Is it bad for your vehicle to use machine car washes? I have one near my work, so it would be handy. I have heard they scratch your car, but so often these sorts of stories turn out to be myths. I am not one of those people who love to spend a couple of hours on Saturday cleaning and buffing up my car. So please tell me car washes are fine!
Good on you for not believing everything you hear, but the evidence against machine car washes appears to be overwhelming. While the New Zealand Automobile Association doesn’t openly criticise machines, it does recommend hand washing.
Many respected motor vehicle websites urge motorists not to take their cars near the most common kinds – those with the huge round brushes. They claim that constant use damages the clear factory gloss that protects your car’s paint. Other auto experts say the detergents used are far too strong. There is also a school of opinion that says the water is fired so fiercely, it ends up in places it shouldn’t. Certainly, if you must go to any at all, there’s a preference for touchless types that don’t use brushes. You will be pleased to hear that several experts recommend you don’t wash your car too often. It depends on what you put your car through, but apparently once every couple of months is fine.
