This week, we cover grand openings, including that of Bliss Car Wash, and a recycling program.

Bliss opens seventh eco-friendly carwash

PALMDALE, Calif. — Los Angeles-based Bliss Car Wash announced the opening of a Palmdale location at 1022 Rancho Vista Blvd., the seventh among its eco-friendly carwashes, designed to use minimal water and incorporate environmental sensitivities throughout the cleaning process, according to a press release.

With each new Bliss opening, CEO and Founder David Delrahim donates a new fresh-water well to the nonprofit, Wells Bring Hope, the release continued.

Delrahim and the Bliss company have aligned with the nonprofit, Wells Bring Hope in its mission to bring safe water to rural villages in Niger, West Africa, the release noted.

“This pledge of David Delrahim and Bliss truly make a difference in the lives of those living in Africa without access to clean water,” said Barbara Goldberg, founder and president of Wells Bring Hope. “Each new well he donates brings a new level of hope to those suffering.”

The new Bliss carwashes use technology that constantly monitors freshwater usage, keeping it down to approximately 24 gallons per carwash, and using 70% reclaimed water, the release stated.

Bliss uses cleaning products that are biodegradable and utilizes low-energy-consuming machinery, the release noted.

“We are water warriors, preserving and reusing water in every possible instance with new state-of-the-art technology,” said Delrahim. “Fresh water is a critical life source all over our planet, and our actions aim to conserve it. Providing guests with a high-quality, eco-friendly carwash experience is our top priority. We are excited to become a part of the Palmdale community, a place that shares our commitment to improving the water supply for future generations.”

JC’s Car Wash reopens as Lake Highlands Car Wash

LAKE HIGHLANDS, Texas — According to lakehighlands.advocatemag.com, Trey Chapman and his wife, Melissa, who own and run Tri-Tex Cabinets, bought JC’s Car Wash at 9715 Walnut Hill and reopened it as Lake Highlands Car Wash on the weekend of Sept. 21-22.

“It’s always been my vision to own my own business, but this is our first opportunity to buy a business in Lake Highlands,” said Trey. “We sell a lot of cabinets in LH, but it’s not based here.”

The carwash started out in 1973 as a Hardee’s Hamburgers before it became Southwest Savings Bank in 1978 and then transformed into Lake Highland Car Wash in the early 2000s and later renamed “JC’s” in 2013 when employee Jose “JC” Carbajal purchased it, the article continued.

“We’ve been going there 12 years, since we moved to Lake Highlands,” said Trey. “JC was ready to sell after a series of unfortunate events in his life and his sister needed seed money for a new restaurant. JC’s has a very polarizing reputation — you either love it or you went on Nextdoor.com to complain. Based on some things I’ve seen posted, I’d be mad, too. We’re asking people to give us another chance.”

The Chapmans added a new roof, updated the air conditioning system, installed new flooring, scheduled new windows and replaced the carwash machinery, the article added.

“People didn’t realize the equipment didn’t work, and cars were being washed by hand,” said Melissa. “Customers were mad — you’d get a great wash, but it took 45 minutes.”

“We’re rebranding and gaining back the trust of the community that’s been lost,” Trey added. “The two biggest things for us are providing a comfortable place to wait and a quality wash. We are not Circle K. We provide a full service wash and a hand towel dry.”

Although several carwash in the area recently promoted their new membership programs, Trey stated, “That’s not who we want to be. Every morning they have a line of 40 Uber drivers creating a long wait time. Right now, we just want to provide a great, full service carwash.”

The carwash sports a red, black and white waiting room with luxury vinyl tile, bar stools, TVs, and leather and chrome chairs, the article noted; in addition, the bathrooms have new fixtures, and there is a kids’ area with a table, coloring books and cartoons on the TV.

The Chapmans will shortly replace the “JC’s” sign and already have a new menu board displaying prices from the $7 express wash to the $150 full detail, the article added.

“I put word out on social media, and so far we’ve had a great response from the community,” she said. “I told Trey, ‘We can’t mess this up now.’”

“We’re a locally owned business,” Trey agreed, “and, honestly, the response has been overwhelming. We opened the gates for the dump truck during construction, and four cars got in line. People thought it was open.”

Although the carwash has already opened its doors, a grand reopening celebration will be held on Oct. 10th with giveaways and partnerships with other local businesses, the article concluded.

FRAM^® joins How2Recycle program

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. — FRAM® is pleased to announce that it has joined the How2Recycle^® program in an effort to help improve the recycling of its packaging and materials, according to a press release.

As part of FRAM’s sustainability efforts, the company has partnered with How2Recycle to help empower customers to recycle specific products and packaging more accurately through the program’s smarter label system, the release continued.

Customers will notice the recycling label printed on FRAM packaging for its Extra Guard^®, Tough Guard^® and Ultra Synthetic^™ Oil Filters and Fresh Breeze^® Cabin Air Filter, the release added.

The label informs customers that the outer box of FRAM packaging can be recycled across the U.S. and Canada, the release noted.

“We are continuously looking at materials, processes and technologies to reduce waste and conserve resources in all aspects of our business,” said Kevin O’Dowd, senior vice president of global marketing. “Improved packaging sustainability is a core part of our effort to protect our environment. This initiative is very important to our company, our direct customers and the motorists who purchase our products.”

Launched in 2012, How2Recycle is the standardized U.S. label across all packaging types and offers comprehensive instructions on packaging recyclability, the release concluded.

For more information on the How2Recycle program, please visit how2recycle.info.

For more information on FRAM products, please visit FRAM.com.