Buc-ee’s, the Texas-based travel center fond of bigness, boasts the world’s longest car wash at its location in Katy, Texas, at the western edge of the Houston metro area. But its existence raises the question of whether biggest is best.
A TikTok video praising it comes from the Texas Travel account (@txvacation), scooping up 1.4 million views since going up on Aug. 12. The video, which presents the five-minute car wash experience at 5x speed, makes it appear to be a low-key adult amusement ride.
The narration explains, “You’ll get to see tons of colors and even a Buc-ee’s hologram at the beginning.”
It also notes, “Before you start, you’ll have the chance to select between two different packages. The Works was $16 and the basic car wash $13. We selected the works because it came with a few extras like tire shine and free vacuums.”
@txvacation The longest carwash in the world 🌎 #texas ♬ Walking Around – Instrumental Version – Eldar Kedem
Is it the longest in the world?
The car wash, at 255 feet long, actually attained a Guinness Book of World Records nod for being the world’s longest car wash.
According to carwash.com, maintained by trade organization Professional Carwashing & Detailing, the November 2017 opening included a ceremony to celebrate the record-breaking occasion. Buc-ee’s also offered free car washes to all customers who braved the lines that day.
There was talk of a more recently-open Buc-ee’s in Lake Jackson that would include a car wash even longer than the Katy one, according to a KTRK-TV report from 2022, but Buc-ee’s own site declares the Katy one the longest.
But how does it perform?
A commenter on the TexAgs forum, serving fans of Texas A&M University, brought up an issue in a post from last October.
“My wife goes to the Bucees carwash often,” it began, sharing that his wife reported scratches on the hood. He confirmed the hood and roof above the windshield bore telltale marks.
“I’m hoping a detailer can buff it out,” the commenter went on to say. “It feels rough but it doesn’t look like it went deeper than the clear coat. It made the hood look dull too. That vehicle had ceramic on it as well.”
That led to one person voicing a “deep distrust of automatic car washes,” with another observing, “No one cleans that equipment. Every time you go through one, you’re taking a risk.”
In the Texas Travel video’s comments, some expressed cynicism.
“5 minutes worth of scratching,” one said.
Another quipped, “You can do a lot in 5 mins.”
But it also had its fans, with one noting, “Been through that car wash! It seems never ending! Really awesome!”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via email and TikTok comment and to Buc-ee’s via email.
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