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Old 08-09-2013, 09:07 AM
 
9 posts, read 54,000 times
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Hi!
I just moved to VA with my husband and I've noticed that self serve car washes are really few and far between around here. We are in Fairfax now. I know there are some...but where I'm from they're all over the place...and they're busy! My husband, who is from here, says that people out here just would rather take it somewhere that will do it rather than using some quarters and using the high powered hoses and vacuums and doing it yourself. I just can't understand this! Haha

Do you use self serve car washes? Would you if they were more available? Why do you think there are so few?

Interested to hear everyones thoughts!
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Old 08-09-2013, 09:28 AM
 
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Why cant you just use the drive thru car washes or the full service ones where folks do a pretty good job at it?
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Old 08-09-2013, 09:40 AM
 
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Haha PK12...I'm not trying to bash people here at all! I hope that didn't come across that way. As I said, where I grew up we have tons of them and they're always busy..that's just what I'm used to. I like to do it myself b/c I can get any tough spots with the brush, use extra soap, clean my tires etc. I also like being able to vacuum and clean it out myself. I don't want anyone else to have to pick up my dirty sock that somehow ended up under my seat...how did that get there?! I was merely curious as to the lack of them here and if it's something people are/would be interested in using!
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Old 08-09-2013, 09:42 AM
 
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My only experience with self-serve car washes was in CA. My first and only time to use one, I drove up, and was immediately surrounded by nearly a dozen homeless-looking people with dirty rags in their hands, begging me to let them wash my car for "only five dolla". They were really aggressive, so I just left.
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Old 08-09-2013, 09:42 AM
 
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Someone posed the question yesterday.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...wash-nova.html
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Old 08-09-2013, 09:50 AM
 
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I just saw that jmking. Although that poster is looking for place they can take their own supplies. I'm thinking of a place where you pull under a covered area and there are high pressures hoses that soap, wax etc comes out of, there are soft bristle brushes, and vacuums. I don't want to have to bring any of my own stuff! Ha!
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Old 08-09-2013, 10:22 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NOVAinfoseeking View Post
I just saw that jmking. Although that poster is looking for place they can take their own supplies. I'm thinking of a place where you pull under a covered area and there are high pressures hoses that soap, wax etc comes out of, there are soft bristle brushes, and vacuums. I don't want to have to bring any of my own stuff! Ha!

I posted on the other thread. We used to use them all the time when we lived in Maryland. Just like you described: put in your money and you get soap, wax, power wash, etc.

We have them in southern Prince William County and there's more the farther south you go. They are half the cost of the automated car washes and my husband prefers to use these over going to the automated ones just because he can concentrate on areas where the dirt is heavier in some spots. Those automated car washes don't do well on all cars. For instance, the back end of my Highlander never gets really clean, yet my Elantra gets very clean.
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Old 08-09-2013, 11:17 AM
 
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It's a function of the high price of real estate around here. It costs so much to buy or lease the land and the pay the property taxes that -- once you add on the liability insurance, maintenance, protection from vandalism, etc. -- the self-serve washes don't generate enough profit to make it a worthwhile investment. If you could plunk down a drive-thru McD's or a self-wash on the same piece of ground, as the land owner, which would you pick?
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Old 08-09-2013, 11:43 AM
 
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I never understood why we don't have them around here. They are all over the place in New England, but car washing is more important, frequent, and necessary activity up there. I really don't like all the people coming up to your car wiping it down and then expecting a tip, the way car washes work around here, so I don't use them.

There is a self-wash on Fort Belvoir if you have access, but that's the only one I know of.
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Old 08-09-2013, 11:46 AM
 
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There is one off of Sydenstricker Rd just off the FC Parkway. Its on a gas station lot.
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