Clean Express Auto Wash vs ModWash
Data updated · May 24, 2026
ModWash is larger (127 vs 53 locations); ModWash is rated higher (4.85★ vs 4.33★); ModWash has the lower reviewer-reported damage rate (0.83% vs 5.57%).
These chains operate at different scale tiers: Clean Express Auto Wash is regional-tier, ModWash is national-tier. ModWash edges ahead on review-weighted rating (4.85★ vs 4.33★, a meaningful gap). On reviewer-reported damage, ModWash runs lower at 0.83% vs 5.57% — a substantial operating-quality gap. The dataset-wide average across all car wash chains is roughly 1–3%.
| Metric | Clean Express Auto Wash cleanexpresswash.com | ModWash modwash.com |
|---|---|---|
| Locations | 53 3 states | 127 12 states |
| Reviews | 13,706 3,701 LLM-scored | 182,068 70,105 LLM-scored |
| Avg rating | 4.33 | 4.85 |
| Damage rate (lower better) | 5.57% | 0.83% |
| Membership cancellation friction (of mem-discussing reviews) | 14.3% | 12.4% |
| Dominant format | Express Tunnel | Express Tunnel |
Clean Express Auto Wash operates 53 locations across 3 states (17.7 sites per state on average). ModWash operates 127 locations across 12 states (10.6 per state). Clean Express Auto Wash has a denser per-state footprint (17.7 sites/state vs 10.6 for ModWash), suggesting a more saturated regional strategy. Total customer signal is 13,706 Google reviews for Clean Express Auto Wash (3,701 LLM-scored) vs 182,068 for ModWash (70,105 scored).
How do customers rate each chain on the 7 pillars?
Aspect scores aggregate WashIndex's LLM extractions across each chain's reviews. Each score is (positive − negative) / total mentions, ranging −1 to +1. Numbers above zero mean customers say more positive than negative things about the aspect; below zero means the reverse.
| Aspect | Clean Express Auto Wash | ModWash | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wash Quality | +0.34 | +0.75 | ModWash |
| Staff & Customer Service | +0.46 | +0.94 | ModWash |
| Wait Time | -0.04 | +0.64 | ModWash |
| Per-Wash Price | -0.03 | +0.24 | ModWash |
| Equipment Working | -0.53 | -0.33 | ModWash |
| Facility Cleanliness | +0.78 | +0.79 | ModWash |
| Membership Value | -0.08 | +0.25 | ModWash |
Clean Express Auto Wash's strongest aspect in customer reviews is Facility Cleanliness (+0.78); the weakest is Equipment Working (-0.53). ModWash's strongest is Staff & Customer Service (+0.94); the weakest is Equipment Working (-0.33). ModWash comes out ahead on Wash Quality, Staff & Customer Service, Wait Time, Per-Wash Price, Equipment Working, Membership Value; Clean Express Auto Wash doesn't have a clear win on any of the 7 pillars.
ModWash has the lower cancellation-friction rate (12.4% vs 14.3% of mem-discussing reviews) — a modest gap. The dataset-wide rate is roughly 10–15%. Customers discuss memberships more often when reviewing Clean Express Auto Wash (26.0% of reviews) than the alternative (8.5%), which usually signals a more aggressively-marketed unlimited-wash program.
Do they operate the same format of car wash?
| Format | Clean Express Auto Wash | ModWash |
|---|---|---|
| Express Tunnel | 11.1% | 2.1% |
| Full Service | 0.8% | 3.6% |
| Hand Wash | 0.5% | 1.5% |
Format share is computed across customer review mentions, not over locations. A chain with mostly express-tunnel sites but heavy detail-shop talk in reviews will show both at non-trivial rates.
Both Clean Express Auto Wash and ModWash run as Express Tunnel chains — same format, same customer occasion. Brand, pricing, and location convenience drive the choice, not format differentiation.
Where do Clean Express Auto Wash and ModWash compete?
Clean Express Auto Wash and ModWash share 3 metropolitan markets in the WashIndex coverage set, giving customers a real choice in those areas. In short: If customer-rating consistency is the deciding factor, ModWash is the safer pick; if avoiding vehicle damage is the priority, ModWash runs the lower reviewer-reported damage rate; if location convenience matters most, ModWash has more sites to choose from.
About Clean Express Auto Wash vs ModWash
Clean Express Auto Wash vs ModWash: which is bigger?
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Which has the higher customer rating, Clean Express Auto Wash or ModWash?
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Which has the lower damage rate, Clean Express Auto Wash or ModWash?
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Where do Clean Express Auto Wash and ModWash compete head-to-head?
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About this comparison
Both chains' numbers are pulled from the same WashIndex per-location dataset — Google reviews processed through LLM extraction across 55 dimensions, format classification from each operator's website, and competitive-density analysis. See each chain's full profile — Clean Express Auto Wash / ModWash — for monthly trends, per-location drill-down, executive summary, and anomaly detection.
See our full methodology for the extraction pipeline, validation samples, and aggregation logic.