Car wash

A car wash (also written as "carwash") or auto wash is a facility used to clean the exterior and, in some cases, the interior of motor vehicles. Car washes can be self-serve, fully automated, or full-service with attendants who wash the vehicle.

With the modern convenience of touchless automatic car washes, it may be difficult to remember that the industry was not always so high-tech. Though, other commercial car washes came before it, the first semi-automatic car wash in the United States made its debut in 1946, and from there, the industry has grown in both size and sophistication.

The start of the history of car washing dated back into 1914. People used manpower to push or move the cars through stages of the process. Eventually, manual car wash operations peaked at 32 drive-through facilities in the United States. Prior to this time, the evolution of car washing was just at the beginning, and that the automatic car washing was born. The first semi-automatic car wash was active for the first time in Detroit, Michigan using automatic pulley systems and manual brushing.

Many things had occurred within 1955 regarding car washing history. A businessman named Dan Hanna was encouraged by the car washers in Detroit, operated his own materials, then eventually made his own car wash called the Rub-a-Dub in Oregon. In 1957, he formed the Hanna Enterprises and eventually reached about 31 car washes in America. In 1959, Hanna operated his wash rack until he made the first mechanized car washing system. As the news spread throughout the city, so did his business.

By the mid 1960s Hanna Enterprises had established itself as the main source innovator and the manufacturer of car washing equipments and materials. Over time, Hanna had made several machines that will be the first to do the main requirements over car washing, this includes the Wrap-Around Brush, Roller-on-demand Conveyor belt, soft cloth friction washing, several ways to wash the tires, and a recirculating water system. With that said, Hanna Enterprises have become the largest vehicle washing equipment manufacturer.

In the 1970s it was a difficult time for the car washing industry, as the result of the gasoline prices increasing rapidly. Still, Hanna Enterprises made another two inventions during this time: the automatic wheel cleaner, and the polish'n'wax.

In the early 1980s, the U.S. economy began a period of growth. The car wash industry recovered from the 1970s oil price surge. Automobile ownership grew rapidly. In 1985 it was reported that there were 162 million cars in the United States. The car wash industry developed more, the car washes grew rapidly in the 1980s. The Hanna Enterprises took this time to build many new inventions, and then brought them at the market. The magazine Entrepreneur gave Hanna Enterprises the #2 manufacturer and franchise in the world. And in 1982, it was the #1. Annual sales have reached a peak of $30 million. In 1989, the Hanna Enterprises was ranked #1 nationwide regarding conveyorized car washes.

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Wikipedia