Detailing & Car Wash
Car wash near you
A hand car wash and dry with wheels and glass cleaned, plus an optional interior vacuum and spray wax, at a wash bay or at your door.
- Time at the shop
- 45 min
- about
- Mobile service
- Available
- at your address
- Shops in Canada
- 1
- doing this work
- Your price
- You set it
- shops bid on it
You set the budget
Shops near you send their bids
1 shop in Canada does this
Detailing & Car Wash
What a car wash is
A hand car wash lifts road film, salt and bug residue with pH-neutral soap and clean mitts, so the paint is not scrubbed with a shared brush or sponge that already holds someone else’s grit. Wheels and tires are done first with their own brushes, then the vehicle is rinsed and dried with microfibre towels, the glass is cleaned and the door jambs are wiped.
Shops usually sell it in steps: exterior only, exterior with an interior vacuum and windows, or with a spray wax or sealant on top. In winter, the wash that matters most is the one that rinses salt from the underbody and wheel wells, ideally in a heated bay so door seals and locks do not freeze afterwards. Allow 30 to 60 minutes.
- For cars, EVs, vans and trucks
- Takes about 45 min
- Can be done at your address
What does a car wash cost?
It depends on your vehicle and the shop. Post a job with your budget and compare the bids shops near you send.
Get bids
Name your budget. Shops near you bid.
1 shop across Canada does car wash.
What to expect
Car wash, step by step
What the job normally covers, what to mention in your request, and the signs that it is time. Every shop says what its bid includes.
The job
What’s included
- Pre-rinse to loosen salt, mud and grit before any mitt touches the paint
- Wheels, tires and wheel wells cleaned first with their own brushes
- Hand wash with pH-neutral soap and clean mitts, from the roof down to the rocker panels
- Rinse and dry with microfibre towels, with door jambs and the fuel door wiped
- Exterior glass and mirrors cleaned streak-free
- Tire dressing applied on request
- Interior vacuum of seats, carpets and mats with a dash and door-panel wipe, in wash-and-vacuum packages
- Spray wax or sealant applied to clean, dry paint, in the top package
Checklist
Before you post
- 01Ask whether the price covers exterior only or includes the vacuum, interior windows and a wipe-down; packages differ by shop
- 02Ask what touches the paint: clean mitts and fresh microfibre towels are the sign of a careful hand wash
- 03In winter, ask for the underbody and wheel wells to be rinsed, and for the door seals and locks to be dried
- 04Mobile wash: ask whether the crew uses a hose or a rinseless method, which matters where your building bans hoses or drains
- 05Say so if the vehicle has a ceramic coating or paint protection film, so the crew uses a gentle soap and adds no wax
Signs
When you need it
- Salt spray or road film on the paint and windows between November and April
- Bird droppings, bug splatter or tree sap that should come off before it etches the paint
- Grime left by a road trip, a muddy trail or a week parked under trees
- A sale viewing, photo shoot or event where the vehicle will be seen up close
- Dull, streaky paint after washing at home with a dirty sponge
Sound familiar?Tell shops near you what you need and what you want to spend.
Get bidsHow it works
Get a car wash done in four steps
You set the budget and choose the shop. Posting is free, and you pay the shop you hire once the work is 100% done.
- 01
Post your job
Choose the service, describe the job and your vehicle, and set your budget. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
- 02
Shops compete
Nearby shops that do the work see your request and send their best offer: price, when they can start, what is included.
- 03
Accept the best offer
Compare bids, ratings and distance, then hire one shop. The others are told, politely.
- 04
Talk and get it done
Your conversation with the shop opens right away to agree on the day. You pay only after the job is complete.
Keep exploring
Related services
Car detailing
Car detailing with hand wash, clay bar and wax or sealant outside and a deep vacuum and surface clean inside, for cars, SUVs, vans and trailers.
Interior detailing
Car interior detailing that deep cleans seats, carpets, dash and vents with vacuum, steam and extraction, and treats stains, pet hair and odours.
Collision & Body Work
Rust proofing
Rust proofing with oil or wax sprayed inside body cavities and along the underbody to slow the corrosion that road salt starts.
Ceramic coating
A liquid ceramic coating cured onto polished paint to form a hard, glossy, water-repelling layer that helps salt, sap and grime rinse off.
Questions
Questions about car washes
General answers for drivers in Canada. The shop you hire confirms the details for your vehicle.
Is a hand car wash better than an automatic one?
For the paint, usually. Brush tunnels reuse the same brushes on every vehicle, and trapped grit can leave fine swirl marks that show most on dark paint. Touchless bays avoid contact but lean on stronger chemicals. A careful hand wash is gentlest, though a quick automatic rinse in winter beats leaving salt on the underbody.
How often should I wash my car in winter?
About every two weeks in the salt season, and after big storms if you can, because road salt keeps working on chips and the underbody. Choose a day above freezing or an indoor bay, then dry the door seals and locks so they do not freeze shut. Even a rinse at a self-serve bay is worth doing.
Can someone wash my car at my condo or apartment?
Often, yes, because many mobile crews use rinseless or waterless products that need only a few litres of water and no drain. Underground garages and shared driveways may still be restricted, so check with your building. Ask the crew which method they use and whether they need a power outlet.
What is a waterless or rinseless car wash?
A waterless wash uses a lubricating spray and a rinseless wash uses a bucket of diluted solution, and both lift dirt with a stack of clean microfibre towels and no hose. They suit light to moderate dirt and are what condo-based mobile crews rely on. A vehicle caked in mud or salt should be rinsed first, or the grit will scratch the paint.
How long does a car wash take?
A hand wash and dry takes 30 to 45 minutes for a car, and up to an hour for a large SUV or truck. An interior vacuum stretches that to 45 to 75 minutes. If the shop is busy, book a time window rather than dropping in, so the vehicle is not left waiting in line.
Something else to ask? Once you hire a shop, you talk to it directly in your request’s conversation.
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