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Why You Should Avoid Drive-Thru Car Washes

Simpler is not always better. Especially when you're talking about an expensive piece of personal property like a vehicle.


There are certain things in life that should never be an option for cutting corners. Similar to home maintenance or having routine doctor visits, the cleaning of your car should be a priority and only handled with a high level of care.


We’re all human, we’ve hung pictures over holes in the wall, skipped a dental check-up because we don’t have any concern, and yes, we’ve all been through a drive-thru car wash. But that is really what a drive-thru wash is, covering a hole with a picture frame.


Below, we’ll take you through the many reasons why you can no longer afford to keep using standard car washes and instead need to make the jump to car detailing.


Automated car wash

Don’t Neglect Your Car’s Interior


Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Drive-thru car washes don’t clean the interior of your car. At most, they may have a vacuuming station that is a little rundown.


One of the biggest issues with neglecting the interior because of a drive-thru, other than the fact that you sit in it almost every day, is that the dirt will accumulate. Every time you go through the car wash it will feel like your car cleaning task is done. In reality you got a haphazard spray down and didn’t address the inside. The more you do this, the dirtier your car interior will be getting over time.


Part of what makes auto detailing services so great for the appearance and value of your car is that it treats both the interior and exterior equally when it comes to cleaning.


While the inside may not be the part that gets shiny, it is where you and friends and family have to sit for sometimes hours at a time. It’s not a fun feeling when you are the driver and people have to see a car interior that you aren’t proud of.


As opposed to the possibility of an overused public vacuum, an auto detailing service is like a spa day for your car. They use the finest products and equipment on the market to deliver the best clean possible. From vacuuming every inch of fabric, washing the carpets and upholstery, and cleaning and dressing all surfaces, your car will look and feel new.



A Drive-Thru Can’t Stack Up


When it comes down to it, a drive-thru cannot compete with a car detailing service. The end result is leagues beyond what an automated system can provide.


We’ve all come out of a drive-thru wash just to notice spots that were missed or water spots that were left behind. It can’t win in this competition because it wasn’t designed with a superior clean in mind. Drive-thru washes are built to provide fast cleans that can kind of work for any type of car. Detailing on the other hand is a custom every time because it is all done by hand.


While there is no denying that a drive-thru service is cheap, the results are as well. When a team of professional car detailers work on your car they tailor their application of products and techniques to fit the needs of your exact car.


The exterior treatment, like the interior, is lavish to say the least. The tires and wheel wells are scrubbed to erase hundreds of miles of driving. Every crevice, crack, and doorjamb that the drive-thru misses will be hand cleaned with a detailed eye. The paint will be gently washed with premium cleaners and extremely soft towels. And a waxing treatment will give your car lasting shine and protection.


When considering the costs of services and end results, a detailing service still wins. With a superior clean that lasts longer you will even actively want to keep it cleaner yourself.


auto detailing services being performed

Drive-Thrus Can Do More Harm Than Good


The quick and easy clean that is usually over in a matter of moments can actually leave your car in worse condition than when you went in.


At face value it doesn’t look worse when you get out. It’s shiny after and it wasn’t before. But the damage taking place is granular and builds over time. The automated swiping of dirty rags back and forth can actually cause microabrasions across your top coat.


These microabrasions can be due to a couple different reasons. For one, the dirt is getting rubbed around on your car's surface before it slides off. Two, the material of the spinners is often much harder than should be used on your car. And three, these spinning rags are just picking up dirt from other cars to scratch up yours.


As this continues to wash, your car’s paint will begin to look duller. When these microabrasions occur light diffuses across the surface rather than bouncing off. To fix this dulling effect, you have to get a polishing service performed.


In the end a drive-thru can leave you with damage to repair down the line and detailing services use waxes and UV protectants to protect and preserve the appearance of your car.



Auto Detailing Services Are The Way To Go


Life can be hectic and busy, we understand the desire to get a quick cleaning and be done with it. But there’s a problem with that, the cleaning isn’t actually done when you leave the drive-thru.


Do your car, and yourself, a favor and get detailing services performed on your car. Your car and your guests will be extremely grateful.



Book Auto Detail Services With Cali Car Co Mobile

Hire a car detailing specialist such as Cali Car Co Mobile to get your vehicle looking brand new with a waxing or ceramic coating. We can not only fix minor imperfections, but we can also protect and enhance the paint on your car. Give us a call, and we'll be able to help. Fill out a form or give us a call at (925) 549 - 4555, and we can have your car looking like new!


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