# Would going through a car wash without a car be fatal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2025, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493 "2025-01-27T22:25:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/1 "2025-01-27T22:25:39Z")
If a person went through a car wash on foot at the speed of the usual conveyor belt, getting hit with all the hot water, wax, brushes, and treatment, would it be fatal to them? ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/2 "2025-01-27T22:32:03Z")
Google says highly likely. High powered water would damage your skin. Do not try this. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/3 "2025-01-27T22:33:42Z")
Definitely 2nd-degree burns from the water temperature. And getting buffed by motorized rollers while that’s happening? Probably not good. Everything else depends on the roller mechanics. I feel like the vertical rollers working in tandem would just throw you out the back of the carwash. But if it started with the overhead roller, it would just knock you down, and if you stayed down, the low profile would help you dodge the worst of the abuse. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/4 "2025-01-27T22:34:47Z")
In most of the automatic car washes I’ve been through (always in my car, of course), the movement of the brushes is controlled by sensors that detect the outline of the car and adjust so that only the flexible tips of the brushes come into contact with the vehicle. Those sensors may not even detect the smaller shape of a human, so there’s no guarantee that the brushes would just _brush_ - they might hit hard (or perhaps more likely the car wash would shut down and report ‘no car present error’) ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/5 "2025-01-27T22:39:04Z")
I’ve seen a “jackass” video where a guy lays down on the hood and goes through the car wash. The flexible brush type washes don’t use real high pressure water and it doesn’t seem to be hot either. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/6 "2025-01-27T22:44:45Z")
The car washes I go to don’t use rollers. They have the long strips of soft material that spin around and others that sway side-to-side. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/dl7pq1h.png "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/dl7pq1h) [![](https://www.brownbear.com/storage/Pages/images/tunnel-wash/tunnel-wash002.jpg) ](https://www.brownbear.com/storage/Pages/images/tunnel-wash/tunnel-wash002.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/7 "2025-01-27T22:50:17Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Definitely 2nd-degree burns from the water temperature. Do they actually use hot water? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/8 "2025-01-27T22:52:50Z")
Some do; some don’t. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/9 "2025-01-27T22:53:03Z")
[These car wash owners](https://www.carwashforum.com/threads/what-water-temperature-do-you-run-to-your-self-service-bays.12670/) seem to run their water at 100-120. Everything I’m digging up so far seems to be around there. 130 is the most I’ve found so far. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/10 "2025-01-27T22:56:14Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > The car washes I go to don’t use rollers. They have the long strips of soft material that spin around and others that sway side-to-side. Spinners, rollers, whatever you call them. Get caught between two of them, if they close all the way together, and you’re getting thrown some distance behind. > [@Mangetout](#): > > Those sensors may not even detect the smaller shape of a human, so there’s no guarantee that the brushes would just _brush_ - they might hit hard (or perhaps more likely the car wash would shut down and report ‘no car present error’) That’s probably true, but it also might be that they have a “that’s just too damn small” limit that they wouldn’t exceed. There have to be some OSHA safety limits around this, in one form or another one, so modern ones might not be as bad as the 1980’s era ones that I’m thinking about. Those looked downright threatening. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/11 "2025-01-27T23:21:48Z")
Reminds me of this Final Destination scene: [https://youtu.be/uvPUvsz97co?si=\_QXXy2dIRHYqF0u0](https://youtu.be/uvPUvsz97co?si=_QXXy2dIRHYqF0u0) (nobody is hurt, just wet) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/12 "2025-01-27T23:49:29Z")
I get my truck washed almost every day and from time to time have forgotten to tuck the outside mirror in and do it after the wash has started. I’ve never noticed the water to be any more than Luke warm at the very most and usually it is quite cold. The pressure from the spray is quite high and it hit my hand once, briefly. Stung pretty good. Wouldn’t want it all over my body. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/13 "2025-01-28T00:24:56Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Reminds me of this Final Destination scene: [https://youtu.be/uvPUvsz97co?si=\_QXXy2dIRHYqF0u0](https://youtu.be/uvPUvsz97co?si=_QXXy2dIRHYqF0u0) (nobody is hurt, just wet) Or this scene from _A Cinderella Story_: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MFg0pLgTQ-M/maxresdefault.jpg "A Cinderella Story (2004) - Chaos at the Car Wash!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFg0pLgTQ-M) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/14 "2025-01-28T00:53:43Z")
You would be dead, but very clean. mmm ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/15 "2025-01-28T01:25:11Z")
The coroner would surely comment on it. “Cleanest corpse that’s ever come in.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/16 "2025-01-28T02:19:08Z")
Soapiest too. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/17 "2025-01-28T02:25:49Z")
My Wag is that you’d be okay- it would hurt, but no trip to the ER. The water isnt generally that hot. Mind you I suppose if you found one that uses scalding water- that would be traumatic. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/18 "2025-01-28T19:02:16Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > I get my truck washed almost every day and from time to time have forgotten to tuck the outside mirror in and do it after the wash has started. I never bother to fold the sideview mirrors on my car when going through an automatic car wash. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/19 "2025-01-28T19:08:40Z")
YouTube has a video of somebody doing just that. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqAihM1rb8Y&ab\_channel=ViralHog](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqAihM1rb8Y&ab_channel=ViralHog) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493/20 "2025-01-28T19:13:06Z")
The car washes around here don’t use extremely hot water. The big roller thing could easily knock someone over causing a serious injury. I don’t think it would be economical to provide extremely hot water in an automatic car wash. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-going-through-a-car-wash-without-a-car-be-fatal/1013493.md?page=2)