Self-serve Car Wash in Northern Virginia?

J

jmhumr

New member
I'm looking for one of those coin-operated self-serve car washes in Northern Virginia (perferrably inside the beltway, in Arlington/Alexandria). I've driven around and I'm nearly convinced they don't exist. I've also exhausted all my online searching options, so I'm hoping someone has seen one! Thanks.



BTW, if anyone in Arlington wants to offer the street outside their house, I'd be open to that too. (I'd even pay for the water used.) ;)
 
brwill2005 said:
Thomas- Sure wish I owned one. Now that I am thinking, there is a shortage of these types of facilities in NOVA.
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huge shortage - but theres an abundance of these car washes that still use an gas station style cleaner but at the end have people drying your car instead for 20 bucks. I'm so happy i've read about ONR for living in a condo! cant go wrong with that!
 
Yup. Plenty of drive-through car washes. I try to educate my customers regarding the dangers of such places. They always ask where all the scratches came from.
 
tdekany said:
there is one on Rt 1 in alexandria, by gold's gym/pepboys
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Bah, I just got back from hunting that one down and it is a full-service wash. I'm looking for a self-service one.
 
jmhumr said:
Bah, I just got back from hunting that one down and it is a full-service wash. I'm looking for a self-service one.
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It was definately a self service wash before. I have used it in the past.
 
There are two in Falls Church. One is at the Amoco gas station in Eden Center aka Vietnamese center. There are also one on Rt50 at a gas station between Rt7 and Annandale Rd. If you are coming from Arlington it would be on your right after Rt7 overpass. Its located next to Radio Shack.
 
Yeah my wife used one, cause she really wanted her car washed but didnt want to wash it at home!!! Now I have to get all the swirl marks out of her brand new dodge caliber! I said why didnt you just let me wash it. She said cause I really wanted to wash the car myself!!!
 
gxlex said:
There are two in Falls Church. One is at the Amoco gas station in Eden Center aka Vietnamese center. There are also one on Rt50 at a gas station between Rt7 and Annandale Rd. If you are coming from Arlington it would be on your right after Rt7 overpass. Its located next to Radio Shack.
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Are those actual bay washes? Most of those gas station washes are just canisters next to the vacuum and air stations, and they force you to use the full cycle - you pay $5 for a coin and you get like 10 mins to use the cycle. Worthless.



The benefit of the bay washes is that you pay by like $1/minute and you can use whatever cycle you want, which works for me because I'm just there for the water and go at my own pace with my own bucket and soap.
 
I'm originally from TX and in the Houston and surrounding areas, you can find more car washes than liquor stores in some places. I just assumed they were everywhere... but you guys are spot on... there's almost NONE here. I guess the real estate is just too expensive and seeing how some of these people care about their cars... it's no wonder there aren't any.



However, there are enough of us that do care that there should be at least one in every community. I haven't found any in Herndon yet, but I'm looking...
 
Thanks for the information, smpol19. Honestly, it's really hard to find a place to wash your car in DC or NOVA. If anyone lives close to Maryland or doesn't feel bother to go there. Try Flagship carwash. They have tunnel wash and also self-wash service, too. I went to the one in North Bethesda, it has 8 bays there. Link to the map
 
I know this is an old thread but...

I've used sweet water in sterling, definitely does have coin operated bays to wash your own. Brought all my goodies and even clayed and applied my Zaino in the bay. Also, heard of few others in Mannasas. I have never heard of nor seen any car wash places, where you can wash your own car, in any other part of northern va. If I'm wrong, please correct me.
 
I've been going to the one at Lee Highway & Blake Lane for the past 3 months. Its a real pain in the a*s because there are only two bays and a line of 12 cars all the time, so you don't have much freedom to take out your bucket and wash it by hand. I do it, but everyone gives me dirty looks. Three times I got lucky where I didn't have to pay, water was simply flowing :dance



My apartment complex just turned on the water for the car-wash area, so I'll be going there (thank God). Now at least I can take my time and be able to detail. I just bought one of those Mini Shark vacuums as well, comes with a hose and extensions, looks promising.



Going back to our discussion of lack of car washes, I've only been in NOVA for 7 months, and I notice day by day that this is not the most living-friendly area. Unless I make 3x what I make now and be able to afford a house (not townhouse or condo), a real house with my own garage and front/back yard, I just can't see myself lasting here. There are other cities with just as much jobs that are more affordable.
 
saab93 said:
I've been going to the one at Lee Highway & Blake Lane for the past 3 months. Its a real pain in the a*s because there are only two bays and a line of 12 cars all the time, so you don't have much freedom to take out your bucket and wash it by hand. I do it, but everyone gives me dirty looks. Three times I got lucky where I didn't have to pay, water was simply flowing :dance



My apartment complex just turned on the water for the car-wash area, so I'll be going there (thank God). Now at least I can take my time and be able to detail. I just bought one of those Mini Shark vacuums as well, comes with a hose and extensions, looks promising.



Going back to our discussion of lack of car washes, I've only been in NOVA for 7 months, and I notice day by day that this is not the most living-friendly area. Unless I make 3x what I make now and be able to afford a house (not townhouse or condo), a real house with my own garage and front/back yard, I just can't see myself lasting here. There are other cities with just as much jobs that are more affordable.
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You hit the nail right on the head about the cost of living here in NOVA. The other problem is the stress because of the hyper fast pace of life and all the traffic.
 
lukeinva said:
Yeah my wife used one, cause she really wanted her car washed but didnt want to wash it at home!!! Now I have to get all the swirl marks out of her brand new dodge caliber! I said why didnt you just let me wash it. She said cause I really wanted to wash the car myself!!!
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How did her car get swirl marks?! From the sponge she was using? I don't want to go to the same place if the hose squirts out any harmful substance? I'm so thankful for this thread. I just bought a car before I moved to NOVA, and I had been taking it to automatic car washes, and it never gets the front end of my car..like where the lights are. I had been going to this automatic car wash and it seemed rough on the car...now I'm starting to think from this thread that those washes can give scratches! Yikes. I've gotten scratches on the back of my mirrors and for some reason I thought it was from the car wash I had been going to...ugh.
 
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