By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Freddie’s Auto Spa, across from the Kroger Store on North Main Street, is a new competitor in the local car wash market.
Slated to open June 14, the business uses state-of-the-art technology and top-notch service to make sure vehicles are clean and customers are happy, said Ethan Evans, general manager.
“We are a locally owned business. Bowling Green is our home, so we wanted to some of the local environment,” he said.
The name Freddie’s Auto Spa is a nod to Bowling Green State University’s Freddie Falcon mascot. The service packages for Main Street and Full Pull washes reference downtown and the home of the National Tractor Pulling Championships that are held in town.
The business also has an eye on its environmental impact by integrating a reclaimed water filtration system throughout the process.
Everything about the process is different from early car washes that started over 100 years ago. They were completely manual, powered by people with water and towels. “Technology has definitely advanced a lot since then, and especially in the last 30 years,” Evans said.
One of the differences from the south end car wash is a license plate identification system, which means stickers aren’t needed on windshields to recognize vehicles, said Joshua Trehan, store manager.
“If your windows won’t go up or something happens before pulling around, there is an exit that leads into the parking lot,” he said.
Staff are on hand to help guide the process. Once the driver pulls into the tunnel, they’ll pull up to the conveyor, put the vehicle in neutral, take their foot off the brake and hands off the steering wheel. Easy-to-read signage explains the process, and once in that position, the conveyor will move the vehicle through the process.
A trip through the tunnel starts on a belt-driven conveyor system rather than the typical chain-driven system. The benefit of the belt-driven system is that it can accommodate dual-rear wheel vehicles unlike other local car washes.
“With chain-driven conveyors, the opening is only about 18- to 20-inches wide,” Evans explained. “With duallys, you’re running them with way more width, so this system doesn’t have a width restriction.”
Photo eyes, which work like a garage door, are used to identify the size and “profile” of the vehicle.
“The photo eye knows how fast the vehicle is moving, and it can tell all the corresponding equipment to turn on as the vehicle passes underneath it,” Evans said.
The solutions used are applied in a certain order throughout the tunnel to ensure the vehicle is cleaned and dried properly.
“We’ve taken into account all the science and chemistry behind that to optimize the cleanliness of the vehicle and also the use of the equipment,” Evans said.
The cleaning brushes—soft foam brushes—work first on the running board area, then the tops and fronts of vehicles get similar treatment with spot-specific brushes that apply an even amount of pressure across the vehicle’s surface. :
“You don’t want to put too much weight on the vehicle, so we optimize the motors and make sure they have the proper amount of power going to them,” he said.
The vehicle profile detector works like a sonar in a submarine to detect the shape of the vehicle. It can activate the retracts that deactivate or withdraw parts of the washing and drying equipment to prevent damage or ensure proper operation.
“Maybe a truck comes in with garbage in the back,” Evans said. “We don’t want to turn on the blowers at the end and blow that garbage everywhere, so retract would automatically apply.”
A mitter curtain, a system of clothlike strips, moves across the vehicle as it passes through the tunnel. Instead of being at the beginning of the process, Evans said it is near the end to help break the surface tension between the fluid on the vehicle and the vehicle itself. This helps the drying process as the vehicle passes through the blowers.
The process also can include a tire shine “that makes your tires look nice and shiny and brand new,” Trehan said.
The brains of the operation are in a back room and include a motor control cabinet, powered through a computer server system that makes the entire process function.
Bowling Green City water is used in the wash process, but the process also uses reclaimed water that has been run through a filtration system to get rid of the dirt and grime that is washed off vehicles and stored in two 850-gallon water tanks.
The central vacuum unit hosts an entire row of high-powered vacuums. Customers have free access to a floor mat plate to vacuum the mats, towel carts, all-purpose cleaner for dashboards and other areas, and spray stations with window cleaner, Trehan said.
“If your car still has some dirt on it once you come out, come get one of us and we’ll run it back through for nothing. We want to make sure your car’s nice and clean when you leave here,” he said.
In a bit of a contrast to the high-tech processes, the business has paid special attention to the surroundings. Trehan said elaborate plantings are part of the landscaping to enhance the business.
Currently, on the west side of the property is a floral design that, if seen from above, looks like a giant flower, he said. They plan to feature a lighted tree at Christmastime.
Four levels of washes can be purchased one-time, or for monthly recurring, or annual recurring plans.
“Just-a-Wash,” simply a wash and dry, is $10 for a single purchase, $20 per month for an unlimited monthly recurring plan, and $200 for an unlimited annual recurring plan.
“Freddie’s Bird Bath,” which includes wash and dry, Fusion Prime, Tire Shine and Rust Repel, costs $15 single use, $25 per month for an unlimited monthly recurring plan and $250 per year for an unlimited annual recurring plan.
“Main Street Shine—which includes everything that is in Freddie’s Bird Bath, and adds Sealer Wax, Flashwax and Triple Foam—costs $20 for a single visit, $35 per month for the unlimited monthly recurring plan, and $350 per year for the unlimited annual recurring plan.
“Freddie’s Full Pull”—the primo service—includes everything in the Main Street Shine plus Ceramic X3, Rain Repel and Graphene Xtreme, for $25 single use; $40 for the unlimited monthly recurring plan, and $400 for the unlimited annual recurring plan.
Purchases can be made at the facility or in advance online at freddiesautospa.mywashaccount.com. Gift cards are also available.
Spring and summer hours will be Sunday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. More information is available on the business Facebook page.
