about avoiding shallow swirls and scratches in your finish.

Personally, I'm too lazy to limit myself to hand washes and touchless automatic washes don't do the best job. Even though I know it's not the best, I use a high-quality automatic wash membership because I like a clean car, but I also keep a high-quality coating on my vehicle and I expect that I will need a Stage 1 polish every two or three years to remove the swirls that are introduced over time by the car wash.