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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