycled water they use a chemical like Presidium Orthophosphate (TSP) and have the chemical formula Na3PO4. It is a highly water-soluble ionic salt. Solutions of it dissolved in water have an alkaline pH; this does a great job stripping your wax / sealant. TSP is generally not good for cleaning vehicles because it can corrode metal.
•To remove snow/sand/road dirt and grit without agitation (brushes etc) requires the use of very strong chemical cleaners.
•Probably the most important is that this type of automatic car wash use high-pressure water and strong alkaline detergent to clean vehicles that will strip the wax/polish
•You will also need to renew the vehicles sealant / wax to ensure the paint surface protection on a regular basis to counteract the effects of the harsh detergents.
•Also be aware of those that use ‘wheel guides’ as they will cause scratches / etching to the wheel surfaces, as many wash facilities will not accommodate either the tyre width or the clearance, thus causing sidewall damage
•Vehicle with lower than ‘standard’ suspension (Corvette C6 and other sports cars) should also be aware the wheel guides could cause body damage
•As an alternative especially in colder winter months I would suggest using a waterless vehicle cleaning product Optimum No Rinse (ONR)
If you get a chance, attend a car wash / wax vendors symposiums where they give demonstrations of the different soap products that these type of facilities use, as a Chemical Engineer they scare me. You'll come away a convert to never using them again, on any vehicle.
Information resource
1.Automotive Detailing Inside & Out; a Knowledge Base for the Perfectionist, by Jon Miller
2.TOGWT™ Series of Detailing Articles, by Jon Miller
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