Bikini Car Wash, Moscow, Russia

Mechanized car washes, especially those with brushes, were once avoided by some meticulous car owners because of the risk of damaging the finish. Paint finishes have improved as have car washing processes, and this perception of vehicle damage is much less today. However, it was the motive behind the rise of facilities utilizing "brushless" (cloth) and "touch-free" (high-pressure water) equipment, as well as "foam" washing wheels made of closed cell foam.
In today's modern car wash facilities, whether tunnel automatic, in-bay automatic or self-serve, soaps and other cleaning solutions used are based on milder acids and alkalies 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 strong move in the industry to shift to safer cleaning solutions. Most car wash facilities are required by law to treat and/or reuse their water and may be required to maintain waste-water discharge permits, in contrast to unregulated facilities or even driveway washing where waste-water can end up in the storm drain and, eventually, in streams, rivers and lakes.