Beta Beta — hiring neighbors on Papalocal is new; what you see here is real, and it's still growing.
Car washing in the driveway Beta
A hand wash for your car in your own driveway: soap, rinse, dry, wheels and windows, plus a quick vacuum inside if you want it.
- How often
- Monthly
- Where the work happens
- Outdoors
- Who it suits
- Often a good fit for a responsible teen
These open your Papalocal account. You'll be asked to log in or sign up first.
A driveway wash is the hand wash you'd do yourself on a Saturday if you had the time: two buckets, a soft mitt, a rinse, a dry with clean towels, then wheels, tires and glass.
It suits busy families with two or three cars, people who'd rather keep a new finish out of an automatic wash, and anyone who'd rather spend the afternoon somewhere other than the driveway.
Because it happens at your house, you can leave the keys inside and get on with your day, and the same neighbor can come back next month.
Also called: car wash at home, driveway car wash, someone to wash my car, mobile car wash, hand wash car service, wash my truck.
What's usually included
- A rinse, a hand wash with car soap and a soft mitt, then a full rinse
- Drying with clean microfiber towels to cut down on water spots
- Wheels, tires and wheel wells
- Outside windows and mirrors
- A quick inside vacuum and a wipe of the dash, if you add it
What to ask before you hire
- Whose water and hose will be used, and is there an outdoor outlet for a vacuum?
- Does your HOA or town limit driveway washing or soapy water running into storm drains?
- Inside too, or outside only?
- Is there anything to leave alone, like aftermarket parts, a coating or a fragile antenna?
- How often, and which day fits your schedule?
Staying safe
- Agree on where the keys are and who moves the car, and never stand behind a car that might back out
- Stay out of the street and work from the driveway side
- A teen doing this should have a parent's OK and know where the customer will be while they work
Car washing in the driveway by town
Questions people ask
Is this a good job for a teen?
Yes, washing cars at a neighbor's house is a classic first job for a teen with a parent's OK. A younger teen may want a parent nearby for the first few.
Will a hand wash scratch my paint?
A careful wash with clean mitts and towels is gentle, but grit on a dropped mitt can leave marks. Ask how they keep their tools clean.
Do I need to be home?
Not for an outside wash. For an inside clean, leave the car unlocked or the keys somewhere you've agreed on.
What about soap running into the street?
Some towns and HOAs have rules about driveway washing. Check yours, and ask the washer about using a biodegradable soap.
Thinking of offering this yourself?
- Bring two buckets, a soap made for cars (never dish soap), soft mitts, a wheel brush and a stack of clean towels
- Wash in the shade or the cooler part of the day so soap doesn't dry on the paint
- Work from the roof down, and keep the wheel mitt separate from the paint mitt
- Set your own price for your area by vehicle size and whether the inside is included, after seeing what other neighbors ask
- Offer the same weekend each month and offer to do the second car too; a standing slot is easy for a household to keep
- To be paid by card through Papalocal, you'll need a Citizen Plus membership and your own Stripe account
