# Touch Free - Spot Free automated car wash



## Yoghurtman (Dec 9, 2008)

Just returned from a trip to Cardiff and stopped in at the Magor Services on the M4 (J23) and saw this;










Automated touch free car wash

I spoke with the owner who said it was the 1st of it's type in the UK and had only been open for 2 weeks. He and an AutoGlym guy were still calibrating it and were offering free car washes.

Although my car didn't actually need it, I wasn't going to pass up a free touchless wash so tried it out and had a good chat with them both for 30 mins or so....

Pressure wash with clean filtered water 1st, wheel cleaner and lower body cleaner applied, underbody pressure wash, then snow foam










Pressure rinsed again, then wax










Rinsing off










Final pass with rinse aid product to help promote water sheeting, then blown dry.










The dryer did not remove all water and left a few water spots, which they were calibrating the dryer to try and improve, but must confess this was the first automated car wash I'd ever consider using....pity it's nearly 200 miles away from where I live!!!

Didn't get any more details unfortunately but costs are £7 - £8 and £9 for the top wash.

P.S I have nothing to do with this outfit so not intending to advertise, just thought it'd be of interest.

Anyone else come across these or are they new in the market? It certainly did a good job on the dirty cars i saw going through...


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## m0bov (May 2, 2007)

They've been around for a while, shell used to use them, it fired a jet of god knows what over the car. Worked in similar way, this was about 10 years ago.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

They maybe new over here, but it was these type of washes that lead me to push on and achieve a touchless wash, looks good though and would consider it myself during the winter but for the price


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

is it wax safe though - just dont see anything strong enough to wash like that as safe to your LSP...? Great idea if it cleans with no swirls though :thumb:


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## apmaman (Jun 8, 2010)

The important question...

Can you sit inside it while it does its business? Always loved that when I was a kid.


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## Yoghurtman (Dec 9, 2008)

apmaman said:


> The important question...
> 
> Can you sit inside it while it does its business? Always loved that when I was a kid.


Ha Ha I know what you mean.
Probably would not be as good as no HUGE brush going all over you ! :lol:


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## Dipesh (Oct 12, 2007)

Thats great. I for sure would use that in the freezing cold of winter.

It would be perfect if it also had something underneath to clean the underside salt off too.


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## Beau Technique (Jun 21, 2010)

iirc they have these sorts of systems in the states.
Cleaning without touching will more than likely reduce the strength of protection but topping up after it will help.
If the car looked well for the money and it wasnt touched then its a clever set up.


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## Culainn (Sep 2, 2009)

I think its a great idea and at £9 pound for a touchless wash is great value. 

I think what we sometimes forget is that some people dont want to spend the hours that we spend looking after their car and this system seems to provide a wash which does not mark or marr the paint. 

Thankfully I am in good health but there are some people who are not and as much as they might like to look after their car, physical impediments exist which prohibit them from doing so. 

I for one think that its an excellant step forward and one which I hope does well for the owners. 

To the op, thanks for posting :thumb:


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## Turkleton (Apr 18, 2010)

Does look rather good, and tbh, in the winter months as said, i would be fairly happy to pay that to have it done!
Hope to see more pop up around the UK!


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Thats a pretty cool idea, can see it catching on, as a lot of people far from worried about swirl marks etc inflicted by the traditional brush washes are more worried about the likes of wing mirrors, ariels etc being damaged, which this eliminates almost completely.


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## OzMoSiS (Jun 19, 2009)

that looks rather good to be honest, although there are many instances where a touch-less wash wouldn't work, but time-saving nonetheless.

Also a great way to implement a water reclamation system.


hmmmmmm.......... I want one!


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## Ross1308 (Sep 3, 2010)

im only in newport a couple of junctions down the m4, will pop up and visit on the weekend get some pics of how my white corsa come out


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## tim (May 2, 2006)

I would use one of these if I was in a rush! Much better than the Poles or your local Swirl-o-matic


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## Rgk Detailing (Dec 6, 2006)

My dad uses an automatic touchless wash weekly in Austin Texas where he lives as he lives in an apartment, we drove through it last summer when I was visiting and I was very impressed!, good to see these systems beginning to appear in the uk.


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## mr cooper (Apr 15, 2010)

Think i'll stick to my own buckets lol.


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

For a mid winter wash when it's freezing cold and you simply don't have the time to wash by hand, that'd be ideal. 

Nothing actually coming into contact with you cars paint, yet it'll still get a majority of winter nastiness off without harming the car.

To be honest, I'd consider it for a mid-week wash that'll make my usual weekly clean a little easier come the weekend.


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

Ross1308 said:


> im only in newport a couple of junctions down the m4, will pop up and visit on the weekend get some pics of how my white corsa come out


While your there, Open the window and get a sample of whats getting put on your car....

We can get one of the clever blokes here to see whats in it.

Most likely truck wash.... lol


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## DetailMyCar (Apr 19, 2010)

I'm sure it was here on DW but i'd read about a similar system, but as the car enters the area, a machine scans it all over and the as it knows the shape, it comes stupidly close to the car (like 1" away) all over so it's still touchless but does a really good job.....

Very similar thing anyway i'm sure??


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

nickg123 said:


> I'm sure it was here on DW but i'd read about a similar system, but as the car enters the area, a machine scans it all over and the as it knows the shape, it comes stupidly close to the car (like 1" away) all over so it's still touchless but does a really good job.....
> 
> Very similar thing anyway i'm sure??


I hope they werent designed by the same people who did volvos safety sensor system!!!!! :car::wall:


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

hey the volvo sensor system is because someone forgot to switch it on...least it crashed well....stop being mean to volvos on the touchless wash front really nice to see but i think ill freeze my b**** off somehow...


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## VenomUK (Oct 13, 2011)

WOW!! Now if I was feeling lazy or its too cold over the winter months I would be using this!!!

Great idea


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## MEH4N (Mar 15, 2012)

thats looks interesting.


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## AstraDave (Jun 29, 2010)

How did you find this after 2 years :lol::lol:


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## verbarthe (Feb 28, 2009)

Anything that does nt involve those swirling brushes is an improvement, i d use this type of car wash in the winter months


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

They've had touchless car washes in the US for ages, no idea why it's taken so long to get them here and why car wash companies like Arc haven't adopted the technology. Provided the chemicals in the Pre-wash are LSP safe I'd use one during the winter months, it would save me getting cold and turning the driveway into a skating rink anyway.


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## evogeof (Oct 30, 2010)

One in Monmouth


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## Laurie.J.M (Jun 23, 2011)

If there's one within a reasonable distance of me I'll go and do a video of me driving through it, partly to see what its like and also to see how my LSP stands up to the chemicals.


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## mattsbmw (Jul 20, 2008)

I know this is an old thread but i would be very interested in locations of these.

Having spent the last 2 weeks driving my car while on holiday in a frankly disgusitngly dirty state i would happily pay for this service.


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## TeddyRuxpin (Mar 7, 2016)

Bumping this ancient thread... but just to say that I'm pretty sure that this touchless car wash is no longer in action.

I visited once at night and it was closed (fair enough), and then today in the daytime I made a trip especially - it had a bunch of old knackered crates blocking the entrance and is clearly closed (permanently by how unused it looks).

Just posting it here as it's the only thread I can find online that seems to discuss this touchless car wash, and hopefully no one who finds this will make the same mistake!

Despite the 'WE ARE OPEN' sign, they are definitely closed. The website is down too (some dodgy virus alert will go off). 

Cheers,

Ed


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## RS3 (Mar 5, 2018)

It certainly is good news having a touch free auto wash but id like to see the Technical Data sheets for the chemicals being used before I try it.
Can't see it being that popular at that price though. Most people don't appreciate a touch free wash method.
Ill still only consider a jet wash (only for the water) along with some ONR in a camping bucket and a pile of plush microfibres when I am away on hols etc.


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## washingitagain (Sep 11, 2018)

Yes, I expect it's the price which made it close.

I'm also rather skeptical as to the chemicals they'd have to use. As the owner of a white car, well protected with BSD, even with a pressure wash at close range and pre-soaked, the surface still needs contact washing to get the 'stuck on' layer of dirt off.


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