Zimbrick Automotive

Jun 21, 2018
Car going through car wash

When you pull up to most car washes, you’ll notice that you have two options: the soft touch or the touch-free version. Both will wash your car, but there are some distinct differences between the two. You can gather the main difference just be reading the names, but there are some other differences that you should know about.

Let’s take a look.

Soft Touch vs. Touch-free Car Washes

Soft Touch Car Wash Benefits

Soft touch washes use foam created by mild soap and felt-cloth rollers to get all of that pesky dirt off of the outside of your vehicle. Computer-controlled pressure and detergents with particular pH balances combine to help break the bond of the surface contaminants. High-pressure water is then used to blast away all of the loosened dirt and grime.

Touch-free Car Wash Benefits

Touchless car washes use the Hi/Lo method, which consists of a very high pH alkaline soap and a low pH acid. The high pH chemical “cooks” the car and the low pH acid then covers the high pH soap. This process creates a chemical reaction that helps to shake all of the dirt and grime loose without the use of any foam rollers. It’s all cleared from the vehicle with high-pressure water.

The benefit to touch-free washes is that there is nothing actually touching the vehicle. So if you’re concerned about any scratches or any of the rollers damaging your car, you should consider the touch-free option.

Get Great Service in Madison, WI

If you have a problem that a simple car wash won’t fix, we encourage you to schedule an appointment at Zimbrick today. From battery checks to oil changes, we’ve got you covered in the Madison, Wisconsin, area.