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 By the mid-1960s, Hanna Enterprises established itself as the main manufacturer of car washing equipment and materials. This includes the Wrap-Around Brush, Roller-on-demand Conveyor belt, soft cloth friction washing, several ways to wash the tires, and a recirculating water system. The 1970s introduced the automatic wheel cleaner and the polish'n'wax Conveyor-driven/tunnel car wash The first conveyor-driven automatic car wash appeared in Hollywood, California in 1940. Conveyor-driven automatic car washes consist of tunnel-like buildings into which customers (or attendants) drive A vehicle exiting the friction zone of the wash. Visible are side brushes, wrap-around brushes, the conveyor, and a high-pressure rinse arch. The car wash will typically start cleaning with chemicals called presoaks applied through special arches. CTAs, or "chemical tire applicators", apply specialized formulations, which remove brake dust and build-up from the surface of the wheels and tires. At the end of a car wash's presoak a high-pressure arch may be used to direct water at the vehicle's surface. The car is rinsed with fresh water immediately followed by a series of extra services if required. In many car washes, the first of these services is a polish wax. After the polish wax application is typically a retractable mitter or top brush and, in some cases, side brushes or wrap-around brushes. Next is a protectant, which creates a thin protective film over a vehicle's surface
