Nothing beats washing a car by hand, but that takes time I don’t have and, especially when my car is particularly dirty, a quick run through an automatic car wash is the next best thing. That was the case today. After a trip to Massachusetts last weekend my car was completely covered by bug guts and bird droppings—some of the hardest stuff to get off. I took the car to Klee’s Car Wash on Jefferson Road at lunch today to take car of that problem.

I’ve been going to Klee’s for years. They are locally owned, which I like. They also offer a discount to RIT faculty, staff, and students, which is nice. Neither of those reasons is the reason I go, however. I go there because they really get my car clean.

Today, for example, the guy working the entrance spent a good 10 minutes spraying my car with cleaner and power spraying it down to ensure that all of the bugs were gone, before my car even entered the car wash. At the other end another very friendly guy chatted with me while he hand dried my car, making sure that nearly every last drop of water was wiped up.

Another semi-locally owned chain down the street is better known for their car wash, but my car always looks “kinda clean” when it comes out. They also charge me a “large vehicle fee” since I have an SUV. Why does it matter what size my car is? Its not like it takes their machines any more time or effort to clean my car just because it is a couple feet taller than a sedan! At Klee’s my car always come out totally clean and they give me a discount to boot.