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Evil Secrets of the Car Wash Industry Revealed

All industries have their dark side and the car wash industry is no different. On first glance one might consider the car wash industry a bright star and a shining example of a “clean” industry and for the most part they would be correct. There are over 30,000 carwashes in the United States and most operators are in fact ethical practitioners. The car wash industry is over 10 billion dollars a year in this nation and growing along with America’s love for their automobiles and SUVs. It stands to reason that with 16 million or more cars being sold each year in the United States alone that car washes is nothing a good business in a growth industry. And if you think about out it; God made dirt on the first day, when he created the heavens and the Earth. Carwash owners will find this significant and thank God for making the entire surface of the planet out of dirt.

In 2004 the Car Wash Industry has changed the focus of the Industry. We had chastised the Industry and the ICA in their move to attack the home car owner washing in their drive way. Also trying to ban car wash fundraisers. We had criticized these things:

http://www.carwashguys.com/080902_3.shtml .

http://www.carwashguys.com/073102_2.shtml .

Yet, we now see in 2005 that there is a trend again afoot to use environmental laws to stop car wash fundraisers. Luckily this faction of the car wash industry is now butting heads with other owners who have a real soft spot for their communities. Although it took the industry an extra couple of years to change their direction, we still have to applaud this new tact. Originally they had proposed this:

http://www.parthe.net/_cwg900/0000006d.htm .

Now the Car Wash Association has done a complete 180-degree turn. Now they believe they have achieved the new direction. Here are some comments from Mike Black the ICA-International Car Wash Association in his message to the industry.

http://www.carcarecentral.com/pgRenderPageForNews.asp?Pruuid=%7B0057428A%2D3582%2D4ADE%2D8001%2D13A9CC999C16%7D .

The President of the association needs to address the lack of integrity of some of the rogue car wash owners as well, as they have drawn fire to good car washes and caused actions against good car washes. There are many who consider the car wash industry a black plague; police officers are quick to point out that crime happens at car washes and often unethical employees will sell drugs out the back of a car wash. Sixty minutes did a special of missing personal items out of cars and another focusing on the hot wax deals, which were not wax at all. The IRS profiled car wash owners as corrupt and often tax cheats:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-mssp/carwash.pdf

while the State of CA attacked car washes also over cheating car washes on payroll and workmen’s comp fees also illegal aliens. Today the car wash industry claims they are changing, but we had already seen the changes this year in an effort to bring the Industry back inline with the proper ethics:

http://www.carwashguys.com/00070303_1.shtml .

Yes, the car wash industry has a dark side, like any other business. We all need clean cars but at what price? Should car washes be allowed to hurt non-profits, bring crime to the community, cheat on taxes, exploit the labor, trick consumers on add-ons and hire illegal aliens? Many think not, some in fact wish to clean up the car wash industry. What do you think?

By Lance Winslow

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