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Hand Car Washes: A Soft and Shiny Touch

Find out why human hands might be the best tools to wash your ride with Groupon’s look at hand car washes.

Computers are synonymous with speed: email is days faster than snail mail, keyboards shave off hours of time over typewriters, and automatic car washes churn out clean rides in a manner of minutes. But when it comes to delicate paint jobs and cherished bumper stickers, is faster always better? Automatic brushes can be abrasive over time, and even touchless washes don't always get the job done. Hand washes draw a distinct advantage from a different sort of computer—the human brain. Hand-wash technicians may take longer, but they are able to pay extra attention to a vehicle's problem spots, reducing the need for later touchups. The soft, microfiber cloths used with most hand washes also reduce the chance of leftover water spots from automatic blow dryers and even scratches from towel drying.

Many car owners avoid the risks of wash tunnels altogether by doing the job themselves in the comfort of their own driveway. However, this, too, is not without risk. Men's Health reported on a study from the University of Texas that suggested that "a single DIY wash can leave scratches as deep as a tenth of the paint's total thickness." It's best to leave hand washing to the professionals, who have access to high-grade equipment and frequently follow washes with protective hand waxes and other detailing services.