While there are many types of car washes, most fall into the following categories:
Hand car wash facilities, where the vehicle is washed by employees.
Self-service facilities, which are generally coin-operated, where the customer does the washing, including "jet washing".
In-bay automatics, which consist of an automatic machine that rolls back and forth over a stationary vehicle - often seen at filling stations and stand-alone wash sites.
Tunnel washes, which use a conveyor to move the vehicle through a series of fixed cleaning mechanisms.
Chemical car wash, also known as waterless car wash, uses chemicals to wash and polish car surface. Thought to have originated in Australia and claims to be an eco-friendly car wash method.
Steam car washes use a jet of steam and micro fiber towels, some include detergent injection. Known to have originated from South Korea, steam car washes have been especially popular as a low-investment, eco-friendly car wash solution in Asia, Middle East and Europe thanks to its sanitizing features and mobility.
Mobile Car Washes, often also serving as mobile detailing systems, which carry plastic water tanks and use pressure washers. Sometimes these systems are mounted on trailers, on trucks, or in vans. Generally these operators also have a generator to run a shop vac., buffers and other tools as well.
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, this perception was the motive behind the rise of facilities utilizing "brushless" (cloth) and "touch-free" (high-pressure water) equipment, as well as modern "foam" washing wheels made of closed cell foam.