Автокөлік жуу қызметтері және технологиялары

Facility used to clean the exterior of motor vehicles

A car wash, or auto wash, is a facility used to clean the exterior, and in some cases the interior, of cars. Car washes can be self service, full service (with attendants who wash the vehicle), or fully automated (possibly connected to a filling station). Car washes may also be events where people pay to have their cars washed by volunteers, often using less specialized equipment, as a fundraiser.

The first U. S. patent for a mechanized car wash was filed in 1900 and soon followed by "auto laundries". Manual car wash operations, which used manpower to push or move the cars through stages, peaked at 32 drive through facilities in the United States. The first semi automatic car wash in the United States debuted in 1946 at a facility in Detroit, which used automatic pulley systems and manual brushing. The company became one of the leading manufacturers of car washing equipment and materials, including brushes, conveyor belts, tire washes, and recirculating water systems. It has experienced steady growth, with an average annual expansion of 5% in recent years; some market analysts project the industry to double in size by 2030, partly attributed to the growth of subscription based services. In bay automatics involve the customer parking and an automatic wash machine rolling back and forth over the stationary vehicle. Housed at filling stations and stand alone wash sites. Conveyor or tunnel washes involve the car moving on a conveyor belt through a series of fixed cleaning mechanisms while the customer waits outside. Friction (brushes or curtains) or frictionless (high pressure nozzles and touches wash) are used. Mobile car washes often also serve as mobile detailing systems, carry plastic water tanks, and use pressure washers. Systems are often mounted on trailers, trucks, or vans. Generally, operators also have a generator to run a shop vac., buffers, and other tools. Car wash lift, where cars are placed on a lift platform that can be used to wash under the car. Touch free (or touchless) car washing technology is the modern car wash system that reduces water consumption, chemical solutions, and time. Washing machinery uses high pressure jets that measure the length and width of the vehicle.

In modern car wash facilities, whether tunnel, in bay automatic, or self serve, detergents and other cleaning solutions are designed to loosen and eliminate dirt and grime. This is in contrast to earlier times, when hydrofluoric acid, a hazardous chemical, was commonly used as a cleaning agent in the industry by some operators. There has been a move in the industry to shift to safer cleaning solutions. Most car wash facilities are legally required to treat and/or reuse their water and may be required to maintain wastewater discharge permits. This is in contrast to unregulated facilities or even driveway washing (at one's home), where wastewater can end up in the storm drain and, eventually, in streams, rivers, and lakes. A chemical car wash, or waterless car wash, uses chemicals to wash and polish car surfaces. This method is claimed to be eco friendly, but is recommended only for cars with light dirt accumulation to avoid paint damage. Mechanized car washes, especially those with brushes, may risk damaging the exterior finish. Paint finishes and car washing processes have improved. More facilities utilize "brushless" (cloth) and "touch free" (high pressure water) equipment, as well as modern "foam" washing wheels made of closed cell foam.

A self serve car wash is a simple and automated type of car wash that is typically coin operated or token operated self service system. Newer self service car washes offer the ability to pay with credit cards or loyalty cards. The vehicle is parked inside a large, covered bay equipped with a trigger gun and wand (a high pressure sprayer) and a foam brush for scrubbing. When a customer inserts coins or tokens into the coin box, they can choose options such as soap, tire cleaner, wax, or clear water rinse, all dispensed from the sprayer, or scrub the vehicle with the foam brush. The number of coins or tokens inserted determines when customers operate the equipment; in most instances, a minimum number of coins is necessary to start the equipment. These facilities are often equipped with separate vacuum stations that allow customers to clean the upholstery and rugs inside their cars. Some self service car washes offer hand held dryers.

Like soft touch car washes, touchless car washes are automated, with the vehicle passing through a tunnel where it is cleaned. However, touchless car washes do not use the foam or cloth applicators that soft touch washes use; instead, they rely on high pressure washers to clean and rinse the vehicle. Sensors utilized by these washes allow for a more precise clean along with the vehicle's exact shape. To compensate for not physically contacting the vehicle, touchless washes use higher pressures and more caustic detergents than ordinary car washes. Because the vehicle is not physically touched during a touchless wash, the vehicle is at a lower risk of being damaged. However, touchless washes have a harder time cleaning off tougher materials or reaching difficult to reach locations on vehicles, and their usage of stronger chemicals can potentially damage a vehicle's paint finish.