2008 Woodie Awards
Some suds just aren't all they're cracked up to be
Finding a reliable, quality car wash is not as easy as it sounds. Which ones can you trust to take care of your vehicle
Ehren Fish
Issue date: 4/1/05 Section: No Limits
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Two of my favorite washes are Prime Shine Express up in Lodi, and Kelley's Express Car Wash here in Stockton on the corner of March Lane and West Lane. I can definitely tell you that there are two completely different levels of service between those two places.
At Prime Shine Express, the people are all friendly and courteous as you pull up. They explain the three or four options you have for levels of car wash, all of which are reasonably priced. They push your antenna down for you (unless your car happens to be equipped with a power one), and they bag your rear window wiper if you have one.
As your car begins to roll into the automated wash, they take the time and effort to make sure that every inch is covered with soapy water, even covering some places twice in hot weather as they dry out.
The automated wash does a thorough job of cleaning and polishing your car, and as you pull out it is given a careful air dry. Outside the wash, there are vacuums supplied for your use in cleaning out the inside of your ride, and there are air fresheners available for a small fee.
The experience when you pull into Kelley's Express Car Wash on March Lane has degraded to such a point where it is almost more trouble and risk to go through their automated wash than it is to just wash your car in your own driveway.
As you pull up, they start slopping water on your car in a haphazard fashion before they even ask you what wash you want or take your money. There are only two options for washes, with little difference between the standard and "Gold" washes. The Washes are $7 and $10 respectively, approximately twice what they would cost at Prime Shine Express.
They may say something to you if your antenna is up, but if you tell them it just pushes down, they don't take the time to make sure that it is all the way down before sending you through the automated wash. Ladies and Gentlemen, as I found out the hard way, this is a very good way to snap a $60 antenna mast.
They also do not supply a bag for your rear wiper blade, and there are no air fresheners offered until you get to the vacuum area, at which point you can purchase one for an exorbitant price.
The wash seems similar to the one at Prime Shine, although somewhat lower quality, but the polishes and cleaners they use on your car are a little questionable in my opinion. Since when are car products supposed to smell like grapes and bubble gum?
I have to give them props for having people posted on the other end of the wash, but when I parked and got out to pull my antenna back up, I not only found my antenna broken, but found bird droppings left on my spoiler that the wash hadn't removed, and other spots of dirt all over my car.
My recommendation to the students here at Delta who love their vehicles as much as I love mine, and don't want to spend bunches of extra dollars replacing broken parts, is to avoid Kelley's Express Car Wash at all costs. It's worth the extra drive up to Lodi. Pamper your car, and it will serve you well.