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Allston Car Wash
Category: Automotive Car Wash Car Wash [Edit]
434 Cambridge St(between Denby Rd & Rugg Rd)
Allston, MA 02134
Neighborhood: Allston/Brighton
(617) 254-3200
- Nearest Transit:
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Cambridge St @ Craftsman St (501, 64, 66, 9701, 9702, 9703)
Brighton Ave @ Craftsman St (193, 51, 57, 57A, 66)
Cambridge St @ Hano St (501, 503, 64)
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 8 am - 6 pm
Thu-Fri 8 am - 7 pm
Sat 8 am - 5 pm
Sun 9 am - 5 pm
57 reviews for Allston Car Wash
57 reviews in English
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Review from Ted L.
Boston, MA
3/29/2012
Reasonably prices for a variety of full service washes. This place can get crowded on a hot summer day but the lines move pretty quick.
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Review from Brad H.
Brighton, MA
3/23/2012
I'm pretty anal retentive. I'll admit as much. Whenever I come here, I'm usually disappointed. I usually don't use these types of car washes, so I'm not sure how it compares to similar places. Yes the car comes out cleaner than when it went in, but only the large surfaces. Much of the car gets missed (namely the roof, but that might be because I have roof racks). Doing it yourself or at a self service wash is cheaper and gets a better clean than their machines can accomplish.
Pros: Convenient and fast. Washing your car in the city is a pain and I've never had to wait too long coming here. The wax spray option seems to hold off the salt buildup in the winter slightly longer than if you had gone without it.
Cons: As I said, the basic exterior wash misses quite a bit and for the money it might be better to go with a self service place if you can spare a bit of time and effort.
If you don't care too much about the details and just want a fast job, this is probably the place for you. -
Review from Michael C.
Boston, MA
4/6/2012
These guys do a decent job but I have been to places around Boston that are faster and pay greater attention to detail. It's real saving grace for me is that it is close to my house.
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Review from A K.
Boston, MA
3/23/2012
Unfortunately, I bought a package of car washes for this place the first time I went. I had high hopes based on the reviews, but this place did not live up to my expectations. Every time I bring my car here, they miss something on the interior and exterior. When I leave the car wash, I expect the bird poo to have been removed from my windshield and the dust to have been cleaned from my dashboard. Enough said. I'll be finding a new place as soon as I use up my package.
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Review from Kate M.
Boston, MA
Updated - 10/16/2011
Wow, they've really gone downhill. I've been taking my car here for the last two years and the last few times I've been disappointed. They seem to miss pretty basic stuff on the interior, and my car just isn't gleaming after like it used too. This time my hubby and I each took our cars in to got the full works, hoping that might be better; we paid extra for the trunk ($2 a piece) but they didn't even open his!
I'll be looking elsewhere next time. It's too much of PITA heading up there from JP and the journey is no longer worth the hassle.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/8/2010
Brilliant!
They had my car gleaming and sparkling, and the guys are very sweet. Good prices for the… Read more »
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Review from Dmitry L.
Waltham, MA
4/13/2012
The free birthday wash to the "preferred customer" members is a bait and switch. The program rules say one birthday wash per year - obviously. The guy at the station then says it must be within 2 days of your birthday. The manager then said it must be the same week as your birthday. I told him I've got better things to do on my birthday than go to a car wash, and I read the rules as saying one free wash any time during the year for program members. I guess not.
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Review from Erik O.
Boston, MA
9/6/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I always saw expensive cars out in front of this place, so i wanted to try it out. Pretty solid. Everyone is very nice. but i am not sure it is an amazing car wash. I'm not crazy about touch car washes... they do good on the interior, but they could do better (after i get my car armor-all-ed, i like it glisten, and that doesn't happen here weak sauce on the tires too). I will say, the touch wash does a better job than Scrub-A-Dub, and they wipe it down for you.
They close at 6pm during the week though, and i'm not crazy about that. but that is later than scrub-a-dub brooklines interior dept stays open... -
Review from Kelsey R.
Boston, MA
1/24/2012
I love this place, why does it have such bad reviews? I have been living in Boston for 10 years now, and this is the only place I let touch my car. They really go the extra mile to clean it inside after it comes through the wash. I have never had a scratch or anything of the sort, where I have been to other places and had issues the very first time. I think they also give you a discount if you buy gas. Its a little expensive, but you pay for what you get.
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Review from Rick C.
Brookline, MA
1/25/2012
I like this place a lot- I got the basic exterior wash and I thought that was alittle pricey but they did a great job, dried the exterior, did the windows and I was quite pleased. Even happier when I realized a metallic decal came off the car - they took the time to look for it and call me back when they found it. So great service as far as I am concerned.
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Review from Warren P. B.
Portsmouth, NH
11/9/2011
The Allston Car Wash "Full Service/tunnel" car wash is consistently good. It gets the exterior of our car's clean, and the staff does a very good job on the windows and interior.
The Scrub a Dub 4 day Clean Car Guarantee is much better than the Allston Car Wash's 24 hour Rain Guarantee, but, I've found the Full Service car wash at the Allston Car Wash consistently good. Scrub a Dub has become way too inconsistent.
We've never had our cars detailed at Allston Car Wash, but it looks like they do very good work. -
Review from simone s.
Boston, MA
5/26/2011
This place is amazing the staffs are friendly, they doing a great job in my cars, I usually go there once a week cause I have three cars. also they speaks Spanish too.
Try it to see by your self
Luiz
Luiz Hair Salon Allston -
Review from Andrea F.
Brighton, MA
5/14/2011
I took my Prius here on Friday afternoon, May 13, around 6pm. I haven't been to a car wash in years, so I can't compare this place against any type of Boston-area norm. I was satisfied with the work, though. For $18.95, I had the interior vacuumed, the dashboard wiped down, the windows cleaned inside and out with Windex, and the exterior of the car washed. It seems there was not an option for interior vacuuming without the dashboard and window cleaning. The men seemed hardworking and were very polite. The whole process probably took around 20 minutes.
Though my windows were a tiny bit streaked, and they did not vacuum the inside of my front-seat console compartment (between the driver and passenger seats), I was satisfied for the price given the speed and efficiency of the workers. -
Review from Jeff K.
Boston, MA
12/30/2010
It's a no brainer to say "my car was dirty and they cleaned it" and give em a 5 star rating.
My car was beyond dirty and covered with salt, island detailing (scratches down the sides from branches on dirt roads) and a small brush with an idiot valet car parking attendant.
ACW came out, inspected the car, went over it with a fine tooth comb with me, listened to what I wanted done and delivered just the way I expected.
I had a cleaning/detailing inside and out along with a buff and wax and was pleased and will return. -
Review from Charles L.
Allston, MA
4/11/2006
My car was really really dirty... I mean REALLY dirty... Like how it got to be a s&%t covered garbage can I don't really know. There was a time when I would keep my car oh so fresh, but something about the boston winters gave it that infamous "not so fresh feeling". So god bless the hard workers at Allston car wash for getting down and dirty with their vacuums and sucking and scrubbing all that nastiness away. They used some sort of top secret air freshiners (only because I couldn't where they stashed them for the life of me) that smelled like heaven. Too bad the birds are uncontrollable where I park...
sickness... -
Review from Maria L.
Manhattan Beach, CA
7/7/2010
Pity there aren't more full service car washes in the Boston area. A little competition would improve the quality, and lower the prices. Having come from Los Angeles, where there is a full service car wash on ever corner, I was pretty disappointed in this one, despite all the high reviews from others.
All I can say is don't go at the end of their day. Sloppy and rushed work. -
Review from Cate K.
Cambridge, MA
9/2/2008
For the price that some places charge for just exterior, I got the whole Boston Baked Bean - interior and exterior, and they did such a good job, it was like I got everything short of a detail. Also of note:
1) They turned my birdie bathroom back into a cah
2) There were 3 guys hand drying my cah after they washed the cah
3) It's cool to walk down the glass hallway and watch the cah getting sudsed -
Review from Sabrina L.
Boston, MA
1/10/2011
Full service. In and out. Efficient. Fast. Easy. No nonsense. They have a full staff and their car wash system down.
Left feeling as if I just had a spa treatment myself. -
Review from Damon I.
Boston, MA
1/20/2008
I'm not really too demanding from a car wash. If my car finishes the journey cleaner than it began sans body damage, then I'm pretty satisfied.
Allston Car Wash adds several services to the standard wash repertoire including and an interior vacuuming, hand drying, and interior windex. For xtra $$$ there are waxing and buffing options all the way up to a full detail. The car wash gang performs all of this outdoors in the near freezing temperatures of mid January. Tip well cuz those guys work hard.
I was pleased with how Allston Car Wash pimped my ride. Now, I just wish I had somewhere to park it. . . -
Review from Scott F.
Allston, MA
8/21/2007
It's really the best car wash around. A basic wash is comparably priced to other places, and you get about the same service. But where the Allston car wash really shines is the extras - I usually get the works, which includes all the extras like the wax, undercarriage wash, wheels, etc. It's like $30 but they also vacuum and windex the interior, and hand dry the exterior, eliminating all those water spots. It's a good deal IMO.
It's basically just a step short of a full detail (which they also offer), for only about $30. -
Review from Arestia R.
Boston, MA
10/23/2008
I am a California import and we are obsessive about keeping our vehicles clean so we can look good. Allston car wash does a great job and the prices are reasonable. All in all, they get it done.
I like Allston Car Wash for a few reasons:
1. $2 off my wash if I fill up the tank and the gas is pretty cheap
2. My car is hand dried and they are thorough
3. The men working there make me feel pretty
Done! Next. -
Review from Sam S.
Brookline, MA
2/21/2006
Love this car wash -
The service is very fast and efficient, and the people are friendly - the extras can get a little pricey, but worth every penny if you care about your vehicle.
the buy 10 get one free is automatically calculated when they enter your liscence plate number into their little handheld. this is a great way to eliminate having to save all those little receipts!! -
Review from Matt L.
Newton, MA
9/17/2006
If you had asked me two years ago to review the Allston Car Wash - a definite 5 stars, but as reviewer #6, I'm going to provide a slightly differently perspective (and lower rating).
Price is not an issue. $20 for a wash and full interior cleaning is fair. Our car is a (currently) non PC, SUV so it does take a while to do a thorough cleaning and is worth the cost. PLUS if you purchase more than 8 gallons of gas from them (who is also an Exxon/Mobile gas seller) they'll knock another $2 off the $20! BUT...
On my last trip, I had a different experience. It started out like normal. The attendant was friendly, the crew who did the vacuuming did a thorough, professional job. Unfortunately, something happened just after she went thru the tunnel and as she emerged out of the tunnel.
The crew drying the exterior of the car did a sloppy job (20 minutes later, there were lots of water spots). Ditto with the interior - the windows streaked like a cheap $10 pair of sunglasses, but here's the worst part... there were fine scratches throughout the left hand side of the truck - certainly not an "uh oh, better get Maaco," but she will need a through buffing and wax to fix before winter begins.
Unfortunately I did not see this immediately, but only after taking a more careful review at home (my bad). If I had to guess, by the rules of deduction, perhaps the "brushes" had debris did the scratching while the car was going thru the tunnel. Alternatively, when she emerged from the tunnel, and the attendant drive her to the "drying area" he may have brushed by a pillar wrapped with the same clear plastic used throughout the tunnel.
Either way, the final product was sloppy and our car was scratched. Maybe that $20 was not worth it after all - "penny wise / dollar ignorant". (In comparison, Scrub-a-Dub does interior and exterior for about th the same price - although in the same efficient, "assembly line" like manner of Allston, but in hindsight, maybe that's a good thing!)
Maybe their recent success has gone to their heads (complacency), and quality and consistency has taken a back seat? Hmmmmm..... -
Review from Richard M.
Newton, MA
Updated - 7/14/2010
Belated update:
They had promised to replace the damaged element the next day. TO MY COMPLETE AND UTTER AMAZEMENT..............
They called me that afternoon. About 5 hours after my initial complaint and asked me to drive over as they had the replacement part and would install it that very afternoon.
END OF STORY: They rose to the challenge and licky-split took responsibility and acquired the needed part and installed is less then 6 hours after my communication.
Highly recommended for their performance.
Also it is now about 45 days later and the window rain shedding treatment is working as good as the day they did the initial treatment!!
Well worth the added $20.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/7/2010
Judge a business by how it recovers from an error.
Of course we all want to get our "nickles worth"… Read more »
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Review from Sara M.
6/13/2010
I love full-service car washes - I grew up on them.
It was always fun to go with my dad after church to get the car washed. I would get out and run to the window to wait for its turn after being vacuumed. As soon as I saw it, I would excitedly point and smile then turn back to watch it carefully. Walking at the same pace where my seat would be as if reassuring it, I liked to see the car get sprayed, soaped, brushed, rinsed, and dried by the machines with the flashing lights. The people who dried it with towels and cleaned the windows always made it smell nice and new. It was great to climb back in after being allowed to stuff the tip in the tip box and feel as proud as the gleaming car.
This place is exactly like that memory...and I still follow the car every step of the way. -
Review from EricaLynn J.
Oaklyn, NJ
1/20/2009
Apparently there are two versions of God in Boston: one is Tom Brady. The other is Allston Car Wash. As an Eagles fan, I can't rightfully attribute to Mr. Brady his divine status, but I do covet those Super Bowl championships, so I can at least understand the gospel. But for the Allston Car Wash, I'm still a bit confused. They do a great job - really they do! My car takes a trip down their magical little conveyer belt and lots of brushes and water and soap and wonderfulness transform my car into sparkly clean every time. But ladies and gentlemen, here is what I do not quite get: is this so far beyond the norm? Maybe there are just some pretty terrible car washes around our fair city thus ordaining the Allston Car Wash as Lord of All Vehicular Cleaning. But the high prices for their.... Holy Water... don't quite seem worth it.
But I do like the smiling faces, I do like the efficiency, and I do like their whole schtick, and my car always loved the attention, so I'll recommend it, but I'm going to let Brady have the solo title for the time being. -
Review from Allison R.
Somerville, MA
12/30/2008 6 Check-ins Here
I went into this experience thinking I'd have to leave my car with these guys for close to an hour if I wanted it detail-cleaned. On the contrary!
Inside of seven minutes, they vacuumed my floor mats, washed the exterior, and windexed my interior windows and some of the plastic lining stuff.
They didn't get as down to the details as I would have liked, but for $21, my car was respectably clean inside and out. -
Review from Jennifer N.
Washington, DC
4/27/2009
They make your car sparkle. And you can watch some of the sudsing happening, which is exciting.
Sometimes they comment on your body too (which I'm not crazy about) -
Review from Kenny H.
Watertown, MA
3/1/2011
DO NOT GO TO THIS CAR WASH!!! DAMAGED MY CAR!
I took my car to allston car wash after buying my brand new car. Literally 3 months old still having the new car smell. I pulled up and the guys vacuumed it out, and it went into the car wash. It comes out of the wash with GASHES all over my door and hood. The damages are so deep I will need to replace my whole door. When i showed the manager he told me that "he didnt do it, but would do his best to buff out the scratches, but could assure me that he would unable to get them out". Then, changed his story and told me that he swore he saw the scratches there before I went into the wash. When I asked for their insurance information they refused to give it to me. My ins. agent then contacted them and they are being just as difficult. Blatantly lying. I am now put into a position where I will have to sue them. To make it worse, they did not clean my car well at all, there was still sand on my carpet and smudges all over my dash, they didn't even wipe down my windows or dry my car after it came out of the machine so there was streaks all over it. DO NOT GO TO THIS CAR WASH!!! -
Review from Kevin M.
Newton, MA
8/12/2006 1 photo
Best car wash in Boston! These guys have repeatedly won the Boston Magazine's award for Best Car Wash, and they just won it again for 2006. I didn't think it was all that special, until I went to another car wash a few weeks ago -- and two hours after my car was washed, I was finding spots of grime and dirt that they had missed. Lesson learned. I recently moved a little further away from Allston, but it's STILL worth the drive to visit this place. They do a great job.
Extra bonus if you fill up your gas tank -- you get $2 off your car wash. Not a bad deal. -
Review from Matt G.
Cambridge, MA
Have been coming to this place for years. It can be a bit of a line on sunny Saturdays, upwards of 30 to 40 minutes all said and done. They do a great job and you can order add ons a la carte: wheel shine? Undercarriage? Trunk vacuum? You can get it!
Most notably if it rains within 24 hours of your wash, you can come back within 2; hours of that for a free exterior wash. I've never cashed in on that, but it's advertised prominently.
Overall great place, but if you need gas-- fill up THEN get the wash you'll save a couple of bucks with fillup. -
Review from Jean N.
Newtonville, MA
3/1/2010
This is a hit or miss.
Sometimes the are good, other times I am asking myself why I bother when they lack customer services, and there is nobody to complain to! ARGGG!!!
Why do I return? Because when they are good... they are real good! -
Review from Paul W.
Minneapolis, MN
4/18/2010 1 Check-in Here
Quick and worth the drive! I've typically gone to the Somerville Car Wash but I was slightly disappointed by them.
For the same cost as a full service car wash at Somerville, you get a quick vacuum of the interior and even better exterior wash. The shine will last longer. I'm coming back here again for more car washes and potentially other services. -
Review from scott g.
Cambridge, MA
11/7/2009
While I'm usually one to hand wash my own car, once the cold weather hits I typically don't want to freeze my fingers off to get the shine back.
I've only been there a handful of times but when I did go they were very serious about getting the car clean. I went to their website and I see that they have specials one month before Mothers Day, Fathers Day and Christmas so I think I'll be picking up the 5 pack of washes for $29. $5.80/wash seems like a nice deal for me especially once the winter snow comes along and you want to keep the salt buildup to a minimum.
PS They have a FREE Preferred Customer Program where you can get a free wash on your birthday and free follow-up washes if it rains within 24 hours of your wash purchase. I have not tried this yet, but I will take full advantage of this once the snow starts a-fallin! -
Review from Ross M.
Boston, MA
12/21/2011
These guys make my truck look brand new! They don't rush clean your car, they take their time and do it right. I'm a very good owner and only get the best things for my truck. The only place that will clean my truck is Allson Car wash because they know best! Good price too!
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Review from Kristi C.
Charlotte, NC
11/22/2009
I have had decent experiences at this carwash in the past, although my front window was a bit streaky last time.
This morning, however, as the man put the ticket onto my windshield, his hand punched my bobblehead and bent the head back. I mentioned this to the cashier who called in Jose to take a look. I was very nice about it, but I still feel like it was something worth taking a look at. He looked and said that it could be fixed (how do you re-tighten the spring?) and that if they had really punched it as I said, the whole thing would've popped off.
Seriously, you couldn't have offered me a free $8 exterior wash? That's all I wanted. I wasn't saying he did it on purpose to be malicious or anything - now everytime I look at my lopsided bobbler I am going to be annoyed at you, Allston Car Wash. -
Review from Estella B.
Boston, MA
6/30/2011
Getting your car wash used to be an arduous process. When you go to Allston Car Wash, it's not. It's effortless. I love that you can drop your car off at the front, and the staff will drive it for you to get washed. That means no more worrying about driving off the tracks. Quick and easy! Standard wash is $8.95. How can you beat that? Takes less than 10 minutes. They have guys waiting at the exit doors to dry off any extra water. Such a great car wash. I'm thrilled I found this place.
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Review from Boy C.
Brookline, MA
3/26/2008
First off, if you were to compare Allston car wash and Scrub a dub,
allston car wash definitely give you the bigger bang for the bucks. You
can get your car wash +rims wash for $12.95. Plus they do dry your car with cloth.
Unfortunately, i had similar experience to one of the reviewers where i
find out scratches near the back bumpers of the car. At first i was not
really sure if it was from them, but after reading the review i was pretty
firm that it was from car washig. The reason why i am sure it's
because my car has only been a month old and the nearest that
anyone has come close are the people from the car wash. I am not
here to trash their reputation but to share my unfortunate experience.
Nevertheless, for those who decides to go with them make sure that
samething wouldn't happen to you and if it does make sure you let
them know right away. -
Review from A T.
Novato, CA
12/12/2008
I went here reading all the reviews about this place, expecting something pretty decent. I paid a fair amount ($20) for the basic car wash, interior and exterior. I have a hatchback that needed vaccuming, and they charged me extra for the trunk, which I thought was kind of ridiculous.
Before I went in, the guy was very honest, and told me that my antenna might get ripped off in the wash. I rolled the dice and said okay. Luckily it came out alright, and they started drying my car.
These guys did a very incomplete job the first time. I had them go back and try again, and I drove away, mildly satisfied. Later on I discovered that they totally disregarded the top of the car, which subsequently froze in the cold and left water marks on the sunroof.
So... meh. -
Review from Alan M.
Boston, MA
3/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Full service. They do great interior service, but don't do a great job drying off your car (a little pricey considering). The workers there are short and end up moving your seat, so that's a pain.
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Review from D N.
Watertown, MA
3/2/2011
SCRATCHED MY CAR TOO!
The same thing happened to me! They scratched the drivers side door so badly and refused to pay the damages. I had to put it into my own insurance and pay a $500 deductible!
