Body:
Automatic car washes have brought convenience to modern lives. This raises the question of what's actually better; automatic car washes, or washing a car by hand? While both have their advantages and disadvantages, sometimes it may simply come down to personal preference. Like shopping for car insurance , do a thorough comparison before deciding what's best for your vehicle.
Control Over The Results
A simple hose, and a bucket of water with car washing liquid still does a pretty commendable job in washing a car. One can enjoy being outdoors and be satisfied with a job well done. With a commercial operation, you are putting faith in others that your beloved car will be looked after. At home however, you have full control in washing your special car extra carefully.
High-Pressure Hoses
One benefit of visiting a professional car wash is the high pressure jet type hoses that many of them use. The sheer power of propulsion is enough to remove caked on dirt, and attend to hard to access areas like the joints and crevices between different parts of a vehicle. A hose at home may do a reasonable job of removing most dirt, but the force of the water may not be sufficient to remove the most stubborn dirt. If one's car has just spent some serious time in muddy off road locations, a high pressure hose can be quite useful at attacking dirt on the undercarriage of a car. These areas are quite difficult to get at otherwise.
The Time Factor
Using a professional car wash is certainly convenient. With the "drive-thru" types, one doesn't even have to leave the vehicle. One can even visit on the drive home from work, stopping in when the traffic's bad anyway. If others have the same idea during peak times though, queuing behind others for a car wash may end up being more time consuming than a home job. One can at least relax and enjoy some music while you wait though.
Water Restrictions
In some states, one may not be able to use a hose at home, or this may be limited to certain days and periods during the week. Having to resort to just a bucket or water, without the assistance of a hose can turn into quite a laborious task. Car wash outlets on the other hand, do not have the same restrictions and can be visited anytime. While one can visit a professional car wash, one is then using much more water than had you used a bucket at home. The convenience of professional car washes does then have an environmental cost.
Results
Some car owners claim that automatic car washes can leave scratching on paint work. Others say that washing a car at home doesn't get rid of all the grit, which can get stuck in the pores of a sponge. As the sponge is applied to the car, swirls can be left on the paintwork. High pressure hoses should certainly not be used close up on damaged paintwork, for fear of stripping this away. For hand washing, care should be taken to remove as much hardened dirt as possible before scrubbing. A bit of caution should see either type of car wash give satisfactory results.
Debate will continue as to whether manual car washing, or that done by machines provides the best result for cars. If you are happy with your current car washing arrangement, stick to it. If you feel like a change is needed, speak to fellow motorists about what car washing products, or car washing outlets provide the best results. Fortunately, consumers have a range of choices, just as with car insurance quotes.
