An automatic tunnel car wash

A multi-bay self-service car wash, with an automatic "touchless" bay at the far left and manual bays on the right.

A car wash is a facility used to clean the exterior, and the interior, of automobiles. While there are many different types of car washes, most fall into three main groups: Car Wash may refer to: Car wash, a facility for cleaning automobiles Car Wash (film), a 1976 film Car Wash (album), a soundtrack album to the film Car Wash (song), a song by Rose Royce from the soundtrack (later covered by Christina Aguilera featuring Missy Elliot on the sound track... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x435, 145 KB) Typical American multi-bay car wash in Bremen, Indiana. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x435, 145 KB) Typical American multi-bay car wash in Bremen, Indiana. ... “Car” and “Cars” redirect here. ...

• Self-service facilities, that are generally coin-operated
• In-Bay Automatics, which consist of an automatic machine that rolls back and forth over a stationary vehicle while washing it
• "Tunnel washes", which use conveyors to push or pull the vehicle through a series of fixed cleaning mechanisms.

Mechanized car washes, especially those with brushes, were once avoided by some meticulous car owners because of the risk of damaging the finish. This perception of vehicle damage was the motivation behind the rise of the touch-free car wash facility. Touch-free car washing however, proved to be an extremely difficult endeavor. With many types of touch-free machines, extremely harsh and even dangerous chemicals are used in order to get a vehicle clean. Many of these chemicals have the potential to cause more damage than the brush type washes they replaced. Today, buffered chemicals, improved hydro-dynamic cleaning systems and modern foam based materials for friction washes have greatly reduced the chance of vehicle damage in car wash facilities.

In a modern car wash facility, whether conveyorized, in-bay automatic or self-serve, soaps and other chemicals used are based on milder acids and alkalies designed to loosen and eliminate dirt and grime. This is in contrast to earlier times, when hydrofluoric acid, a hazardous chemical, was the most common cleaning agent used in the industry. Today, there is a strong move in the industry to shift to safer products and rely more on friction to clean a vehicles finish. Many car wash facilities are now required by law to treat and reuse their water, while driveway wash water simply ends up in the storm drain and eventually into rivers and lakes. R-phrases , S-phrases , , , , Flash point nonflammable Related Compounds Other anions Hydrochloric acid Hydrobromic acid Hydroiodic acid Related compounds Hydrogen fluoride fluorosilicic acid Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ...

Manual car washes

A simple and automated type of car wash is a coin-operated or token-operated self-service system. The vehicle is parked inside a large bay that is equipped with a house cleaner sprayer and a scrub brush. When customers insert coins or tokens into the controller, they can choose to have soap or water dispensed from the sprayer, or to scrub the vehicle with the brush. The number of coins or tokens inserted determines the amount of time customers have to operate the equipment, however in most instances, a minimum number of coins are necessary to start the equipment. These facilities are often equipped with separate vacuum stations that allow customers to clean the upholstery and rugs inside their cars. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Token coins. ... Customers are waiting in front of a famous fashion shop for its grand opening in Hong Kong. ... A controller is a person or device that exercises or attempts to exercise control or influence. ... Regular canister vacuum cleaner for home use. ... Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. ...

Automatic car wash

Rotating brushes inside a conveyor car-wash.

The first automatic car washes appeared in the mid 1950s. Mechanized car washes consist of tunnel-like bays into which customers drive their cars. Some car washes, following the exterior express trend, allow their customers to pay through a computerized POS, or point of sale unit, also known as an "automatic cashier", which in many cases may take the place of a greeter. The mechanism inputs the wash PLU into a master computer or a tunnel master automatically. When the sale is automated, after paying the car is put into a line-up often called the stack. The stack moves sequentially, so the wash knows what each car purchased. After pulling up to the tunnel, an attendant usually guides the customer onto the track or conveyor. After both tires have passed over the tire sensor, the wash will pop a roller. The tire sensor lets the wash know where the wheels are and how far apart they are. Once on the conveyor or track, the attendant will usually ask the customer to put his or her vehicle into neutral and release all brakes. Failure to do so will inhibit the conveyor. The rollers catch the tires, pushing the car through a photo eye, which measures vehicle length, allowing the computer to tailor the wash to each individual vehicle. The equipment frame, or arch, vary in number. A good car wash makes use of many. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 350 KB) Summary Inside a car wash in Budapest. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 350 KB) Summary Inside a car wash in Budapest. ... The BancNet (BN) Point-Of-Sale System is a local PIN-based electronic funds transfer (EFTPOS) payments solution operated by BancNet on behalf of the member banks and China UnionPay (CUP). ... Price Look-Up numbers, commonly called PLU numbers, are affixed to produce in grocery stores. ... This article is about the machine. ... Point of contact between a power transmission belt and its pulley A conveyor belt or belt conveyor consists of two end pulleys, with a continuous loop of material that rotates about them. ... Tires may refer to: the plural of tire the Italian name for Tiers, Italy, a town in South Tyrol, Italy Category: ... Not to be confused with censure, censer, or censor. ... Look up far in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Some things which can be neutral are: Neutral country, in politics, a country takes no side in a conflict. ... For the type of ferns known as brakes, see brake (fern). ... Baseball In baseball, a catch occurs when a fielder gains secure possession of a batted ball in flight, and maintains possession until he voluntarily or negligently releases the ball. ... This page discusses common devices known as tools, for other meanings see Tool (disambiguation) Modern hammer A tool is, among other things, a device that provides a mechanical or mental advantage in accomplishing a task. ... The term structural system in structural engineering refers to load-resisting sub-system of a structure. ... For other uses, see Arch (disambiguation). ...

A vehicle in the high pressure rinse stage of the wash, just beyond the wraps. Also visible is the conveyor.

The customer will first encounter one or two arches, or often called pre-soak arches. They either apply a low ph with a mild alkali, then a high ph with mild alkali. It can vary in reverse in the industry depending on chemical suppliers and formula used. Some use a kick like running it 'hot' with hot water feeds during dilution into a hydrominder of some form. Others go corrosive some being level eight and above using sodium hydroxide, phosphorus, or hydrofluoric acid which can melt glass. Of course, however, ethically car washes are designed not to harm a vehicle's paint. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3072 × 2304 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3072 × 2304 pixel, file size: 3. ... For other uses, see PH (disambiguation). ... Alkaline redirects here. ... In mathematics and in the sciences, a formula (plural: formulae, formulæ or formulas) is a concise way of expressing information symbolically (as in a mathematical or chemical formula), or a general relationship between quantities. ... hey BOYZZZZZ my name is VIVIAN MITCHELL and im from EDH CALIFORNIA i am so smart and HOTT thats why i have a BOYFRIEND sorry boyz im TAKEN! call me some time my numbaa is 916-337-9333 19-07 Can someone remove this retarded article please? ^^I think I... Note: this page refers to dilution in the sense of trademark law. ... Corrosion is the destructive reaction of a metal with another material, e. ... Flash point Non-flammable. ... General Name, symbol, number phosphorus, P, 15 Chemical series nonmetals Group, period, block 15, 3, p Appearance waxy white/ red/ black/ colorless Standard atomic weight 30. ... R-phrases , S-phrases , , , , Flash point nonflammable Related Compounds Other anions Hydrochloric acid Hydrobromic acid Hydroiodic acid Related compounds Hydrogen fluoride fluorosilicic acid Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ...

The customer next encounters tire and wheel nozzles, which the industry calls CTAs. Rocket Nozzle A nozzle is a mechanical device designed to control the characteristics of a fluid flow as it exits from an enclosed chamber into some medium. ...

These will apply either a degreaser with a high alkalinity solution, or even an acid. The next arch should be entrance wraps usually made of neo-glide material. This gentle cloth, despite popular belief, will not scratch the vehicle unless something is caught in them. This is why most washes will not allow anything in the back of a truck go through their wash. These should rub the front bumper and, if programmed with a good cloth pattern, will make a swipe on each side of the rear of the vehicle cleaning the license plate. Past the first wraps or entrance wraps is a tire brush spinning at a high RPM that will scrub the tires. This is usually located beneath the mitters or top brushes. For other uses, see Acid (disambiguation). ... Look up material in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The term gentleman (from Latin gentilis, belonging to a race or gens, and man, cognate with the French word gentilhomme, the Spanish hombre gentil, and the Italian gentil huomo), in its original and strict signification, denoted a man of good family, the Latin generosus (its invariable translation in English-Latin... Look up scratch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Program or Programme can refer to: a computer program a radio program, a television program a collection of managed projects a 12-step program one of the short films in The Animatrix series. ... rpm or RPM may mean: revolutions per minute RPM Package Manager (originally called Red Hat Package Manager) RPM (movie) RPM (band), a Brazilian rock band RPM (magazine), a former Canadian music industry magazine In firearms, Rounds Per Minute: how many shots an automatic weapon can fire in one minute On...

Typical "tunnel" car wash view from the inside

The mitters cloth can vary greatly between perma color, micro-fiber, or more gentle neo-glide. After the mitters, the car passes through exit wraps which are just like the entrance wraps. This is where the water works begin with high pressure streams of water. The customer either passes over an under carriage wash or gets high pressure nozzles pointed up on a mounted base. Next, if available, is a tire spinner or omni spinner. These are high pressure nozzles angled and mounted on a spindle. When high pressure is forced through, it causes the nozzles to spin rapidly. If timed, programed, and adjusted correctly, the nozzles will follow the front and back rims. Past the omni spinners are the omnis-- high pressure nozzles mounted on the sides and top of an arch. These will move side to side and up and down blasting dirt from the cracks of the vehicle (not yet in the rinsing phase). After passing the omnis, the vehicle may triple foamers, usually red, blue, and yellow. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 535 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 685 pixel, file size: 543 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 535 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 685 pixel, file size: 543 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) (All user names refer to en. ...

There are two types of foam: polish and wax. Polish is cheaper and may be harder to rinse off, sometimes becoming solid matter in its holding tank. Wax is more expensive, but rinses well and covers the vehicle with a lighter and puffier foam. It does offer more protection than the polish, but is not what protects overall. The next arch will be mitters to rub the foam on the vehicle. Some washes have multiple rinse stages, usually offering a protectant. Protectants vary greatly with some making water bead (or gather) and some making water sheet (or spread to a thin layer) before being blown away by a dryer. Near the rinse is where a tire shiner, which is made of foam pads that retract and have a thick oily substance pumped through them like glycol to rub across tires producing a wet or new look. Finally the vehicle encounters a spot free rinse of soft water that has been filtered of chlorine and sent trough semi permeable membranes to produce highly diluted water that will not leave spots. After using spot free water, the vehicle usually does not require hand drying. The wash often finishes with this drying, and a light usually indicates for the customer to leave. candle wax This page is about the substance. ... For other uses, see Solid (disambiguation). ... Ethylene glycol (IUPAC name:ethane-1,2-diol) is a chemical compound widely used as an automotive antifreeze (coolant). ... General Name, symbol, number chlorine, Cl, 17 Chemical series halogens Group, period, block 17, 3, p Appearance yellowish green Standard atomic weight 35. ...

A touchless car wash

Old-style automatic washes used rotating brushes with soft nylon bristles, but these tended to put faint scratches in the vehicle's paint. Some brushes are made of soft cloth, and these will not harm a car's finish. The most current technology is a foam based brush (called a "wrap"), which is resistant to this when properly lubricated with water. In order to avoid scratching issues, "touchless" or "no-touch" car washes were developed. They use high pressure water and strong chemical detergents (higher or lower on the pH scale), particularly hydrofluoric acid to clean the car. [1] Touchless car washes may not fully clean very dirty cars, similar to washing your hands, but never scrubbing them together. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1200x900, 102 KB)Copyright © 2006 Sulfur A touchless car wash, which uses high pressure jets of water and detergent to clean with. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1200x900, 102 KB)Copyright © 2006 Sulfur A touchless car wash, which uses high pressure jets of water and detergent to clean with. ... A detergent is a compound, or a mixture of compounds, intended to assist cleaning. ... For other uses, see PH (disambiguation). ... R-phrases , S-phrases , , , , Flash point nonflammable Related Compounds Other anions Hydrochloric acid Hydrobromic acid Hydroiodic acid Related compounds Hydrogen fluoride fluorosilicic acid Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ...

At "full-service" car washes, the exterior of the car is washed mechanically with conveyorized equipment, but attendants are available to dry the car manually, clean any spots the equipment has missed, and to clean the interior (normally consisting of cleaning the windows, wiping the front and side dashes, and vacuuming the carpet and upholstery).

Some car washes now are “no touch.” This means the car is washed with high water pressure instead of actual machine equipment. This new type of car wash may seem better for your car because no cloth is touching the paint. But, it really does not clean a car as well because some dirt needs cloth to get it off and water pressure will not do that. Also, manually drying you car will get off that dirt that does not seem to want to come off. It gives you the opportunity to give extra attention on places that need it.

For areas where water conservation has been implemented, it may not be possible to wash the car with water, and hence a method of washing the car without water (or dry wash) has become popular. A technique used to wash a vehicle without the use of water (also called a waterless car wash). ...

Bikini car wash

Bikini car washes are a summer tradition in the United States, and increasingly in Canada. There are two main kinds of bikini car washes. This article is about the womens bathing suit. ...

The first one is generally a fund raiser for a school, a sport association or any other youth organization or charity. Typically, some pretty college/high school girls in bikinis attract donors by standing on a roadside with colorful cardboard signs, and the cars are washed by their male and female classmates in a nearby parking lot.

Sign of an unusually-named London carwash firm

The second one is a commercial bikini car wash, where bikini clad girls actually wash the cars for a fee and the entertainment of the drivers. Hooters restaurants usually have bikini car washes in the summer to attract customers. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 474 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (944 × 1194 pixel, file size: 386 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photograph taken in a public location in the UK of a work on permanent public display, and exempt from copyright under Section 62 of the... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 474 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (944 × 1194 pixel, file size: 386 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photograph taken in a public location in the UK of a work on permanent public display, and exempt from copyright under Section 62 of the... This article is about the two restaurant chains collectively using the shared Hooters brand. ...

There are frequent references to bikini car wash in pop culture, for instance in the movie The Bikini Carwash Company or in the Jessica Simpson music video These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Tagline: The Slipperiest, Sexiest Carwash in Town! The Bikini Carwash Company is a movie that was directed by Ed Hansen and released in 1992. ... Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American pop singer and actress who rose to fame in the late 1990s. ... These Boots Are Made for Walkin is a pop song composed by Lee Hazlewood and first recorded by Nancy Sinatra. ...

Environmental factors

The primary environmental considerations for car washing are:

• Use of water and energy resources;
• Contamination of surface waters;
• Contamination of soil and groundwater.

Use of water supplies and energy are self-evident, since car washes are users of such resources. The professional car wash industry has made great strides in reducing its environmental footprint, a trend that will continue to accelerate due to regulation and consumer demand. Many car washes already use water reclamation systems to significantly reduce water usage and a variety of energy usage reduction technologies. Excavation of leaking underground storage tank causing soil contamination Soil contamination is the presence of man-made chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. ... Missing main definition------ someone add if you know it please. ...

Contamination of surface waters arises from the rinseate discharging to storm drains, which in turn most commonly drain to rivers and lakes. Chief pollutants in such wash-water include phosphates; oil and grease; and lead. This is almost exclusively an issue for home/driveway washing. Professional carwashing is a "non-point source" of discharge that has the ability to capture these contaminants and have them undergo treatment before being released into sanitary systems. (Water and contaminants that enter storm water drains does not undergo treatment, and is released directly into rivers, lakes and streams.) For other uses, see River (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Lake (disambiguation). ... A phosphate, in inorganic chemistry, is a salt of phosphoric acid. ...

Soil contamination is sometimes related to such surface runoff, but more importantly is associated with soil contamination from underground fuel tanks or auto servicing operations which commonly are ancillary uses of car wash sites - but not an issue for carwashing itself. Runoff flowing into a stormwater drain Surface runoff is water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources, that flows over the land surface, and is a major component of the water cycle[1][2]. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called overland flow. ...

For these reasons, some state and local environmental groups (the most notable being the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection) have begun campaigns to encourage consumers to use professional car washes as opposed to driveway washing, including moving charity car wash fundraisers from parking lots to professional car washes.

Investing in the Carwash Industry

The car wash industry has become an attractive investment opportunity due to 1) opportunity for strong cash flows and, 2) opportunity for real estate appreciation. The industry has begun attracting private equity investment, is undergoing some consolidation, is seeing growth of regional chain/franchise operations and has drawn the interest of non-traditional players such as big-box retailers. The industry also remains an attractive option for individual investors, as evidenced by the growth of "New Investor Seminars" offered within the industry.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Auto detailing

Auto detailing is the practice of performing an extremely thorough cleaning, polishing and waxing of an automobile, both inside and out, to produce a show-quality level of detail. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Car wash

• Car Washes at howstuffworks
• International Carwash Association

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Car Washing Techniques