The fact is, your car needs to be washed regularly. This is not only about a well-maintained appearance, but also about preserving the value of your car. But which washing method is the best? Whether in the car wash or by hand, opinions differ. We show you the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Our expert opinion in advance: If you want to wash your car as gently and thoroughly as possible, you should opt for hand washing.

Car wash in the car wash

Washing your car in a car wash primarily saves you time and effort. It's a simple and convenient way to get your car clean. But for the paint, this usually doesn't mean good things! Coarse dirt from the car in front often gets stuck in the rotating cloths and brushes of car wash systems. This inevitably causes unsightly scratches and swirls (round fine scratches) in your paint. These blemishes are not always immediately visible, and many car owners don't even notice them – especially if you have the car treated with hot wax after washing. The wax fills the scratches and visually conceals them. At first glance, the paint looks clean and smooth, but on closer inspection, you can see the abrasion marks on the paint.

If you still opt for a machine car wash, you should consider the following:

• Before driving into the car wash, carry out a pre-wash with a high-pressure cleaner to remove the coarsest dirt beforehand. This prevents scratches from dirt particles. With machine car washing, you will hardly be able to remove stubborn and long-stuck dirt.
• Areas that the car wash brushes cannot reach should then be cleaned by hand.
• Wipe your car dry immediately afterwards with a microfiber drying towel to avoid unsightly water spots on the paint and windows.

Car wash by hand

The gentle alternative to the car wash is hand washing. Especially for older cars whose paint is no longer as resistant and is already damaged, you should grab a wash mitt and bucket yourself. If you want to wash exactly according to your own ideas and adapt the care individually to your car, hand washing is the right choice for you.

Although you have to plan more time for this, you will save your wallet and the bodywork in the long run. If you enjoy spending time with your car and attach great importance to the appearance and quality of the washing result, you will probably opt for manual washing.

If you use a self-service car wash, you should definitely use a protective cover for the wash brushes offered there. Because here too: the dirty brushes leave scratches on your paint. The high-pressure cleaner also poses dangers to the paint. If you hold the spray jet too close to your car, you can damage the paint. Keep a distance of approx. 50 cm between the water jet and the paint.

It is also important to wash your wash mitts, microfiber towels and other washing utensils thoroughly after each wash to avoid damage from stuck dirt particles during the next wash.