Are you a risk taker? Then this is the car wash for you! When it's working, its pretty slow and marginally effective. When it's not working, however, it stops in mid-wash and traps you in the wash booth, doors down, with no way to get out.
That was today, 2/10/2015 at 8:30am. I sat through a couple of very long wash cycles before it was my turn. Then, after pulling in, the wash cycle started but only got about halfway through before the spray arm froze halfway around the car. The water stopped spraying, the pumps stopped pumping, nothing was moving and the booth was eerily quiet. My car was covered in soap so it took a few seconds to realize that this wasn't typical. After several additional minutes of nothingness, I got out of my car and tried to manually open the doors (fearing that the mechanism would rise from the dead and start chasing me around the car.) No drama ensued, but I did discover that the overhead doors are pneumatic and cannot be released from inside. As well, there's no alarm button inside the wash. I resorted to continuously honking my horn while calling the station's phone number for rescue (414-259-1900 in case you're the next victim.)
The indifferent clerk eventually came out and unlocked the rear door so I could back out. She then explained to me multiple times that "This happens everywhere." Except it doesn't. In 25 years I've never been trapped in a broken car wash before. As well, I'm not even the first person in my family to have been trapped in this exact car wash. The clerk then went on to tell me that she A) couldn't refund my money, and B) would I like to try the Supreme wash instead? C'mon lady, what moron goes back into the same broken car wash? I eventually got my $8 after threatening to call the police.
The moral of the story: you pays your money and you takes your chances. Don't do it! Drive another five minutes to Jilly's wash in Elm Grove (corner of Bluemound & Pilgrim Pkwy.) Their equipment is excellent and they have free vacuums and detailing supplies, all for the same cost. read more