An automatic cart wash apparatus. The automatic cart wash apparatus provides improved cleaning of stock carts on a regular basis over manual cleaning by store employees. The automatic cart wash apparatus includes three main stages: a debris removal (vacuum) stage, a cleaning (wash, sanitize, rinse) stage, and a drying stage. The debris removal stage uses forced air and/or suction to remove solid and generally non-soluble waste, such as a paper or other trash and debris, from a stock cart. The cleaning stage uses a selection of detergents, sanitizing agents, and rinse agents to remove soluble or sticky waste, such as food and liquids, and to kill germs, viruses, and bacteria present on the cart. The drying stage removes excess liquids from the cart making it ready for use by the next customer.