01
No swirl marks
Brushes and tunnel cloth put fine scratches in clear coat. Hand mitts and clean water do not.
Two-bucket wash, hand dry, sealant
Exterior hand wash
No brushes, no tunnel, no spinning cloth. Every car is washed by hand with fresh mitts, rinsed with filtered water and dried with plush towels.
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The short version
The hand wash is the backbone of the shop. It is the service our grandfathers did in a carriage house off Upper King, and apart from better chemistry and filtered water, it has not changed much.
We pre-rinse to lift Charleston's pollen and salt film, foam the paint so grit floats instead of grinding, then wash panel by panel with the two-bucket method and a fresh mitt for the lower thirds. Wheels and tires get their own tools and their own buckets so brake dust never touches your paint.
Drying is where most washes ruin a finish. We dry with filtered air first, then blot with long-nap towels, and we never drag a towel across a dry panel.
What is included
- Pre-rinse and pH-neutral foam bath
- Two-bucket hand wash with grit guards
- Dedicated wheel, barrel and tire tools
- Bug and tar removal on the front end
- Filtered-water final rinse, no water spots
- Air dry plus plush towel blotting
- Tire dressing, satin finish, never greasy
- Door jambs and fuel door wiped down
- Glass cleaned inside the front and all around outside
- Three-month paint sealant on the top surfaces
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How we run it
01
Walk the car
We look at the finish with you, point out anything we cannot fix in a wash, and agree on the plan before a drop of water touches it.
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Foam and dwell
A thick pH-neutral foam sits on the paint for several minutes so road film and pollen release before contact.
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Wheels first
Wheels, barrels, arches and tires are cleaned with their own tools while the foam does its work.
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Hand wash
Two buckets, grit guards, straight-line passes, and a fresh mitt for rocker panels and lower doors.
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Rinse and dry
Filtered final rinse, forced-air drying through the panel gaps, then towel blotting and jamb wipes.
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Why it is worth doing properly
Three things customers notice within a week.
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Spot-free finish
Charleston tap water is hard. Our final rinse runs through a deionizing filter so the car can air dry clean.
03
Fast enough for a lunch break
Most sedans are done inside an hour. Drop it downtown and pick it up after a meeting.
What moves the price
- Vehicle size and whether the roof is over 6 feet
- How long since the last wash, and whether there is heavy salt or lovebug residue
- Pet hair, sand or marsh mud in the door sills
- Aftermarket wraps or matte finishes, which need different chemistry
Sample starting prices
| Vehicle size | From |
|---|---|
| Coupe and sedan | $65 |
| Crossover and SUV | $80 |
| Truck and large SUV | $95 |
Sample figures for a vehicle in typical condition. Final pricing is confirmed after we see the car.
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Often booked with this
Inside and out, single-stage polish
Full heritage detail
Our signature day-long service: hand wash, decontamination, a single-stage machine polish and a complete interior detail.
From $385Extraction, leather care, deep vacuum
Interior detailing
Steam, extraction and hand-finished leather care for cabins that live through Lowcountry summers, beach trips and car seats.
From $185Two to five year paint protection
Ceramic coating
A semi-permanent protective layer applied over corrected paint, with sample warranty terms from two to five years depending on tier.
From $1250Walk-ins are welcome Tuesday through Saturday, but booking a slot means you are on the lift within 15 minutes instead of behind four cars.
No. The included sealant lasts about three months. A ceramic coating is a semi-permanent layer measured in years, and it is applied after paint correction.
Yes. Tell us at booking so we switch to matte-safe soap and skip any gloss sealant.
Ready when you are
Book exterior hand wash
Four bays, four cars a day, and a standing slot if you want one. Tell us what the car needs and we will tell you honestly what it does not.
Tuesday to Saturday · 812 Huger Street · Free re-wash within 48 hours if we miss something (sample offer)