The laser car wash is gaining a lot of popularity among vehicle owners today, for a variety of reasons: speed, convenience, and water usage. But how does it fare vis-a-vis hand washing at home, which is still used by a lot of people?
7 Differences between Laser Car Wash and Hand Washing
1. Amount of Water Used
According to a report by the International car Wash Association, a laser car wash uses 43.3 gallons of water per vehicle while washing your car at home consumes an average of 80 gallons. That’s a difference of 36.7 gallons – enough to take a shower, brush your teeth and wash your dishes!
2. Efficiency
A laser car wash uses jets of water to clean a vehicle – no cloths or brushes involved. The problem is, jets of water cannot reach problem areas – grilles, the area above the wheels, and so on. Unremoved dirt and grime from these areas can slowly eat away at the paint, exposing it to substances that cause rusting.
3. Speed
A laser car wash can clean an average-sized car in 5-10 minutes, while hand washing can take 30 minutes to an hour. That’s enough time to cook a dish, meet a friend, or play with the kids.
4. Convenience
When you use a laser car wash, all you have to do is drive it inside the wash tunnel and let the machines do their wonders for your car. So, you just sit back and relax. In contrast, you have to do all the work when you hand wash your car. Not to mention that you’ll get dirtier too.
5. Effect on vehicle paint
Although a laser car wash does not harm your vehicle’s paint with cloths and brushes contaminated with grime and dirt from other vehicles, the impact of strong jets of water sprayed on your vehicle can. On the other hand, if you do hand washing correctly, and use the right products, tools and equipment, swirls and scratches can be minimized, if not completely prevented.
6. Cost
To do hand washing right, you need specific auto detailing products, tools and equipment. So it will require some investment on your part that can cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars, depending on type and brand. In a laser car wash, you spend less than $20 a pop.
7. Effect on environment
As mandated by the government, laser car washes, along with other auto washes, need efficient wastewater recycling systems to operate. However, residues of the harsh chemicals they use for washing vehicles can still pose a threat to the environment. When you hand wash your vehicle at home, you have the option to choose eco-friendly auto detailing products.
If, for some reason, you are not satisfied with either at home, schedule an appointment with DetailXPerts. Your vehicle will be professionally detailed – by hand, with steam, to preserve water and help the environment while taking top quality care of your car, too.
