🚘This Florida haunted car wash leaves riders freaked, car squeaky clean

APOPKA, Fla. – In the spirit of Halloween, one Florida business is putting a spooky twist on a traditional car wash.

I guess you can describe it as a drive-through haunted house of sorts.

It was an idea that Sweetwater Car Wash general manager Michelle Alderman said she came up with three years ago. Opening up the car wash after hours and creating the “Tunnel of Terror” haunted attraction.

“It’s a big team building event for us. We like to get all the staff together and the kids. We put on unique costumes and we really scare people, so it’s really fun,” Alderman said. “It takes a lot of work, including decorations and lights.”

A ride through the haunted car wash is $20, with Sweetwater members getting a discount.

Before you even get into the car wash, you sit in the cue. Cars lined up with about a dozen creepy characters approaching windows, making scary noises and doing jump scares... and you can get spooked from any seat in the car.

Just like a regular car wash, you’ll follow direction from the staff member, put your car in neutral as the conveyor belt takes you through the haunted car wash experience... yes, you get an actual car wash during the “Tunnel of Terror” - with some modifications.

“We make it safe for everybody, so we turn off some of the equipment. There’s a lot of soap involved so you can’t really see, so that’s what makes it really scary. We have some people stand behind the equipment and scare passengers as they come through the car wash,” Alderman said.

And there are scares from every angle.

How do we know?

News 6 anchor Crystal Moyer and Trooper Steve survived one round through the haunted car wash in Results-1.

Sweetwater Car Wash opened the “Tunnel of Terror” at its Apopka location on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20 with hundreds of people showing up in different vehicles, many first-timers.

The “Tunnel of Terror” moves to the Windermere location along Silverlake Park Drive on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Alderman said she has heard positive feedback and plans to continue to frightening tradition next year, making the event bigger and better.

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