Through the Car Wash

First stop- clean the interior. 3/16/24 dwm

It was time to clean my car again. I had the exterior washed last week but I was concerned about the inside. 

Running the defroster blows warm air on the windshield to melt ice. In the process, dust and other stuff gets stuck inside. 

Months of me and occasionally passengers getting in and out during the winter tracked in snow, dirt, and grime.

Then there's the matter of eating while driving. As neat as I try to be, invariably some crumbs wind up in the seat cushions or on the floor. All that is the biggest reason I like Mermaid Car Wash on Madison's west side.

Scrub-a-dub. 3/16/2024 dwm

 After vacuuming, the car gets on the track that pulls it through a series of stations that apply detergent and power washing to remove the dirt and grime from city streets.

 In a number of washes, you stay in the car, while the washers move around the car or get pulled through a series of showers. Mermaid reminds me of the place my folks went to where we got out and watched the car move down the line from behind the glass.

 At the end of line, another guy jumps behind the wheel and drives to a garage door where a team that dries the outside, wipes down the edges of all the doors, and clean windows by hand.

Final stop before driving away. 3/16/24 dwm

My car will be 10-years old this year but it is (relatively) low-mileage and in good shape. It's not in perfect condition but who is?

The personal service starts with a person taking your order for what you want done, there's two people who clean the interior, one drives the car to the start of the wash line, then one of the crew at the end drives the car off the line for the final touches.

It's not cheap but the feeling I get driving away in a clean car is worth it!