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We'll build the best dang car wash in the whole dang world, dang it!

— Phineas Flynn

Phineas and Ferb help Isabella and the Fireside Girls by building an automatic car wash to help with fundraising to save the starnose mole. Meanwhile, Stacy advises Candace to play hard to get with Jeremy. Elsewhere, Dr. Doofenshmirtz tries to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Episode Summary[]

ATCW-17-We'll build the best dang car wash

Phineas and Ferb are riding their new invention, the Ladybug 2000 Roving Swing Set, and greet their mom. She plans to go to the gardening store because something is eating her hydrangeas. They see Isabella and the Fireside Girls trying save the endangered star-nose mole. The girls have made efforts at a bake sale, cat-sitting, and a lemonade stand to make some money, but so far nothing has worked. Phineas suggests that they should construct the tallest zip-line in their backyard, but Isabella suggests a car wash. Phineas and Ferb decide to build the world's most elaborate automatic car wash, and wonder where Perry is.

ATCW-29-Carl having come up behind Monogram

Perry dives with style in a tube to his lair. Major Monogram scores his dive a 9.5 while Carl gives him an 8.5. They argue over this until Major Monogram smells something burning. Carl runs off to save his spaghetti. Major Monogram goes to his briefing, where he informs Perry that Dr. Doofenshmirtz has dabbled in seismic activity. Carl comes on-screen, saying that he wrote his sophomore thesis on seismic activities and has a website on them, and Major Monogram reminds him about his spaghetti and Carl runs off again.

ATCW-55-A ride in a car

As the boys start to build their car wash, Candace talks to Stacy about Jeremy, who has taken twelve minutes to respond to her text message, and wonders she's going to do. Stacy suggests that Candace plays "hard to get" to Jeremy. Jeremy calls Candace and asks her to go for a ride in his mother's car which needs a wash. Candace and Stacy agree that it's "so grown up", but Stacy tells her to be "hard to get" anyway. However, Candace agrees to go with him and lies to Stacey about her advice. She sees the automatic car wash that her brothers build and gets hosed down by the super-charged über nozzle as a test run.

Mountain out of molehill-inator

At Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated, Perry manages to get through Dr. Doofenshmirtz' anti-platypus security, but gets tripped up in a hanging foot-noose. Doofenshmirtz shows Perry his Mountain-Out-of-a-Molehill-Inator explains how he was repeatedly told to "don't make a mountain out of a molehill," (first by his mother as a child, later by his father as teenager, and most recently by the Danville Fire Department) that will, in fact, make molehills grow to the size of mountains. Doofenshmirtz reveals that his information on seismic activities came from "some kid's website," which turns out it was a website Carl's. (He also tells Perry about the funny pictures of cats he found while surfing the net.) He finishes the backstory by proclaiming that he knows it's a metaphor, but he is just trying to state it.

ATCW-154-Candace with a very changed hairdo

Back at the car wash, Baljeet and Buford get in Star-nosed mole costume. Baljeet comments that they look ridiculous but Buford thinks he makes the costume look good. Phineas and Ferb starts up their car wash, and Candace, intending to bust the boys, accidentally stands on the conveyor belt bringing the cars in and gets cleaned like the other cars as a song starts.

Candace having gotten into Jeremy's car

After going through the car wash, Jeremy calls and tells Candace that the car wash is so popular he might not be able to get in and tries to cancel the date. Candace tells him to wait and as Phineas comes over to comment on how well the car wash is doing, she asks Phineas to speed up the car wash so she won't miss her date. Phineas obliges and tells Ferb, who accelerates the car wash to a ridiculous speed. She yells for it to slow down again, and lands on the windshield of Jeremy's car. Jeremy invites her in and compliments her waxed, sealed hair from the car wash. At Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated, Dr. Doofenshmirtz tries to turn on his invention, but realizes his battery has run out. He searches for a spare battery, and eventually finds one; however it falls under his refrigerator. He digs it out, along with his old retainer.

ATCW-255-I probably should have done this from the basement

As Candace and Jeremy ride inside the car-wash, Doofenshmirtz starts the inator to make the energy ball grow. It gets stuck in the hole it should go down, so Doofenshmirtz employs the Unstuck-Inator, a giant boot, to stuff the ball down. The ball breaks through several floors, making Doofenshmirtz realize he should have installed the Mountain-Out-of-a-Molehill-Inator at the basement, and enters the Earth, making molehills begin to grow. There happensis a molehill under the boys' car wash, and, when it grows, a giant star-nose mole breaks out. Phineas comments that's what been eating his Mom's hydrangeas. The mole carries away the car wash atop its head.

ATCW-292-Doofenshmirtz being sent out of the buidling by the explosion

Back at DEI, Doofenshmirtz gets delighted that he has finally succeeded in making molehills grow into mountains as he sworn before. Taking no notice in this, Perry tosses his hat Frisbee-style, which severs a tie holding up some cables and the rope binding him. The cables fall on the power switch for the inator, pushing it to a dangerous level and electrocuting Doofenshmirtz. He falls in the hole made by the Unstuck-Inator. The building blows up and Perry flies away on a glider. The Unstuck-Inator explodes out of the building along with Dr. Doofenshmirtz inside the giant boot and curses Perry.

ATCW-299-Candace and Jeremy exiting the car wash

The giant mole from the backyard marches through the streets of Danville with the car wash on its head, and Candace and Jeremy drive out of the car wash down its back. Stacy calls Candace, telling her that she was supposedly playing "hard to get". Candace tosses her cellphone at the back of the car and smiles at Jeremy, embarrassed. Doofenshmirtz lands on the beach in the giant boot, which the giant mole promptly steps in. As the mole walks out to sea with the car wash, the boot, and Doofenshmirtz, he reflects that maybe this was why one shouldn't make mountains out of molehills and curses the mole. Phineas says "there goes a good car wash" and greets Perry. Isabella worries how they are going to save the star-nose mole now, and Ferb states that it can take care of itself.

Transcript[]

Read the transcript of At the Car Wash.

Songs[]

End Credits[]

The second verse of "Phintastic Ferbulous Car Wash".

Gallery[]

Click here to view more images from "At the Car Wash".
View the image gallery for "At the Car Wash".

Running Gags[]

The "Too Young" Line[]

Phineas: I suppose you're gonna ask me if I'm too young to use this stuff.
Worker: Nah, just try not to blow a hole through the Earth's core or we'll both be in deep doody.

Ferb's Line/Hey, Where's Perry?/Oh, there you are, Perry[]

Phineas: That's good too! We'll build the best dang car wash in the whole dang world, dang it!... I... I can't really pull that off, can I?
Ferb: You're not very street.
Phineas: Yeah...hey, where's Perry?
Phineas: There goes a perfectly good car wash. Oh, there you are, Perry!
Isabella: Oh no! Now how are we suppose to save the star-nose mole?
Ferb: I think he can take care of himself.

What'cha doin'?[]

Phineas: Hey, Isabella. (Seeing Ferb lands with the air bag) Good thing we installed an air bag. So, what'cha doin'?
Isabella: The Fireside Girls are trying to raise money to save the star-nose mole.
Phineas: And how's it going?
Isabella: (Sadly) Not very well.

Perry's entrance to his lair[]

He enters through the mole hill in backyard. He gets a 9.5 and 8.5 from Major Monogram and Carl respectively for his landing.

Evil Jingle[]

Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated!

Memorable Quotes[]



Phineas: Hi, Mom!
Linda: Hi, boys. What are you kids up to today?
Phineas: Just trying out our new invention. It's called the Ladybug 2000 Roving Swing Set. Wanna whirl?
Linda: Not right now, sweetie. I'm going to the gardening store. Something's been eating my hydrangeas.
Isabella: We started a bake sale...
(they all look at Holly who's face and hair are all blown up)
...then we tried cat-sitting...
(then they all look at Ginger with scratch marks and her clothes all torn)
...even a lemonade stand...
(looking at Katie was wrapped in bandages)
...but, nothing worked...
Major Monogram: Hey, is something burning around the stove?
Carl: My spaghetti!
Carl: Excuse me, sir, I wrote my sophomore thesis on quakes and seismic events. If you want, you could check out my website.
Major Monogram: Carl, spaghetti?
Carl: Oh, that's right!
Phineas: Okay, Ferb, let's test out the super-charged über nozzle.
Candace: WHAT THE HECK IS GOING— (screams as water sprays her in the face)
Phineas: It works!
Candace: This is so romantic, it's like we going through to our very own tunnel of l-(After the Fireside Girls throws water balloons at the car) HORROR!
Computerized Voice: System overload. Cliché explosion imminent.

Background Information[]

  • In the opening scene when you see Phineas and Ferb riding their new invention (the Ladybug 2000 Roving Swing Set), the music being played is the opening notes to the 90's TV Show Warners Brothers "Animaniacs". By the end of the scene, the music sounds like a reference to "The Blue Danube Waltz" (Johann Strauss II).

Production Information[]

  • In the UK, this episode is known as "The Car Wash".

International Premieres[]

  • August 7, 2009 (Disney Channel Latin America)
  • October 13, 2009 (Disney Channel Brazil)

Errors[]

Phineas isn't very street

Isabella's shirt turns solid orange like the other girls.

  • While Phineas states that they're "gonna build the best car wash on the whole dang world (dang it)," Isabella's Fireside Girl shirt is completely orange instead of orange and white.
  • After the giant balloon drops on Jeremy's mom's car, Candace's hair is back to normal but when they get out of the car wash, it's like how it looked when they got in.
  • During "Phintastic Ferbulous Car Wash", Isabella is first seen in her Fireside Girl clothes, followed by her signature pink outfit, and then a raincoat, but for most of the episode, she is wearing her Fireside Girls uniform.
  • When we get an aerial view of the car wash, a car and a truck in the bottom left corner of the screen are facing towards the Exit, when they should actually be facing away from it.
  • It is unknown why Phineas and Ferb built the conveyor belt path through the water, since car engines are prone to the water and can be damaged if they're drowned into the water, unless they are dried immediately.
  • When Doofenshmirtz looks for a battery, he looks in Norm when it says later that Norm runs on squirrel power ("Phineas and Ferb-Busters!"). However it's possible that Norm runs on both. Along, with that Norm's eyes were red instead of white.
  • Moles are carnivorous. They would not eat hydrangeas.
  • After his back story, Doofenshmirtz's forehead was higher and stayed like that for the rest of the scene.
  • Doofenshmirtz remembers the "aglet" word from "Tip of the Day", although he stated that the anything that he had been thinking on would be erased from any of computers and mind of the entire Tri-State Area citizens. However, this could be explained if he intentionally did not affect his memory on his own on purpose.
  • Despite that Perry is upside down, his hat doesn't fall. However, it's possible Perry's hat is so tight that it wouldn't fall off from hanging upside down.
  • When Candace is walking over the cars going into the car wash, the cars are moving faster than the conveyor belt. Even if the cars had powered themselves forward as well, the conveyor belt had ridges, so the cars would have bounced over the ridges.
  • During the last phonetalk, Candace is somehow able to see Stacy, despite the fact the latter is holding her phone near her ear.
  • Milly's mouth error

    Milly has two mouths that covered one another

    During the last verse of Phintastic Ferbulous Car Wash, when the gang sings "car wash!", for a split second Milly has two mouths which are layered one another.
  • Near the end of the episode, when Phineas says "there goes the perfectly good car wash", his legs are layered outside of his shorts.

Continuity[]

In a giant shoe

"Hey! Check it out! An aglet!"

  • When Doofenshmirtz lands on the beach in the giant shoe, he looks down at the shoe and says, "Hey! Check it out! An aglet!" ("Tip of the Day")
  • There is a picture of the Bettys on Stacy's wall as she talks to Candace on the phone ("Ready for the Bettys").
  • When Doofenshmirtz looks for batteries he checks in Norm and in Frankenstein's brain ("Hail Doofania!", "Phineas and Ferb Theme").
  • The worker said to Phineas "Just don't blow a hole through the Earth's core...". The androids Phineas and Ferb made dug a hole that they were supposedly doing ("I, Brobot"). It could also refer to when Doofenshmirtz tried to make a tunnel to China and almost got caught by lava ("Candace Loses Her Head").

Allusions[]

  • Car Wash - The title of the episode is a reference to the song Car Wash by Rose Royce.
  • Lolcats - Doofenshmirtz references lolcats he finds on the Internet. He mentions the famous "Invisible Cheeseburger" picture.
  • Star Wars - When Candace gets scrubbed with some brushes, she gets Princess Leia's hairstyle from A New Hope.
    • During the song when Phineas says "We're even on your TV," there is an AT-AT in the background.
  • Pocahontas - Perry jumps out of the building as it was about to explode in the same manner as Pocahontas.
Super Saiyan Jeremy

Super Saiyan?

  • Dragon Ball Z - After Candace stopped screaming through Jeremy's cellphone, his hair resembled that of a Super Saiyan. Candace's hair after landing on Jeremy's windshield might be like that of a Super Saiyan 3, but orange.
  • Time Bandits - When the mole walks away into the sea with the car wash on his head resembles the giant walking out of the sea with the boat on his head in Time Bandits.
  • Godzilla - When the mole walks out to sea is like when Godzilla walks out to sea at the end of some movies.
  • James Bond/Mortal Kombat - Perry tosses his hat to cut through some support cables, à la Oddjob's throwing bowler hat from Goldfinger (or Kung Lao's razor-edged hat).
  • The Fairly OddParents - Doofenshmirtz makes a Crocker compilation when he gets zapped by electrocutes.
  • Spider-Man 2 - When Doofenshmirtz introduces his invention and gets it to work, it resembles that of the machine Dr. Octopus invented to create energy through tritium.
  • The B-52's - The song "Phintastic, Ferbulous Carwash" gets done in the style of this art-rock band from Athens, Georgia. Phineas even sings it in a Fred Schneider-type vocal style.
  • Men in Black - Buford quotes Agent Jay: "I make this look good."

Trivia[]

  • Dr. Doofenshmirtz finds his information on seismic activity on Carl's website, while Carl had mentioned the website to Perry and Major Monogram earlier in the episode.
  • This episode is one the rare moments in which Doofenshmirtz calls Perry by his first name.
  • Isabella and Gretchen break the fourth wall by washing the inside part of the screen before the song.
  • When we see Katie with broken arms from the lemonade stand, the Fireside Girls jingle plays off-key.
  • Places where Dr. Doofenshmirtz looks for a battery (in order):
  • An electric toothbrush
  • A toy car
  • A flashlight
  • Frankenstein's head
  • A cymbal-banging monkey toy
  • A radio (He looks excited at first, but then he realizes that there's no battery)
  • A smoke detector
  • An alarm clock
  • Norm's rear end
  • Things seen on the floors of the D.E.I. building when the sphere of compressed nitrogen molecules crashes through them:
  • People working on laptops. There is a bookcase and a large graph, so it could be a library.
  • Two old men sitting in an animation studio. It could be the show's animators.
  • Three men in an office breakroom
  • Bathroom (toilets)
  • A man sitting in a recliner
  • A woman feeding her cats
  • A woman and Pedro who is playing the piano
  • This is the only episode Phineas and Ferb ask money for a ride in their invention apart from the rollercoaster (as shown when Phineas states that they should have charged more).
  • The car Jeremy drives is a mid-1960's Ford Falcon Futura.
  • Star-nosed moles are found in Canada and north-eastern USA so Danville might be near there.
  • The Cyrillic script on the Doofenshmirtz family's refrigerator translates to "Coldbox."
  • The Giant Floating Baby Head reappears again, passing a window while Candace is talking on the phone with Stacy.
  • Buford and Baljeet are wearing mascot outfits again ("The Flying Fishmonger").
  • The giant shoe from the "Un-Stuck-inator" is similar to the "Who's Blinded by Sand-inator", otherwise known as "Who's Crying Now-inator" ("The Flying Fishmonger").
  • When Doofenshmirtz finds out that the Mountain out of a Molehill-inator is working, the Mr. Slushy Burger stand in the forest gets seen ("Rollercoaster").
  • Bab's Beauty gets seen when the molehills start growing ("The Magnificent Few").
  • Jeremy vows to Candace that she will be safe from what she gets scared of and the two embrace. ("Bowl-R-Ama Drama")
  • This is the second episode in which Doofenshmirtz had actually succeeded in his scheme (making mountains out of molehills, literally). The first episode was "Hail Doofania!".
  • Fifth time Phineas says "What'cha doin'?". ("Flop Starz", "Run Away Runway", "Traffic Cam Caper", "I Scream, You Scream")

Cast[]

Main article: Credits
designates a character that did not appear in this episode
Previous:
"Let's Take a Quiz"
Episodes Next:
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v - e - dPhineas and Ferb
Season 1
"Rollercoaster" | "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror" | "Flop Starz" | "The Fast and the Phineas"
"Lights, Candace, Action!" | "Raging Bully" | "Candace Loses Her Head" | "I, Brobot"
"Run Away Runway" | "The Magnificent Few" | "S'Winter" | "Jerk De Soleil" | "Are You My Mummy?"
"Ready for the Bettys" | "I Scream, You Scream" | "Toy to the World"
"Get That Bigfoot Outa My Face!" | "It's a Mud, Mud, Mud, Mud World" | "Mom's Birthday"
"Journey to the Center of Candace" | "It's About Time!"
"Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together" | "Tree to Get Ready" | "The Ballad of Badbeard"
"Greece Lightning" | "Leave the Busting to Us!" | "Crack That Whip" | "The Best Lazy Day Ever"
"Boyfriend From 27,000 B.C." | "Voyage to the Bottom of Buford" | "A Hard Day's Knight"
"Traffic Cam Caper" | "Bowl-R-Ama Drama" | "Got Game?" | "Comet Kermillian"
"Put That Putter Away" | "Does This Duckbill Make Me Look Fat?" | "The Flying Fishmonger"
"One Good Scare Ought to Do It!" | "The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein" | "Oil on Candace"
"Out of Toon" | "Hail Doofania!" | "Out to Launch" | "Phineas and Ferb Get Busted!"
"Unfair Science Fair" | "Unfair Science Fair Redux (Another Story)"
Season 2
"The Lake Nose Monster" | "Interview With a Platypus" | "Tip of the Day"
"Attack of the 50 Foot Sister" | "Backyard Aquarium" | "Day of the Living Gelatin"
"Elementary My Dear Stacy" | "Don't Even Blink" | "Chez Platypus" | "Perry Lays an Egg"
"Gaming the System" | "The Chronicles of Meap" | "Thaddeus and Thor" | "De Plane! De Plane!"
"Let's Take a Quiz" | "At the Car Wash" | "Oh, There You Are, Perry" | "Swiss Family Phineas"
"Hide and Seek" | "That Sinking Feeling" | "The Baljeatles" | "Vanessassary Roughness"
"No More Bunny Business" | "Spa Day" | "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo"
"Phineas and Ferb Musical Cliptastic Countdown" | "Bubble Boys" | "Isabella and the Temple of Sap"
"Cheer Up Candace" | "Fireside Girl Jamboree" |"The Bully Code" | "Finding Mary McGuffin" | "Picture This"
"Nerdy Dancin'" | "What Do It Do?" | "Atlantis" | "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!"
"Just Passing Through" | "Candace's Big Day" | "I Was a Middle Aged Robot" | "Suddenly Suzy"
"Undercover Carl" | "Hip Hip Parade" | "Invasion of the Ferb Snatchers" | "Ain't No Kiddie Ride"
"Not Phineas and Ferb" | "Phineas and Ferb-Busters!" | "The Lizard Whisperer" | "Robot Rodeo" | "The Beak"
"She's the Mayor" | "The Lemonade Stand" | "Phineas and Ferb Hawaiian Vacation" | "Nerds of a Feather"
"Wizard of Odd" | "We Call it Maze" | "Ladies and Gentlemen, Meet Max Modem!" | "The Secret of Success"
"The Doof Side of the Moon" | "Split Personality" | "Brain Drain" | "Rollercoaster: The Musical!"
"Make Play" | "Candace Gets Busted"
Season 3
"The Great Indoors" | "Canderemy" | "Run, Candace, Run" | "Last Train to Bustville"
"Phineas' Birthday Clip-O-Rama!" | "The Belly of the Beast" | "Moon Farm"
"Ask a Foolish Question" | "Misperceived Monotreme" | "Candace Disconnected"
"Magic Carpet Ride" | "Bad Hair Day" | "Meatloaf Surprise" | "Phineas and Ferb Interrupted"
"A Real Boy" | "Mommy Can You Hear Me?" | "Road Trip" | "Tour de Ferb" | "Skiddley Whiffers"
"My Fair Goalie" | "Bullseye!" | "That's the Spirit" | "The Curse of Candace"
"Escape from Phineas Tower" | "Lotsa Latkes" | "Ferb Latin"
"A Phineas and Ferb Family Christmas" | "Tri-Stone Area" | "Doof Dynasty" |"Excaliferb"
"Phineas and Ferb and the Temple of Juatchadoon" | "Monster from the Id" | "Gi-Ants"
"The Remains of the Platypus" | "Mom's in the House" | "Perry The Actorpus" | "Let's Bounce"
"Bully Bromance Breakup" | "Quietest Day Ever" | "The Doonkelberry Imperative‎‎"
"Meapless in Seattle" | "Delivery of Destiny" | "Buford Confidential" | "The Mom Attractor"
"Cranius Maximus" | "Agent Doof" | "Minor Monogram" | "What A Croc!" | "Sleepwalk Surprise"
"Sci-Fi Pie Fly" | "Sipping with the Enemy" | "Tri-State Treasure: Boot of Secrets" | "Doofapus"
"Norm Unleashed" | "Where's Perry?" | "Where's Perry? (Part Two)" |"Ferb TV"
"When Worlds Collide" | "What'd I Miss?" | "Road to Danville"
"This Is Your Backstory" | "Blackout!"
Season 4
"For Your Ice Only" | "Happy New Year!" | "Fly On the Wall" | "Bully Bust" | "My Sweet Ride"
"Der Kinderlumper" | "Sidetracked" | "Primal Perry" | "Mind Share" | "Backyard Hodge Podge"
"Bee Day" | "Bee Story" | "Great Balls Of Water" | "Where's Pinky?"
"Phineas and Ferb Musical Cliptastic Countdown Hosted by Kelly Osbourne"
"Knot My Problem" | "Just Desserts" | "La Candace-Cabra" | "Happy Birthday, Isabella"
"Love at First Byte" | "One Good Turn" | "Thanks But No Thanks" | "Troy Story"
"Druselsteinoween" | "Terrifying Tri-State Trilogy of Terror" | "Face Your Fear" | "Cheers for Fears"
"Steampunx" | "Just Our Luck" | "Return Policy" | "Live and Let Drive" | "Father's Day"
"Imperfect Storm" | "The Return of the Rogue Rabbit" | "It's No Picnic" | "The Klimpaloon Ultimatum"
"Operation Crumb Cake" | "Mandace" | "Lost in Danville" | "The Inator Method"
"Tales from the Resistance: Back to the 2nd Dimension" | "Doof 101" | "Act Your Age"
Season 5
"Summer Block Buster" | "Cloudy with a Chance of Mom" | "Appetite for Adventure" | "License to Bust"
"Dry Another Day" | "Deconstructing Doof" | "Tropey McTropeface" | "Biblio-Blast!" | "A Chip to the Vet"
"More Than an Intern" | "The Aurora Perry-Alis" | "Agent T (For Teen)" | "The Haberdasher"
"The Candace Suit" | "Out of Character" | "Meap Me in St. Louis"
Specials
"Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You!" | "Phineas and Ferb Save Summer"
"Night of the Living Pharmacists" | "Last Day of Summer" | "O.W.C.A. Files"
Films
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe
Crossovers
"Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel" | "Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars" | "The Phineas and Ferb Effect"
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