Last Updated on May 18, 2023 by Chase Manhattan
One of the safest wash packages is the laser car wash. You must have heard about it since you are here. What’s with all the hype about these automatic car wash places? That’s what I will be explaining today: What is a laser car wash?
Laser car washes are an automated car wash system. Also known as a touchless car wash. It uses powerful nozzles to get rid of grime and dirt. The paint is untouched during the whole cleaning process. So your plastic bumpers, and other painted surfaces will be safe from scratches.
You must be thinking about going to one of these places, stick around to find about the advantages and disadvantages.
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How Do Laser Car Washes Work
To understand what a laser car wash package is, you need to know how it works. I’m no expert, I won’t get into technicalities, I think you don’t want that too. I will just explain the process.
The cleaning starts like any other washing method, a pre-soak stage. This helps with getting rid of road grime and dry dirt. It loosens up dirt. Without this stage, getting rid of the dirt will be harder, increasing the chances of damaging the paint job. At this time, the car wash will also pressure wash the undercarriage.
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Then, the nozzles spray the detergent. This detergent is not ordinary, a special temperature controlled detergent that won’t damage anything. It sits for 5 minutes at max. The temperature controlled detergent increases the chance that your clear coat protectant will remain intact. During this time, the dirt is dissolved, ready to be washed away. The wheels are also cleaned with a soft brush.
Next comes rinsing. This is done at high pressure. The nozzles allow for high-pressure rinsing without damaging the paint job. In the end, the car goes through the drying process. This is also done super fast with a high-pressure integrated dryer.
Someone that owns a laser car wash will explain this using more technicality, so if you want to know more, make sure to ask when visiting these places. This is basically it though, the whole cleaning process lasts for 10-15 minutes. You can also ask and pay for car wax or a triple foam conditioner.
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Laser Car Wash Benefits
- Touchless Car Wash – No Risk of Damage.
By far, the safest car washing method. The vehicle’s paint job stays untouched, no harsh chemicals are used. No swirls and scratches like the ones associated with the traditional car wash places. More so, no employee touches the car, no need to worry about unskilled workers. It is all done using high pressure cleaning technology, that will steam clean the car using premium cleaning agents, for a spot free rinse, that is safer for a clear coat protectant like car wax, when compared to other car washes. - Fast Cleaning.
As I said, the whole process is done in 10 minutes, 15 max, depending on if you add a car wax or a foam conditioner. A quality car wash that does not waste your time. - Not expensive.
Even though machines are washing your car, it does not cost that much. It all depends on which place you visit, but the price is usually somewhere around 20$. - Eco-Friendly.
We all know how the conventional car wash wastes a lot of water. With a laser car wash, that is not the case. The water is recycled in the wash bay and then reused.
Laser Car Wash Disadvantages
- Not that effective.
When it comes to an effective car wash, this may not rate that high. The thing is, this is an automated process, so some hard-to-reach parts are not cleaned. A person can manually reach those nooks and crannies, a machine can’t. So, don’t be surprised if some details are not cleaned at all. - No interior cleaning.
The conventional car wash offers several levels of wash. If you ask for the interior to be cleaned, the worker will clean it. A laser car wash cleans only the exterior. - Bad for cars with damaged paint.
The whole process is effective as long as the paint job is healthy and well-maintained. If there are some rust spots or scratches, the lasers will only make things worse.
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Related Questions And Other FAQs
How Much Do Laser Car Washes Cost
The basic laser car wash costs around 20$. The price ranges from place to place though. Adding car wax and a foam conditioner increases the cost. It all depends on what chemicals you will use.
Are Laser Car Washes Bad For Your Car?
There are no abrasive elements, so no, there is no danger to the paint job. The high-pressure won’t do anything bad because the car is first soaked. So, the dirt that may scratch your car when sprayed, with high pressure, is gone before the rinsing. It is likely that a laser wash is the best car wash for longevity of your vehicle’s paint.
Are Hand Car Washes Better
It depends on how you are looking at it. A hand car wash is better for getting that thorough cleaning. With hand washing, you can reach all those nooks and crannies. But there is always the danger of damaging the paint job. A laser car wash is not that effective but is the safest.
What Is Lava Shield Car Wash
Lava Shield car wash is a 4-step paint sealant process that provides an unreal customer experience and visibly enhances the car’s surface.
The wash will normally start with bumper prepping, brushing of rims by hand, and dry wash in addition to adding the 4 step Paint Sealant Process consisting of Lava Bath Pre-Soak, Lava Shine Paint Treatment, Waterfall Rinse & Cure, and the final step of Lava Seal to protect the paint.
The Low and High pH rinse helps to remove inorganic soils (salt and sand) and organic soils (bird droppings, bugs, greases etc).
