Deb Semmler, South Bend Tribune, July 27, 2019
Drive & Shine prides itself on the quality of work it provides to motorists throughout the region.
Whether it’s a wash, a thorough detailing or an oil change, the locally based business aims to provide the highest level of professional service in a timely manner.
Those have been the guiding principles of the business since it was founded by Haji Tehrani more than 20 years ago, and that focus has helped the business grow to six locations with more than 100 employees in northern Indiana.
But while it’s delivering those services, the company also aims to use the most eco-friendly methods and materials available to get the job done while minimizing the impact on vehicles or the environment.
When a vehicle comes in for lube services at a full-service Drive & Shine location, for example, customers can rest assured that filters, oil and other fluids are being recycled.
And because Drive & Shines uses processes and chemicals that are far more gentle on vehicles as well as the environment, its wash tunnels have to be considerably longer than most of its competitors to properly get the job done.
Motorists should be especially hesitant about taking their vehicle to unmanned short-tunnel car washes because they often use cloth wraps that retain dirt and debris as well as harsh chemicals that get the job done quickly, but with long-term consequences to the vehicle and the environment.
“We do not use hydrofluoric acid, which is known to be a very dangerous yet very effective and economical cleaning agent in the car wash industry,” said Matthew Tehrani, director of equipment and chemistry for the company. “It is extremely corrosive and dangerous to our environment.”
Instead Drive & Shine uses a wheel cleaner that is just as effective at cleaning brake dust on rims without the damaging effects of harsh acids and a series of high pH and low pH chemicals in the wash that are effective at cleaning organic and inorganic soils on customer vehicles, he explained.
“The combination of using our foamy soaps with our soft foam spinning wraps allow for very gentle, yet effective cleaning of the outside of the vehicle,” said Tehrani, who graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in chemical engineering before joining the family business.
Drive & Shine also prides itself on minimizing its water usage by running wash water through a series of underground filtration processes that pull out contaminants so that the water can be reused in the early stages of the wash cycle.
The process is capable of producing 225 gallons per minute of recycled water and has earned the business a WaterSavers designation from the International Carwash Association.
“We pride ourselves on the work we perform,” Tehrani said. “But we also want to minimize our impact while getting the job done.”
TAGS: Eco-Friendly, Green, Clean Earth
