How To Go Through A Car Wash?

If you want to lengthen your car’s lifespan and preserve its value, you must keep it looking new. This means that you have to treat it right and pay attention to routine maintenance services. Washing your car regularly is an important step in the routine maintenance services.

Having your car hand washed by a professional is a sure way to keep it clean, but when you are in a rush and need a quicker solution, a drive-through, automated car wash will come in handy. Here are a few tips on how you can go through a car wash. Read on.

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Step 1 - Find A Car Wash.

Go Through A Car Wash

When you drive into most gas stations, you will find that they own a car wash either attached or detached from the gas station. If you are a regular at a particular gas station, you may even get discounted prices for the automated car wash.

If you do not find a car wash in the gas station, you can also look at the free-standing ones as they are quite popular in towns. Before deciding which car wash to settle for, you can compare the prices in different stations and pay for one that provides you with the best prices for more services.

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Step 2 - Always Stick To Car Washes That Do Not Use Brushes.

Using abrasive brushes can be tough on your car surface and leave small scratches on the finish. It is, therefore, advisable to go to a car wash that uses cloth rather than brushes. Most old car washes use abrasive brushes that may not be best for modern cars as they have a very thin coat prone to damages.

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Step 3 - Make Payments For The Car Wash.

Go Through A Car Wash

If there is a cash office in the gas station, walk there and pay the cashier for the services you require. You will find a price list for every type of car wash available at the station, and you can make a selection and pay for it. Some of the different kinds of car washes available include undercarriage wash, and spray wash, among others. 
The type of package you choose will determine the services you will get. Some of the packages may consist of wheel alignment, wax coating, and other additional services. If there is an outdoor payment system, drive up and select your package at the system. You will be given a receipt. Check your payment details and your type of package.

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Step 4 - Pull Up To The Carwash Driveway.

Go Through A Car Wash

Drive your car onto the car wash entrance and check for the signs and arrows that will direct you to where you should park your vehicle. Most automated car washes will require you to drive until you properly align your wheels with their track system. Be careful to check every arrow and sign so that your car is aligned correctly and connected to the wash track.

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Step 5 - Put The Vehicle In Neutral, And Remove Your Hands From The Wheel.

Go Through A Car Wash

Once the car is in neutral, a conveyor system will pop small rollers behind your car's wheels. The roller will push your car's wheels forward and cause your car to roll into the wash tunnel. Garages use two types of conveyor systems, namely the front-wheel pull or the rear-wheel push. 
As your car goes through the tunnel, it passes through an infrared beam between the photo eye sensors. If the beam is interrupted by your vehicle's movement, a signal is sent to the digital control system. A portion of the car wash is then automated by the computer.
Before you go through the automated car wash, your foot should always be off the brakes, and you must never apply the emergency brake. It is important that you roll up the windows of your car. If there are toddlers in your car, you may have to automatically lock the windows so that they do not roll the windows down accidentally during the car wash and get the inside of your car damp. 
If your car has automatic wiping options, you should turn off the wipers so that the wipers do not get damages. Turning off the wipers will also prevent windshield streaks.

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Step 6 - The Wash Cycle.

Go Through A Car Wash

Automatic car washes depend on high-powered jets and tough detergents to break down organic and inorganic dirt from your car's surface. Sometimes, the car wash uses friction and heat. They move around a soft cloth against the vehicle's outer surface. As you drive in the car wash, you may notice that your car will be loaded onto a track with wheel shines, which may also be part of your car wash package.

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Step 7 - Working On The Dirt.

Go Through A Car Wash

Your car will first go through a pre-soak. If the pre-soak has a high PH, it will safely break down your vehicle's surface organic material. After going through a pre-soak, some nozzles will spray detergent on the car, and it will then go through wraps and matters. Wraps and matters include the huge straight down cylinders that have very man strips of small cloth attached to them. 
Some car washes have the option of touchless washes whereby your car will only rely on soap and water pressure to clean the car rather than the wraps and matters or the rotating brushes attached to the machine. It is safe to use a touchless car wash for the car's finish since there are no brushes that may scratch and damage the car after coming into contact with it. 
The disadvantage of using a touchless car wash is that the car wash may not do a perfect job to remove dirt, especially if the car is heavily soiled or during extremely hot or cold temperatures.
After your car is thoroughly cleaned, it will be sprayed with high-pressure water to give it a final rinse.

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Step 8 - Exit The Car Wash.

Go Through A Car Wash

Once the car wash is complete, a sign or light will notify you that you can safely leave the garage. If you had turned off your engine, turn it on, and put your gear into drive mode as you slowly exit. Be careful as you exit so that you do not knock down any pedestrian or hit another vehicle.

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Step 9 - Do Not Allow The Car To Be Hand Wiped.

Most automated car washes force the excess water off after a carwash by using a high-pressure jet of heated air. After a car wash, the attendants may ask to hand wipe the car for you to keep it dry. The only time you should agree to this is if they use fresh, clean, and soft towels for the job.
During busy days, check out for dirty rugs that may be used to wipe your car. It is better to drive in a wet car rather than having it dried using dirty rugs. It is wise to decline their offer since they may scratch your vehicle using the rags that have abrasives and dirt. If you drive away in a wet car, it will dry out on your way back home, and it will be in perfect condition, not damaged.

Final Thoughts

There are many car wash steps that you can get, depending on your chosen package, but we have highlighted the basics of how an automatic car wash operates. Before you leave the garage, ensure that your car has not been damaged during the cleaning process. If there are any damages caused by the personnel, consult the management to fix the damage.

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