In Singapore, a car wash can cost between 5-10 Singapore Dollars. What you get is a typical soaping, some vacuum and wiping off the water using a dry towel. If you are lucky enough, 2-3 attendees will be involved in this process.
Up NORTH, Singapore’s friendly neighbours (Johor Bahru) have been showing what QUALITY and VALUE really means, at least in the car wash business.
In Johor Bahru, a car wash cost about RM$8- RM$10:
First, you get the “snowing” – spraying of soapy foam over the facade of your car. And the action starts.
Once the foam is sprayed, some scrubbing is done and a water jet is then used to flush out all the foam, together with the oil, dirt, soot and bird droppings.
As the final stream of water jet ends, the car is wiped dry and air brushers are used to remove the remaining water particles.
Then the doors of the cars are opened, together with the boot and even the petrol tank cover, not unlike a car in a showroom. In all, 5 to 6 attendees attend to different areas of the cleaning. Air brushers are used to remove particles stuck between the lines of your car cushion. Powerful vacuum cleaners are used to suck up all the biscuits left behind in the car by your kids. The interior of your windscreen are wiped clean of fingerprints. Your car tyres are polished. You do not even have to worry that a different strand of hair would be found in your car – which doesn’t belong to your wife. Read on…
Editor’s note: The post below is contributed from Anthony Goh, a regular Limsimi.com reader.
I am what you call a regular JB visitor – I go into JB every weekend with my wife but because both of us are Singaporeans without any relatives in JB, we are not very familiar around the “deeper” part of Johor Bahru. Our rigid routine every Friday night (or you can call it Saturday early morning at 0200hrs) is:
1) Go in from Woodlands
2) Once exit JB custom, go to the shell station to wash car and pump petrol
3) U-Turn and head back to Singapore
The routine suits us due to the low traffic and matches our schedule since we will usually catch a mid-night movie in SG before that. We dare not venture to far off since it is so late at night and we are a little afraid of the crime rate in JB.
After reading more on limsimi.com, we made a bold move to venture beyond the Shell station and one fine Sunday morning, I decided to drive in with my wife to Tebrau City (directions seem easy enough). We had the schedule planned out perfectly:
1) Go to Taman Sentosa Hawker Center for breakfast
2) Go to Aeon Tebrau City
3) Head back to Shell Station and pump petrol/ wash car
4) Head back to SG by 3pm to avoid the Sunday jam
As luck would had it, we did not even manage to hit Tebrau City on our eventful Sunday trip. After finishing our breakfast (nothing much there), my wife and I got into our car and I locked my car door immediately. On the way to Aeon Tebrau City as we drive along the Tebrau Highway, one motorcyclist honked at me and pointed to the bottom of my car.
KNS, the guy looks dodgy and we are in Johor Bahru – a scam to rob us in broad daylight? I decided to drive on and did not even make eye contact with the motorcyclist.
Shortly after, a very old Proton Saga (the roof of the car even had some rust) honked and pointed at the same place. I sensed something amiss and started to feel that my steering had become slightly heavier. This is unusual for my relatively new Hyundai Avante (weekend car somemore – low mileage and well maintained).
I stopped my car and parked at the side of the road to inspect – giving clear instructions to my wife not to step out. KNS, the front left wheel had punctured and on closer inspection, there was a glass sharpnel lodged right into the type, piercing through it. Damn SUAY and SIANZZ.
Hyundai Avante - Repair at Johor Bahru workshop
At least I know how to change tyre (standard SOP) Read on…
