Car wash damage

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Sun 29 Jun 2025 16:44
Car wash damage - Steveieb

Speaking to someone who sells car wash products to the trade and he tells me that some car wash depots use products that can damage the paintwork. In particular the wheel cleaners .

The claim was that brick acid is commonly used .

How true is this as I have seen the results on a car which look pretty conclusive and include lacquer removal and paint discolouration ?

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Sun 29 Jun 2025 16:57
Car wash damage - Chris M

I think if you turn up at your local car wash place and tell them their products have damaged your car, they are likely to say "Udowodnij to kolego".

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Sun 29 Jun 2025 19:21
Car wash damage - badbusdriver

I guess it is possible that a few car wash places may use dodgy products, but I think it highly unlikely that any more than that would.

If customers are happy with the job that has been done, they will come back regular and they will tell their friends, family etc. Also likely that they will recommend them on social media. None of that is likely to happen if the car wash place damages the lacquer on the wheels or paintwork, so it is just not in the interests of the car wash place to use such products.

I do remember a salesman damaging the wheels of a potential customers Porsche 928 because he sprayed (Autoglym) wheel cleaner on hot rims and left it there sat on the wash bay for 10 mins or so!. That was many years ago, and while wheel cleaner may be different now (given what it is supposed to do), I have no doubt there is still potential for damaged if used incorrectly/innapropriately.

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Sun 29 Jun 2025 19:55
Car wash damage - gordonbennet

Was looking at a 12 plate Clio parked next to us, the diamond cut and laquered alloy facings didn't have even a square inch of uncorroded alloy showing, i did wonder if this was the result of aggressive chemicals or was the original coating of less use than a chocolate fireguard.

Its all so easily avoided, don't use dodgy roadside car washes and enjoy some gentle exercise, the lumps i see leaning on the wall whilst the lads do the business at one carwash i pass could do with losing a lb or 50 before that wall collapses.

Has the motoring public become so bone idle that as well as incapable of lifting the bonnet to check the vehicle saving fluid levels they're now beyond even washing the thing.

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Sun 29 Jun 2025 19:56
Car wash damage - FoxyJukebox
Home car wash best-if no hose-couple of buckets -one with nice squirt of liquid soap-nice big watering can to rinse..Leather off..no probs….good fresh air and exercise..
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Sun 29 Jun 2025 20:15
Car wash damage - Terry W

Car wash places want folk to come back again and again.

Some will be franchise operations where they will be obliged to use whatever branded products are specified.

Professional high end valeting may use very specialist products which require particular application processes. Otherwise I suspect most cr wash outfits will usually resort to the cheapest to maximise profit.

They are most unlikely to maliciously use that which they know will cause damage.

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Sun 29 Jun 2025 23:44
Car wash damage - Big John

some car wash depots use products that can damage the paintwork. In particular the wheel cleaners .

I won't use the hand car wash places now as I experienced problems twice - each occasion was at a different place. Basically whatever they were squirting on my alloy wheels damaged the surface of the plastic wheel nut covers. On my new car I won't use automated car wash machines either to avoid paint swirling. So it's do it myself either at home or at the a local jet wash bay.

My only regret re the new car - it's white!!

Edited by Big John on 29/06/2025 at 23:46

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Mon 30 Jun 2025 07:56
Car wash damage - paul 1963

some car wash depots use products that can damage the paintwork. In particular the wheel cleaners .

I won't use the hand car wash places now as I experienced problems twice - each occasion was at a different place. Basically whatever they were squirting on my alloy wheels damaged the surface of the plastic wheel nut covers. On my new car I won't use automated car wash machines either to avoid paint swirling. So it's do it myself either at home or at the a local jet wash bay.

My only regret re the new car - it's white!!

The first thing these car wash places do is to cover the car with tfr ( traffic film remover ) which is acid based, its great stuff but must be used at the correct dilution and shouldn't be applied to hot wheels or paint and allowed to dry, there normal practice is have someone with a pump sprayer go down the queue spraying tfr all over them and obviously this where the damage can happen.

Hand car washs commonly known as scratch and shines are a big no no imho, never used one, never will...

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Mon 30 Jun 2025 20:01
Car wash damage - Warning

I take my car to a hand wash, but whatever they spray from those pressurised containers onto the wheels is also liberally sprayed onto the lower part of the body and the bonnet. Most of the car cleaning products come from large, industrial-looking containers, which makes me unsure about what’s being used.

Automated machines aren’t any better. I’ve had circular marks from the brushes left on the paintwork on previous car. One time, there was even damage to the windscreen, and the large chain operating the automated wash refused to take responsibility or offer any assistance. No one takes a photo before they go to a car wash!

A couple of supermarkets have self-service jet sprays (they are a rare find), but the water quality is poor. They seem to recycle the water on-site, which leaves water marks on the car.

Home washing is the only solution. Standards really need to improve at hand car washes....

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