As someone whose hobby is detailing cars, I do not use automatic washes very often. They generally get your car decently clean, but even those with the blow dryers will leave a lot of spots on your vehicle. Sometimes, however, time is just not on my side, and I have to use them.
Today being one of those days, I was looking for a car wash and spotted West Side perched on a small rise behind O'Reilly's. It looked really new, so I rolled the dice and pulled in. I picked the most expensive wash ($8), and after it was done, pulled my car to the side so I could dry it off with microfiber towels and detailing spray.
Let me say that my car was not very dirty. The worst parts were near the bottom of the car where the wheels had kicked up some dirty puddle water. At first glance I could already see that dirt had remained. That was worrisome, but the worst part was when I wiped down the roof (and only the roof) my drying towel was filthy with dirt.
I didn't want to pay more money to use the dreaded foaming brush, but I had no choice. So 8 bucks for the automatic wash, plus another 3 in the stall is what it took to get my car decently clean. This is unacceptable.
I realize that many people simply go through the automatic wash and then go on their merry way, not caring about water spots and streaks, and not even realizing that their car is still dirty. So, for those people, as well as those, like me, who obsess over the finish of their vehicle, avoid this car wash. In this economy, why throw money down the toilet, which is exactly what happens when using this place.
Also: I did take a picture of my filthy drying towel, and will upload it if possible. I will also be contacting the owner and attempt to get my money back. read more