Washing your car regularly is an important way to keep it looking good for longer. You may be thinking that your best option is to wash your car at home, but there are several reasons why this isn’t a good idea. Here’s a look at why you should avoid washing your car at home.
You’ll Waste a Lot of Water
One of the main problems with washing your vehicle at home is that you’ll end up using a lot more water than a professional car wash requires. First and foremost, you’re not likely to have access to the professional equipment used at a car wash to speed up the washing process. This means you’ll need more time to wash your car if you do it at home.
A related issue is that a standard garden hose uses a lot of water. On average, a hose uses about 10 gallons of water for every minute of use. By contrast, the average carwash requires about 40 gallons of water to wash one car. This means that after just 4 minutes of hosing down your vehicle, you’ll be using more water than a carwash would need to finish the job. If you spend 30 minutes washing your car, you’ll have used 300 gallons of water on average. This would be enough water to wash your car seven times at a typical commercial car wash.
Over time, the cost for the extra water you’d need if you regularly wash your car at home could be considerable. Paying the relatively small amount of money required to use a carwash is likely to prove less expensive in the long run.
You’ll Wash Pollutants Into Nearby Drains
Whether you drive your car on busy city roads, on the highway, or off the beaten track, it picks up a lot of debris, dust, and dirt. Salt, sand, mud, dust, and oil are all substances that can potentially stick to your vehicle’s exterior, including the windows and undercarriage. If you clean your car at home, all of this dirt will end up being collected in the nearest runoff drain.
Runoff drains in residential areas are not designed to cope with these kinds of substances. In fact, their main purpose is to allow rainwater to be drained off the street or sidewalk whenever the weather takes a turn for the worse. If you contaminate the drain near your home with everything you wash off your vehicle, there’s a good chance that it will struggle to cope over time. The drain’s inability to break down the substances you’ve washed off your car can also damage the local environment.
You Could Damage Your Vehicle’s Paintwork
The cleaning products that many people have at home are not suitable for washing cars and may actually cause damage to your vehicle. For example, a typical household soap can dull the color of your car’s paintwork by oxidizing the paint. Since most people washing their car at home will do so outdoors, they also face the problem that the sun can dry the soap that’s on your vehicle. This can lead to a buildup of residue on your vehicle that won’t look good. Washing your car in direct sunlight can also cause spots to be burned in the paint.
Even if you plan on using specialty auto cleaning products, these are still likely to be less effective than they would be at a carwash. For instance, you’ll probably need to scrub your vehicle with a sponge or mitt, which won’t be necessary if you go to a carwash. The added friction caused by your scrubbing can lead to scratches on the paintwork and other damage.
What Are the Benefits of Visiting a Car Wash?
The biggest advantage you gain from going to a carwash is that it will produce a higher-quality result. The equipment available at a commercial carwash can generate a higher level of water pressure than a normal hose at home. This helps in removing tough dirt and grime that you may not be able to get rid of yourself.
Commercial car washes also remove the need for excessive touching and scrubbing of your paintwork. Whether you go to a tunnel car wash or use a different setup, you’ll find that most of the cleaning is done by equipment that sprays water and cleaning products from a distance. If brushes are used, they are generally designed to avoid causing damage. As a result, the likelihood of damaging the exterior of your vehicle is reduced.
Commercial car washes also have systems in place to safely dispose of the water contaminated by the substances that are washed off your car. They have water treatment equipment that can separate things like oil residue, metal sediment, and other substances that can be damaging to the environment.
A further benefit you get by visiting a commercial car wash is that additional services are offered to keep your car looking its best. You can have the paintwork waxed to produce a fresh look. You also may decide to have your vehicle vacuumed.
Visit Our Modern Car Wash in Grand Forks Today
Now that you know why visiting a professional car wash is a better option than washing your vehicle at home, why not drop by one of our two car wash locations in Grand Forks? At Rydell Cars, we use state-of-the-art technology at our two car wash facilities to produce the best results and keep your vehicle safe. Our foam brushes guard against the risk of scratching your paint, and our optional hot wax treatment can leave your vehicle appearing sparkling and new.
Once your car wash appointment is complete, you can take advantage of our complimentary vacuuming service. We also have a detail center to take care of all other cleaning needs.
If you have questions about any of our car wash services, don’t hesitate to contact our helpful team. We’d be delighted to provide you with the answers to your questions so that you can use our services with confidence.
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