Commonly Asked Questions
How long will the service take?
Hand car washes generally take 20 minutes to 45 minutes, and car detailing can take 1-2 hours which may extend a little longer on weekends and special events. With a booking we can ensure that those times don’t extend longer.
Will hand car wash scratch my car?
Absolutely not! Steps and precautions that we take will ensure that no scratches are caused by us. To help provide you a scratch free finish, we first degrease the car to loosen the existing dirt and then rinse that dirt off with high pressure. Sponges, (not hand brushed or scourers) are used to shampoo the car, then rinsed again and dried it with a clean chamois. If you are still worried, you can always ask the booking operator to go over the car to look for any existing damage. Please note that sometimes existing scratches underneath the dirt are not visible to the naked eye. Please also avoid taking the car through drive thru car washes as they often scratch paint surfaces.
Do I need to prepare my car for hand car wash?
Not necessarily. We mostly work with existing personal belongings, such clothes, bags, prams etc, in the car but it is a good idea to remove any clutter from the seats, door pockets, and the boot to help us get the best finish. It is advisable to remove expensive items from the car completely and secure the small items like garage remotes, parking permits, keys, sentimental value items, receipts into glovebox or similar enclosed area.
Why are there still stains on my car’s after my car wash?
Although we wash every car thoroughly, there are some stains from bird poo, tree sap, acid rain that do not go. We encourage customers to wash their cars often to avoid such stains to set in.
Can you give a quote over the phone or email?
The pricing here on the website is usually what we charge, however due to prices depending on vehicle size and vehicle condition we can only give a firm price on site. Rest assured that you won’t be charged surprisingly high prices when you visit us as in most cases the prices will be the same as indicated on website. Visit the store so our experts can discuss the best service to get the result you are looking for.
Do you offer loyalty programs?
Absolutely! We reward our valued customers and offer multiple rewards depending on your frequency of visit. Ask the staff about prepaid booklet of washes where you pay less for multiple prepaid washes. The deal is that you pay for 5 washes and get 6 washes with one year expiry from the date of issue and no further discounts or deals applied. Second option is to get a physical loyalty card from us which we stamp each time you visit us and you get 8th wash for free. If none of above are suitable to you, visiting during the week will get you a discount of 10% with no conditions attached.
My car is heavily soiled. Which service should I pick?
A mini detail or a full steam clean would be a good fit. You are welcome to visit us for obligation free quote or call us to discuss. For general maintenance clean, a standard In and Out service is fine. For some extra shine and attention, Silver service is a good option, which also happens to be our most popular service.
What payment options do you accept?
We accept Cash, Visa, EFTPOS, Mastercard, American Express, Diners, Fleetcard, and Motorpass. There is a 0.75% surcharge on all cards.
Are discounts available for multiple vehicles for fleet vehicles?
Yes, Please discuss this with the store manager and they will be happy to assist. Special discounts are available for fleet vehicles.
What do I do if I’m not happy with the service?
If you aren’t satisfied for any reason, do speak with the store staff before you leave the location and we will rectify all issues immediately on site. If you find quality issues when you get home, you can bring it back at later date to get the issues fixed. If you can’t return in the next week or two, email us photos to admin@shcw.com.au and we may offer you discount for next wash or a partial refund.
Do I need to make a booking?
Bookings aren’t necessary, but it is helpful. Sometimes wait time can stretch longer, so to ensure a quick turnaround you may book ahead using the booking form on the website or simply call us. Generally speaking, drive-ins are just as quick too.
Do you offer Gift cards?
Yes, we do sell gift vouchers. Vouchers can be used by anyone for the value of the voucher or for the service mentioned and paid for. They have one year expiry from the date of issue.
Do you have any other branch and why should we choose over others in the area?
No, we do not have any other branch. We believe we are the best hand car wash in Highpoint and probably in the northwest. We are the most experienced in the centre with our 15 years’ experience. Unlike many other car washes in Melbourne, the site is not left with managers to run, but we ensure the owners are present so provide the best quality and care for your vehicle.
How do I know my car is finished and do I have to return to pick it up at a certain time?
We will text you when your car wash is complete. Once you receive a message, you can pick up anytime after that before our closing time. We may apply a temporary parking limit on some weekends to rotate parking bays to serve other customers.
What are your trading hours?
We are everyday except Christmas day and Good Friday. Our trading hours are
Mon to Wed 8 am to 530pm
Thurs to Fri 8 am to 9 pm
Sat to Sun 8 am to 630pm
These are indicative trading hours and they may fluctuate a little depending on demand and weather so please call the store to confirm on the day.
Why was I charged extra today as I usually I pay less?
Hand Car Washing is a labour-intensive process which relies on labour hours to clean the cars and therefore jobs may be charged a little extra. We do try to accommodate some amount of dirt within the usual price but on rare occasions cars with excessive soilage or pet hair and sand will require additional time to clean and as such may be subject to a soilage surcharge. The onsite manager should always discuss and agree any additional charges before the wash commences, as such it is your decision whether to accept the surcharge and for the wash to proceed.
Do you run a happy hour?
Yes, if you book at least 24 hours before, we will discount an extra 7% if you drop your car between 8 am and 830 am on a weekday or weekend. Please mention this offer in case we forget to apply the deal.
Do you offer Centre staff discount or Seniors Discounts?
We offer 15% Centre staff or Senior Discounts. Discounts are applied on weekdays only and cannot be applied in conjunction with any other discount or deals. Seniors card or centre identification is required.
Do you commonly come across issues when cleaning certain car models?
No, not often but rarely we do come across some issues. Although we do try to be careful, sometimes garage remotes and parking permits are moved to a different spot in the car in the cleaning process and customers have called us to help locate them. They would sometimes end up in the gaps between console and the seats or one of the door pockets or console.
We also notice some cars paint will have weak spots and paint might chip off from those areas. Bird poo and wear tear could create weak spots on the paint which we encourage customers to notify us of we can avoid washing that sections of the car all together.
Some brands such mazdas have folding mirrors which we have noticed don’t fold in properly after the wash. It could be due to water and dirt lodging the cavities causing the mirror to not fold fully. Customers are advised us to let us know whether they would like avoid pressure wash on side mirrors.
Some cars electronic seats might stop moving back and forth. This could be due to some obstruction in the railing underneath which is sometimes not visible to the naked eye. Customers are encouraged to check for any loose items underneath before drop off so they don’t cause an issue when we move the seats back and forth to vacuum the car thoroughly. You may advise us not to move the seats at all.
Some customers have complained about sunroof window and back of wheels not washed. We do not move sunroof window ourselves for liability reasons, if customers want them cleaned we ask customers to move the sunroof ahead of the wash. For safety reasons, we do not clean behind the allow as sometimes there are sharp objects.