[rahul4640]

Friends,
Recently read about "Clean N Shine Fully Automated Car Washing and Detailing Service" in Calcutta. They claim that they are the first to use the automated machine car washing facility in Calcutta. Read about them in some other automotive forum today. I have taken one of these pictures from the other thread and it is not mine.






Went to have a look myself. Wish to share my experience for the other members to try and share their opinions. I like to add that it was my first and only visit to that place and I was no way associated with them.

Services offered:-
Automated machine car washing. Also cleaning and car detailing facilities.

What I liked about this place:-
The staffs were trained and courteous. Though a regular wash took me less than 25 minutes, I was standing close watching these guys and liked their job. The machine also cleaned the bottom and the tyres thoroughly.

The owner seemed to be an honest person. Uses branded products for his services only. Does not make false claims.

Large workplace, clean and airy, with adequate parking facility, even for tho jam-packed weekends.

Adequate seating arrangements for the car owners.

A supervisor personally inspects the quality of work done before the delivery of the car back to the customer.


What I did not like about them:-
Prices seem to be slightly on the higher side.

May be slightly difficult to locate this place.

Contact Information:-

Here is their facebook page:-
https://www.facebook.com/cleannshine.net/timeline

And here is the Google+ link:-
https://plus.google.com/108688556147...y=CL2N3Zzt_ohG

Contact Information:-
Name of the contact person:- Mr. Vinod.
Phone numbers:- (033) 6565 0505.
Address:- 120A, Maniktollah Main Road; Calcutta-700 054.
Helpful landmarks / directions:- Located east of Maniktollah post office at a place called Lohapatti.
Google Map:-

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Team-BHP Directory. Thanks for sharing!

[dr. sen]

Originally Posted by rahul4640

Friends,
Recently read about "Clean N Shine Fully Automated Car Washing and Detailing Service" in Calcutta. They claim that they are the first to use the automated machine car washing facility in Calcutta. Read about them in some other automotive forum today. "

Thanx Rahul Da,

I had been to the place 5 times, for my, Innova, Manza, Swift, Indica and Ertiga, and all were satisfactorily washed and cleaned. The only grouse was the steep price, specially for the bigger cars.

Also for a small token fee, they told me, they can change the oil and filter (change only); which i found very convenient and patronizing (as the same is charged Rs. 300/- by my neighbourhood mistri).

One thing noticed, was, that they will only open the engine cover if asked by the client, otherwise, that area remains dirty during, air-wash / water jet wash; in the engine compartment. I am not aware, what other washers do.

I have not availed of any other services, as i could not afford them. Overall, very satisfied with the service and the operation. 5 stars to them.

Regards

[Samfromindia]

Well i am always skeptical of these automated washers. They can be a detailer's nightmare. The facility seem to be using the older brush technology instead of cloth which can cause scratches and swirl marks on paint. You can find more on the article below:

http://www.incrediblydetailed.com/th...-your-vehicle/

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/30/a...car-wash-tips/


Well detailing do cost a ton , but you can use cheaper alternatives like a foam lance wash right at your home. Check out The Motor Spa

https://www.facebook.com/themotorspa/?fref=ts







Their prices are pretty reasonable however you need to book a day in advance. Will post a review once i use their services.


Meanwhile Joseph of Premium Auto Detailing is offering pocket friendly detailing options using 3M for those in a budget. Do give it a try.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/other-...g-kolkata.html

[navpreet318]

Nice to see this facility already listed here. I had been there when I passed Calcutta on my way to Puri in March.
They did a nice job on the Storme. It had a lot of bugs stuck to it and it was cleaned up thoroughly including vacuuming and polishing.
We behaved like kids there and sat in the car while it was in the automatic wash. Super fun!
Met the owner and his son and they were pretty informed and passionate about their work.

[wishnipon]

I availed their services three times this year. The automatic car wash is a fantastic sight. However, I am far from satisfied. I observed from close quarters that the washing ends before suds are fully washed off! Some of the shampoo actually stays on the paint which is then air dried. Probably they are saving on water and electricity by running it for a shorter duration.

[wishnipon]

I had some time off and decided to pay a visit to Clean N Shine. I went for the Paint Protection package where the car is polished and then protected with Teflon (PTFE). I was sceptical about the Teflon claim, but they maintained that it was PTFE only. I was quite happy with the polishing work they did today. It was done using a machine. Post-polish the paint looked almost perfect - except at those few sites which MASS had messed up while touching up earlier. I would not have been able to polish it that well as I don't have a machine and it would have been a bad idea doing it myself in this summer. After polishing, they washed the car exterior with foam spray. Then Teflon was then applied with hand using sponge applicator.

I would rate them 7.5 out of 10 for the job. They cleaners are not meticulous as I would have been. It is easy for them to miss a centimetre or two. On a previous occasion when they had cleaned the interior (vacuuming, seat and upholstery cleaning), I could later see dust sitting prominently on the AC vents and in the handbrake area. I was also never happy about the automated car wash as it stopped before the shampoo was fully washed off. Today, one of the guys dropped the applicator sponge on the floor and casually patted it against his trousers to shake off the dust while the detailer in me cringed! They also forgot to buff a few areas after the Teflon coating. I will have to do that tomorrow morning. What is lacking is a supervisor or senior personnel to oversee the work of the cleaners.

I went for their annual package which is a good deal and makes a lot of sense for me as I am not going to do the detailing work myself in near future. I no more share my earlier concern about the suds not being fully washed off in the automated car wash because I have been told that after today's Paint Protection Treatment, all future washes will be done by foam spray. The machine will be only employed for underbody washing and drying.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by wishnipon

I went for the Paint Protection package where the car is polished and then protected with Teflon (PTFE).

I do not want to comment on rest of the work done, but applying PTFE on a car by hand using sponge applicators is hitting science out of the park !!!

PTFE is SOLID at room temperature with melting point at 300+ degrees Celsius.

Anyone who does not have a huge factory working with industrial level compressors / boilers CANNOT do anything with PTFE (market name Teflon).

Please do not be fooled by the tall claims of these snake oil peddlers, the stuff applied on your car may be at best some wax / sealant. 9/10 so called 'detailers' are just roadside 'palishwala' and nothing better.

For further details on PFTE please read this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polytetrafluoroethylene

P.S: I would keep my car 100 ft away from these automated car washs, affectionately termed as 'swirl-o-matics' .
A proper washing session with a foam lance + pressure washer + 2 bucket method and the rest by an educated detailer is 100 times better.

[wishnipon]

Originally Posted by blackasta

I do not want to comment on rest of the work done, but applying PTFE on a car by hand using sponge applicators is hitting science out of the park !!!

Thanks for confirming what I had suspected. I vaguely remember something I read earlier on TeamBHP about false Teflon claims in India.

Originally Posted by wishnipon

I was sceptical about the Teflon claim, but they maintained that it was PTFE only.

In fact, I had mentioned that I had my doubts about their claim.

Originally Posted by blackasta

P.S: I would keep my car 100 ft away from these automated car washs, affectionately termed as 'swirl-o-matics' .

Post 'Teflon' they have promised to wash my car with foam lance and water jets; no more automatic wash.

Originally Posted by blackasta

A proper washing session with a foam lance + pressure washer + 2 bucket method and the rest by an educated detailer is 100 times better.

I agree. In an ideal world, I would love to detail my car myself. But I had to give in as I wasn't getting any time and my detailing arsenal (and my car) was gathering dust.

[Samfromindia]

There is a dearth of car wash and detailing outlets in Calcutta compared with other cities. Most people stick with their neighborhood petrol pumps for pressure washing. As for me i have bought my own pressure washer and do it myself. However sometimes i feel lazy and then the necessity comes to visit places like this. After somewhat positive reviews by fellow Bhpians here i finally decided to try out this place last year. Its located near Mani Square Mall which is far from where i stay in south Kolkata. I took their basic wash+ vacuum package. Here are my experience in brief:

What's Good

+ Well managed. Owner himself was present when i went and was actively monitoring the work.

+ Workshop was decently spacious and well equipped. Multiple staff simultaneously work which make the whole process a lot quicker.

+ Although automatic wash is their USP, i opted for normal form wash which was also an option. They tried convincing me that nothings wrong with automatic wash but i did not budge.

What's Not

- Attention to detail is not there sadly. I had to point out the places where they missed cleaning properly. Also i expected a better job.

- Very high prices for the services compared to other cities. Maybe they jacked up their prices due to lack of competition but similar outlets in other places take a lot less

- They classified my 4M car under SUV. This is totally ridiculous. Even a sedan like Honda city must have more surface area than a compact crossover. Most outlets like 3M where i have been to classifies my car under mid category but here they have classified it under Fortuner / Endeavour territory. The owner didn't pay heed to my request due to obvious reason.














This concludes my review. This is definitely a unique experience, but i am not sure if i will visit there again. Car detailing in Kolkata is still in its nascent stages and i hope outlets like Aquatint Pune comes up real soon to cater car enthusiasts in the city.

[rahul4640]

Originally Posted by Samfromindia

Attention to detail is not there sadly. I had to point out the places where they missed cleaning properly. Also i expected a better job.

Yes, they even do not dry the floor mats well enough by blowing adequate air and put back them considerably wet on the floor of your car.

Originally Posted by Samfromindia

Very high prices for the services compared to other cities. Maybe they jacked up their prices due to lack of competition but similar outlets in other places take a lot less.

I think the only reason is that there is no other similar car cleaning machines nearby, at least in north Calcutta. I too complained them about their high rates.

[Samfromindia]

Lack of car wash & detailing outlets apart from petrol pumps made me go Clean N Shine again, this time for a friend. Booking was done 30 mins before over call. Luckily they didn't have any Q and our car was attended without much delay. They took a princely sum of nearly 700rs for regular wash (20 min job) including taxes for a hatchback To put things in perspective, that's the same charge 3M takes for 1hr cleaning job or Aquatint takes for 2-3hr session for a medium sized car back here in Pune !

Although i stay away from automatic wash we decided to go for it just for the unique wow factor for my friend. End result was fair if i stop thinking about the price factor. Let the pics do the talking.

https://youtu.be/KYhzzTUyPp8

[NaXal]

Ford A.S.C here in Kolkata does washing at Rs. 450/- + TAX for my Aspire.

It includes,

* Pressure washing (manual)
* Interior cleaning (floor dust/dirt mainly) / dusting
* Basic check up of the car and bit of running job (like rattle issues or fluid top ups and checking of engine oil quality or leakage)
* Basic multiple point checking like they do before every service

I find the price and quality of work much better than neighborhood pressure washing outlets. What really helps is the multiple point check they do along with fluid top ups (if and when required).

Usually I dont like pressure washing. If its not rainy season, usually I do a pressure wash in every 70-90 days. If its raining a lot, may be I would go for a wash if there is any family occasion or once a month. I also do mandatory pressure washing after any weekend trip to sea beach.

As otherwise, couple of buckets of water along with couple of microfiber for that wet wipe does the job for me.

Now compare to local pressure washing, they change Rs. 200-250/- for simple washing. Price go up to 350-450/- if you jackup the car for under body washing or interior cleaning. That said, none of them have any vacuum cleaner. They use compressed air to blow the dirt out.

Compare to local washing, Ford A.S.C is much better option for me. Both, quality or price wise.

Bonus, often Ford runs service camps. Mainly before major seasons, like Winter / Summer / Rainy. If I happen to walk into a camp, washing is given free. Keeping an eye on Ford website under service tab helps. After all, I have purchased a 5 year warranty so taking full advantage of that along with their dirt cheap "family wali feeling service".

[Samfromindia]

Originally Posted by NaXal

Ford A.S.C here in Kolkata does washing at Rs. 450/- + TAX for my Aspire

Totally agree with everything that you have written except for the fact that i used to pay 350rs for my Ecosport at Ganges Ford China Town workshop. Did they hike rates recently ?

Also i remember finding excuses to go service center for minor rattle fix, alignment check etc just to get the washing done as they will probably not entertain me if i come there only for washing

Also another good thing is the paint top up they used to do for all the nicks and small scratches for free.

[NaXal]

Originally Posted by samfromindia

Also another good thing is the paint top up they used to do for all the nicks and small scratches for free.

I have heard about Ganges Ford on this point. Sadly I have visited 3 outlet of 2 different dealership. Saini Ford and Kaikan Ford and none of them even agreed to touch up on those faint hairline scratches on bumper.

Planning to visit Ganges next time around for my Annual Service to check on this. 3rd service is due by next March.

Regarding the washing price, I am being charged 450/- since a year or so.

Thanks.