We absolutely recommend proper hand-washes. But if you MUST use an auto car wash, it needs to be touch-less. But use it sparingly, and only when desperate. If you care about the appearance and proper maintenance of your vehicle's paint, never should you bring your vehicle through an automatic wash with brushes. Most people don't know this until we mention it on the phone or ask the questions regarding wash habits. We even see brand new vehicles off the dealer's lot marred with scratches from bad dealer washes and snow-cleaning habits. So part of what we do is educate our customers. Very frequently, we correct damage done from automatic washes. The damage comes from all of the dirt, sand and grime that gets stuck in the brushes from previous vehicles. It is especially terrible in the winter time. Then when those brushes 'wash' (read: destroy) your vehicle, the leftover grime scratches your vehicle's clear-coat. There have been times where we've seen the same scratches from the front, all the way to the back of the vehicle from a single brush creating a scratch across the entire vehicle. Although ceramic coating is strong, it is not going to last as long if it goes through these car-washes and should be avoided at all costs. Paint Protection Film is a bit more durable, but should still be avoided, especially if only the front of your vehicle has PPF, as is the most common.for our clients.

Long Story Short: Automatic washes cause major scratching that harms the integrity of the clear coat, ultimately making your vehicle at risk for further damage (and even body damage) if it gets beyond the clear coat. Automatic washes are no good. Get in the habit of using proper wash techniques at home, or let us do it for you.