Hand washing vs automatic car washes… what do you prefer?

2022 SAS Badlands owner here… curious what everyone thinks about hand washing vs automatic washes. I’ve always preferred hand washing but wanted to hear your thoughts.

Automatic washes are really rough on the paint. Maybe once in a while if you’re in a rush or don’t plan on keeping the car long, but those rubber and plastic brushes basically just scratch up your clear coat.

@Derry
The touchless ones are okay though.

Hand washing is obviously better, but when it’s freezing outside, like 14 degrees today, I go for a touchless wash to get the salt off. I’m not hand washing my car until spring.

I bring my own bucket and soap to the self-service wash. I use their high-pressure hose to rinse but wash by hand. Gotta protect that thin Ford paint as long as I can haha.

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I always hand wash my cars using Meguiar’s and apply ceramic spray every six months. With the Velocity Blue color, it really stands out.

I’ve been using a tunnel wash weekly since January 2023. No issues so far. The dealer applied a ceramic finish, so the water just beads off.

When there’s a lot of snow and salt, I go for a touchless wash. I heard they use stronger soap to get rid of grime since nothing physically touches the paint.

Shai said:
When there’s a lot of snow and salt, I go for a touchless wash. I heard they use stronger soap to get rid of grime since nothing physically touches the paint.

Touchless wash soaps are usually basic, not acidic, with a pH between 8 and 10. Even a more acidic soap would be closer to neutral at pH 6-8, so it wouldn’t hurt the paint. Actual acidic cleaners aren’t really soaps.

@Zuri
I read somewhere that the soap they use is really strong and might damage ceramic coatings. I’ve got a ceramic coat, and it came with special soap.

Shai said:
@Zuri
I read somewhere that the soap they use is really strong and might damage ceramic coatings. I’ve got a ceramic coat, and it came with special soap.

That makes sense, but it’s more about being caustic (basic) rather than acidic. No worries though—my parents were chemists, and I work in a lab, so I can get a little picky with terms lol.

@Zuri
No problem! I work at an auto body paint shop, so I should probably know more about this stuff, but I’m still learning.