Mobile Car Wash in Portola Valley
Shaded driveways, oak sap and spring pollen. A careful hand wash at home suits the way cars live here.
A mobile car wash in Portola Valley vs a tunnel
A mobile car wash in Portola Valley means the car never leaves the shade of your driveway. Our Exterior Detail is a careful hand wash, wheels and tires cleaned, tire dressing and outside glass. Compared with a tunnel, hand washing reaches the spots brushes skip, like the lower rear bumper and the wheel faces.
It also skips the drive out to a commercial wash, which can add new road dust before you are even home.
We start at the top and work down, saving the wheels and lower panels for their own tools so road grit from Alpine Road never touches the upper paint. The glass gets a separate cleaning at the end so it dries clear.
Oak country: sap, droppings and pollen
In Los Trancos Woods and around Portola Valley Ranch, many cars park under oaks. Shade is good for washing because hot panels dry products too fast. The tradeoff is sap, leaves and bird droppings. Fresh spots usually lift during the wash. Hardened sap and old droppings can etch the clear coat, and etching may not fully come out. Before we begin, we point out anything we notice.
Spring adds a yellow layer of pollen, and summer adds fine dust from dry hillsides. A regular wash keeps both from settling into the paint.
Setting up for the wash
We need a reasonably level spot with room to walk around the car and a standard outlet nearby. Whether you need a water tap depends on the job; the confirmation tells you. No wash water goes into storm drains. In a garage, we use waterless or rinseless methods only.
If your car lives in a carport, that is often the ideal setup: shade overhead, a level floor and an outlet usually nearby.
- Park the car where you want it washed
- Tell us about bike racks or roof boxes
- Note where our vehicle can park
- Secure pets for the visit
The package we suggest
Exterior Detail. Prices depend on the car and its condition, so we text you an exact price before anything is booked. Not sure? Text a photo and we will suggest one.
Questions
Can you remove pollen without scratching the paint?
Is shade better for a car wash?
Do you do clay bar treatment?
Can you wash around a bike rack?
When do I pay?
More answers on the FAQ page.
Request a detail
About a minute online, no card needed. We text you to confirm the day, arrival window and price.