Stage 1 to 4

110 foot express tunnel wash

An attendant preps every car with spray and brush at the door, then a flat conveyor belt carries it through neo-glide foam, the light show and a microfiber finish.

Call (508) 571-1134 Ask about a wash

What a car picks up between salt trucks

A New England car wears three kinds of dirt. There is dried grime baked onto the lower panels, there are wheels packed with brake dust and road film, and there is road salt, which hides underneath where you cannot see it and keeps working long after the roads dry out.

Most tunnels fail at one of those. Chain conveyors grab a wheel and drag the car along by it, which is hard on rims and the underbody. A quick pass of soap at speed skips the stuck-on grime entirely. And a wash that never gets low enough leaves the salt exactly where it does the damage.

The tunnel at the barn is built around those three problems, in that order.

From the door to daylight in 110 feet

Before your car enters the tunnel, an attendant goes over it with spray and brush. That prep loosens the grime on the lower panels so the machines are not asking foam to do a hand's job. Dan A mentioned it in his Google review, and called the attendants friendly and welcoming.

Then the car rides a flat conveyor belt, not a chain, which is easier on your wheels and the underbody. Along the 110 feet there is neo-glide foam in several colours, a light show overhead, and a microfiber towel finish at the end. Clearance at the entrance is 7 feet 6 inches.

Pick your wash at one of two kiosk lanes: one takes cash and credit, the other is credit card only. The menu runs Mickey's Very Best, which includes ceramic coating, then The Deep Clean, The Wheel Wash and The Bubble Bath. Prices are posted on the menu board at both pay lanes.

Salt season and when to come back

In salt season, salt is the reason to wash, not a dirty-looking car. Frequent use of road salt calls for regular cleaning of the undercarriage, and a car that looks fine can still be carrying it. Getting into a routine of coming back through the tunnel beats waiting for the paint to show it.

If that is you, look at the unlimited membership. Members get a free vacuum with every visit, and the pass covers one wash a day for one vehicle. Details are on the membership page.

The tunnel is open every day from 7am to 7pm, weather permitting, all year round. When the weather looks marginal, call (508) 571-1134 before you drive over. The barn is at 16 Galaxy Pass, on Route 146 westbound in the Market 32 Plaza.

A navy Mercedes mid-wash on the blue grating inside the Mickey's tunnel

Mickey's Car Wash, 16 Galaxy Pass, Sutton. Call (508) 571-1134.