Car Wash - Pray for Pollen

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Saskatoon Car Wash
2008-02-18 00:45:00
My son, Carey, shoots this video as he and his wife try to get their car clean: In Saskatchewan -- a land of endless snow, salt and mud -- a car wash is pure gold.
More About: Video , Canada , Saskatoon , Wash , Car Wash

Automat & Carolina Car Washes May Install Water Recycling Systems
2007-12-25 15:04:00
This drought doesn't just urge me to think about my car washes and how much water they *really* require from the city, it also encourages me to find better ways to reduce water pollution and help our dry community. How can my car washes become a model for even better water conservation? By recycling water, that's how.DID YOU KNOW? Only 14 gallons of water are needed to wash your car. That's less than it takes to wash dishes in the sink. You can't avoid washing dishes, but a self-serve car wash can offset the price of clean plates.Water recycling systems may be installed at my self-serve car washes to filter water through an advanced filtering system. This means little to no water is needed from the city for each wash and reduces water pollution sent to city sewers. When it comes to water conservation, my car wash business understands. Why can't NC see that? FACT: Washing your vehicle at a self-serve car wash instead of at home saves hundreds of gallons of water! A self-ser...
More About: Recycling , Recycle , Systems , Carolina

Automat Car Wash May Install Water Recycling Systems
2007-12-25 15:04:00
This drought doesn't just urge me to think about my car washes and how much water they *really* require from the city, it also encourages me to find better ways to reduce water pollution and help our dry community. How can my car washes become a model for even better water conservation? By recycling water, that's how.DID YOU KNOW? It only takes 14 gallons of water to wash your car. That's less than it takes to wash dishes in the sink. You can't avoid washing dishes, but a self-serve car wash can offset the price of clean plates.Water recycling systems may be installed at my self-serve car washes to filter water through an advanced filtering system. This means little to no water is needed from the city for each wash and reduces water pollution sent to city sewers. When it comes to water conservation, my car wash business understands. Why can't NC see that? FACT: Wash ing your vehicle at a self-serve car wash instead of at home saves hundreds of gallons of water! A self-serve...
More About: Recycling , Recycle , Systems

Carolina Car Washes Clean Your Car with Little Water
2007-12-24 19:52:00
New car for Christmas? There are two North Carolina car washes using high-pressure systems and special nozzles to maximize output and minimize water waste. With only 14 gallons of water, you can wash your new car after a dash through the snow or dirt. Try the six-bay in Raeford at 112 Harris Avenue or the new five-bay in Fayetteville at 7124 Cliffdale Road. Get it clean without wasting water, only at Carolina Car Wash.
More About: Clean , Water , Water Conservation

Doing Laundry, Washing Behind My Ears and Singing in the Rain
2007-12-23 16:33:00
According to WRAL's Anne Leake, there's a chance for rain later today. I'm sure everyone else - farmers and other businesses alike - are glad to see a possible end to a very dry year. Just a thought--let's do our laundry in the rain. A perfect way to usher in the rain is to not forget our newly found water conservation habits at home. Only run larger loads of laundry. Keep faucet-running to a minimum. And always use a garden hose sparingly. Now, go enjoy the rain!
More About: Video , Music , Laundry , Rain , Ears

Local Car Wash Owner Always Conserves Water, Rain or Shine
2007-12-22 21:54:00
While we received rain yesterday, it doesn't mean the drought's over. We must continue to conserve water. Take shorter showers. Spin fuller loads of laundry. Run faucets less. Remember: car washes with high-pressure nozzles use only 14 gallons of water per four-minute cycle to wash your car. That's ten times less water than it takes to clean your car with a garden hose. Water conservation is on all of our minds, even car wash owners. It's the right thing to do, rain or shine. What are you doing?
More About: Rain , Local , Shine , Wash

Water Conservation Starts @ Home
2007-12-21 20:27:00
It only takes 14 gallons of water to wash your car here. It takes 100-300 at home: When government threatens to close car washes, who governs water use at home?
More About: Video , Conservation , Home , Water , Water Conservation

Want to Really Conserve Water? Do Your Laundry in the Pouring Rain!
2007-12-20 21:06:00
DinaAubry makes an interesting statement about car washing in the rain to conserve water use. A woman is spotted washing her car in the pouring rain: What's more interesting--and counters water conservation--is the spinning laundry heard in the background. Washing clothes takes 4X the water needed to wash a car.
More About: Video , Laundry , Rain , Water , Conserve

Can Washing Your Car at Automat Car Wash Conserve Water? Yes!
2007-12-19 19:04:00
Water conservation is a very serious topic in North Carolina. Governor Mike Easley wants to point the finger at car washes, but I'm here to tell you that car washes use less water than many other industries. In fact, I have worked to conserve water.By using a high-pressure pump, I reduce the water needed to wash your car.  Adding a tip at the end of each car wash nozzle, I lower the amount of water to 3.5 gallons per minute--less than the amount of water needed to run a faucet at home. That's only 14 gallons for a four-minute car washing cycle! You absolutely cannot wash a car at home for less than 100 gallons. That's why my car wash isn't the problem--it's a solution. As this drought is urging the governor to ask citizens not to wash their cars, the hog plant is hogging 3 million gallons daily.
More About: Water , Wash , Drought , Conserve , Car Wash

Does Washing Your Car @ Automat Use Less Water Than Home? Yes!
2007-12-19 19:04:00
Water conservation is a very serious topic in North Carolina. Governor Mike Easley wants to point the finger at car washes, but I'm here to tell you that car washes use less water than many other industries. In fact, I have worked to conserve water.By using a high-pressure pump, I reduce the water needed to wash your car.  Adding a tip at the end of each car wash nozzle, I lower the amount of water to 3.5 gallons per minute--less than the amount of water needed to run a faucet at home. That's only 14 gallons for a four-minute car washing cycle! You absolutely cannot wash a car at home for less than 100 gallons. That's why my car wash isn't the problem--it's a solution. As this drought is urging the governor to ask citizens not to wash their cars, the hog plant is hogging 3 million gallons daily.
More About: Home , Water , Drought , Washing , Water Conservation

Close Down My Car Wash Business? Not Even When Pigs Fly, Mr. McIntyre!
2007-11-27 19:50:00
Mike McIntyre talks about dying crops and worried farmers of North Carolina. The problems worsen and the negative effects of this drought extend beyond their farms. He makes a great point: we're all affected, but car wash closure isn't smart. As harvests wither and clothes spin out of control, I ask: Why do pigs fly at Tar Heel?
More About: Politics , Business , Close , Wash , Pigs

Watch the Progression of This Year's Drought in North Carolina
2007-11-17 20:13:00
NCSUStudentMedia shows drought progression over the past few months: I realize that water conservation is important and I'm doing what I can to conserve.
More About: Video , Watch , North Carolina , North , Carolina

Water Levels Drop: The Dire Need to Conserve Water in North Carolina
2007-11-07 18:50:00
There's a water crisis here in NC. I'm very concerned about how me and my family will be able to continue my livelihood on a shrinking amount of water available. As this shows how Falls Lake is drying, I'm finding ways to conserve water. Did you know that washing two cars at my business uses less water than one load of laundry?
More About: Video , North Carolina , North , Water , Carolina

Water Conservation: It's Not Easy with Easley's Anti-Car Wash Comments
2007-11-01 17:31:00
Who needs the most water? Food processing plants use more. Sewage treatment facilities filter more. Laundry needs plenty for each load. Political toilets require the most. But all continue to use more water without a threat to be shut down. Not car washes. What have North Carolinians been told? "Stop washing cars!" Eat pork, flush twice and wash a load of clothes each night. You can even make sure your lawn is green on "alternate days" of the week. But your car? Don't you dare use only 14 gallons--86 to 286 less than washing your car at home--when visiting my car wash. That just might turn out to be a crime if Mike Easley and other politicians get their way.It's amazing what flows freely from a politician's mouth when confronted with a water crisis. The sprinklers still spit on lush greenery by his mansion. As long as I'm supporting my family, my high-pressure, low water-volume nozzles will spit freely, too.  
More About: Politics , Conservation , Comments , Water , Wash

How Dare You Threaten the Car Wash Business! Really Conserve Water! Even Th
2007-10-17 19:19:00
Mike Easley asks North Carolinians to conserve water. I agree that we all need to do our part, but I must disagree with his notion that car washes are the problem. The hog plant uses 3 million gallons of water per day. Compare that to 14 gallons to wash a car. I wonder why their license was renewed and my business, threatened.
More About: Video , Business , Water , Wash , Drought

Car Wash Music
2007-06-09 02:33:00
It's a very quiet week at the self service car washes. Business as usual and absolutely no problems. This kind of activity leaves more time for me to pursue my other passion--golf. While I'm playing the back nine and the car washes are doing okay, there seems to be alot of activity in the music industry and its recent infatuation with car washes. Last week it was Jimmy Fallon strumming his guitar and singing "Car Wash for Peace." This week, it's a recently added video post to YouTube from 2004 with Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliot singing "Car Wash " for the movie, "Shark Tale." It's catchy. Sometimes, I wish I could bring canned music like this to my self-serve car washes.
More About: Video , Music

Car Wash for Peace
2007-06-02 03:42:00
Over the years, churches, schools and even non-profit organizations have all held their own charitable car washes in order to raise money. Whether it's for new hymnals, band uniforms or meals for the homeless, monies have been raised. But, for peace? I wonder just how much water was wasted with a low-pressure wand going back and forth during the taping of this interview? A few gallons aside, it's a simple, catchy tune. You may download the track from iTunes for only 99 cents. That's less than the cost of my self service car wash experience. It will go towards helping the efforts of Fisher House, a place providing "a home away from home" for family to be close to a loved one in active duty during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury. So, click on over to iTunes and buy "Car Wash for Peace " by Jimmy Fallon to support this charity. Wouldn't it be really great if a car wash fundraiser could really bring peace? That'd be much more awesome than a few books ...
More About: Car Wash

Online Car Wash Surveillance
2007-06-01 02:21:00
Today, my car wash surveillance system is upgraded to a twenty-first century improvement that allows me to observe the self service car wash online.  A traditional nine-camera system hooks up to a digital video recorder and that is connected to the Internet via a static IP address.  With a username and password supplied by the security company that outfits this program, I'm able to watch the business site from my home, a coffee shop or a far-away desert.  My son, 3,100 miles away in Vancouver, BC, Canada, is the first to login to the wand wash.   He spots me in the equipment room and also sees a boat being washed in the bay.  There's no sound, but the images are crisp and clear.  This will prove to be very handy when I come to visit him later this year.  I'll definitely check in on things online to make sure that the bays are working well.  What's great is I can even pause, rewind and fast-forward through the footage.  
More About: Security , Surveillance , Online , Wash , Line

Where's My Jacket?
2007-05-30 17:55:00
I like the 5CP2120W by CAT PUMPS.  I've upgraded quite a few pumps to this particular model.  Most importantly, for my own car washes and for the others that are upgraded by me, switching is easy because it uses the same seals and valves as the 310C. CAT PUMPS has become the world leader of industrial, reciprocating, triplex, high pressure positive displacement pumps . Our high quality components, exceptionally long lasting seals and field-proven dependability have made CAT PUMPS the pump of choice where continuous-duty performance and low-maintenance are priorities . . . Almost a decade ago, at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center, the car wash association brought together car wash product solutions and services with owners and prospective buyers for its annual convention. For three days, I wonder from sales-pitch seminar to to miles of booths and, somewhere amidst the wands, brushes and cleaning solutions, I find CAT PUMPS.  I stop by to say hello and let them...
More About: Jacket , Pumps , Where

No Jacket. No Pumps. No Service.
2007-05-30 17:55:00
I like the 5CP2120W by CAT PUMPS.  I've upgraded quite a few pumps to this particular model.  Most importantly, for my own car washes and for the others that are upgraded by me, switching is easy because it uses the same seals and valves as the 310C. CAT PUMPS has become the world leader of industrial, reciprocating, triplex, high pressure positive displacement pumps . Our high quality components, exceptionally long lasting seals and field-proven dependability have made CAT PUMPS the pump of choice where continuous-duty performance and low-maintenance are priorities . . . Almost a decade ago, at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center, the car wash association brought together car wash product solutions and services with owners and prospective buyers for its annual convention. For three days, I wonder from sales-pitch seminar to to miles of booths and, somewhere amidst the wands, brushes and cleaning solutions, I find CAT PUMPS.  I stop by to say hello and let them...
More About: Jacket , Service , Pumps , Vice , Pump

Ho's Cut Hose
2007-05-29 18:23:00
During a self service car wash site check in a bad part of town, I spot prostitutes parading to my customers, offering some sort of full service to their quiet, self-serve car wash experience. “Is there anything that I can help you with today?” asks a toothless woman, veering left to right as she stumbles by my truck. She tries on a smile, but it somehow doesn’t fit her forlorn face. “No, thank you,” I respond. For a moment, I think of asking her to help with the trash, the cleaning and maintenance, but I’ll bet, sadly, she’s not into providing that kind of assistance. Other times, when I directly ask these ladies to leave, I come back to find my hoses cut. Now, instead of fussing, I gently get them to move along with a "no thanks."  It's the best strategy. 
More About: Hose

Air Freshened Hustler
2007-05-26 00:25:00
In the past couple of weeks, I notice that my single-column vending machine full of air fresheners doesn't sell nearly as much product as it usually does.  I think:  Has the car-driving public just learned to roll down their windows and enjoy the fresh air? Today, while on-site doing maintenance checks, I spot a well-dressed man hustling air fresheners to car owners as they are trying to vacuum, wash or towel dry their cars.  "$1 each," he exclaims to my visiting customers.  "That's all!"  I've seen it all at the car washes over the past twenty-five years: pan handling, tailgating, dumping grease, camping and now, a new form of hustling.  I approach him and ask that he leave the property and, with minimal fussing, he does.  
More About: Funny , Fresh , Hustler

Priceless Steel
2007-05-24 19:07:00
I continue helping a car wash owner from Elizabethtown, NC to upgrade his operation with new vending machines that are far less likely to break down.  No longer needing those older, stainless steel vending machines, I find that there's an added bonus to doing the right thing by recycling scrap: it yields up to $1.60 USD / lbs.  I drive the non-magnetic leftovers to Cohen & Green Salvage Company of Fayetteville, NC.  The steel is purchased at $1.35 / lbs. and that gives $270 for all of it. 
More About: Recycle , Less , Priceless , Steel

Nest Egg
2007-05-24 01:12:00
After opening a car wash in Fredericksburg, VA, the owner complains to his developer, Bill Dougherty of Magic Wand, Inc., that he’s losing a significant amount of coins from his changer each week. He is so furious that the car wash owner begins to think that the developer or one of his associates may have a key to the boxes and is ripping him off.  He sets up a camera to catch the thief in action.   After reviewing the tape, the car wash operator quickly discovers that throughout the week several birds climb into the coin slot, use their bills to find change and take off with the newfound treasure. Once the coin thieves are identified, the owner finds many quarters on the roof of his self service car wash, a few on the ground and even more under a nearby bush (source).
More About: Funny , Photos , Nest

New Self-Serve Pump Systems
2007-05-23 02:07:00
At the Wash Shed, Inc.'s self-serve car wash, the new machinery arrives this morning and today's the day to completely renovate the equipment room by installing both high-pressure and low -pressure systems. Last week, based on my meeting with the car wash owner who hires me to do upgrades, I call National Pride Car Wash Equipment of Ashland, OH to order six self-serve bay pump systems that include Cat 319W high-pressure pumps; Leeson five horsepower, three-phase motors; stainless steel soap and wax systems with stainless tanks and hydrominders; stainless hot-water tanks with float valves; automatic weep systems with Weepmiser and individual shut-offs.  All tubing connecting the pumps to the bays are replaced earlier in the month and easily attach to the new self-serve bay pump systems.  These are installed today and the equipment room upgrade will be complete by tomorrow.    
More About: Pumps , Systems , Pump , Stem , Serve

Car Wash Improvement
2007-05-15 00:31:00
David Cross of Wash Shed, Inc. is a successful vending professional who operates two launderettes in Elizabethtown, NC.  Going on twenty-five years now, Mr. Cross also owns a six bay, self service car wash.  He's having trouble with this old car wash; it is in desperate need of a facelift and it requires major equipment upgrades.  This self-serve car wash is a perfunctory operation and has not been updated or upgraded in more than fifteen years.  The old mechanical vending machines are unreliable and some do not work at all.  The leaky pumps only perform with pressure up to 250psi; no doubt, wasting water and sending dollars down the drain.  The building's fascia is failing and signs are out-of-date, peeling and often illegible.  Mr. Cross realizes that something has to be done to save the car wash, his customer base and his desire to keep it running smoothly for years to come.  David Cross wants to improve his car wash, both inside and out...
More About: Improvement , Improve , Rove , Improv