Harlem-Randolph Car Wash

I’ve been here about 7 or 8 times. They’re just ok. I don’t like how they have this garbage can sitting in the front of the entrance you have to maneuver your car really crazy to enter. When you get out to give them your car, they’re not that friendly either. You enter to pay & can’t tip on your card SUCKS! The waiting area is old and needs to be touched up. The drying of the car is so so. Depending on who dries your car. I’ve had good and bad. I also have had them give attitude about tips. Or try 2 have me call them so I can have them dry my car off. I IGNORE THE RIFF RAFF!!! It’s cool for a quick in & out ckeaning for $ 9.75.

I have gone to this car wash literally for the past 18 years. I go there today and when I get to the front of the line, I hand the owner my ticket that was filled out prior to reaching the front of the line. The owner looks at it and says, «ok, you signed up for our shit service and that’s it – please go to the cashier». I wanted to back up and get out of there, but they had already had it going thru the wash. Without a doubt the worst service I have ever experienced when it comes to dealing with a business.

Don’t show up at 8am for a car wash. I really wanted a car wash but after waiting 20 minutes for them to open I had to go. Onto the next car wash.

This place is fine if you are looking for a regular wash. I had my wife’s truck waxed here and it was awful. Three months later, I am still trying to get wax off the plastic parts. Horrible.

These guys are the only game in town, but I will never come here again!!! I am shocked at the rudeness of the owner. After patiently waiting over an hour with no complaints, I pull up to the wash and the owner lectures me and and throws complete attitude about where I’m supposed to pull up. Totally uncalled for! I don’t know… just kindly tell me!!! I then give my order and don’t understand the options and the owner says, «what’s your hang up now?» Seriously?! I can’t even believe you talk to customers that way??? I am probably one of the most laid back and low maintenance customers you can have!

I was looking for an automated car wash while visiting Oak Park and stumbled on this place. For 10 bucks they did an amazing job — inside and out vacuuming window cleaning etc. Mostly hand wash even on the lowest value car wash. I’ll be coming back and I’ll recommend others do as well. Note that all car wash jobs are for people who are often having tough times. I heartily suggest you tip heavily. A few extra bucks from us can make a real difference in someone’s life

They did a good job washing and detailing my car. Shorty and his crew seem like good guys. But buyer beware — normal guidelines of tipping don’t apply here.
Wash + detail was $ 40. My tip of $ 12 — which I thought was generous — was declined and I was asked for $ 20 instead. A 50% tip? I don’t know if that’s normal or if I was duped. ( Unilocalers — any advice?) They should raise the prices or post tipping expectations. It was a bizarre experience.

I’ve been coming here for about 15 years, but it took me moving to the city to truly appreciate how great this place is. I’ve always thought this place to be the best in the area, but having been to a ton of places in the city I feel that this place usually goes above and beyond any other place I’ve been to with just a wash (not a detail). Pretty much any carwash will get the exterior clean. Where this place excels is the time they take to clean and wipe down both the exterior and interior of the car after it comes out of the wash. I will say that your experience can vary depending on who ends up taking care of your car, but usually every part of my interior has been wiped down — windows, dash, steering wheel, insides of the doors — everything. I find that most other places skimp on this and give it a quick once over, if that. These guys take their time and well with it. Blows any place I’ve been to in the city out of the water. Not only is it cheaper, but it’s a better wash. And to the people commenting about shady looking guys working there — they are washing your car, not dating your daughter. Who cares!

I really like Forest Park businesses and I try to support them all. This car wash is down the alley from me but I won’t go here. I rather go to Premier Car Wash or go to Delta Sonic on 5^th and North ave for unlimited car washes. Here’s my reasons why:
1. They are slow. If you’re lucky to drive up with no line it will take you an easy 20 minutes for wash and dry. Delta Sonic has me off in less than 6 minutes with a line.
2. Windex. Yes I said Windex. They use Windex to clean your car windows!!! I bet you’re like, «David, that’s good! They’re using a well known brand.» WRONG!!! You never use household window cleaning products on car windows. Household cleaning products contain ammonia which messes up your cars tinted windows. It accelerates the aging of the tints causing them to become lighter.
3. Shady characters at the car wash. There’s always a guy asking to hand wax your car and they will always pressure you for tips. Really???
I won’t get my car wash here ever again.

Decent place for a car wash. I’ve never had a bad experience here and my car always looks great, inside and out. There was one time the towel dude forgot to clean down the dashboard, but I asked him to nicely and he apologized for not remembering.
They don’t just dry off your car when they’re done, they wipe down the inside surfaces, clean the inside of the windows (which in my car always includes dog slobber and kid hand prints), and clean off any caked on debris still left over. And yes, they open up your car so that they can do this. I mean, what are you leaving in your car that’s so valuable anyway? I expect this to take at least 10 minutes and I’m happy that they take their time.
I like that the owner gives these so-​called «shady» people (just quoting other reviewers here) a chance to make some extra cash. They’ve always treated me and my car with respect and are very pleasant and grateful when receiving a tip. If you want a high-​class car wash, then go pay $ 50 somewhere else.

Went here yesterday for a quick car wash. Usually I go further down the street to get my car washed at Premier Car Wash but this one is closer to my house and time was of the essence.
First off, you enter through the back and tuen your car over to the attendant who drives it through. You can see your car while it goes through the wash, which is a good thing. Lots of shady characters hanging around the car wash. Didn’t take that as a good sign so I kept a real close eye on my car.
Second wrinkle, the exterior wash only cost $ 5.95. I only had a $ 20 (other bills I had were larger) and the guy that rang me up took it, asked if I had anything smaller. When I said no, he got a slight attitude, took the bill anyway, opened the register where I saw he had plenty of change to cover my $ 20 (and a few others).
But what ultimately messed my head up was when they dried my car off. They pull your car around to the front where all the shady characters are; the guy left my door open and my car unattended! Then the guy (the same one that rang me up) starts to dry my car… them stops to have a personal conversation! Took about 10 minutes to get my car dry, for a total of 20 minutes for a car wash that’s not that busy. (Premier Car Wash will do it in under 7 minutes if they’re not busy.). Then as I’m getting into my car, before I have a chance to reach for my wallet, the guy tells me this:
«excuse me, but we work for tips.»
YOU DONT ASK FOR A TIP!
I will never go there again. I’m going back to Premier.

This place is fantastic. They wipe down every inch of you car for a very fair price, $ 12 for the ultra. Vacuuming will cost extra and they do provide detail services. They close early and expect a couple dollars for tip, but they do a good job and it’s worth it.

This Harlem-​Randolph Car Wash is strange. I brought my car here to have it detailed because there was a lot of camping remnants in it from the fall. Dude charged me $ 13 for the car wash (the car’s exterior only) then told me to just tip him for the detailing. Is he avoiding paying taxes or something? It was uncomfortable. I ended up giving him a $ 35 tip because that’s how much a basic detailing has cost me in the past.
Anyway, the exterior looked great. The inside was ok. It’s been done better. The dust on the dashboard wasn’t removed, it was just smeared around. There is still dirt and particles under the floor mats. The upholstery looks great though.
I don’t think I’ll go back to this place for detailing. I will go back for a car wash though.

Just got my car washed there today. I have been looking for a while for a good place to get that done. They covered every inch of the car, including wiping down the tail pipe! The car looks great!