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]
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]
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