ALTON — Auto Butler, a full-service car wash in Alton, permanently closed this past week after 20 years in business as owners Lisa Heims-Stout and Gary Stout retire and transfer the property to Club Car Wash, Heims-Stout said. Club Car Wash purchased only the property, and the Auto Butler operation will not continue, the owners said.
A sign on the front door of the old Auto Butler business reads as follows:
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
"Thank you for all the years of supporting Auto Butler. To receive a refund for gift books and gift certificates, please send the following postmarked by Aug. 1, 2026:
"Your receipt for the return item must be included. You must send the original receipt item. Your address to mail the refund is also required. Make copies for yourself; we will not accept copies. Mail to Auto Butler, P.O. Box 1000, St. Charles, Mo. 63302." - Sincerely Lisa and Gary.
The closure ends a 20-year run for the business in Alton. Heims-Stout said the decision was driven by retirement and a desire to spend more time with family.
“We have been here for 20 years, so in ways it is bittersweet,” she said. “We are ready to retire and spend more time with our family, though.”
Heims-Stout said she was trying to return calls; the signs on the front door explain everything for anyone with gift certificates to Auto Butler. She said voicemail messages would be answered as soon as possible now that the business is closed.
The Auto Butler number is (618) 462-7411.
Heims-Stout said she had “no intentions of not refunding our customers' money with gift certificates.”
Lisa and Gary Stout said they appreciated their customers over the years and the workers who serviced vehicles at the business.
