Melting snow drives motorists to car washes

Lake Fort Scott resident Charles Russell washes the salt and road grime off his car Wednesday afternoon at the Typhoon Bay car wash on South National Avenue. (Michael Pommier/Tribune)

As the snow begins to melt, local car washes are getting a lot of business.

John Horn, owner of Typhoon Bay car wash located on South National Avenue, said he has seen an upswing in the use of his facility since the snow and ice have melted off local roads. The same appears to be true for the other two car washes in town, M&K car wash on East Wall Street, and Spotless car wash on U.S. Highway 69, as local motorists have been lining up to clean the road salt, mud, and grime off their cars.

Cleaning the salt provides much more than a cosmetic fix, according to a car care website www.cartips.net. Salt used on roads during the winter is a caustic substance that can eat away at other substances over time, such as a car's paint and upholstery.

"Road salt is something that needs to be removed from your vehicle as often as possible ... if you live in an area where salt is frequently used to improve road conditions," the website states.

According to Horn, melting snow and rising temperatures are not the only factors in driving motorists to the car wash.

"It helps when there isn't a lot of wind ... even in the summer months ... for whatever reason, people don't like to wash," he said.

Cartips.net says one of the easiest ways to keep a car's exterior clean during the winter is to take advantage of the automatic bays. Horn said he continues to see in increases in the use of automatic bays because of the convenience, however, when time is not a factor, local motorists still tend to use the manual bays.

"On the weekends, they tend to wash in the hand bays when they are off work," he said.

With all the convenience that the automatic bays offer, Horn said he still recommends motorists utilize the manual bays periodically. He added the use of the brush in the manual bay gives drivers the ability to cut through the film left on a car that a touchless automatic bay would not be able to clean.

"We recommend you go to the (manual) bay every few washes because there is no touchless automatic that is going to get some of the road film off," he said. "It actually makes your car look cleaner when you do go through the automatic."

Horn said car wash owners like to see upswings in use due to snowy weather. The faster it melts, the better it is for business.

"On those days when you see a lot of snow, we aren't doing anything," he said. "We like snow followed by melting the next day."

Horn said he closes his facility on extremely cold days. He installed a heated water system underneath the concrete in the bays to prevent ice from forming and making it dangerous for pedestrians. However, sometimes the cold is too hard on the equipment. He added he closes the automatic bays in the evening if the temperature is expected to drop below 30 F.

Salt can cause damage to the interior of cars as well. The first step in cleaning the interior of a vehicle is to use a soft-bristled brush to remove any loose salt and grime. For leather interiors, a leather cleaner is suggested along with a white cloth rubbed gently but firmly until the stains are removed. After cleaning, a leather protectant is suggested.

For fabric upholstery, the first step is the same as with leather, however, it's suggested that a half-and-half solution of white vinegar and water be applied with a sponge. The vinegar is used to dissolve the ground-in gunk and clean the stain, cartips.net said.