Regularly washing your car is about more than just vanity. Road salt, pollen, dust, and other contaminants can be harsh on your car's paint. The longer they remain on painted surfaces, the more potential damage they can do and the more work it takes to get the clean paint underneath. While spending hours on a detailed cleaning every weekend would be ideal, most people just don't have that kind of time. That means that car washes have to take up the slack with regular maintenance cleaning, but it isn't always easy to choose the right one. If you're trying to find the right car wash to make your car look its best, these three tips will help you out.

Hands Only, Please

If possible, choose a car wash that offers a handwashing surface. While automated car washes have come a long way, it can still pay to minimize your car's exposure to anything that can potentially brush across the surface and drag dirt along with it. While permanent damage from this type of abuse is rare, it can leave your paint in need of a good correction later on. Car washes that eschew automated tunnels for pure hand washes offer a much gentler alternative. Most of these washes use teams of five or six to very quickly move from one car to another, so using one doesn't mean that you'll be waiting hours for your car to be ready.

Touchless If You Must

If there aren't any hand car washes nearby, then the next best thing is a touchless automated car wash. These washes use high-pressure water to blast dirt off of your car. This isn't ideal for your paint, so avoid using them more than necessary. It's also worth noting that touchless car washes will generally not remove dirt or other debris that is seriously embedded on the surface. They are relatively good at removing larger, more obvious sections of dirt, however. This can make them good for maintenance washes when your car is already waxed and polished.

Spring for the Wax

Most car washes offer a variety of different service levels. Depending on what you're after, it's often worth it to spring the few extra bucks for whatever the top-level service happens to be. This usually includes (at a minimum) a basic interior cleaning as well as some form of waxing service. Many car washes use a hot wax that lets them quickly get the wax onto your car, but others will perform a full wax with a power buffer. Whatever the case, waxing isn't just about good lucks. Getting that wax onto your car will help to lock in the shine after cleaning while also providing some protection against abrasive road debris.

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