# How much do you tip the Car Wash Guy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 8, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325 "2012-05-08T21:38:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/1 "2012-05-08T21:38:08Z")
Trying to figure what an average tip is. A buck? Two? Do you make it a larger tip if you drive an SUV? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/2 "2012-05-08T21:47:24Z")
And by Wach, I mean _WASH_. Man, I suck at typing! ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/3 "2012-05-09T13:10:03Z")
The wash is about $10 and I tip a buck. Considering the average job they do, the tip is consistent with the quality of the work. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/4 "2012-05-09T13:12:28Z")
What’s a car wash guy? ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/5 "2012-05-09T13:39:13Z")
Who ever heard of tipping for a car wash? Most of them are automatic so you never even see a person. One car wash I go to has a guy who brushes off the back of your car before it goes into the line, but I’ve never seen anyone offer him a tip. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/6 "2012-05-09T16:43:56Z")
On the rare occasions I go to a full-service car wash, typically a five dollar bill to the last guy in line. I figure they tip out - either that or that last spot is coveted because they are the only ones who are ever tipped at the car wash I’m thinking of. First there are the guys who vacuum out your car. Then the guys who scrub it briefly with long-handled brushes before it goes through the mechanical wash. Then the guys who wipe off most of the external water after it leaves the mechanical wash. Then the guys who each take an individual car and wipe down the dash, spray and clean the inside of the windows and more thoroughly wipe down the tires, grill, etc. - _that_ guy gets the tip. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/7 "2012-05-09T17:22:32Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > On the rare occasions I go to a full-service car wash, typically a five dollar bill to the last guy in line. I figure they tip out - either that or that last spot is coveted because they are the only ones who are ever tipped at the car wash I’m thinking of. > > First there are the guys who vacuum out your car. Then the guys who scrub it briefly with long-handled brushes before it goes through the mechanical wash. Then the guys who wipe off most of the external water after it leaves the mechanical wash. Then the guys who each take an individual car and wipe down the dash, spray and clean the inside of the windows and more thoroughly wipe down the tires, grill, etc. - _that_ guy gets the tip. I assume that they share the tips. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/8 "2012-05-09T19:20:31Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > Who ever heard of tipping for a car wash? Most of them are automatic so you never even see a person. One car wash I go to has a guy who brushes off the back of your car before it goes into the line, but I’ve never seen anyone offer him a tip. Champions Car Wash, Tysons Corner (on route 7, appx 1/4 mile east of 123). It’s a four-step hand wash. 1. Two guys one on each side vacuum and wipe and do the interior windows. They will vacuum the trunk, too if you ask them. 2. Two different guys spray the car down with foamy soap and (optionally) power wash the wheels. 3. Four guys hand wash the car as it goes through the wash-tunnel. 4. Four guys hand dry and do touch up to the door wells, and window edges. That’s 12 guys working on your car for ~$25 bucks (less if you get no wheel wash, more for carpet shampoo). They have a big wooden lockbox for tips that they all share (my contribution is typically $5 to $8 bucks. And I’ll say this about those car wash guys, they are almost all Latino and they all are the happiest workers you ever saw. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/9 "2012-05-09T21:06:41Z")
In my area, washes go from 10 to 15 bucks for regular wash, more for other options like your undercarriage dohickeys and polish wax whatnots. A complete detail for 125-200 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/10 "2012-05-10T06:00:40Z")
I typically tip $3.00 when I get a full service wash. My car is small and typically neat. If I have a mess (that juice box that spilled and turned into syrup in the Texas heat…) I tip extra. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/11 "2012-05-10T06:02:14Z")
I’m a big tipper, so I give myself $5 after I wash my car. ETA: $10 if I do a really good job. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/12 "2012-05-10T12:21:57Z")
Nothing?! There’s usually just one or two people. One takes your money and then he and sometimes another use the long handled brushes to prewash the car. Then you go through and are on your own for drying and vacuuming. 12 people to wash a car? are they all on the books? seems some may just work for tips, strange… ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/13 "2012-05-10T16:01:26Z")
I didnt know you were supposed to tip at a car wash. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-tip-the-car-wash-guy/621325/14 "2012-05-10T19:50:53Z")
One person takes my money. The other thinks he’s directing aircraft to the gate with their hands/arms flailing to line up my vehicle so that the wheel tracker pulls it through the car wash. No other people are involved. Why should I tip either of these people, especially so if either is at minimum wage they are the highest paid minimum wagers in the country? I only tip when an individual does something above and beyond their normal job duties. Taking my money and directing vehicles don’t qualify.