Alright, let me tell you about getting the car washed down here in St. Pete the other day. The car was looking pretty rough, you know how it gets with the salt air and the occasional bird deciding to use it for target practice. Just felt grimy.
Finding a Spot
So, I decided it was time. Didn’t really have a favorite spot picked out, just kinda drove around looking for one that seemed decent. Found this place off one of the main drags, looked busy enough which I usually take as a good sign. Pulled in, wasn’t too sure about the setup at first.
The Process
You drive up to this big menu board thing, like ordering fast food but for your car. Had a few options, nothing too fancy. I just went for a basic wash with a bit extra, like the undercarriage spray. Seemed important near the coast.
Paid at the machine right there. Stuck my card in, punched in the choice, and the gate thingy lifted. Pretty straightforward. Then you just sorta crawl forward following the signs, put the car in neutral when they tell you. Always feels a bit weird giving up control like that, letting the machine pull the car along.
Then the action started. First came the water jets, knocking off the loose stuff. Then this mountain of foamy soap dropped down, completely covered everything. Smelled kinda like cheap bubblegum, but whatever works, right?
- Big brushes started spinning, slapping against the car. Makes a heck of a racket inside.
- More water, rinsing all that soap off.
- Then came some kinda wax spray, supposed to make it shiny.
- Finally, the giant blowers. Like being in a hurricane for a minute. Pushes most of the water off.
The light turned green at the end, so I put it in drive and rolled out into the sunlight. Still dripping a bit, but way better than before.
Finishing Up
They had these free vacuum spots off to the side. Pulled into one of those. The suction wasn’t amazing, gotta be honest, but it was good enough to get the sand and cracker crumbs out from the floor mats. Spent maybe ten minutes doing that. Wiped down a few leftover water spots on the windows with an old towel I keep in the trunk.
Overall? Yeah, it did the job. Car looked clean again, shiny enough. Wasn’t anything spectacular, just a regular old car wash experience. Got the grime off, that’s what I went for. Good enough for me. Back on the road feeling a little less embarrassed about the state of my ride. That’s the story from St. Pete.
