Car washes see triple the amount of customers after winter storm

JACKSON, Tenn. — Salt and sand used to treat the streets turned into soap and shine as the grime washed off hundreds of cars over the weekend.

The snow and ice from last week’s storm has melted away, but employees at Car Wash USA in Jackson are too busy to notice.

“We’re nearing 1,500 cars in three days,” assistant manager Jonathan Wombrod said.

Wombrod said his team cleaned triple the amount of cars they do on a normal weekend.

“Usually summers are our busiest times, but right after snow and all the salt and ice, we’re bumper-to-bumper,” he said.

Many car owners say their tires were caked with salt after a week of driving on icy streets.

“All that salt and stuff and can rust the bottom of the car,” car owner Joesph Hinton said. “So if you don’t hurry up and get it cleaned, it can eventually tear away at the car.”

Hinton is one of many customers who waited in line to have his car cleaned.

“It was almost a whole new color,” he said.

But after a good soap and scrub, Hinton’s car was back to a shiny black.

Employees say some mixtures used to treat winter weather can cause costly damage.

“If you have a little salt build up, come get it washed or it will start eating away at the paint,” Wombrod said.

With the cars sparkling and ready to go, Wombrod and his team are ready for more business to come.

“If people didn’t want to come get their cars washed, I wouldn’t have a job,” he said.

Employees at Car Wash USA in Jackson say they are expecting to clean triple the amount of cars for the rest of the week.