'Pent-up car-wash frustration' about to ease up as temps rise

It’s still pretty cold out there, but warmth is on the way.

There’s a good chance the temperature will reach 34 degrees Saturday, when it also will be sunny.

So there’s an even better chance that everybody in our five-county region will want to get their road salt-ravaged cars washed.

Local businesses selling that service are ramping up.

“We’re looking at (staffing) now, starting this afternoon,” said Jeff Gold, owner of Buckman’s Car Wash, whose five locations were shuttered Wednesday and Thursday amid the polar vortex. “First, because of the safety of our employees,” he said, “second because of the safety of our customers and their vehicles. And third, (to protect) our equipment.” Royal Car Wash locations, which now number seven, also were closed Wednesday and Thursday, and all Delta Sonic locations, in the Rochester area and beyond, were closed Thursday.

The goal, Gold said, would be to bring in all available staff Saturday and temporary help if needed.

But even by late Friday morning, as the temperature reached 11, business was picking up at Evergreen Car Wash on Lake Avenue. Manager Denise Allen didn’t have much  time to talk because she was dealing with a line of customers, but she said the important thing for Saturday will be “just making sure we’ve got enough people on.”

Likewise, by 2 p.m. Friday, the Royal Car Wash on Monroe Avenue in Pittsford was "operating at full capacity," said Danny Daniele, whose family owns the chain, and about 20 cars were lined up at the entrance. 

"Being closed two days caused a lot of pent-up car-wash frustration," he said with a laugh.

It might not be possible to avoid long lines tomorrow, but in Gold’s experience, generally, things are less hectic in the early morning hours and after dark. He also expects demand to drop a bit by late afternoon Super Bowl Sunday, when it will be even warmer (39 to 44 degrees) but also might rain.

If you miss your chance for a wash this weekend, it’s supposed to be 40 to 52 degrees and cloudy Monday, 22 to 45 and cloudy Tuesday, 26 to 34 and cloudy Wednesday and 23 to 34 Thursday, when snow is possible.

AAA Western and Central New York recommends waiting to wash your car until the temperature is above 30 degrees to avoid frozen door handles and locks.

But Gold said that if a “car wash is operating, it’s OK to go through.” He added that frozen locks are less of an issue these days because most vehicles use remote openers rather than keys.  

However, it is important to rid cars of salt residue and deposits, AAA said, noting that according to a 2017 survey, U.S. drivers paid $15.4 billion in rust repairs caused by de-icers over the previous five years.