Automatic jetwash - how harmful are the chemicals

how harmful are the chemicals in those brushless car washes? any idea what they use to wash the cars and if it has any effect in long run on the car paint?

 

Long run on car paint is nothing probably as it is a strong car wash soap pretty much, tfr soap, which can compromise/remove LSP layers and some detailers do use a strong tfr soap to strip a car.

As long as it is brush less you are not going to hurt the paint, there always is possibility of very very fine particles to not get filtered out of the water and mar paint..but with the filter systems on them now you should not be getting any "sandblasting" more so then using a power washer w/ no filters.

 

They are completely fine, absolute myth that they will 'harm' your paint!

Great option in the winter months if your not brave enough to do the washing yourself

 

I agree 100%. We have been running our Toyota Sienna through the touchless near us for 4 years (I have better things to do with one day off a week ) and the paint is still mint. If I wax half the hood you will see a difference but nowhere what you would expect.

 

Proper cleaning requires; a cleaning agent (soap, detergent or a chemical cleaner) and surface friction.

Without friction a very strong cleaning agent is required. Heated water breaks down water-soluble soiling faster as it reduces overall chemical usage because it reduces the surface tension of the fibre. Heat acts as a catalyst promoting quicker reactions between chemicals and the soil thereby minimizing dwell time.

Most so called ‘Touch less’ car washes today use a low pH acid as a first step, an alkaline to neutralize it and then high pressure water to wash cars.

I have nothing to gain one way or another whether one uses a professional automatic car wash or not. All I am interested in conveying is the truth and for the most part, professional automatic carwashes are owned and operated by responsible professionals

There are some good automatic car washes and some bad as there are some good detailers and some bad. It is up to the consumer to separate the good from the bad. And it is up to the business owner to convince customers they are one of the responsible ones. So for the car washes, a pressure washes at a gas station, or with a wand, or one where they do everything for you, I recommend looking at them as a temporary winter wash or an infrequent solution.