I still call these 25-cent car washes. Not!

It was when I was a teen that these types of do-it-yourself car washes began appearing. At that time, the mid '60s, these cost 25-cents for five minutes. A friend's father had a car rental business and during the winter we took the rental cars to these to be washed. Working together we would wash each of the small cars within the five minute limit.

These car washes today may look the same as those of old but there are some important differences.

For one thing the dirty water from the washing of cars no longer goes down a storm sewer as it would if you washed your car at home. Using these for washing one's car is easier on the environment.

And today there is not just one hose delivering either a harsh blast of water or soapy water. Today there is also a second hose with a brush at the end. Using the brush dislodges the dirt on a car's finish much better than the hard spray alone. At the end some booths now have a separate third hose to finish the  cleaning.

One other thing has changed as well: the cost. It now costs $3 for five minutes. Pop in five bucks, many booths accept bills, doubles the time.