the actress who played Pam Beesly on the NBC sitcom The Office, is Regina Kirk, known professionally as Jenna Fischer, and before her accomplishing a successful career in tv and movies, she spent 3 summers drying cars off at a St Louis car wash on Manchester Rd

She worked at a car wash in St. Louis when she was 16 years old, and she "fell in love and never stopped" wearing baseball hats after working there. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9dN_1-HETw/?hl=en

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0278979/trivia/

So be cool to the teens working summer jobs, some will go on to be famous, and you don't want them to ever remember you being the cause of their worst day! 

A Michigan judge said requiring walmart shoplifters to wash cars for free would serve the community and possibly discourage others from stealing from the retail giant.

20 to 30 judges across the state who heard about the car wash planned to join him and the shoplifters.

However, that was shot down by his boss, who said that the proposed punishment deviates from the usual and accepted methods, and isn't going to be allowed by the justice dept

The judge said he is now ordering other types of community service in the Walmart shoplifting cases instead of car washes.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/michigan-judges-order-walmart-shoplifters-wash-cars-squashed-his-boss.amp

karma, in the car wash

Police in Arkansas say they used a shipping label to track down a 20 year old dumbass man accused of boxing up three puppies and dumping them at an area car wash, and he was arrested on three counts of cruelty to animals

https://www.actionnews5.com/2025/01/17/man-accused-dumping-puppies-car-wash-found-thanks-leaving-his-address-box

it's been 2 years since I first came across the cool advertising art on the Kleen / Whiz products, and here's a couple new to me

https://check_the_oil_promotions_llc.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/339801_september-gas-oil-and-advertising-auction-2/?page=3 for the auction company listing for these

https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2022/03/whoever-had-cool-idea-for-artwork-on.html  for the ones I posted in 2022

I think you need to be this clever to grab attention, and get customers to show up, and that's very dang good way to make this crummy rat race existence a bit nicer for everyone

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=122170469630220785&set=pb.61556623552065.-2207520000&type=3

did you ever see a car wash like this? San Diego on 5th, must have been in the 1930s

 makes me wish I had time and access to the San Diego historical society photos

it was under construction in 1927, https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt3000162p/?brand=oac4

it was even the topic of a post card

Watching filth get washed off a car, is just satisfying... and this NSX has been gathering dust while hibernating for 22 years. Skip the first 2:45 minutes. Amazing swirl comparison at 15:45

It's likely the lowest mileage NSX. 2002 miles was all it was ever driven. 

This Acura fan bought a new black NSX from a local dealership in 1991. When the owner brought the car back around to the dealership to be serviced, one of the service technicians reportedly decided to take it for a joy ride under the guise of a “test drive.” A wreck ensued, causing extensive damage to the car.

After battling back and forth with the dealer to get his car fixed, the dealership opted to replace the 1991 model with a white 1992 NSX. When he called his insurance company to add the new car to his policy, the agent mentioned that the NSX was becoming a rare model and the price would start to increase. The owner opted to cancel the insurance, instead covering it and parking it in a barn, where it has slept comfortably until very recently with only 2,002 miles showing on the odometer.

https://www.motor1.com/news/720941/moldy-acura-nsx-first-wash/

https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a60446588/1992-acura-nsx-barn-find-emerges-with-only-2000-miles/

I've never seen a Delorean at a car wash until now

voted the “Best Car Wash in San Diego” by San Diego Reader, Soapy Joe's is offering a free car wash to all vets tomorrow

“At Soapy Joe’s, over 25% of our Operations leaders are veterans,” said Isaac Lee, SVP of Operations and retired Marine Corps Lt. Colonel. “Supporting the 100,000 active military and 300,000 veterans that call San Diego home is near and dear to our hearts.”

https://soapyjoescarwash.com/soapy-joes-wins-best-car-wash-in-san-diego/

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?extid=SEO----&v=1577983035577847

oh, good news for vets, on Veterans Day, or because of it, I saw a notice from Chevron gas station in Las Vegas about a free car wash. It turns out, there are a lot of car wash companies that will treat a Vet on Nov 11th

 that's pretty cool.

So remember, there may be some nice things happening on Veterans Day in your area, use Facebook or something, to let your friends, shipmates, or bootcamp pals, or the people you served with - know about the cool stuff. 

And remember, there were a lot of women vets too, even though the military was mostly male, remember to include everyone

See http://graceforvets.org to look for a car wash in your area, it has a map and zip code locator for the car washes within 50 miles

this is why there are warning signs.... she was playing rock n roll star, singing into the car wash's vacuum hose - and it attacked her

 

the video is at https://jaubaius.tumblr.com/post/659865610260545536/dont-play-with-vacuum-cleaners-in-car-washes#notes 

end of an era, the car wash of Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood for more than 60 years until in October 2020, when a demolition permit was filed for the car wash

The bright, rotating sign was a hit with locals and visitors alike. Elvis washed his car here in 1963 while he was in town filming It Happened at The World’s Fair and so have many other famous people. The elephant sign also made a cameo in the 2010 movie Love Happens, starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston.

Luckily, this piece of Seattle history will be preserved at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI). The sign was taken down in November 2020, and is undergoing a restoration process to fix the lights and remove rust. When complete, it will join MOHAI’s vast collection of signage from local businesses

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/elephant-car-wash-sign

1950s highschool car wash! Check out those shoes!

https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5156036-Vintage-photos-Awesome!/page447

Auto Laundry? I guess "automat" was already taken

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/vintage-shots-from-days-gone-by.428585/page-6419

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/341211-period-images-to-relieve-some-of-the-stress/page/495/

15 cars washed in 15 minutes at Moto Way, 1929, Portland Oregon

https://vintageportland.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/1929-c_ne-couch-st-and-union-ave-martin-luther-king-jr-blvd_a2009-009-2443.jpg

At the car wash

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/vintage-shots-from-days-gone-by.428585/page-6506

must be a Monday morning photograph

https://ampervadasz.tumblr.com/post/624900768130056192/soon

way back before the term "Car Wash" was the industry standard, there were a variety of names... auto-mat, auto laundry, etc

https://bibcrazy56.skyrock.com/tags/gprTlZFsmyS-POMPES-A-ESSENCE-&-GARAGES_9.html

Car Wash, by Mobil 1

in the 30's and 40's, the car wash was known as an "Auto Laundry"

http://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_LA_Gas_Stations.html

and look at the guy with the broom handle roof scrubber...

http://autolavaggibellucci.galeon.com/100-Years-of-Car-Wash.html

just to set the record straight, the first production line car wash was in Portland in 1911, though most people think it was Detroit in 1913. (Detroit has better marketing)

The first auotmated car wash was Paul's Automatic Speedy Best Wash, 1946 was the year it opened

http://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/ICWQ/ICWQ0214/index.php?startid=16#/16 this is from Carwash Magazine, an online flip magazine, the official magazine of the International Carwash Association