Frequently Asked Questions

You’ll be greeted by friendly, professional people who will guide you through the simple process. Basically, all you need to do is put your vehicle in neutral when asked, and relax! We’ll do the rest. We clean the vehicle exterior with gentle touch washers and mild cleaning solutions. Your wheels and whitewalls will be cleaned, and your vehicle will be rinsed and gently dried with our exclusive hot air drying system – all automatically, in five minutes or less!

Yes. For safety reasons, there must be a driver at the wheel. All Metro Express Car Washes use extensive lighting and lots of glass, to create a comfortable, wide-open environment. We’ll give you easy to follow instructions, answer any questions you might have, and guide you through the process.

We have a custom-designed “drying area” at the end of our wash process that uses heated air to dry your vehicle – without having to touch your car. You won’t need to hand-dry your vehicle (although if you want to bring along your own towel and give it a final detail before you leave, feel free to pull into our vacuum area and give your newly-clean car some personal attention).

Yes. We accept VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.

Metro Express Car Washes offers “exterior-only” service. We do provide self-service, super-powered 120 hp vacuums at all our locations. All locations have extra equipment for state-of-the-art machine-fed mat cleaning (clips for vacuuming, machine-fed cleaners, or matt “beating” stations).

Our cleaning products are specifically created to be effective and safe in our environment. They are fully biodegradable and safe for your vehicle and for the environment. To guarantee this, they are manufactured to the highest environmental standards for Metro Express Car Washes. They are made exactly to our specifications to ensure that they are the safest, most effective products available.

Yes. We recycle, reclaim and reuse our water with our on-site reclamation system to ensure safe, high-quality, recycled water.

By comparison, a recent study shows that the average person uses over 100 gallons of water when washing a car by hand. Our computer-controlled system uses under 45 gallons of fresh water for each wash, in addition to over 100 gallons of recycled water.

We employ a brushless process, using only soft foam fingers that gently washes the surface of your car in combination with safe, biodegradable shampoos and cleaners. “No Touch” operations, on the other hand don’t use direct-contact cleaning media.

Almost certainly, yes! If you ever have any questions, please feel free to come by any of our locations and we’ll be happy to check your vehicle for problem areas. Here are a list of vehicles that might not be able to fit: Vehicles that sit 4.5″ or lower to the ground. Vehicles with tires wider than 13″. Vehicles taller than 84″. Extended Height Full Size Vans (over 84 inches) Trucks with Dual Rear Tires Vehicles with permanently affixed tri-pod style mirrors. Full Size Hummers. Open bed pickup trucks with a fuel tank that has a fill nozzle and hose attached Open bed pickup trucks with debris, tools, straps, rope or any other loose materials. Some 1965-69 General Motor vehicles with large fins and wrap-around bumpers. Trucks/van with ladders. Vehicles with large ladder racks. Vehicles with “rocket boxes” on top. Here are a list of things that sometimes cause problems, and must be washed with some caution: Previous Damage (loose molding / emblems, blistered or peeling paint, etc.) Cracked Windshields Very Low Profile Tires Objects on Antennas ( balls, flags, etc.) Power antennas that won’t lower. Ski and Bike Racks Large “Knobby” Tires Spoilers Racing Fins Any after market parts. Parts that are not put on by the manufacturer.

We accept most cars, vans and trucks up to 84 inches in height. Unfortunately, we cannot wash trucks with dual wheels. We guarantee the safety of all factory-installed equipment in proper working order.

Almost certainly. All we ask is that the pickup bed be empty before going through the wash. This is for the safety of your vehicle, and those of other customers. Also, some side-mirrors are incompatible with our process, and certain types of modifications that employ oversized or off-road tires or radically raised suspensions may not be compatible.

Yes. Please make sure that the roof is properly latched.

Yes. We use cloth wash materials and mild cleaners. However, the paint should be allowed to cure before washing. Consult with your body shop for curing times (usually at least 30 days for repainted cars and body parts). (Paint on new cars is fully cured before delivery.)

Yes. Most car makers caution against automatic washes that use acids on polished aluminum wheels, since these can stain – or carbon or plastic tire brushes, which can scratch. At Metro Express we use no such acids, and only soft cloth washing material; so your wheels are perfectly safe.

Yes. However, once the integrity of windshield glass is compromised by rock chips (even very small ones), it becomes more susceptible to changes in temperature. So, while you may wash your vehicle with windshield damage, cracks or chips may expand. It’s always best to repair or replace a damaged windshield immediately.

Aftermarket products such as CB and cell phone antennas should be removed before washing; we’ll gladly attend to this when you arrive.

Unfortunately, we can’t be responsible for aftermarket accessories made of plastic. Most customers who have bug shields wash their vehicles with no incident. However, problems can arise if the shield has already been damaged by rock chips, or by stress cracks around the installation screws (which can be hard to detect), or if it is made from low-grade plastic. If you need a new bug shield, we recommend products made of Lexan, which is virtually indestructible.