Automatic Car Wash Systems: The Better Choice

All you need do is look around to see how important vehicles are to just about everyone in the GTA. From Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon to Toronto, Vaughan and Georgetown, there are tens of thousands of vehicles on the road every single day, some of them look good and others, not so much. Where does your car stand in this equation? While it is true keeping your vehicle clean and well maintained is important, the time and effort to do just that can be cut down thanks to ever improving technology.

Since their inception in North America in 1946, semi or fully automatic car wash systems have improved over the decades and are not only incredibly convenient for those of us with very busy work and life duties to tend to but they have also become better at caring for the exterior of your vehicle.

Scientific Research

It has been a number of decades since machine powered car washes became popular but some of the drawbacks and myths associated with the older technology continue to hold sway with some vehicle owners. Contrary to certain beliefs, computer controlled car washing can actually be better for your vehicle. Unlike the old fashioned systems built in the late 1970’s when soft nylon bristle brushes were used to clean vehicles and leave marks on the paint, today’s automatic car washes use a soft foam technology to maintain the paint and finish on your vehicle. Plus, those brushes also don’t hold dirt or water that can also be abrasive to the finish of your car during the cleaning process.

A vehicle is a big investment so a lot of research has gone into this topic over the decades in North America and Europe. The studies have concluded that hand washing causes more damage to a car’s paint job than an automated cleaning because of uneven pressure and the use of sponges and cloths that hold tiny particles of dirt that scratch the paint. There is generally a cleaner surface and a smaller loss of finish and gloss via computer operated washes.

More Environmentally Friendly

Another misconception about professional car wash systems is that they are more damaging to the environment. However, washing your car by hand in the driveway or on the road in front of your home could actually be more damaging for two reasons.

First is water usage. When you turn on the hose to wash and rinse your vehicle, you’re not keeping track of how much water is needed to do that. At a professional car wash, many of them have installed

water reclamation systems that significantly cut back on the amount of water and energy used during the cleaning process of all types of vehicles.

The second issue is contaminants and cleaning solutions going into the water supply. When you wash your car at home consider all the dirt, bird droppings, oil and grease residues and cleaning agents used to remove them that go down the storm drain and into our streams, rivers and lakes. At a pro car wash, devices like interceptor drains are used to catch the contaminants in the water and remove them before they can get into the local water system.

In fact, there are environmental groups that actually encourage car owners to use a professional car wash operator to clean their vehicles because of these eco-friendly processes. And because of demand for car wash services across North America, more technological development is being done in the industry to lessen its environmental footprint.

Easily Accessible to Everyone

With the aging Baby Boomer population, it’s important to have services like automatic car wash system readily available for those of us who just aren’t as nimble as we used to be or even those of us who are dealing with injuries or disabilities. Car washing is a rigorous physical activity that just isn’t possible for everyone to do. Let’s be honest, hardly anyone gets underneath the car to give the underbody a good cleaning so a computerized system is just more convenient for everyone. It gets to all the spots most of us forget about or don’t want to get down and do and it just makes sense.

The Human Touch

Just to make sure your vehicle is looking fantastic, go with a car wash that ends with a dry and wax polish done by hand. Experts can identify any areas that need more work and they’ll get all the spots out!