Simon's Car Wash: Services, What to Expect, and How to Get the Most from Your Visit

Simon's Car Wash is a regional car wash chain operating in the Midwest, particularly in the Chicago area and surrounding suburbs of Illinois and Indiana. They operate a network of express and full-service tunnel car wash locations and are known for their membership programs, which offer unlimited monthly washes for a flat fee. If you're looking for quick, consistent exterior cleaning at a reasonable price, Simon's is a practical option for routine maintenance washing.

This guide covers what Simon's Car Wash offers, how their service tiers compare, tips for getting the best results from a tunnel wash, and when you might want to supplement their service with additional detailing work.

What Services Simon's Car Wash Offers

Simon's locations vary somewhat, but most operate as express exterior wash facilities with optional interior add-ons at some locations. Here's what you typically find across their service menu.

Express Tunnel Wash Packages

Simon's exterior wash packages generally range from a basic wash (soap, rinse, air dry) at around $8-$12 to premium packages at $15-$25 that add underbody flush, wheel cleaning, tire shine, and an air-dry finishing pass.

The premium packages add real value. An underbody flush is worth it in Midwest winters when road salt accumulates under the frame and accelerates rust. Tire shine applied during the wash is a time-saver even if you typically apply your own. For pure maintenance washing of a car without paint correction work or high-end coatings, these packages cover the basics effectively.

Monthly Membership Programs

Simon's offers unlimited wash memberships starting around $20-$30 per month for basic washes and scaling to $35-$50 for premium wash access. For anyone who washes weekly or more frequently, the math on membership versus per-wash pricing works out quickly.

A basic $20/month membership at $8 per individual wash breaks even at 3 washes per month. Most car-conscious owners wash at least weekly, making the membership genuinely cost-effective.

The limitation of any tunnel membership is the same as any tunnel wash: it's a maintenance tool, not a detailing tool. It keeps your car looking clean between professional details or at-home deep cleans, not a substitute for either.

Interior Services

Some Simon's locations offer interior vacuuming and quick interior wipe-down services, either as add-ons or as part of a full-service package. Not all locations offer interior work, so check your specific location.

For a thorough interior cleaning, a quick vacuum at a car wash falls short of what a full detail delivers. But for removing accumulated floor debris between detail sessions, it's a useful add-on.

The Reality of Tunnel Car Washes: Benefits and Limitations

Simon's, like all tunnel car washes, uses automated equipment: cloth strips or foam brushes, high-pressure rinse arches, and rotating brush units. Understanding what this equipment does well and where it falls short helps you use the service appropriately.

What Tunnel Washes Do Well

Tunnel washes remove surface-level dirt, road film, mud, and bird droppings quickly. They're excellent for maintenance cleaning when your car isn't heavily contaminated. The underbody flush at Simon's is genuinely useful for winter salt removal and is something many people can't easily replicate at home without a lift or pressure washer on a creeper.

Speed is the other obvious advantage. A Simon's wash takes 3-5 minutes. A proper hand wash takes 45 minutes to an hour. For daily-driver maintenance, that time trade-off is reasonable.

Where Tunnel Washes Fall Short

The cloth strips and brushes in any tunnel wash introduce fine scratches and swirl marks over time. This is the main compromise. On a car with a deep base coat and color coat, the scratches are subtle and take time to accumulate. On lighter-colored cars or older clear coats, swirl damage from repeated tunnel washing becomes visible within a season of regular use.

Tunnel wash equipment also doesn't reach every area. Door jambs, under bumper lips, wheel barrel interiors, and lower body panels often don't get fully cleaned. The result is a car that looks clean at a glance but has visible grime at closer inspection.

A quality carnauba wax or paint sealant applied at home or by a detailer also gets slowly stripped by repeated tunnel washing, particularly washes that use strong alkaline soaps. If you've invested in professional paint correction or a ceramic coating, repeated tunnel washing is not the best maintenance strategy.

For information on detailing services that go beyond what a car wash provides, the best car detailing guide covers the spectrum of professional services with real price and quality comparisons.

Getting the Best Results from a Simon's Car Wash Visit

Even at a tunnel wash, there are things you can do before and after to improve results.

Before You Enter

Close all windows completely and confirm the sunroof is shut. Fold your side mirrors if they're power-folding capable. Remove any exterior antennas that aren't flush-mounted. These small steps prevent the most common post-tunnel issues.

If your car has a ceramic coating, let the attendant know or look for a "coating-safe" wash option if available. Some car wash locations use lubricants in the final rinse that are not compatible with hydrophobic coatings.

After the Wash

Tunnel washes use air dryers but often leave water in crevices: around the trunk lid, under door handles, at the base of the windshield. Keep a microfiber towel in your car and do a quick wipe of these areas immediately after exiting to prevent water spots.

If you notice water spots on the paint after drying, address them quickly with a spray detailer and microfiber towel. Left for days, especially in sun, water spots can etch into the clear coat and require polishing to remove.

Supplementing with At-Home Care

The best way to use a Simon's membership is as your routine between less frequent at-home washes. Run through once a week for quick cleaning, and then once a month do a thorough hand wash, wheel cleaning, and quick-detail pass at home to address what the tunnel missed and apply protection.

This hybrid approach keeps the car consistently clean without requiring a full hand-wash session every week.

For guidance on detailing your own car at a higher level, the top car detailing guide covers the techniques and products used by enthusiast detailers.

Simon's Car Wash Membership vs. DIY Detailing: The Trade-Off

If you're a car enthusiast or own a vehicle with quality paint correction or ceramic coating work, a Simon's membership is useful for quick maintenance but probably shouldn't be your only washing strategy.

The tunnel wash is fast, convenient, and cheap per wash. But it slowly introduces swirl damage and strips protection that costs more to restore than it did to apply. If you've paid $500 for paint correction and a ceramic coating, a $25/month tunnel membership that slowly degrades that investment over 6-12 months isn't the right maintenance plan.

For coated vehicles, a two-bucket hand wash every 2-3 weeks (30-45 minutes) is the better approach, with occasional visits to a touchless tunnel wash when time doesn't allow for hand washing. Touchless washes use only chemicals and high-pressure rinse water with no contact, which is much safer for coatings and paint correction work.

FAQ

Where are Simon's Car Wash locations?

Simon's Car Wash operates primarily in the Chicago metropolitan area and suburban Illinois, with some Indiana locations. Specific locations and hours are best checked on their website or Google Maps since locations vary. Most are in suburban retail areas with good accessibility.

Does Simon's Car Wash offer commercial fleet accounts?

Many Simon's locations offer fleet pricing for businesses with multiple vehicles. Fleet accounts typically work on a pre-paid or invoiced basis with volume discounts. Contact your local Simon's location directly for fleet pricing details.

Is Simon's Car Wash safe for new cars?

Tunnel washes are safe in the sense that they won't damage your car structurally. The equipment is designed to wash without harsh impact. The concern for new cars is swirl introduction from the cloth media, which over many washes creates surface scratches. For a new car with pristine paint, a hand wash is technically safer. That said, most new car owners use tunnel washes without significant visible damage for years.

Can I cancel a Simon's monthly membership?

Monthly memberships at most car wash chains, including Simon's, are month-to-month with no long-term commitment. Cancellation policies vary by location but typically require cancellation before the next billing cycle. Check with your specific location on the process.

Bottom Line

Simon's Car Wash serves its purpose well: quick, consistent, convenient exterior maintenance washing at a reasonable cost. Their membership program is genuinely good value if you wash frequently. For anyone with a coated car or freshly polished paint, supplement the tunnel wash with periodic hand washing and proper protection to get the most out of both the convenience and your investment in the paint. Use Simon's for the quick maintenance, use careful hand detailing for the quality work.