HDB car washing bays get sweet tech upgrade with coin-operated water jets and vacuums

Washing your car with a bucket of water and a lot of elbow grease? Them’s the old days. 

It’s 2019, and the humble HDB multi-storey carpark washing bay deserves a glow-up worthy of a new age. Ditch thy visits to professional vehicle cleaners, auto-owning friends — the proper tools of the trade are readily available in the heartlands. 

Just be prepared to have a decent amount of coins on you. 

Since sometime in late September, “Car Care Systems” have popped up in select HDB estates, replacing the humble coin-operated water dispenser. 

PHOTO: AsiaOne / Ilyas Sholihyn

Produced and installed by local engineering consultancy QE Elemech Engineering, the machines offer an all-encompassing way to properly clean both the exteriors and interiors of vehicles. If you want your own, the industrial-grade orange boxes can actually be purchased or leased from the company. 

PHOTO: QE Elemech website screengrab 

A standard water dispenser? Check. 

PHOTO: AsiaOne / Ilyas Sholihyn

A high-pressure water jet? Hell yes — washing off stubborn soot and grime from tires, rims and undercarriages will be a cinch. Twist the nozzle and it’ll reduce the pressure for use to wash everything else.

PHOTO: AsiaOne / Ilyas Sholihyn
PHOTO: AsiaOne / Ilyas Sholihyn

A vacuum? Awesome. Should come in handy to suck up dirt from the carpets and seats. 

PHOTO: AsiaOne / Ilyas Sholihyn

If you’re wondering about how much it’ll cost in coins, it ain’t that expensive. Now there’s really no excuse for you to not thoroughly clean your rides. 

PHOTO: AsiaOne / Ilyas Sholihyn

Right now, the machines are mostly available in north-eastern neighbourhoods, but we’re not sure if HDB plans to install ‘em elsewhere. In case your cars are due for a proper wash, Roads.sg made a list of places where you can find the cleaning machines. 

  • Blk 699D Hougang St 52
  • Blk 404 Fernvale Lane
  • Blk 406 Fernvale Road
  • Blk 504A Serangoon North Ave 4
  • Blk 512A Serangoon North Ave 4
  • Blk 542A Serangoon North Ave 4
  • Blk 546A Serangoon North Ave 3
  • Blk 980 Buangkok Crescent
  • Blk 984 Buangkok Crescent
  • Blk 988 Buangkok Green
  • Blk 996 Buangkok Crescent
  • Blk 997 Buangkok Crescent
  • Blk 998 Buangkok Crescent
  • Blk 596 Ang Mo Kio St 52
  • Blk 588 Ang Mo Kio 5t 52
  • BIk 305 Anchorvale Link
  • BIk 306 Anchorvale Link
  • Blk 310 Anchorvale Road
  • Blk 312 Anchorvale Lane
  • Blk 318 Anchorvale Link
  • Blk 319 Anchorvale Drive
  • Blk 326 Anchorvale Road
  • Blk 334 Anchorvale Crescent
  • Blk 338 Anchorvale Crescent
  • Blk 351 Anchorvale Crescent
  • Blk 408 Fernvale Road
  • Blk 439 Fernvale Road
  • Blk 410 Fernvale Road
  • Blk 434 Fernvale Road
  • Blk 414 Fernvale Link
  • Blk 468 Fernvale Link
  • Blk 470 Fernvale Link
  • Blk 472 Fernvale street
  • Blk 417 Fernvale Link
  • Blk 941A Hougang St 92
  • Blk 946A Hougang St 92
  • Blk 613A Ang Mo Kio Ave 4
  • Blk 700 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6
  • Blk 712A Ang Mo Kio Ave 6

ilyas@asiaone.com