Author: dianne

Car Washes are good for the environment

dianne

Washing your car in a driveway or on the street is bad for our environment.   What runs off our cars runs down the driveway and goes right into the storm drains and then into the lakes and rivers untreated.  The oil and dirt and harsh detergents that runs into the lakes and rivers is toxic to the aquatic life and wreaks other ecosystem havoc.

On the other hand, Federal laws in both the U.S. and Canada  requires commercial car wash facilities to drain their wastewater into sewer systems, so it gets treated before it is discharged back into our lakes and rivers.

Think about this the next time you plan to have your car washed.

Are Gas Station car washes safe?

dianne

reasons to love the season

Gas station car washes are on the rise because they save time and hassle.

But are gas station car washes safe for your car? In fact, they are the safest option for many car owners who want to keep their car clean.

I nearby gas station car wash is actually much better for your vehicle than washing it yourself because a lot of people that wash their own vehicles use a garden hose that does not provide enough water pressure to remove the dirt and mud, or they wash the vehicle in direct sunlight that can create sun shots on the finish or your car.  Another area of concern with do it yourself wash at home is people tend to use common dish soap which removes protective wax and leaves a chalky residue on the finish.

Having a great finish and a clean car has financial benefits too.  A vehicle with a nice finish can command a resale value of 10 to 20 percent more than a car that is dirty and has sun spots but is otherwise exactly the same.

A question I often hear is how often should I wash my car? That is a simple enough question but it requires a more complex answer.  I say it depends on several factors.  If your vehicle is lightly used and stored in the garage I would say that once a month should be find to wash it.  However, if you park outside where your car is prone to getting hit by bird droppings or tree sap among other outside elements such has living in a area that gets heavy snow and the city uses salt to clear the road you should wash your vechile more often you should wash it about once a week.

So what should you look for in an automated gas station car wash?

Brushless car wash:  most people have heard horror stories of someone using an automated car wash and having their car’s paint scratched.  This should not happen if you make sure that the car wash you pick is using cloth brushes.  If your local car was uses any other brushes besides cloth skip it and go to www.carwashhq.com and find a nearby car wash that does use cloth.  It will save you time and money in the future.

Another automatic car was that is safe to use that will not scratch the finish on your vehicle is a “touchless” car wash.  In these systems high pressure spray nozzles and soap are used that do not touch your vehicle at all eliminating any chance of your car from being scratched.

The after wash wipe down:

Most car washes after the wash you drive through a high pressure air tunnel that blows the water off of your vehicle but some automated car washes offer a service were people will hand dry your car off removing streaks of water that an air dryer does not. My advice is simply to decline this service because if the clothes that are used to dry off your vehicle are being reused from the previous car in front of you it can have dirt on it that can scratch your finish just like sandpaper.  Not to mention you save yourself from having to pay a tip after the service that is customary.  If you want to remove any streaks that are left from the air dryer do it yourself with a clean cloth towel.

Extras:

If the car wash offers the extra undercarriage bath always elect to do it.  This will remove dirt and mud from underneath your vehicle that would be very hard and messy to try yourself at home with a hose. A lot of rust will start on the undercarriage of your vehicle because it is an often overlooked area when it comes to cleaning your vehicle.

Spray-on wax is not as good as hand waxing it yourself but if you do not plan on doing it make sure you take advantage of it. Another extra you should always elect to do is wheel cleaner.  The mixture of chemicals and high pressure water at automated car washes do a great job of removing brake dust from your wheels.

Last but not least:

Make sure you check your vehicle over after the wash and before you leave for damage.  If you find any point it out to the attendant and have them determine if the damage was caused by improper use by you or if their equipment is faulty.  A lot of gas station drive through car washes will have sign up stating they are not responsible for damages but show them anyway because if it is their fault it is just morally right for them to fix the damages.  If they refuse make sure you write a review on www.carwashhq.com does others are aware that the equipment was faulty so they do not run into the same issues as you did.

 

Local car was helps people with autism

Car Wash + Autism = success

dianne

Autistic people often have a hard time finding a job and it was no exception for Andrew D’Eri. Andrew’s Father and older brother had an idea to open a business employing mostly autistic people.  Since Andrew’s dad was already an entrepreneur and his brother a business school graduate they had the means to make this a reality.

 

“We wanted to build … an example big and bold and out there that other companies could go ahead and want to emulate,” Andrew’s brother Tom D’Eri, 25, told ABC News, adding that they wanted to find a business that would educate the community by putting autistic employees in front of the customers.

 

The D’Eris started doing research and found that it was common for people with autism to be unemployed not because they could not do the work but because our society views people with autism as those we should feel sorry for and not as contributing individuals in our labor force.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that about 1 in 68 people have autism spectrum disorder.

“Typically people with autism are really good at structured tasks, following processes, attention to detail,” Tom D’Eri said in video on YouTube. “So we saw that they’re really important skills that people with autism have that make them, in some case, the best employees you can have.”

 

That research birthed the Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, Florida, in 2013.  It employees 35 autistic people according to D’Eri.  Andrew at 24 finally had his first Job.  But things did not start off so smoothly.  It took weeks for Andrew to start taking to the job and for the family to start seeing noticeable changes in him.  Andrew has had issues with empathy and trying new things in the past and when his father offered him a bite of a new food he wanted to spit it out until his father gave him the whole sandwich.

 

“Typically, that wouldn’t happen,” Tom D’Eri said, he went on to say that Andrew helped some people on the plane with their bags after starting work.  These are just a couple of the examples of the changes the family started noticing in Andrew.  He was willing to try new things and empathize more with people.

 

Many children with autism are bullied in school and being able to work helps them build confidence in themselves.

 

“They come to us with very little purpose and very little hope for their future,” D’Eri said in the video. “But once they start working with us they start getting positive reinforcement of doing a good job, a customer being happy, getting a tip, that really starts to open them up.”

 

I hope more business follow suit and start employing people with autism.  It will not help with a cure but it sure does improve the lives of some of the people that struggle with autism.  Find the Rising Tide Car Wash using the self-service car wash nearby me website.

Self-service car wash tips

dianne

CarWash_SelfServeBays

 

I grew up in the car wash business. My dad ran two of them so I have seen people make these common mistakes over and over again. So I have compiled a list of dos and don’ts when visiting a self-service car wash. Some of these tips are just common sense while others could save you time and money.

 

Do’s

  • Bring your own quarters or gentle uses dollar bills. The machines that read your bills are highly sensitive and may not ready worn out bills.  Remember most machines will only accept ones and fives.
  • If you have cleaning supplies like wheel cleaner bring it with you or most drive thru car washes have vending machines for you to purchase them. Spray your wheels before you enter the bay to allow the chemicals to start braking down the brake dust.  A great time to do this is while waiting in line on a busy day.
  • When washing your car a lot of people hurry through and only use the soap and rinse cycles. You should always use the pre-soak and foam brush cycles too for a great wash.  If you are in a hurry use an automated car wash.
  • When washing your vehicle do not forget to get the undercarriage of your car to remove dirt and mud. A lot of rust on cars starts in this area because it is so neglected.
  • Find out the minimum deposit at a car wash and keep track of time. If you start to run out of time deposit a couple more quarters before the time runs out or you will have to put the full deposit in again.

Don’ts

  • If you have rust on your vehicle or peeling paint do not use the high pressure hose on because it could lift the paint or rust right off your car creating more damage.
  • Do not stand so close to your car while spraying it with the high pressue hose otherwise you will end up with dirt and water all over yourself.
  • Most car washes offer extra options like tire degreaser and engine cleaners be careful using them and follow directions. These chemicals could hurt your paint.
  • Check which way the wind is blowing and try to avoid standing downwind while washing.
  • Be considerate of others. If the car wash is busy and there is a line behind you do not linger in the bay and start drying off your car there move out of the bay and next to a vacuum.