FARGO — Metro area residents have no doubt noticed the number of car washes popping up across the metro area.

With so many options out there, The Forum sent five newsroom employees out secret-shopper style to test out some of the most prominent car washes in the area. Rather than visiting car washes attached to national gas station chains, we checked out the new (and one old) standalone operations.

Read on below for hours, prices, amenities, our ratings and final conclusions.

LOCATIONS: 3102 Highway 10 and 3115 8th St. S. in Moorhead; 1702 40th St. S. and 4682 32nd Ave. S. in Fargo HOURS: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday AMENITIES: Fully-automated wash with free vacuums. OVERALL RATING: 7 out of 10 suds

For those of you who prefer a “next-gen” car wash experience, you’ll want to check out one of the slick, new Tommy’s Express Car Washes throughout Fargo-Moorhead. Packages range from $10 for the basic wash to $19 for the “No. 1 Works” wash. The unlimited Tommy club runs from $22.99 per month to $44.99 per month.

I opted for the $13 super wash, the next step up from Tommy’s bare-bones wash. The car wash itself is a long, clear tube, sort of like an MRI for automobiles. According to their website, the tube automatically adjusts to your vehicle size to ensure “every surface is evenly cleaned.”

The automated wash didn’t have those irritating tire grooves, which make me feel like an idiot when I can’t align my car tires properly. The automatic spinning scrubbers were the soft cloth kind, but also effectively washed the remains of bugs off my grill.

The vacuum station was free, with an individual hose on each side so you can reach every part of your vehicle. The vacuums had plenty of suction (as evidenced by the large Target bag I accidentally Hoovered up.) A detail kit can be purchased for $3. Unfortunately, I missed the automatic mat-washing machine entirely.

Despite the bells and whistles, my car still had some dirty streaks afterward, probably because there is no human involved to offer those last-minute touch-ups. For a completely hands-free wash, it seemed a tad pricey.

If your idea of Halloween fun is to be trapped inside a car while scary creatures descend on you, you’ll want to check out Tommy’s Tunnel of Terror. This Halloween event offers giant spiderwebs, ghoulish colored lights and surprise tunnel visits by werewolves, scary clowns and other frightening beings.

Hopefully, when the werewolf is done scaring you, he’ll use his furry paws to buff the tires.

The Tunnel of Terror is available Oct. 21, 22, 28 and 29 from 7 to 11 p.m. at the 32nd Avenue location in Fargo and the Eighth Street South location in Moorhead. - Tammy Swift

LOCATIONS: 4475 Calico Drive S. and 2980 52nd Ave. S. in Fargo FUTURE LOCATIONS: 2120 Sheyenne St. in West Fargo; 2511 University Drive, 2901 13th Ave. S. and 2901 Uptown Way in Fargo HOURS: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily during October to March; 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily during April to September AMENITIES: Tunnel wash with prep wash and turbo dryers as well as compressed air, microfiber towels and powerful vacuums for touch-up work. OVERALL RATING: 9 out of 10 suds

Silverstar Car Wash, based out of Sioux Falls, made an aggressive push into North Dakota in 2021. That started with their Calico Drive location in Fargo. The second location along 52nd Ave. S. followed later that year. Four more are in the works, with opening dates tabbed for the end of 2022 and early 2023.

Silverstar offers four tiers of washes, starting with their $10 express wash and going all the way up to their $20 platinum plus wash.

Unlimited monthly memberships are offered for each wash tier. Membership prices range $14.95 per month to $34.95 for the highest tier wash.

On a recent Tuesday morning, I opted for the $17 platinum wash. I must admit, I do not frequent car washes all that often and my car was thoroughly dusty and bug-splattered from the summer. Therefore, I was keenly interested in seeing if the platinum wash was worth the additional expense.

Silverstar’s baseline, high-pressure prep wash was a welcome feature which offered a human touch before entering the mechanized tunnel.

That said, I am a firm believer that any car wash is only as good as its dryers, and Silverstar did not fully deliver on its promise of a spot-free rinse. The wash does offer a satisfaction guarantee, meaning customers are welcome to run through again at no cost if they are unhappy. However, for purposes of this exercise, I opted for their compressed air and microfiber towels to touch up the minor beads of water that were missed. Silverstar’s spacious vacuum bays were also appreciated for a much-needed interior clean-up.

Overall, the $17 platinum wash proved up to the task for cleaning up a summer’s worth of filth. Car wash devotees may be able to get by with the $10 wash, but I would advise my fellow serial procrastinators pony up for a higher tier wash.

Silverstar’s platinum wash earns a nine out of ten suds from me. Points were lost for the unfulfilled promise of a spot-free finish, but the availability of compressed air hoses and microfiber towels lifts the score into highly-satisfactory range for me. - Thomas Evanella

LOCATIONS: 2727 13th Ave. S. and 2500 52nd Ave. S. in Fargo HOURS: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday AMENITIES: Full-service wash with additional self-service vacuums and gas pumps. OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10 suds

Don’s Car Wash predates Fargo’s car wash mania by several years. The full-service wash offers three packages which all check in at higher prices than standard automated washes. The basic full-service wash is $23.99. The next steps up are $26.99 and $31.99.

Monthly unlimited memberships total $19.99 for the base exterior wash club, $25.99 for the exterior protection package wash club and $49.99 for the full-service exterior works wash club.

Signage also advertises a buy four, get one free offer.

Don’s will vacuum your car, but they also now have complimentary vacuums for touch-ups. Two packages include air fresheners, but the station has many more for sale inside. I suspect Don’s also may have a leg up on its competition because it sells gas.

I visited Don’s on a Sunday afternoon and it was relatively quiet for such a nice day. I chose the Protection Package for $26.99.

The exterior wash rates at a near-perfect ten suds. However, the interior cleaning rates at seven out of ten suds. I swear the vehicle wasn’t a disaster, but there were still food crumbs and dirt around the gear shift and console. I had to request they open and clean the back. I assume that’s because most people’s trunks or back ends are full of stuff, but we unloaded it to get the full clean.

In the end, there was still dirt and other debris around the doors and the floors were quite wet and sloppy. I am happy with a seven if I don’t have to do it myself, but others may be a little more persnickety. - Angie Wieck

LOCATION: 4207 13th Ave. S. in Fargo HOURS: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. AMENITIES: Tunnel wash with covered vacuum bays, touch-up cloths and spray bottles. OVERALL RATING: 10 out of 10 suds

Tidal Wave Auto Spa is the newest of the new faces when it comes to car washes in Fargo. The Thomaston, Ga.-based brand opened Aug. 23.

Tidal Wave packs in five tiers of washes, ranging from the $10 bare-bones to the $30 “Graph-X4” full package.

Monthly unlimited memberships are $29 per month for the Dry N’ Shine, $39 per month for the Ceramic Sea Gloss and $49 per month for the Graph-X4.

Plenty of touch-up cloths and spray bottles are available for additional cleaning, plus Tidal Wave boasts vacuums so strong they will suck up your lighter.

Staff at Tidal Wave were very friendly, which is good because I never wash my car and trying to read all of the features was overwhelming when you’re already in the drive-up. - John Lamb

LOCATIONS: 3410 28th Ave. S. in Moorhead FUTURE LOCATIONS: 1345 25th Ave. S. in Fargo HOURS: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. AMENITIES: Tunnel wash with vacuums and streak-free window/interior cleaners. OVERALL RATING: 9 out of 10 suds

I got something I didn’t expect at Zips Car Wash. Attention.

The wash at 3410 28th Ave. S. had some helpful staff when I stopped there Tuesday, Oct. 11.

I was taking photos at the wash’s entry, when an attendant wandered over offering to help me, probably figuring this balding Boomer was confused.

At the automatic payment kiosk, the attendant ran me through the options for washes, including on how to pay and retrieve my receipt.

Once finished, he wandered back to the tunnel wash area.

When I pulled around to the entry, he was already there with another attendant. Together they applied bug remover and high pressure spray to clean a month’s worth of bugs and gunk off my vehicle.

I then put my SUV into neutral to be pulled through the wash. (Note: DO NOT put your car into reverse, as this causes car wash attendants to scream in fear for their lives.)

Going through the wash was smooth. The roller system that pulls vehicles ahead is pretty slick — no clunky mechanisms like older washes. And it was fast, with plenty of cleaners and protectants slathered on my vehicle. All of the brushes and sprays appeared to be working.

The automatic air dryer did a very good job of blasting away excess water and soap, much better than at a typical gas station wash. By the time I pulled around to the free vacuum, much of the exterior of my car had dried.

All of the exterior had been cleaned well in just a few minutes, start to finish.

The vacuums had strong suction and got the carpet clean front to hatchback. There is also a floor mat hanger so you can easily give them extra attention. It beats doing this in my driveway with a 10-year-old shop vac. Other welcome freebies were wipe-down cloths and bottles of a streak-free window/interior cleaner. It worked well and saved me from having to buy it and do it at home.

Like most others, the basic wash at Zips checks in at $10. The next tiers are $15 and $20. Monthly memberships total between $20 and $40.

A special for people signing up for unlimited washes gives customers the first two months at $10 per month. - Helmut Schmidt

Tidal Wave Auto Spa rated the highest in our evaluation. With five different wash tiers, drivers will no doubt be able to find the right wash at the right price.

With that said, Tidal Wave only has one location in Fargo, meaning it may be inconvenient for some readers. If you’re looking for metro-wide car wash options, your best bet is either Silverstar Car Wash or Tommy’s Express Car Wash.

Budget car washers will want to avoid Don’s Car Wash. Tommy’s, Silverstar, Tidal Wave and Zips Car Wash all offer a baseline wash for $10.

Car wash addicts’ money is best spent at Silverstar, where unlimited wash memberships start paying for themselves on the second visit. If you plan to wash your car three or more times each month, the monthly membership at Zips is also a strong value.

Don’s offers the lone full-service option on our list. If you are looking for a higher-end cleaning without having to do the interior work yourself, Don’s is the place to go. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tommy’s offers a laissez faire experience for the anti-social car wash-goers.