Getting your car washed in the UK can cost anything from a few pounds at a roadside hand wash to well over £100 for a full valet. Here is what each option typically costs in 2026, and when a local teenager on your drive is the better choice.
Car wash prices in 2026
Roadside hand car wash
Typical prices, according to GetCarClean:
- Quick exterior wash: around £5 to £8
- Exterior with wheels and tyre shine: around £8 to £12
- Mini valet with a quick interior hoover and wipe: around £15 to £25
In London, a basic exterior hand wash typically costs around £8 to £12.
Mobile car wash and valeting
- Mobile exterior wash: around £15 to £25
- Mobile mini valet: around £25 to £40
- Mobile full valet: around £40 to £80
Checkatrade's 2026 guide puts a mobile full valet at around £70 to £110.
Automatic car wash
Usually the cheapest and quickest, but brush-type machines can leave fine scratches, and they do not clean as thoroughly as a careful hand wash.
The trade-offs
- Roadside hand wash: cheap and quick, but you have to drive there, wait, and quality varies a lot.
- Mobile valet: convenient and thorough, but you pay for it.
- Automatic: fast, but rough on paint and misses detail.
A teenager on your drive
A local teenager washing your car at home sits between the two. You do not have to go anywhere, the car is washed by hand, and the price is closer to a roadside wash than a mobile valet. A fair price is around £8 to £12 for an exterior wash of a family car and £12 to £20 with an interior hoover. Teenagers who wash cars regularly often learn the two-bucket method that protects paintwork, which you can read about in our guide for teen car washers.
Tips for a good result
- Leave a hose and access to an outside tap.
- Say whether you want the interior done, and empty the car of valuables first.
- Agree a regular slot, such as every other Saturday morning.
- Agree the price in advance.
Book a car wash
Post a car washing job on KidsHustle and get applications from local teenagers whose parents have approved them. You verify your identity once, payment is held until the job is done, and you do not need cash. Post a job on KidsHustle, or see the full teen price guide.