Yates Carwash & Detail Center

I’ve been taking my cars to Yates for many years. I always have good service and i never have to wait to long for a wash. I have never used the hand wash or detail options, so i can’t speak about those services. I always get the $ 19 wash and it gets the job done especially after a snow storm.

I received a package of Yates Car Wash coupons for Christmas and gave them a try today. Was pleasantly surprised! Yes, the entrance is very confusing… It’s the garage door facing the highway in the front of the building. Friendly service from the greeter and the cashier, and the guy who hand-​dried my car did a beautiful job. I watched from inside the building and noticed he wiped down every door jamb, dash, and even wiped down my wheels. The building and equipment is dated and cluttered, but I guess that makes it charming. Not bad for $ 16.

This car wash is a great affordable option for a quick detail. I’ve never been disappointed, and if I’ve ever had a problem they’ve been quick to address it with re-​cleaning, etc. This is the only car wash I’ve ever been to where they really pay attention to the interior, which honestly is more important to me than the exterior.
Staff is friendly and there are nice tables to sit and wait for your wash to be done. I always get the Yates Special and it’s a good value for the service.

The pricing is fair and competitive and the wait was average for the type of service they offer. I did both the complete interior and the complete exterior for around $ 55.
The Good: They did a very good job on the interior. It was slick and felt brand new. THere were some smudges on some of the dash that they applied their cleaning/​grease agent to. I can’t ding them to bad for that because I’ve gotten those smudges EVERY car wash I go to. It took me about 10 minutes with a microfiber cloth to simply buff those out when I got home.
The Bad: I pay $ 55 for a wash, I expect it to be clean. I brought the car in with 2 months worth of road and weather gunk so it was pretty beat up. Had a lot of bird droppings and the like. When I come out to pick the car up the guy with my keys points to a whole bunch of reddish brown spots all over the vehicle. Like, EVERYWHERE. He says there machine has been having trouble with spitting out chemicals or something and tells me to talk to the supervisor about a hand buff. Supervisor comes over and says that it will cost me $ 450 to get it buffed! Why? He said that those stains were already there when I brought the car in and a «basic» exterior was wouldn’t get them out. I argued for a couple minutes and he kept up the same line of reasoning. Finally I just gave up and drove off as I was late for another appointment. After I got home I noticed that the plastic trim around the base of the car was all spotty, there were bird dropping still visible on multiple points and the tire shine which they prided themselves in was splotched on and missing entire portions of the tires.
So long story short. Great for interiors, terrible for exteriors. Go some place else.

Third car wash place I’ve tried since moving to the area. I give up!!! Virginia doesn’t believe in good drive-​thru car washes.
They believe in overpricing and giving crappy car washes. $ 16 to drive thru a car wash and have someone barely wipe down the outside and do who knows what to the inside (sure isn’t clean it).
They do vacuum the inside, but forget about the trunk. Oh wait.. .. want some armor all on the tires??? That’s another $ 6!!! Really? I could buy an entire F’n bottle of armor all from the store for $ 6! unless the stuff they put on tires last for 6 months, I’ll pass.
Driving into this place is all backwards. I pulled in the wrong way (but there are no signs saying «do not enter») and had to make a 6 point u-​turn (because there’s no room anywhere) to get in line. Then your car shoots out the wash and onto a two-​way street. How they get away with parking cars along both sides of the street (parking your car facing oncoming traffic is illegal) doesn’t make any sense to me.
I need to open my own car wash in VA.

I recently moved to the area and have been looking for a good car wash. After looking on Unilocal,I could tell this would be a struggle in the alexandria area but I ended up deciding to try this place. I did the $ 16 car wash option which I thought was a little expensive but I needed a vacuum and a good exterior wash as I had mud on my running boards, tires, and mud flaps.
When the car came out and was being dried, I looked and it was just ok. I could still see some mud on the side of the running boards and mud flap area. The interior looked vacuumed but it wasn’t sparkling and didn’t look as good as I have experienced at car washes elsewhere. Overall I would say I was disappointed. I am not sure if I will return, I will definitely try somewhere else first.

Avoid at all costs!!! Silly me, I read all of the negative reviews and STILL went to this dump, thinking, «Maybe those people are overreacting. They’re not. I just moved here from Brooklyn, NY, where you really have to ride their a*ses to ensure you get a good car wash, thinking it would be better down South, same way it was when I lived here many years ago. I’m sure there are MANY other great car washes around here, but this sure isn’t it.
I pulled up and asked the guy what kind of washes they offered. The absence of a board with detailed information about each service should have been red flag, but I figured I’d lighten up and give them a shot. I asked the intake guy what they offered and settled for the Ultimate after he ASSURED ME they’d clean the interior well. He tried to upsell me to add $ 25 for a detail job and when I asked him how long it would take he said 35 minutes to an hour extra, I told him I didn’t have time to wait that long, but that I’d see how they did with this wash and that I’d come back if they did a good job, on another day.
When I went to get my car I was shocked by how filthy it was inside. They hadn’t wiped anything. Had only vacuumed. I could have paid $ 1 and vacuumed it out myself and skipped the «ultimate» package. I asked one of the ladies cleaning cars to take a look and she seemed to take pleasure in telling me she wasn’t cleaning it unless I paid $ 25 more dollars. TO WIPE MY DASH, DOOR PANELS AND SEATS!!! REALLY?!
I went to get a manager and he was sweating profusely they were so busy. Moolah, baby! So, he came over and tells me they use some «spray» to clean the interior and I’d have to pay $ 25 more to have them clean the inside. WTF!!! Did NASA scientists create this top secret spray that, apparently, only they have?! He peers around inside the car and tells me, «Honestly, it doesn’t look that bad to me.» I said, «Come on. If this was your car, you would not find this acceptable.»
All that aside, they didn’t even clean the OUTSIDE of the car well and that’s the highlight of the «ULTIMATE» wash isn’t it? This place is a joke and I’ll drive 45 to Rockville, where I can get a proper wash, in the future because these guys are only churning cars through so they can make money. They don’t give a sh*t about the quality of the work.

I would rather LICK my truck clean than ever take it here again.
Since it’s convenient and close to work, I chose to hit Yates on the way to work. Yet every single time I go here, I get mad at myself for paying $ 22 for someone to bang my truck up with brushes and wooden handles (ironic for a «brushless» car wash), run thru a half-​assed wash, only to get wiped down with and have half my tires sprayed with some fake Armor All.
I can’t remember a single time where I didn’t have to spend another 10 – 15 minutes re-​cleaning my truck. This morning was no different, but this time, a giant splatter of bird shit right on the hood was still there when they were finished.
The manager was kind enough to come out after seeing me wipe down my own vehicle after paying someone to do it and ask if there was a problem. And after I explained, she kindly gave me a polite «Oh.»
Do yourself a favor — if you’ve ever considered taking your car here, drive your car down a boat launch and into the Potomac. If you can live with what your car looks like afterwards, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the service you get here at Yates.

This place was recommended to me by a friend who is extremely particular about his car. I was a little hesitant when I saw the place Because I’m also funny about mine but I figured if it was good enough for him it couldn’t be but so bad.
I was amazed they really exceeded my expectations. They treated my beloved 2004 Volvo S60 with great care and holy cow did it look good when they finished. Best $ 22 I’ve spent on a car wash ever. They did such a good job that car was still sparkling clean after driving it home to NC!!!

Second time getting the car detailed here. Pricing is comparable and they have VIP wash packages. I prefer a monthly membership with unlimited washes but I can’t find anywhere like that in the DC metro area.
If you prefer a wham bam thank you ma’am you can send it through the machine and they give you a thorough cleaning, drying and wipe down after. Tyres get treated and you a golden. I prefer the hand wash for about $ 15 more. Takes a little longer, but think of your paint. Besides the machine usually misses some areas, which means that the wipe down process may result in dirt bing rubbed into the paint inadvertently. For about $ 125 you can get the deluxe hand wash with a hand wax. They even offer a deluxe buff and wax where they compound the car then wax all after the interior is thoroughly cleaned and a hand wash.
Bottom line: if you love your car and love it looking great, this is the place to come.

For a BRUSHLESS Car Wash… what’s the point if a gut with a brush on a broom handle attacks the hood of your car before you can get out to stop him?! I have to do this on every occasion and beg them not to use a brush on my paint. It’s frustrating. You tell the guy that is asking what level of service you want, he writes «No Brush» on a ticket and sticks it on the dashboard. They guy with the broom brush doesn’t read it, and just rushes up and starts brushing before I can YELL at him to stop. Yelling because the Vacuum guy is already in and the guy taking the order isn’t right there when I pull up.
Otherwise, a decent wash.

They cracked my dashboard and gave me the run around for months, eventually paying nothing of the $ 2000 in damage they caused. The owner (‘Mr.’ Yates) asked me to get an estimate. I got one and then he asked to do his own. I made an appointment and he never showed up. He missed the next appointment and then a few weeks later he missed another appointment, then after a few weeks of avoiding my calls, said he was not responsible via the manager after never talking with me. You are a terrible business owner and a rude person. I will never return and tell everyone I know to never go. Avoid at all cost.

Not sure how anyone can knock the Yates Car Wash. Every time I’ve gone in for a wash I have received excellent customer service. The price is more than fair for a full service wash (I’ve seen others at almost twice the price). Even when I moved I went back to them. Wouldn’t go anywhere else.
Also, if you feel the car needs more vacuuming or something that’s not done perfectly, just ask Jorge nicely and they will do it gladly.

So I’ve been here twice once with each of my cars. One of my cars is a daily beater, the other one is rather expensive so I’m careful where I take it. I saw a lot of Audis, Porsches, and Mercedes coming out looking fantastic so I thought I’d give it a try.
I just did the basic wash which is $ 16 and they vacuum it and do the glass. My beater came out looking like the day it came out from the dealership they work really hard when they dry it and do the windows after it’s out of the initial carwash tunnel. I had a one dollar off coupon from my car wash receipt so I used it the very next day and my more expensive car. Again my expensive car came out looking fantastic just like it came out of the dealership and I didn’t spend more than $ 20 each time.
However that said I made sure to tip the people directly after they were done drying and doing the glass on my car. One of the ladies told me they remember who tips and who doesn’t. I’m not sure whether this affects service or not but who cares as long as I’m tipping and my car comes out looking great!

My car came out clean and looking great. I really wanted a good cleaning on the inside of the car. They definitely took their time to take care of it. About 30 minutes for a good detail on the inside this was fine because I had time to spare. The only downfall of this place would be that all washes are separate. So I could have done a better wash on the outside but I didn’t want to pay $ 60 in total for a wash, a little pricey from my standpoint. The $ 16 I paid for a regular wash was sufficient being as it rained after I left anyways! Nice staff that do a great job. I would definitely stop by to try this place for yourself.

Second time to this car wash… This time they tried to up sell me to the hand wash because I have slightly bigger tiresome my Jeep Wrangler. Sorry guys I’ve been through your normal car wash before without the same poor sales pitch.

Seems to be small business owner, good employees, I haven’t had any issues with how clean and how fast my car gets. Been coming here for over a year now. Their tip situation is really weird. When I give cash to the person directly they tell me to put it in the tip jar instead, when I put it in tip jar, next time, they complain how the money goes to people who vacuumed. What’s going on? LOL

Great service lines are long on weekends but move quickly
Got the Ultimate service for 22.00 and the interior for $ 35.00
Very satisfied
Highly recomend unless you prefer to wash your own

Every time I go here, I leave mad at myself that I went. They normally do an ok job on the exterior but today even after paying to have my wheels cleaned there was still visible grime on the wheels. The interior was also still dirty. Debris was left in door handle and the seats did not appear to have been vacuumed at all.

I stopped in this spot to get my beloved Roadbeast washed, The main reason that I selected Yates was that this carwash is brushless, and my 1989 Crown Vic LTD deserves the best care possible… Did I mention that we’re talking original paint here, people?
The setup here is just like the one seen in the TV show Breaking Bad (sans Walter White and his barrel of methylene): You get out of your car and watch from windows as your baby makes its way down the track, which is kind of entertaining. When your car is finished, they drive it to the detail area where several detail experts put the finishing touches on your chariot like a team of eager smurfs polishing a smurfberry.
Overall, I was very happy with the service, but I will say that they guys in the detail area did miss a trace bird droppings where some horrid vulture had made a bombing run on the Roadbeast. Yes, this was my initial reason for stopping into Yates, and I certainly wasn’t going to drive off with any trace of this crime on the hood of classic baby. So without missing a beat, I picked up a polishing rag and buffed out the bird bomb myself, saying, «Guys, the Roadbeast must be treated like the national treasure it is «
This was a simple oversight, so I smiled and tipped my car smurfs who had really worked pretty hard. I certainly wouldn’t write Yates off for future visits. I plan to return the next time the Roadbeat needs a little touch up. Who knows maybe I will even spring for a complete detail on its birthday.
«Varoom!!»
Easy, Roadbeast, I said maybe ;)