Tower Car Wash

1601 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA

Address:	1601 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
Phone:	+1 415-558-9274
Site:	towercarwash.com
Rating:	3.8
Working:	8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM 8AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 9

Rob English

While visiting my 24 yr old son in San Francisco, my wife and I decided to attend to some needs of his 2009 VW TDI Jetta which he has neglected on a variety of fronts; cleaning at the top of the list. Im from the East Coast, so when I pulled in to the car wash I didnt really know what to expect. Most of the car wash facilities out east are the type where the driver sits in the car and you go along a mechanical tunnel with plastic brushes beating the crap out of your finish. This car wash looked like any other except that there are a LOT of employees, and the sign said "hand wash" which was odd to us. As we entered the person said "regular wash?" and I said sure and he said $23 or so and I was surprised because we normally pay about $10-$12 for a straight exterior wash. Thinking it was "city pricing" I hopped out and immediately an army of descended on the car with vacuum hoses attached to what had to be a power plant for how effective they were. They didnt just quick vac the car, they vacuumed everything from the truck to the seats and obviously the interior floors and floor mats. That was only the beginning, over the next 15 minutes I watched people work on that car like ants on a candy bar. Astonishing is an understatement. Professional is not adequate to describe what they were doing. They used a variety of cleaning compounds to remove every scuff, rub, mark, and smudge imaginable and when they were done, the car looked like it did the day we bought it! Out east wed pay at least $50 for a "wash" like that. That is really what we would call a quick detail because the windows were cleaned in and out, the entire interior was trashed from the lifestyle of a 24 year old drummer, and there were black marks down the side of the car that had been there for over a year and the man on the final wipe down carefully used a variety of weapons and cleaners to not only remove them but to remove any trace of them ever being there. Blown away is the only to describe our experience with Tower Car Wash. On a scale of 1-10, Id rate this place a 15...yes, they are THAT good!

Daniels Lee

I brought my car in for a basic wash yesterday, and let me begin by saying my car was straigh-up filthy. I took it up to Tahoe the weekend before, and it got plastered with road salt, grime, dirty snow, etc. I normally handwash the car myself at a coin-operated car wash bay, usually the one on 16th and Potrero, but I did not want to clean up this mess. The filthiness of the car made heads turn, and Id forget where I parked because I just didnt recognize it anymore. Anyway, this place is great for 3 reasons: 1) All hand washed. Theres not a single mechanical brush or scrubber touching the car. Two men with what looked like micro-fiber wash clothes scrubbing down all sides. I watched, and they covered 2) Post-wash care included thorough drying and spot cleaning interior windows and wheels. 3) Cheap, for what you get. I usually wash my car for $10-14 at a car washing bay, but the time it takes me for wash then dry and touch up the interior is at least an hour, usually more. For ~$20, you get all this, done within 20 min of your time. My car came out spick and span. Im definitely coming back. Get the basic wash, its enough. If you want extra detailing on your car (spray wax, clay bar, carnauba wax, etc), take it home afterwards and DIY! This place is a great deal.

Veronica Fauxton

They gave someone else our keys and refused to reimburse us for our time when we spent an hour and a half with Ubers paid out of pocket to return the key. I expect to be paid for my time and they would not do it. The manager physically threatened me in his office when we tried to discuss the key situation with him. He used obscenities and acted like a typical street criminal. He should be fired. The keys he lost were worth $500 probably and he obviously didnt care about us at all. Seriously do not bring your family around this place. Its not safe. If your keys are lost, they may treat you like they are the mafia like they did with us. It was a complete horror story. We still may contact a plaintiffs attorney over this or maybe even the police.

Dan Levinschi

Stay away! Bought the most expensive wash, just to come home and find pieces of dirt on the car. When I came back to the wash, the guys that cleaned the car didnt react and continued talking with each other. Ive asked the supervisor about it and they told me that this happens once in a while. Really??? They said that usually Id need to buy the most expensive car wash to see an impeccable result. I told them that I did buy the most expensive package and they shrugged their shoulders. They didnt run the car through the wash again or issued a refund. But they did offer a 2 minute dirt wipe. This place is a joke. Its not the first time this happened to me. Stay away!

Mark Casey

This is my favorite place to get a car wash in San Francisco. The $19 package is solid value. The guys really scrub the bejeezus out of your car and leave it looking shiny and new. Even when the lines are extremely long the turnaround times seem pretty short. Youre in and out in ten minutes, typically. And, my two young boys love the part where you wait inside the convenience store, munching on M&Ms and watching the cars go through the system that sprays soap on them. Keep and eye on Google Offers for the occasional 50% off coupon.

Tom Pistor

Nice and fast and not too expensive. At first I thought it was a great job, but then after a few days I noticed several places they missed. Not sure - but I think they had some "sticky/waxy" something in the soap/water - the car looked as if it was coated with something. I didnt want the wax or whatever they put on there. I would not take a nice new car there - perfect for an older beater.

Carl Payne

Definitely not the cheapest place in town to get your car washed, but they do a terrific job. The basic car wash is $23ish and includes vacuuming of the interior (including trunk) and thorough wash and then a hand dry. Overall they do a very good job and despite the lines they usually get the cars out and finished pretty quickly. Worth the extra few dollars over automated car washes.

Kimberly Fanelli

My Husband and I have been loyal customers since the car wash opened in 1997-1998. Today we both arrived to have our cars washed, and noticed they have increased the rates by 21% or $5 per wash/per car. For both of us to continue having our cars washed, it will cost us close to $70 per week. This is ridiculous! With this extreme rate increase, we wont be back! Leo and Kimberly

Anonymous User

Visiting from Sacramento for a couple of days - bought the hand wash in and out - thought it was just a basic hand wash until I saw them cleaning the wheels and applying tire shine. Compared to a similar deal in Sac, I saved maybe $20. The SF Chronicle on the passenger seat was a nice touch. I didnt even have to wait long. I also liked the free wifi too. Nice job guys.