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Car wash guides

Short answers first, details after — from Snow Belt salt to Sun Belt pollen.

• Touchless vs soft-touch car wash

  What each automatic wash does to your paint, which cleans better — and when each one wins.

• Washing your car in winter

  Road salt and brine in the Snow Belt, how often to wash, when it is too cold and what to rinse.

• How much a car wash costs

  Timers, programs, memberships and packages — how pricing works and how to pay less.

• How to use a self-serve bay

  The order on the dial, the foam-brush mistake and how to beat the timer.