Who knew keeping a car clean could be so complicated? If you've spent any time shopping around for auto detailers, then you know that there is a surprisingly large amount of jargon and terminology that is tossed around. Even before you begin to compare individual packages from a detailer, you will likely be assaulted with a variety of different buzzwords extolling the virtues of each detailer's services. Among these, some of the most important terms you will come across relate to how much contact machines will have with your car during the washing process. This article will help to provide some insight into the most common terms used by washes and auto detailing services.

Touchless Automated Washes

This type of wash can be found everywhere from gas stations to higher-end detailing shops. A touchless automated wash does more or less what it says. Unlike a traditional automated car wash, a touchless wash uses high-pressure jets to remove dirt and debris from your car. The advantage of this type of wash is that your car's paint will not come into contact with brushes. Why does this matter? Even the extremely soft brushes found in many car washes can potentially damage the paint on your car. This damage isn't the result of the brushes themselves being too harsh, but dirt and debris trapped in the brushes dragging across the surface of your paint.

Unfortunately, touchless car washes are rarely sufficient to clean your car thoroughly. This type of wash works well for maintaining the shine on a recently waxed vehicle, but they are unlikely to remove dirt that has been sitting on the paint for some time.

Hand Car Washes

Hand washes are a step up from the standard automated wash and are a feature more likely to be found at higher-end detailer. If a detailer is hand washing your car, it simply means that they are using the same process that you would use in your driveway. Professional hand washes will use commercial-grade washing mitts, drying towels, and other equipment along with two bucket systems that minimize the likelihood of damaging your paint. Although they can sometimes be more expensive, washes of this type are easier on your paint and more likely to produce strikingly good results. Note that many hand washes still use automated drying systems to more quickly dry your car and prevent the formation of water spots.

Details on Detailing Services 

Just because hand washes are a common service offered by higher-end detailers does not mean that machines will never (or should never) touch your paint. In fact, high-end paint correction almost always involves the use of buffers to apply rubbing compounds and polishes. Likewise, many detailers prefer to use these machines for the application of wax. In the hands of a professional, this equipment is entirely safe for your car's paint and can leave your car looking better than it did the day it rolled off of the factory floor.