The problem is, you really don't know what type of shampoo they use. For the most part, a lot of these places do use some type of automotive shampoo. If dirt is still on your car after washing, it just means you probably didn't aggitate the dirt loose. If you did, it would have taken away the dirt along with the wax if a strong detergent was used. Strong detergents like dish soap easily strips wax off the car. That's why you should never use it unless removing wax was your intention.

Well, maybe touchless washes vary. Or maybe you didn't have much wax on there and the dirt stuck harder for that reason. I'm no expert, but you can find out basically everything you want to know about detailing on this forum:

Is there anything wrong with a completely "touchless" car wash?

Hmm....thanks for providing that link and warning about the touchless washes. The pics in that thread were a bit of an eye opener! I'll definitely be keeping my visits to them to a minimum. I guess I'm just weary about using ONR without first doing some sort of pre-rinse when I've got a really thick coat of grime on, because I don't want to scratch my clear coat by rubbing the dirt into it, you know? And in the winters here (Canada), you can go from spotless to thick coat of grime in just 1 or 2 days. But maybe I'm underestimating the capabilities of ONR? I guess if I had to I could always go and spray it down with a pressure wand at one of those self-serve car washes prior to coming home and using ONR.

Touchless car washes that do not have a guy at the end whipping down your car are ok to use during the winter.

But on a week to week basis without proper waxing can just cause damage over time.

I use them during the winter especially after a good salting to spray my under carriage.

However I keep a good amount of wax on my car at all times.

Winterizing a car for me goes like this

Clay if needed
Swirl and haze remover IF needed
Glaze
Sealant
Polish
Americana

Buttery wax when I can wash the car during the winter.

I use adams BTW

high pressure washes do remove wax. it actually doesn't take much. some aggitation and soap is all it takes. polymer sealants on the other hand seems to withstand better.

also no-rinse products leave behind a slick film on top of watever wax/sealants you used so that's another layer of protection i guess.

i got another gallon coming to me from griots soon. :p

btw, when you order any detailing products in the winter time in snow belt states, make sure you get it delivered to where you or someone can bring it inside. otherwise products will freeze and most natural wax based products (and some water based products) will not return to its original state once frozen.

and you risk the chance of bottles breaking from expansion.

Hmmm, was intrigued by this thread, but I recently got a touch-less wash and man did it ever leave a lot behind!

^ Yeah there's really no replacement for a good hand-wash done by yourself. If you live in an area that freezes over (meaning you need to shut off the outside taps and put the hoses away in the winter), a rinse-free product like ONR is a godsend. Now that I've tried it, I plan to use it even in the summers because it's just so much more convenient than the traditional spray-with-hose method.

i need to practice more though... last time i did my dd it took me 43min vs 28min start to finish using traditional hose/bucket wash. :D hahaha....

Totally agree. Ever since I bought ONR 2 years ago, I haven't used a hose.