Car Wash

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(55 reviews)

Car Wash Near MeVirginiaFairfax CountyFort BelvoirGorgas Road

Fairfax County . Virginia

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  • 6873-7413 Gorgas Rd, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060, USA

Operating Hours

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Car Wash Introduce

Keeping your vehicle clean is a common need for drivers across Virginia, and for those residing on Fort Belvoir, a dedicated car wash facility aims to address this. The Self-Service Car Wash, located directly on post, provides a convenient and budget-friendly option for military personnel and their families looking to maintain their vehicles without having to leave the base.

While the Fort Belvoir Car Wash offers a no-frills approach to vehicle cleaning, its primary appeal lies in its accessibility and cost-effectiveness for those living within the Fort Belvoir community. It's a do-it-yourself solution for a quick wash, offering the basic tools needed to tackle everyday dirt and grime. This article will provide a factual overview of the Car Wash at Fort Belvoir, detailing its location, available services, and features, to help residents understand what to expect from this on-post amenity. We aim to present an honest perspective, highlighting its practicality as a convenient, albeit basic, car cleaning option for those living on Fort Belvoir.

Location and Accessibility

The Self-Service Car Wash is strategically located at 6873-7413 Gorgas Rd, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060, USA. Its position directly on post is a significant advantage for residents of Fort Belvoir, as it offers unparalleled convenience for those living and working within the military community. Situated near the Commissary, the car wash is easily integrated into daily routines and errands, eliminating the need to drive off-post for basic vehicle cleaning.

As an on-post facility, access is primarily restricted to authorized personnel and their families with base access. This ensures a dedicated service for the Fort Belvoir community. The location on Gorgas Road, a central thoroughfare within the base, makes it straightforward to find and pull into. Its accessibility around the clock, being open 24 hours, further enhances its convenience, allowing individuals to wash their vehicles at any time that suits their schedule, whether that's early morning or late at night. For those residing on post, the proximity and round-the-clock availability make it a readily available option for maintaining their vehicles.

Services Offered

The Fort Belvoir Self-Service Car Wash is designed for a do-it-yourself approach, providing the basic tools and resources for manual car cleaning. It features a three-bay setup, allowing multiple users to wash their vehicles simultaneously.

  • Self-Service Wash Bays: The facility offers three individual wash bays where users can manually clean their cars.
  • Water Spray: Essential for rinsing off dirt and soap.
  • Soap Application: Basic soap is available through the spray nozzle for cleaning.
  • Normal Rinse: A standard rinse cycle to remove soap residue.
  • Wax Application: A wax option is available for a basic protective layer.
  • Vacuum Cleaners: There are four vacuum cleaners on-site for interior cleaning. These also operate on a token system.

It is important to note that, based on customer feedback, while advertised, certain functions such as wheel cleaner, triple foam, and spot-free rinse may not always be activated or fully functional. The primary operational services include water, soap, normal rinse, and wax. Payment for the wash bays and vacuum cleaners is primarily via tokens, which can be obtained from a change machine that accepts $1, $5, and $10 bills. Each token is valued at $1, with a 4-minute wash costing $2 (2 tokens) and 4 minutes of vacuum cleaning also costing $2 (2 tokens).

Features and Highlights

Given the nature of the Fort Belvoir Car Wash, its features and highlights revolve around its primary function as a convenient, on-post, self-service option.

  • On-Post Convenience: This is arguably its most significant feature. For those living on Fort Belvoir, it's the closest and most accessible car wash facility, saving time and gas that would otherwise be spent driving off-post.
  • Cost-Effective Option: It's described as a "cheap option" and "better than nothing" for those on a budget who prefer a DIY approach to car cleaning. The token system allows users to control how much they spend based on their cleaning needs.
  • 24-Hour Availability: Being open 24/7 provides maximum flexibility for residents to wash their cars at any time, day or night, accommodating various schedules.
  • Self-Service Empowerment: For individuals who prefer to wash their own cars and control the cleaning process, the self-service bays offer that autonomy.
  • Basic Cleaning Functions: Despite some reported issues with advanced features, the core functions of water, soap, rinse, and wax are generally operational, providing the essentials for a basic wash.

It is important to acknowledge that customer reviews indicate some ongoing challenges with maintenance, including broken equipment (one stall out of three, broken cash input on one working stall, frequently empty token machine) and issues with advertised functions not working. Signage also reportedly contradicts actual payment methods in some instances. These points reflect areas for potential improvement, but for a basic, convenient, and affordable on-post wash, it remains an option.

Promotions or Special Offers

As a self-service car wash facility primarily managed as an on-post amenity, the Fort Belvoir Car Wash does not typically run traditional promotional campaigns or special offers in the same way a commercial business might. Its "special offer" largely lies in its inherent nature: being a convenient, on-post, and cost-effective option for military personnel and their families.

The pricing structure itself, at $2 for a 4-minute wash and $2 for 4 minutes of vacuum use (via tokens), is designed to be a budget-friendly alternative to more expensive full-service or automatic car washes off-post. This consistent low price point can be considered an ongoing value proposition for the community it serves. While there are no stated "deals" in the traditional sense, the very existence of an accessible, 24/7, DIY car wash on base serves as a continuous benefit to those living on Fort Belvoir. Any updates regarding pricing or potential changes to services would likely be communicated through official Fort Belvoir MWR channels or signage at the facility.

Contact Information

For inquiries regarding the Self-Service Car Wash on Fort Belvoir, or for more information from MWR, here is the relevant contact information:

Address: 6873-7413 Gorgas Rd, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060, USA (Near Commissary)

Phone: (703) 806-5368 (MWR contact for Self-Service Car Wash)

It's important to note that while some sources list a different phone number, the MWR website for Fort Belvoir lists (703) 806-5368 specifically for the Self-Service Car Wash.

Conclusion: Why this place is suitable for locals

For the residents of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the Self-Service Car Wash on Gorgas Road presents a uniquely suitable option for vehicle cleaning, primarily due to its undeniable convenience and cost-effectiveness for those living on post.

Its most compelling advantage is its on-post location and 24-hour accessibility. For military personnel and their families, the ability to wash their vehicles without leaving the base saves significant time, effort, and off-post travel expenses. This is particularly valuable for individuals with demanding schedules or those who simply prefer the ease of staying within the familiar confines of Fort Belvoir. The round-the-clock availability means a clean car is achievable whenever it fits into a busy schedule, whether that's late at night or early in the morning.

While customer feedback indicates that the facility has its shortcomings, such as occasional maintenance issues with equipment and limited functional wash options, it fundamentally serves as a cheap and readily available DIY solution. For those who are comfortable with a basic wash and are looking to save money compared to commercial car washes, it fulfills a necessary role. It’s acknowledged as "better than nothing" and a "cheap option," which for many, is precisely what they need from an on-post amenity.

Ultimately, despite its limitations, the Fort Belvoir Self-Service Car Wash remains a practical choice for locals on post. It’s not designed to be a luxury car spa, but rather a functional and accessible tool for basic vehicle maintenance right where they live. For individuals who prioritize convenience and budget-conscious car care within the Fort Belvoir community, this car wash is a suitable and frequently utilized resource.

Car Wash Photos

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Car Wash Location

Car Wash Customer Reviews

This place is terrible, but if you live on post and it's convenient to you then it's a cheap option. 'It's better than nothing' is the only positive thing to say. They aren't taking care of it, there is trash everywhere, one of the 3 stalls isn't working, the signage says 'tokens only' and the token machine is frequently empty, but fortunately the signs are wrong (?) and the stalls take cash except the cash input on one of the two working stalls is broken. The biggest sin is that they are clearly trying to pinch pennies with the wash machines with only half of the advertised functions being activated; the water, soap, normal rinse, and wax do work, but none of the other options work which should include wheel cleaner, triple foam, spot free rinse, etc... A small three stall diy car wash probably doesn't make a ton of profit, but this one should be confiscated from whoever is running it and the opportunity given to someone motivated to put in the effort.

Aug 19, 2024 · Ben Murphy

Not worth the waste of your time and money. This location does not have the settings right to make sure your knob is doing what it says on the display. Spot free is just hard water and you need to dry it off quickly or you will see the hard water spots. This is a no go. Why not put the money into a touch less or brush automatic car wash. It's common sense vets love to spend money making their rides look the best every week.

Feb 09, 2024 · Justin Broadwater

Looked like all 3 wash stalls working, but only 2 of the 4 vacuums were operational (and the ones at the nearby gas station also had "out of order" signs on them). To echo all other reviews: the token system is inconvenient, although thankfully one of the token dispensers wasn't broken (the other was, and if both were "out of service" I'd have needed to find another car wash). Water pressure was good, but be prepared for the ceiling hoses to drip on you while you wash. $2 for 4 minutes of water pressure or vacuuming, so make sure you bring dollar bills. A $5 bill will leave you with an unused token.

Aug 23, 2023 · Daniel Torkelson

A complete hassle to use. Hoses leak from all waah bays so you might get wet. Only accepts tokens and you can always count on the exchange machine being out of service. If you don't have tokens, come only with $1 or $5 dollar bills-quarters not accepted like any other normal self-service wash. A shame the installation doesn't maintain it.

Aug 20, 2023 · KJ TH

Self service car wash that takes dollars or $5 bills, no credit cards. Bring your own towels/rags as they have a scrub brush but that is only for the really tough dirt and does not do a great job. Pressure sprayer worked well for me with soap, high pressure rinse. They have vacuums there but I did not use them so don't know how well they are working. The trash cans were full when I was there so it would be nice if the place was cleaned more often. Overall worked for me and was not very expensive.

Aug 07, 2022 · paterjo