Those spinning brushes might be convenient, but they are wreaking havoc on your clear coat. Learn why hand washing is the only safe option.
We've all been there: you're short on time, your car is dirty, and that $10 drive-through car wash looks incredibly tempting. But before you pull in, you should know that those spinning brushes are essentially slapping your car with the dirt from the hundred vehicles that went before you.
Automatic car washes use aggressive, highly acidic or alkaline chemicals to break down grime quickly, which strips away any wax or sealant you have on your paint. Worse, the abrasive brushes cause thousands of micro-scratches (swirl marks) every time you go through. Over a few months, your paint will look dull, oxidized, and heavily scratched.
Even 'touchless' washes aren't entirely safe, as they rely on extremely harsh chemicals to compensate for the lack of friction, which can dry out your plastic trim and degrade your clear coat. The only safe way to wash a vehicle is a proper two-bucket hand wash using premium microfiber mitts and pH-neutral soaps—exactly what we do at Refine.
