Touchless car washes that spray liquid after liquid to “presoak”, “power wash”, “sealant”, “protective coating” and other things, how does this work? Does spraying X liquid after Y liquid after Z liquid really clean and do anything to protect a car’s paint?

Question

Edit: as in no need to really dry/wipe off the prior application? Or is it really just a soap and wash that gets most of dirt off?

In: 660

Answer 1

I run a car wash with two touchless machines. There are two presoaks. The first is an acid, often Hydrofluoric acid. It is sprayed on and then there is a short time to sit on the car and do its cleaning action. After that, a base (caustic) is applied. There is a reaction of the acid and base (think vinegar and banking soda). This creates a kind of foaming agitation as the base neutralises the acid into a neutral ph. After that sits for a few seconds more. At this point, the chemicals have dissolved and loosened the dirt and then it the car is rinsed under very high pressure. The high pressure rinse is the closest to physical cleaning without actually touching the car.

After that, the optional chemical passes apply kinds of wax, clearcoat protectant, water repellant (like rainx) and a drying agent.