Car Wash Throw Down: Tunnel Wash vs. Washing by Hand

If you’re an automotive cleaning purist or a detailer, chances are you’ve washed your car by hand in your driveway before. For most of us? We just need a fast wash we can count on that helps maintain the vehicle’s paint job and our sanity every day. So what’s actually best for your car? Are you doing yourself and your vehicle a disservice if you wash regularly at a commercial car wash?

First, let’s compare the options for washing your car yourself. 

The Driveway Option: 

Time Commitment: 3+ hours

By far the least costly of your wash options, washing your car in the driveway involves simple tools. All you need is a bucket, a garden hose, a car wash sponge or brush and some automotive-specific liquid soap. Waxing is totally optional. Most folks who wash their cars at home in the driveway do so because they want a very specific kind of wash or because they particularly enjoy the process of doing it themselves. The pros for washing your car yourself include having control over the water pressure used and choosing your own wash products. By far the biggest reason NOT to wash your car yourself is the time involved in doing it yourself. Most drivers simply do not have the time in their week to wash their vehicles completely by hand each and every week.

Self-Service Coin Wash Option: 

Time Commitment: 1+ hour

You’ve probably seen the drive-in car wash bays which are typically coin-operated and involve using a water sprayer and a foaming sponge. Usually they are older structures that have been there for years. You insert your coins (don’t forget your roll of quarters) and wash your car in steps, perhaps getting mildly annoyed and sweaty as you hustle around trying to wash as fast as you can before the cycle runs out. The pros for washing at a self-service wash are that you can focus your attention on the areas that you want to focus on. If you’ve got a lot of bugs and bird droppings, you can scrub those as much as needed. Self-service coin washes are usually somewhat cost, but not by much. Cons for the self-service wash are the time and efficiency. If you are doing a thorough job, you will need multiple wash cycle to sufficiently clean your vehicle, and you’ll need to set aside the time to do this every week.

We mention weekly washing and time in your workweek because we believe the most important aspect of element to compare between wash options really is the time it takes to get the job done. Why? The easiest thing you can do to maintain the appearance of your car for as long as possible is to wash it at least once a week. That’s why our monthly wash pass options are truly the most cost-effective way to keep your vehicle looking its best. And that brings us to the fully automated wash option, which we think is the clear winner.

Automatic Tunnel Wash Option:

Time Commitment: 5 minutes

When it comes to cleaning your car and keeping it looking its best year after year, the goal is consistency. Much like finding a form of exercise or healthy eating that you'll stick with, in car cleaning and maintenance, the best option for your particular vehicle is the option you'll use frequently. Washing by hand in the driveway is a great option. Many car collectors love nothing more than taking up a Saturday morning washing their prized classic car by hand. If that's you, more power to you. For most vehicle owners with a daily driver, that's not the best option because it takes much more time than we have between the work commute, school drop off, kids' activities events, maintaining our homes and living our lives.

At Snap Clean, we take pride in offering an efficient and effective fully automated wash system that takes the guess work out of cleaning your vehicle. Using high-performance chemistry, soft-touch cleaning technology and a water recapture system to reduce our overall water usage and environmental impact, we provide a dependable clean that is easy to maintain, especially with our monthly pass program. Our Tire Shine additive tackles the funk on your wheels. Our Luminaura product offers the soft-touch results of a clay bar without the potential for abrasives to leave behind swirl marks in your clear coat. From our most basic wash all the way up to platinum, we help you maintain your car’s pristine appearance year after year with the most important aspect of car care: CONSISTENCY. Stick with us for a reliably clean and happy vehicle month after month, year after year.

Are you getting the most out of your monthly wash pass? Read more to learn how our tunnel takes clean to the next level. Check out the best value we offer.