The best car wash locations in Sydney

One of the first things people notice about your car is its presentation, so choosing the right car wash is crucial.

Beyond aesthetics, not cleaning your car could cost you down the line as the build-up of dirt and grime combines with the sun’s harsh UV rays to attack your car from all angles. 

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This can result in things like rust, clear-coat peel, paint fade and deterioration of interior surfaces. In other words, it is very important to keep your car clean!

However, not all car washes are created equal. Some are more thorough with product offerings and maintain their results for longer, while others can be like sandpaper for your paint, so always be wary of using the first available drive-through car wash.

Generally, the best car washes are both non-damaging and protective, but there are trade-offs between price, duration and quality of work.

Picking the right car wash option can be difficult given the sheer number of choices out there. 

At-home handwashing provides DIY autonomy but can take significant time, and you risk damaging your paint if you haven’t researched best-practice methods. 

Self-service is an affordable option, but the lower-quality cleaning products won’t achieve a good finish, and the paint-scratching contamination from previous cars might be embedded in the washing tools. 

Automatic drive-through washes have the same issues as self-service but are quick if you’re at the petrol station and in a pinch.      

Local hand-wash businesses offer better care than self-service alternatives, but lack the autonomy that DIY provides. 

Finally, we have professional detailing, which can get expensive, but is high quality, convenient and typically lower risk than cheaper alternatives.

According to reviews and ratings across Sydney, the best car wash locations, in no particular order, are as follows:

Stay in the comfort of your own home with Fast Sale Detailing, a mobile detailing service covering Sydney's CBD and surrounding areas including Surry Hills, Redfern, Edgecliff, Bondi and Watsons Bay. They provide complete exterior services, including pre-paint correction clay-barring, plus interior deep-cleaning for windows, carpet shampooing and leather treatments. Their service offerings span from the Micro Detail at $150 to the $465 Platinum Detail (including machine polish), all offered in the comfort of your own driveway.

Want to have your car cleaned while doing some shopping? Fine Shine is a family-owned business located in the East Village shopping centre in Zetland offering car washing, detailing, paint protection, tint and damage repairs. An outside hand wash is available from as little as $35, while a Fine Shine Special – which includes a handwash, shine, chamois dry, some interior cleaning, polish/wax, steam clean and clay cloth – costs up to $180. With a 4.9 rating from almost 2000 Google reviews, Fine Shine is well-loved by its customers.

Gem Premium Hand Car Washes are located in Mascot, Waterloo and Tuggerah, all of them with Google ratings of 4.7 stars or more. They offer full cleaning services both inside and out, offering an exterior wash that costs $35 for sedans or $40 for SUVs and includes a wheel clean and tyre shine. If you want to add interior cleaning of the dashboard, windows and door trims, plus vacuuming, it comes to $65 for sedans and $85 for SUVs.

Sydney Goat Detailer is located in Balmain and offers protection, maintenance cleaning and detailing services, whilst boasting a five-star rating from 121 satisfied customers, with pictures to prove it. Maintenance and cleaning costs range from $120-$150 with an inside and out clean that includes a wheel face and barrel clean, snow foam, towel dry and tyre gel. The interior clean consists of a vacuum and wipe down of touch points and general stain cleaning. A mini detail is also on offer from $160-180.

If you are looking for a quick drive-in option anywhere in Sydney, then Star Car Wash has the best overall reviews out of the major car wash chains, however, reviews vary between locations. The highest reviewed are Rhodes Central, Bondi and Leichhardt. Prices range from roughly $29 for an express exterior wash for a sedan, up to roughly $160 for the Star Polish interior and exterior clean for a large SUV.