Washing vs. Detailing
The Interior Process
A car detail and car wash are quite different. A car wash cleans the surface, and if you wish to clean the interior of the vehicle, you are often left to do it yourself. A car detail is focused on achieving perfection, with every part of the vehicle being accounted for and protected in the process. Carpets are taken out to be individually vacuumed, screens are cleaned and treated with protective chemicals, and every hard surface is taken care of. Car washes do not provide chemicals or supplies. To keep costs down, they supply vacuums that are often too-powerful to efficiently clean the vehicle and impossible to fit in crevices. Thus, when comparing a detail versus a car wash, a detail is the obvious choice.
The Exterior Process
Paint
Automatic car washes prioritize quantity over quality, which means harsh bristles that permanently damage and scratch your paint. Over repeated washes, the protective layer of paint is weakened, making your vehicle more vulnerable to issues like sun damage and fading. The chemicals used are likely acidic and extra-powerful so the car wash can dilute it easier, but this also tears through the layers of the paint. While an automatic wash may seem like a cost-effective choice, the consequences—costly paint correction, reapplication, new coats, etc.—outweigh the short-term savings.
Water Spots
Automatic car washes do not dry your car properly. A detail would entail using microfiber towels and cloth to make sure residue does not stay and windows are clear, but automatic car washes skip these steps. The biggest issue is water spots, which happens once water that contains minerals like calcium evaporate, leaving marks and stains on your vehicle that can eventually become embedded in the paint. Like the paint damage, this is usually fixed through paint correction. The best fix is to not encounter this issue at all, which is guaranteed through a detail.
Mirror Damage
Automatic car washes are designed to serve most vehicles, but not all. If your vehicle has a unique mirror placement, large brushes often damage, even break them. The mirrors stick out in the trajectory of large, mechanical parts. This means that even if your vehicle doesn't have an unusual mirror placement, simply being out-of-center could mean damage and costly replacement.
Ineffective Cleaning
Automatic car washes recycle their water and usually do not do their part in ensuring that bristles are clean. This means that grime and dirt from the car ahead of you likely end up on your car, and nothing is really cleaned at all. A detail doesn't recycle water—it's massively unprofitable for us and unrealistic. While not all detailers do this, Spa Bros guarantees that every material we use that makes contact with your vehicle is thoroughly cleaned after each wash.
The takeaway is very clear. Even if the prices of automatic washes are lower, it is the aforementioned things that make them more money; they keep you coming back because it wasn't properly cleaned and treated the first time. Detailing doesn't cut corners, because it is the pursuit of perfection.