The most popular Seattle car wash is the tunnel type, this system uses water, brushes and blowers to wash and dry the car. There are also self-service car washes where the vehicle is stationary and the owners sprays the car with water under high pressure mixed with detergent, there are no brushes and there are brushless car washes where the car is guided through a tunnel where only high pressure water and blowers are used. A less common but eco-friendly system is a steam car wash.
The tunnel type is by far the most popular car wash that is currently available. The vehicles undercarriage is hooked to a chain conveyor which pulls the car through the tunnel. As the car proceeds, it is washed with a series of different brushes, some for the wheels and tires, others for the body panels. The process starts with a spray of clean water; the second stage is the application of a detergent. Brushes descend on the car from the sides and the top, the wheels are cleaned with a tough brush and in many systems the undercarriage is washed with high pressure water jets. As the car reaches the opposite end of the tunnel, high powered fans blow the water off the car. Car wash employees then enter the car and clean the interior while others make sure the car is completely dry.
A brushless Seattle car wash works very similar to the brush type tunnel wash. The car is hooked on a conveyor and pulled through the tunnel, this time however there are no brushes, just very high powered water jets and chemicals. These types of car washes were developed to avoid the scratching and clouding of the paint surface which is inevitable with the abrasive brushes used. The brushes also are prone to damaging the car, ripping off the antenna and windshield wipers. The car is dried with a high pressure blower and people finish the job using towels.
The most eco-friendly Seattle car wash is steam. Tunnel type car washes use a great deal of water, all of which ends up in the sewage system, steam uses less than a gallon and there is zero water run off.
There is a Seattle car wash that uses high pressure steam, the most environmentally sensitive method yet known. The company is Eco Car Cafe, they offer complete detailing services as well as car washing.
