When you’re driving a dirty car around and you finally reach that point where enough is enough, you may be tempted to look up your nearby car washes and just impulsively go to to the nearest one. But, before you pull out your phone and type “car wash near me,” consider the fact that choosing a car wash on the fly might not be the best idea.
Some car washes are better than others, and you’ll want to make sure you go somewhere that will give you quality service, and even more importantly, not compromise the quality of your car with cheap equipment.
Patience is a virtue. Next time you need a car wash, know that it’s worth the time to find a location that will do your car justice. Here are some things you should look for in a paid car wash:
Hand Washing Tools
If you were to ask us, we don’t think that hand-washing is the best way to wash your car. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not useful. And if you want to give your car a true cleaning, it’s often helpful or even necessary to give it a little bit of your own personal touch.
We usually don’t recommend hand washes because, unless you’re a professional, it’s too easy to make mistakes that can actually be counterproductive.
In a DIY job, you might damage your paint job by washing it in direct sunlight, which is particularly true in Odessa, TX where the sun burns bright overhead. Or maybe you’ll use the wrong type of soap, or perhaps the wrong material, which can scratch your car’s finish. Maybe you didn’t use the right ratio to water and cleaner, leaving streak marks where you wiped it down. These are all risks you carry with an at-home job.
But, doing some hand-washing at a professional car wash is a great choice. First off, a good car wash will provide you with components that won’t damage your car. Second, a hand wash at a professional car wash is just preliminary to the automatic washing job.
Hand washing allows you to get down and dirty with some of the more stubborn details that an automatic wash might not be able to get by itself. Once you’ve gotten those with the power of good old scrubbing, you can run your car through the automatic wash which will take care of everything else — much faster and more efficiently than you could have on your own.
Foam Brushes
You have to put trust into the car wash that they’re providing components that won’t be bad for your car. Unfortunately, many car washes betray that trust, and use low-quality cleaners or machines that ultimately hurt your car in the long-term.
One of the biggest offenders (and most easy to recognize and therefore avoid) are cloth brushes and cleaners. It’s been shown that these can actually scratch your car’s coat. It’s hard to believe that a cotton cloth could do such a thing, but if you use one for long enough, the wear and tear will be visible.
It’s now recommended to use foam brushes instead of cloth, which have been proven to not leave your car with any damage. If you go to a car wash and they’re using cotton components to scrub your car, drive the other way!
While we can’t speak for other car washes, if you stop by Crazy Clean Car Wash, you’ll have the assurance that we only use the highest-quality materials to wash your car. If you’re anywhere in Odessa, Texas, there’s a good chance that one of our three car washes is nearby.
Car Vacuum
We always advocate taking a quick moment to stop and vacuum your car when you get the exterior washed. Why? Well, if you’re already taking time out of your day to wash your car, what’s the harm in taking just a few more minutes to put the car vacuum to work? Most people are highly unlikely to go home and do this on their own, so it’s good to just take care of it, and you will not only have a nice shiny exterior, but a clean and organized interior, leading to a driving experience that’s overall more stress-free.
Many car washes, including our Crazy Clean Car Wash locations, offer free vacuum usage. And look, it’s not like you have to go full spring cleaning on your car. Even just doing a quick pass over your car floors will be enough to prevent things from getting gross.
Options
Finally, one of the best things you can encounter at a car wash is options. Sometimes, you only need a light wash that will cover the most basic cleaning. Other times, your car might be drenched with mud and gunk, requiring an extensive cleaning that utilizes premium products and features. Either way, it’s nice to have a car wash location that can accommodate different needs!
The other options that are good to have are monthly passes. Why stress about the cleanliness of your car, when you could just sit and relax while you drive through an automatic car wash, each and every day? With our passes, you can get unlimited car washes, and it pays for itself in three visits!
Next time you’re in need of car wash services, make sure that you don’t just choose the one that’s most near you. At Crazy Clean Car Wash, we offer every single thing on this list to our Odessa clientele. Stop by today!
