When you want to make your car shine — or more accurately, when you want to pay someone else to do it — Austin car washes are ready with the suds. All around town, you’ll find car wash services offering everything from a quick scrub to get that bird poop off your windshield, to an interior vacuum that’ll suck up the dog hair that’s overtaken your upholstery, to a full-blown exterior and interior detailing.
But, if your car is your baby, then you don’t want to trust just anybody to take care of her. You need a car wash that will handle your Mustang Sally with love and care. And while we’re at it, it would be nice to have a favorite car wash in your own neighborhood so you don’t have to put too many miles on your baby just to get her cleaned. We’ve gotchu!
Here’s where to go to find the best car wash Austin has in each neighborhood around the city.
The Best Car Wash Austin Has in Each Neighborhood
These are the best places in the Austin area to get a squeaky clean car. We’ve broken our list down by Austin’s neighborhoods so you can find the closest quality car wash to you. So, find your local spot and settle in while they make your car sparkle.
Downtown: Complete Auto Detail & Car Wash
This auto detail center, located on 5th St., is the best option for true Austin urbanites. It’s an easy stop if you live or work downtown. And while the waiting area offers free WiFi, coffee, and even a massage chair, we love this location because it also offers free bike rentals, and you can easily ride a few blocks to some of the best restaurants in downtown Austin.
Complete Auto Detail & Car Wash offers a basic interior and exterior cleaning for as little as $34. They also have a Deluxe and Premium wash, and a Wash ‘N Wax — all of which are available as unlimited car wash membership packages, so you can have a clean car all the time.
If your car needs a little extra attention, they have interior and exterior detailing packages that range from a Mini Detail for as low as $125 to a Works package that starts at $380.
East Austin: Washaroo Hand Car Wash
More than just an adorable name, the East Austin Washaroo on 7th Street has friendly staff, great service, and affordable prices with the most basic in-and-out hand car wash starting at $20. They even offer gift cards so you can send a subtle hint to your friend with the filthy car.
The Washaroo also offers a premium wash and a mini detail, plus they have three tiers of interior detailing services. And you don’t have to spring for a full-detail to get your car the attention it deserves — this shop has a variety of à la carte services, including headlight restoration, shampooing, interior dressing, hand waxing, clay bar, engine detailing, rim detailing, and truck bed cleaning. You can purchase an unlimited car wash membership by the month or by the year.
South Austin: Mr. Sharky’s Car Wash
Located on Manchaca Rd. in South Austin, Mr. Sharky’s is the most affordable option on this list.
If all these hand car washes sound a little pricey for your little deuce coupe, you can get a high-quality drive-thru wash at Mr. Sharky’s. Attendants will give your car a quick scrub to loosen dirt before you head into the drive-thru, and they’ll follow up with a quick dry when you come out the other side.
Mr. Sharky’s also has free self-service vacuum stations where you can touch up your carpets and upholstery. And they offer a self-service dog wash station, so you can clean your ride and your ride-or-die all in one place.
One-time washes cost from $7-13, and unlimited car wash memberships cost from $14.95-29.95 per month.
Hyde Park: Two Brothers Hand Wash & Detailing
This family-owned auto detailing service is located on E 53rd St. between N. Lamar Blvd. and Airport Blvd. It’s owned by — you guessed it — two brothers, each with over five years of experience in auto detailing.
All of their car wash services include a hand wash and dry, with the most basic wash starting at $30. One of the things we love about Two Brothers is that even the Express Car Wash includes some interior vacuuming and dusting — with the Express Wash, you’ll get front seat vacuuming and a dashboard wipe down.
If you want to leave with your ride looking like a brand new car, detailing starts at $199.99. Plus, Two Brothers offers several à la carte car care services, like shampooing, buffing, waxing, clay bar, ceramic coating, paint sealant, and headlight restoration.
North Austin: Palms Car Wash
Palms Car Wash actually has three locations around Austin. In South Austin, they’re located on Brodie Ln. in the Westgate neighborhood, but in North Austin, you should seek out the location on N. Hwy. 183 in Anderson Mill for car detailing. The location on Parmer Ln. in Scofield Farms only offers washing.
This is another premium, drive-thru tunnel wash. So, instead of a hand car wash, you’ll get a machine wash for a much lower price — as low as $8. The top-tier tunnel wash goes for $22 and includes carnauba wax and a tire shine. If you’re more of a DIY-er, Palms Car Wash also offers self-service stations with an engine degreaser, triple foam wax, and premium spray wax.
One of our favorite things about this car wash service is that you can choose your own adventure. In addition to the self-service and tunnel car wash options, the location in Anderson Mill (and the one in South Austin) offers professional detailing and headlight restoration. With these services, you can sit back and relax while an attendant vacuums, conditions, and cleans your interior for as low as $49.99, not including your car wash. A full interior and exterior detailing goes for $299.99.
Mobile Car Wash: NuWash
No matter where you are in town, this mobile detailing service will turn up at your home or office, and wash your car while you work. By the time you’re ready to ride, Sally will look brand new. NuWash offers five different car wash packages with the basic package starting at $24 for an exterior hand wash, and a rim and tire shine.
Their packages go all the way up to $299 for the works, which includes a hand wash, rim and tire shine, vacuuming, interior windows, leather cleaning and conditioning, carpet cleaning and stain removal, dashboard conditioning, clay bar polish, hard coat hand wax, high-pressure air blowout, paint polish and sealant, and an exterior plastic dressing with UV coating.
There are multiple packages in between this bottom-tier and top-tier option, so you can get all the services you want and none of the services you don’t.
Wax On, Wax Off at the Best Place To Wash Your Car in Austin
After you visit the best car wash Austin has in your neighborhood, you’ll be ready to cruise around town in your freshly waxed wheels. And while the wax on, wax off treatment you get during your car detailing may not turn you into the Karate Kid, it will prepare you to catch a screening of “The Karate Kid” (or whatever happens to be playing) at the drive-in.So, why not steer Mustang Sally in the direction of one of the best movie theaters in Austin?
You could drive out to one of the best places to watch the sunset in Austin, or you could lay down those seats, open the moonroof, and take in some of the best camping near Austin.
Just be careful not to park under a tree — after all, you finally got that bird poop off your paint job.
