Tower Hand Car Wash
1601 Mission St
(between 12th St & Otis St)
San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 558-9274
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
25 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
"Nadr rocks! He magically transforms your dusty vehicle into a brand new ride. His whole team is great - professional - courteous - friendly.…" read more »
50 Reviews for Tower Hand Car Wash
I'm really bummed.... I've lived in crappier cities and had better car washes. I have a simple vehicle, VW Beetle, nothing extravagant, but for some reason, nobody has explained to the staff that when you clean off the dash, you wipe the entire dash down... and when you vacuum, you vacuum all the rugs, not just the top protective rugs... AND not to leave huge water marks all over the windows.
Needless to say, I used to spend $25 in Reno and I would get a WAY cleaner car in the end.
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Tower Car Wash...you could be a 4 star if you...
A)You did a better job cleaning the interior, namely the seats, dash and console. You actually do a good job on the floor mats.
B) did more than barely wipe down the running boards
C) And this is a big one for me....put the seat back to the way you found it - it's especially easy in my car - just push one button.
If you're looking for a quick wash, i'm not talking big detail job, this place is quick and as good as any other car wash I've found in the city. Yes the car is clean, they hit all the big stuff well but it's the little details that are missed. I come back because they can get the done quickly, I prefer their hand wash vs. machine wash and the price is comparable with the other places in the city. If you want a well done detail job - go to a detail shop.
Bitch scratched my brand new car with her big ass bracelet! Who wears a bracelet when they wash cars?
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My test of a good car washer/detailer is when I get my car back, and check that space between the door and the drivers seat....if there are still crumbs there then they didn't do a job to my standards.
I have taken my car there 5 times now. 3 out of the 5 times, they have cleaned the crumbs completely but the other times, not so much.
Can I do a better job if I did it myself, sure, but I don't want to do it so I come to these guys. I like their shop that is attached to it. I can always fine a trinket that I don't need or some greetings cards that I forgot to buy.
I always request NO FRAGRANCE because I am very sensitive. They always get that right.
What keeps me coming back here is that they get you in and out fast.
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The company work for sends me to car wash whenever the company cars get filthy. Although they do a great job getting you car cleaned and smelling like jasmine, the hassles are getting in line to get your car washed. It's busy almost every hour of every day so you're always jockeying for position with other cars waiting to get washed or cars filling up their tanks. That's another thing! If you're their to just fill your tank up you got to wait in a long line to get to the pump or even to exit. One of the few bright spots of this place is the waiting area. They got all kinds of goodies and clean restrooms. On top of that they give you a free news paper after every wash.
I could do a better job myself, but these guys will do in a pinch. If time is indeed money, then this could be considered a bargain.
When Tower first opened, they were so detailed-oriented, I was very impressed. I guess now that they have so much volume business, they tend to skim over the small stuff I used to love.
Now I can almost count on having to ask them to cool out on the tire dressing (they slop on so much, the stuff ends up spraying onto your fenders when you drive off), readjusting all my mirrors, and asking for some attention for my chrome exhaust tips.
One time that pissed me off royally was when my hood had a small dot of tree sap on it. The drying guy kept scraping away at it with his towel and fingernail, and left scratch marks on my hood that the detail guy had to buff out. WTF? If you're in the biz, you know better not to pick at stuff like that.
I think the newspaper is a nice little touch, especially when you don't pay extra for the Sunday edition.
The store is a nice place to hang, complete with magazine rack, greeting cards, books and snacks. Watching the soap guys working through the window is kinda fun, too.
I'd go back if I'm in the area, but I wouldn't make a special trip.
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Although it's starting to get expensive, I still love coming here. They make my whip---which has been in far too many accidents--- look so fresh and so clean. Thank God for the underground autobody mechanics!
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We were walking home today and I noticed that there are sings advertising 25 off each gallon when you get a car wash. So I figured, $4.05 - 25 + car wash = not a bad deal.
I wanted to make sure that I went through the right steps to get the deal so I parked my car at the pump and asked for instructions. I was told to leave my card with the cashier, pump the gas, order the wash and then go pay for both.
I followed those instructions, and the same guy that told me how to get the discount didn't give it to me. I looked at my receipt, to see how it was applied but I couldn't find it. So I went back to the cahier and asked how it shows up. He then refunded and resold the purchase with the discount.
I don't know what to say. Simple mistake or kinda shady?
love it here. i make sure i go on sundays for the complimentary sunday paper with your wash.
they even pulled out my lumbar support and vacummed out the crumbs (which included a half eaten french fry).
also, what better way to treat your baby than with baby powder air freshener. i never leave this place without it.
car wash at tower...everything and waxing requested...removal of snowboard racks not required....roughly $sixty cost.....lunch at tower cafe...."boiler" pastrami 'n' jalepeno sandwich...$six sandwich....spread of mayo 'n' mustard....standard lettuce, tomato, onions, etc....thin wax paper layer of pastrami....wanting more jalepeno to fill.....munching poor sandwich construction....snack on fritos and doritos...washing down with rockstar....out and about...automobile already done?....fairly clean, poorly buffed....hand wax not worth the cost....quick rush rush wash 'n' wax job.....basic wash only for future.....
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They did a great job, and perfect for those who hate waiting around like me cause I ran an errand and my car was done. I would love to hear if there are great places that are maybe a little cheaper. The prices are a bit steep and you KNOW the labor ain't getting that much of a cut. So if anyone has some other suggestions because I really don't enjoy washing my car.
I had two cars fully detailed in 2007. The first job was brilliant - I couldn't find any flaws... the second one? Awful...wax residue on black rubber trim and the interior was just smelling God awful...I asked for non-scented stuff, but I think I got vanilla-strawberry-broccolli-barf-aroma....the newspaper is nice with a wash, but I'd rather spend $5 and do it myself down on Marin Street. I do like their store...neat stuff and a great selection of greeting cards and magazines. It sure costs a lot of dough to live in SF, don't it?
My car now smells like old man leather treatment and they raised their prices
Since we live in an urban setting, w/ no hose etc and havent really cleaned the interior since mar 07, figured it was time for a full detail
Their price used to be 99, but when I went there again, it was 130
Ok, fine, I left it at 9am and came back later
For 130 u get full interior detail, exterior wash and tire detail
They smeared some cleaner all over the interior
Our car had the new car smell before, now it smells like crappy leather cleaner, that f*in sux!
They also smeared some oily cleaner substance over the matte bumpers and wheel well trim
I tipped the guy $10
Bottom line: I wont be going back
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They have a great location and obviously know how to turn a profit: churn 'em and burn 'em. Prices were jacked up recently to the point where it's no longer a good value unless your car is trashed and you need to go pick up your boss from the airport or have a hot date in an hour. To get a full-service wash, including the basics (in my opinion) like tire dressing and air freshener, it's upwards of $27 before the mandatory tip. If you get the "express wax" ($60 now) you need to inspect the work very carefully - I have seen wax residue everywhere and for that price, I shouldn't have to finish the job myself.
I'm really not that impressed. One, they are super expensive for just a freakin' car wash. Two, they don't give you cash back at the cashier which sucks because how are you suppose to tip?! Oh, they want you to use the ATM machine that costs you EXTRA to get cash out. Three, everytime I drive up, they are like, "Oh, do you want to take care of the scratches in your paint with a detail? We could buff those out." They even say this RIGHT AFTER I've had them detail the car. I've always wanted to say...yeah buddy you did it like two weeks ago...great job. And then when I drove up in my brand new car, they said the SAME THING! I'm like, it's a brand new car dumb ass. It sucks just feeling like they are trying to scam me everything I drive in. Fourth, the car is never that clean. I feel like I could do a better job. Lastly, they never freakin' remember the air freshener. Never. Why have I gone back so many times? I'm new to SF and I know where it is. Now that I've been here a few months, I'm going to branch out and NEVER go to Tower Hand Car Wash again....only if I run out of gas right in front of them and I'm desperate. Even then, I'd consider walking a mile for gas just so I don't get scammed.
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No complaints... They are fast, efficient, and friendly. I've been going her for months now and have been satisfied every time. Even after I didn't have any cash to tip them... Hopping they didn't remember me for the next time. I actually considered going somewhere else, because not only did I feel bad, but I didn't want any scratches on the car... But I had faith and there where no scratches... and this time I had a tip a little more significant than usual. Or was it to compensate for my little car? either way it made me feel better.
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Say what you like about SoCal (and I like to say a lot), at least there's plenty of cheap labor. Combine that with the high demand for shiny cars and the aversion to getting hands dirty, and you get a veritable wonderland of cheap, full-service car washes. Up here they're a little harder to find, and when you do find them, they're expensive (but that's ok, since I pretty much only wash the car when the parents are coming to town).
I only know of two places in the city: Tower and Divisadero Touchless. Someday I will try Divisadero, but for now this place has been satisfactory enough. For some reason it's always sunny and 75 when I come here, the store inside is big and bright, and they have these (dare I say) Parisian cafe tables where you can sip a latte from their espresso stand and watch them clean your car...oddly satisfying. Oh, and of course the free Chronicle...gimmicky, but I fall for it every time. Now if only it was 10 bucks instead of 20...but that's a small price to pay for living in NorCal.
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Awesome, fast service. I thought about giving them a 5!!!
But,
-1 You are supposed to empty the ash trey!
I was not impressed by their $55 express wax package , but I would go back for their fast vacuum/car wash services.
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The car was shiny and smelled like cleaner when they were done, but on the inside they didn't vacuum between the front seats, and didn't clean the bottom of the rear bumper. You can still see the dirt clumped in the little groove.
You should spend that 20 bucks someplace else. Not very thorough considering what seemed like a total of 9 people washed it and dried it.
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Well, my experience with the car wash is fine so far. But it is little too high for the work that they do. Atleast $10.00 more than I used to pay in Palo Alto. But I have no choice because it is so close to my work.
They do good job though.
this used to be my EVERY friday MUST have car washed unless it rained. and i mean a MUST HAVE. in the beginning they were awsome. i was so happy how clean my car turned out but the last few time were really disappointing. either my car was still dripping water or the rims werent clean. its 2008 people...who still uses regular towels to dry cars!?!?!?!?!? regular towels causes scratch and swirls. thats what microfiber towels and shammys are for. i was so unhappy with the outcome that i found another location. it may be slower due to the lack of employee but they do a hell of a better job then 10 staff who works on your car at tower. i liked how they sometime throw in a free paper in your car to read also. in the future ill probably drop by for a wash only if my other location is super busy.
Love the free paper in the morning but a bit more attention to detail would be preferred. Got all the way home one day before discovering that half the dash had not been cleaned. At these prices, the details should be attended to.
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It isn't a big surprise to those that know me that I am freakin' lazy. Well, that isn't quite true. I work hard at my current job. Therefore, I feel more than justified when I REFUSE to work hard on the weekends. It's called LIFE/WORK BALANCE!!! I personally don't own a car any longer, mostly because I have a rather inconvenient clothing and accessory fetish.
Yet, at the last job, I had a company car and I was forced by contract to keep it clean. Being the busy lady that I am, I delegated that responsibility to this nifty car wash establishment.
For the past 9 days, the boyfriend has been away and, well, possession is 9/10s of the law, right? So, I sort of took over his vehicle and decided that it was time to clean it.
So, I took it to Tower. In about 20 minutes, it was cleaned. I love this place because while they do all the hard work, I can sit down with my coffee (the in-store cafe makes a mean mocha) and a croissant while I watch the news or read my lessons for my next Japanese class.
Voila, the car is clean and I get a "free" SF Chronicle on the passenger side seat. Although, I must admit, there are times when the car isn't AS clean as it would have been if I had cleaned it and the SF Chronicle doesn't exactly make up for the remaining spots on the rear view mirror. Plus, The basic wash is over $20, so it ain't cheap. Yet, it sure as heck beats hand-washing it myself! I have better things to do with my time...like drink my mocha!
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This review is strictly for the cafe!!!!! THE absolute best lattes, Cappuccinos and all other coffee drinks here. And the sandwiches are awesome. Tower cafe is the only reason I come here. And the customer service is outstanding . Makes my day coming here. :D
* dont forget to tip the hard worker ;)
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WHOA. Did they really leave a paper on the passenger seat of my car with the headline "NEWSOME TO SKEEP HELP FOR ALCOHOL ABUSE??" What are they trying to say?? Is Tower Hand Carwash judging me for my Superbowl alcohol binge last weekend?! A subliminal message, this was not.
However, my cutie patootie little Volkswagen came out looking clean and happy. I got the special-whatever carwash for $20-ish and was perfectly happy with the result. Plus, I got caught up on all my tabloid reading! Done and done.
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Pay $25 and your car will come out gleaming. In the end, it costs me as much as going to budget alternatives because I don't need to wash so often.
I also tried their $50 "express wax" package, but, frankly, after waiting 45 minutes I could not tell the difference from their basic service.
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I will never schlep to the car wash at the Shell on Divis again. I always thought that they did a bad job there but wasn't aware of any alternatives.
I never realized that this car wash at the Chevron station at Mission & So. Van Ness had a full service car wash. I was quite impressed with the thoroughness of the the team here. This will definitely be my new car wash.
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This place is fantastic! Our car had been transported on top of a truck from Miami to SF, so you can imagine the amount of dead insects splattered all over... YUKKKK!!!
Anyways, we got the basic $18 wash and the car was spotless clean in 15 minutes. They are lightning fast and super detailed!
For a long while Tower Hand Car Wash was great....in the last year or so, they have been very mediocre. I always find little things that they didn't clean on my car. My rims stil have visible dirt on it and my interior still need some vacuuming.
If you value your interior, then I would suggest you do it yourself. Some of the interior cleaners wear rings that can scratch your the trim of your interior car. My husband had an M3 and his shifter stick was scratched from the ring of one of the cleaners from her ring. We know for a fact, it was not there before hand. This happened again with another car he had.
Although the service is fast and efficient, it would be worth the $30 if they trained their employees and take a little more care with the cars they are handling.
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Nice detailed job, all done by hand except for the soap and water that sprays on the car. I like the attention to detail that the crew displays in the finishing. Ask for the cheapest wash, the current price is $18.99 which is good for me. It includes all the basics, inside and out. BTW this is a Chevron gas station too so you can use your Chevron gas card to pay for your wash.
One time I faced the outside mirrors inward with a push of a button from inside of the car, but they manually pushed them back in position. So be careful, these guys don't know all the bells and whistles on your car and may do something stupid.
I must say that all the cars that I take there sparkle afterwards. I am a private chauffeur and drive my clients very nice cars and this is the place I take them for a great cleaning.
One March morning it was raining and I ran over an abandoned board of sheet rock on 101. Sure enough the residue was plastered, literally, all over the side of my car as well as all over wheel wells. A few days go by and the rain finally subsides. I take a careful look at my car and realize, "Man,it looks like sh*t."
So I decide to take it to the nearby car wash and spend $25 to $30 to have them clean it up and make my ride look brand new again. I ended up getting "The Executive." The service is quick and the people are friendly. They even give you a Chronicle as a gift!
But all good gestures aside, their was still drywall on the side of my car. I was disappointed and I didn't want to complain because I hate complaining nor did I want to be upsold to a detail. At least they could've just said, "Dude, that sh*t won't come off. It needs professional handling."
Out of all the car washes I've been to, this by far is the best! One of my jobs during school, was detailing cars so im very meticulous when it comes to how cars are cleaned. I normally get the 'pro' wash which is about $20.00. Then about every two months I do get the hand wax which is about $55.00. The wax they use is more of a liquid, which is not that really hard paste wax that I like. But I think it's pretty good.
I would've have given them five stars, but not all the workers are good. Some will bust their butt trying to get your car as clean as possible, then there are those who seem like they're sleepwalking while they clean your car. Just make sure you look over your car before giving them that tip. If something doesn't look good to you, have them wipe or clean the area first.
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The ONLY reason I gave them *one* star is because I couldn't give them less. They damaged my new Benz and wouldn't take responsibility. I related the story to a stranger at Starbucks who also has a Benz. They did the same thing to him...TWICE! He took them to small claims court and won. Funny. They gave him the same story they gave me... "nothing shows up on the film... sorry" verbatim!
The bi-lingual worker that I told about the issue said that "it happens all the time". The manager came out and told me he'd look at the film. He never returned. The owner later appeared and told me he'd "look at the film" and came out and gave me his 'sorry" speech. I wouldn't let them wash my dog if I had one... it's a hand wash. Wish they'd told me what ELSE they give you. GRRRRRRRRRRRR - This guy's Karma is in the toilet.
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I was all set on going to a budget car wash recommended by Yelpers, but I looked at my filthy car again and decided that it need a full service car wash. While I normally wouldn't spend $25 on a car wash, I decided to give it a try at Tower Car Wash. It turned out to be a really neat place where you can eat a meal or drink coffee while your ride is getting washed. Seeing those men & ladies working so hard to wipe and dry my car made me feel a bit guilty for sitting there looking like a spoiled kid, but hey, I paid $25!
There wan an added bonus of leaving a free Sunday paper on the passenger seat. A nice touch.
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Great place to multi-task--gas, car pimped out (shower, shampoo, shine), get a cup o joe, peruse SF Weekly, AND catch up sending those Birthday cards...HOWEVER, my last visit there was a disaster: they somehow left my trunk open and consequently flooded my gym bag, ruined a pair of vintage Charles Jourdan two-toned pumps and took NO responsibility for it("there's been a lot of rain lately")! Huge disappointment because they do an adequate job of making my car look newer than it is...BUMMER!
UPDATE:
Thanks to YELP, I was known as the "green BMW" lady and the managers at Tower, especially Sujoy Singhi, were very happy to help me out. It was refreshing that they actually remembered me and also that they were willing to make amends. I didn't get new Charles Jourdan shoes, but the friendly and conscientous service more than made up for it. I have and definitely will return. And fancy that---no water in the trunk!!!!
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A clean car is a healthy mind. I really believe that. When my car is clean inside and out , I know the other things in my life are in order too. It's a little splurgy, but when I it make over the bridge to West Bay City, I stop at Tower. Every exterior and interior surface is perfect. Don't bother with anything but the basic wash; all the others are just variations on the perfuming of your car.
It takes about 20 minutes to a half hour, but you can read books and magazines, buy a pretty darn-good sandwich or get a decent latte here. You can also watch your car through the obvservation windows and check out the cuties amidst the scrubbing bubbles.
Don't forget to tip these hard-working folks.
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hot damn, i must be getting old.
i used to be very anal about my car. who takes an ENTIRE day washing their car? i do. who has a porter cable dedicated just for buffing and polishing? i do. whos garage cabinets look like a high end car shop? zanio, check, meguiars, check, lexol, check..........
i have cloth baby diapers, i dont have a kid.
i have this system that takes about 5-6 hours to completely wash a car. id spend all day on my car.
well that was when i was a energetic young man.
this place isnt the place to go for super highend detailing. i saw what they consider a detail. ehhh not impressed. there was a murciealgo there gettting the $255 dollar detail. what an idiot. why would you get a detail here? the employees are so numberous, you know that none are really *trained* in detailing. the guy that was on the porter cable looked like he was using it for the first time. for a real detail, find a pro that does that exclusively.
that being said, what this place get four stars in my book is for the simple stuff, wash and quick polish. i must say, i was very impressed with their basic wash and express wax. ($50). sure there was some residual wax left, sure there was some residual brake dust in some areas on my rims... but hot damn, for a $50 wash and wax in under 30 minutes, michelle looked damn sexy. i will be coming here fairly often, in between a real wash done by yours truly.
plus extra big ups for parking. thats the real reason i came here the other day. dr ians office is down the block and i needed parking, ehhh might as well leave it and get a wash.
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The wash is convenient and all but I always have to hassle them about my rims and the inside walls around my tires. If they dont shine them right on my truck it doesnt look good because my truck is raised a little and they are very visible. One of the guys made me mad once when he said that it was too much dresser.
I prefer to wash my car myself ($4), but when I'm in a hurry and need it spotless inside and out, I think this place does the best job - better than the one on Divisadero or the one in Berkeley.
I would give 5 stars but I feel like they take advantage of their employees by barely paying them.
I swear my car was smiling as it rolled through the soaping machine. I got the 16.99 car wash and had no complaints.
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