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Originally Posted by Tomaz
I've run my car through the car wash at least 40 times a year for the last 5 years. They have spinning brushes and soapy pads they drag across the car. My paint and trim still look like new. For the $12 "basic" wash I get a wash, interior including rear vaccumed, windows inside and out cleaned, and detailed wheels and tires, all hand dried. That would take me 3 hours at home. When I have time once a year, I wax, treat the leather, and treat the interior.
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Gotta agree with Tomaz on this issue. Some car washes are better than others. My car wash is technically not "touchless", but the "brushes" are not exactly brushes. They are basically rotating cylinders of soft cloth strips to avoid scratching the vehicles. I go there religiously once a week and ask for the "Platinum" wash for $15. This includes an undercarriage wash, inside vacuum, and wheel/tire detailing. This would be a major pain in the A$$ if I had to do it all myself. If you have nothing but time on your hands, then I guess its fine to hand wash, but for us "working" folks, with kids to boot, a tunnel car wash is just what the doctor ordered.
Also, any small paint damage I've has thus far has all come from road pebbles, sand, gravel, etc. With the 80 miles of driving I do every day, the car wash is the LEAST of my paint worries. But of course, not all car washes are the same in terms of quality, so you should do your research.
The one I go to also gets visited by a large number of Mercs, Vettes, Porsches, Jags, and other high-end models. And I've also developed a good rapport with the guys that work there, so that they're extra careful with my X.