Mitter curtains are cloth-like or ribbon-styled materials that are used in many car washes worldwide.[1] The term mitter is the generic word for a device that moves side-to-side,[2] front-to-back[3] or carousel styles as vehicles pass through the car wash.[4] It's not known when mitters were first used in the car wash business; various sources, however, date first use to the late 1960s, 1970s or early 1980s. The baskets holding the curtains are usually stainless steel.[5] Although mitter curtains are primarily used in car washes in North America, they also appear in Europe, Australia and Asia.[6]

Operation

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In many car washes, the mitter curtains are operated in place of top brushes (in some countries, the opposite happens). Some car washes carry both mitter curtains and top brushes,[7][8] while others carry multiple mitters.[9] The curtains are often preceded by rinse arches and followed with a foam applicator and car wash brushes.[10]

Between 72 and 168 cars per hour travel through car washes with mitter curtains.[11] The mitter curtains are cleaned daily with water and cleaning soaps. Some companies have mitter curtains that are less likely to become soaked with dirt and need cleaning.[12] Although sometimes used in bay car washes, mitter curtains are more often used in tunnel car washes.[13] Furthermore, some car wash networks operate mitters for drying alongside those for washing and cleaning.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Car Wash Mitter Curtain". Brush Com. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  2. ^ "Side-to-Side Mitters". Motor City Wash Works. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  3. ^ "Front to Back Mitter Curtains". Motor City Wash Works. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  4. ^ "Car Wash Mitter Curtain". Brush Com. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "The AVW Mitter Curtains". AVW Car Wash Magazine. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "Car Wash Mitter Curtain". Brush Com. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  7. ^ "Car Wash Top Brushes and Mitters". The Econocraft Car Wash System. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  8. ^ "Car Wash Systems". Prestige Car Wash Systems. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  9. ^ "Car Wash Operations". Econocraft Car Wash Systems. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  10. ^ "How the Car Wash Works". How Stuff Works. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  11. ^ "Car Wash Equipment, Number of Vehicles". The Econocraft Car Wash. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  12. ^ "Pro-Mitter". Favagrossa Car Wash System. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  13. ^ "Car Washes' Equipment". Peco Car Wash Networks. Retrieved May 15, 2022. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  14. ^ "Car Washes' Equipment". Peco Car Wash Networks. Retrieved May 15, 2022. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)