Our data
Why a 5-star car wash rating means little
A perfect Google rating can hide thin review counts, paid nudges and ordinary bad work. Here is what to trust instead when you choose a car wash.
Guides
Practical advice and original analysis of our own directory data. No sponsored placements — see About for how this site is funded.
Our data
Finding a car wash open on Sunday — or at 3am
One in five UK car washes is shut on Sunday, and one in five never closes at all. We looked at the published opening hours of 7,381 locations to work out when you can actually turn up.
Our data
Hand wash, automatic or self-service? What 824,000 UK reviews actually say
We compared ratings across every rated car wash in our UK database. The gap between valeting services and coin-op jet washes is larger than most drivers expect.
Car care
How often should you wash your car in the UK?
A practical UK washing schedule based on plates, lights, salt, pollen and cost, so you clean often enough without scratching paint or wasting money.
Our data
Is that car wash still open?
Before you drive across town, use this quick check to separate a working car wash from a dead listing, a closed forecourt, or a site that has vanished.
Our data
Can you pay by card at a UK car wash?
Most UK car washes do take cards, but the awkward ones still hide in plain sight. Here’s what the numbers, law and directories say.
Our data
Which UK car wash chain is best?
A straight ranking of the biggest UK car wash chains by coverage, ratings and value, with the law, ownership and wash types that matter.
Our data
Which UK city has the best car washes? We ranked 22 of them
Leicester tops our table at 4.40; Westminster sits last at 4.13. The spread is small, and the reason why says more about how car washes work than the ranking does.
Our data
What car wash reviews complain about
The biggest complaints from UK car wash reviews, from rude staff to missed dirt and damage, plus what the law says when it goes wrong.
Choosing a wash
What a car wash should cost in the UK
We read 4,134 recent reviews that mention a price to find what UK drivers actually pay — and compared it with what a lawful wash has to cost. A third of hand wash prices do not cover the wage bill.
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