What is a touchless wash
Written by: Vinnie van Rooij
A touchless wash is type of cleaning method that cleans via chemical cleaning, and doesn’t require any mechanical action. This method is popular for those we are afraid that contact with the surface might cause abrasive marks. Whether touchless washing gives the same results is still a popular topic for debate.
Why touchless washing
Mechanical cleaning refers to the act of using a cleaning liquid in combination with a mechanical action that loosens up the dirt, and forces the cleaning liquid to interact with the contamination. An example of this would be to use a car shampoo with a washmitt. The act of rubbing the surface with the washmitt is considered to be a mechanical action. The car shampoo is the cleaning liquid that is designed to remove the contamination from the surface. Although current developments decrease the risk of any impact on the surface occurs, it does not remove it completely. There is still a slight risk of affecting the surface due to the mechanical action and the abrasive nature of rubbing a certain object over the surface. Touchless washing does a similar job, but without the mechanical action. Using snowfoam can be considered similar to a touchless wash. The product is applied to the surface, where it interacts with the contaminants on the surface. After a certain amount of time, the solution is rinsed from the surface, rinsing away the contamination that has been loosened or trapped in the cleaning solution. There is no mechanical action required and there should be no abrasive action on the surface. In theory, this should eliminate the risk for any potentional surface marks being made during the touchless wash. Several detailers are not yet convinced that touchless washing removes the same level of contamination as the more popular mechanical washing does.
Another example of touchless washing could be the use of steam to “blow” of the dirt from the surface without touching it.
What is touchless wash
Touchless washing can also be referred to as chemical washing, as (in most cases) the cleaning is done on a chemical level. The cleaning solution that is applied to the surface interacts with the dirt, making it possible to rinse off the cleaning solution, and the contamination with just water. Some of these products are already on the market and have been used for some time. Snowfoam, fallout removers and traffic film removes are an example of a cleaning solution that is applied to the surface and rinsed off without any mechanical action. There are also certain spray-on sealants that can be applied by spraying the sealant over the surface, and washing it off immediately with a pressure washer. Whether or not these product perform as well as those that require mechanical action is not clear. There have been reports and reviews stating both the succes and the failure of these products. The touchless wash can be very popular with those that feel that any mechanical action that cause washing marks or worse. Some detailers also use this technique as part of their marketing, convincing the owners of very expensive cars that their technique is the safest method.
Carwashes also mention the touchless wash, because one of the problems with carwashes are the dirty brushes that are used to clean the surface. Another issue is the type of cleaning chemicals used, which is not solved with claiming to be able to do a touchless wash. Unfortunately, the type of cleaning chemicals is the second biggest issue with carwashes.
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