If you’re considering taking your car through Soapy Joe’s, one important question often comes up: is Soapy Joe’s touchless? The quick answer is no it’s not a touchless car wash. Instead, they use soft cloth or soft touch systems combined with highpressure water. That means your car will have contact with cleaning materials, even if those are designed to be gentle. For many drivers, it’s comforting to know it’s not an old-fashioned brush system but it’s also not the completely contact-free option some people prefer.
How Soapy Joe’s Cleans Your Car
According to Soapy Joe’s official help center, the process involves a combination of high-pressure water jets and soft cloth materials. These substances aim to remove dirt thoroughly while minimizing scratches and protecting the finish of your vehicle.
Soft Cloth vs. Touchless Cleaning
- Soft cloth contact: Known in the industry as ‘soft-touch,’ this method involves gentle cloth strips that lightly scrub the car.
- High-pressure water: Strategically used to rinse off grime before and after detergent application.
This combination delivers deeper cleaning than a purely touchless system, yet still minimizes risk compared to older, harsh brush-style car washes.
Industry Classification: SoftTouch, Not Touchless
On forums like Yelp, a Soapy Joe’s manager confirmed: We are not a touchless car wash, we use brushes that will wash the exterior of your vehicle. The material we use is commonly known as Noeglide.
Another user discussion confirms Soapy Joe’s is a ‘soft-touch only system,’ meaning there is contact, though significantly softer than traditional mechanical brushes.
Benefits and Drawbacks of SoftTouch Systems
Compared to touchless car washes, softtouch systems like Soapy Joe’s strike a balance:
Advantages
- More effective at cleaning off stubborn dirt and road grime than contactless rinsing alone.
- Cloth strips are gentle and designed to reduce swirl marks if maintained properly.
- Often includes wax, protectant, and undercarriage rinse options common in tiered wash plans.
Disadvantages
- Still involves physical contact, risking minor swirls or scratches if cloths are dirty or abrasive.
- Requires more maintenance to prevent buildup of grime on cleaning surfaces.
- Not suitable for drivers seeking a fully touch-free wash experience.
SoftTouch vs. Touchless: Which is Best?
If complete paint protection is your priority, you might lean toward touchless car washes these rely entirely on water jets and strong detergents, with no cloth contact. They’re gentler on paint but less effective at removing tough debris.
On the other hand, softtouch washes like Soapy Joe’s offer better cleaning performance, especially for everyday maintenance. Their soft cloth system is designed to minimize damage, although it cannot guarantee absolute paint safety.
What Customers Say
Online reviewers and forum users are mixed. Some Tesla owners report no ill effects from Soapy Joe’s softtouch system.
Maintaining paint health may depend on how frequently the facility cleans and replaces their cloth materials, as well as how rough the environment is (e.g., lots of road grit or dust).
Soapy Joe’s Cleaning Packages
Soapy Joe’s offers tiered monthly plans Classic, Super, and Magic Joe with features like clear-coat protectants, graphene wax, and tire shine.
Is Soapy Joe’s Touchless? Bottom Line
No Soapy Joe’s is not a touchless car wash. They use a softtouch, cloth-based system, combined with high-pressure water and ecofriendly soaps.
Key Takeaways
- Contact: The car touches cloth strips, not hard brushes.
- Effectiveness: Better cleaning than fully touchless, but some risk of minor paint wear.
- Best for: Drivers who want a balanced clean with minimal damage and added wax or sealant.
If your top concern is perfect paint preservation, consider a touchless or hand-wash only method. For general maintenance, convenience, and value, Soapy Joe’s soft-touch washes offer a solid compromise.
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