Automated Car Wash
Automatic car washes are drive-thru, garage-like structures that are often attached to gas stations. After pulling up to the bay and selecting a wash type from the computer unit, drivers are asked to place their car in neutral. Most automatic car washes use a conveyor belt to move the car through a series of mechanisms.
Automatic car washes fall into two categories: touchless and cloth friction. Cloth friction car washes use mitter curtains or brushes covered with a cloth or foam material to scrub and clean the vehicle. Mitter curtains are long strips of cloth that hang over the car and move up and down the vehicle. They clean the hood, roof, and trunk.
Within car wash systems are undercarriage washers that spray the underside of the vehicle and sprayers. Most automatic car washes use a system of sprayers arranged in an arch above the vehicle. These sprayers are employed for pre-washing and rinsing. Vehicle owners may also choose to apply a wax coat. At the end of automatic car washes, high-power dryers apply heated air to blow the car dry.
Automatic car washes are generally chosen over manual washes for their value and speed. In the past, there was hesitance toward cloth friction washes, due to fear that they would damage the paint job. However, cloth friction washes are now considered safer and more efficient than washing one's own car, because they use soaps that do not damage the wax coat and can more fully clean tricky areas, such as the undercarriage. Car washes increase the life of a car, especially in areas where salt is used on snowy or icy roads.