I questioned whether I should even start doing this. But with so many car washes opening in town this summer, I figured why not. People get their car washes in town, why don’t I slowly travel around town to get my car washed and see if I can tell any difference. Little known fact about me: I used to work at a car wash in high school and part of college, so I know a thing or two about car washes. For my first visit, I went to Charlie’s Car Wash located at Kellogg and West Street.
They have three locations, but this one was the most convenient for me at the time. There were a handful of different wash options. They also had inside cleaning available if you’d like, but I was too cheap to pay for that. I went with the Super Wash.
The Super Wash included not just a single, not just a double but a triple foam polish and underbody wash. I pondered whether to splurge the extra $3 to get the Ultimate Wash since it included Rain-X Complete and Underbody Rust Inhibitor, but that stuff was way over my head. I know I mentioned knowing a thing or two about car washes since I worked some, but let’s face it. That was all back when I was a teenager who did mindless work spraying and wiping down cars.
If you’re all about convenience, Charlie’s Car Wash has a self-service area where you can select your car wash, add any amenities you need and pay yourself. It’s a great option for those who don’t want to deal with talking to people. Trust me, I have those days too.
The next step was pulling up to the tunnel where employees helped guide me on to the track and asked to put my car in neutral. They sprayed my car down and I was on my way.
One of my favorite aspects about Charlie’s is the self-service vacuum area that’s free. You can pay them to vacuum or you can do it yourself. There were a ton of bays to vacuum. My back seat was in dire need of a vacuum. Two-year-olds, bags of Goldfish and a backseat are not a great combination.
Another free service offering is their all-in-one auto mat wash and dry system. It’s handled by their Rhino-Mat unit which can clean and dry your mats in minutes.
For a second, I thought I was going to be able to knock out a food review too! But upon closer inspection, their vending machine was all wipes, towels, car scents and other items to help keep your car clean.
Overall, I enjoyed my visit to Charlie’s. They did a good job of cleaning my car and the free amenities were a big bonus.
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