Bret Jenkins, general manager, stands in front of the Mint Smartwash conveyor system as construction continues on the new Medicine Hat location.--NEWS PHOTO KELLEN TANIGUCHI
ktaniguchi@medicinehatnews.com@@kellentaniguchi
Hatters will be able to have sparkling clean vehicles within minutes when the new Mint Smartwash opens in May or June this year.
Drivers will be able to pull in, put their car in neutral and let the conveyor system pull their car through the express car wash.
“You’re in and out of the tunnel in two minutes. So, you should be basically on site and gone within five minutes,” said Bret Jenkins, general manager. “If you’re running behind, you are in and out of here in no time and you’ll probably have the cleanest wash you’ve ever had.”
Jenkins says the main perk of the car wash is its membership program. There are a number of options, and drivers pay monthly for unlimited washes. Members will have a designated lane that allows them to skip to the front of the line with a sticker put on their windshield, allowing the wash to scan them in without any contact.
“You can wash your car 10 times a month, or you can wash it twice. It’s totally up to you. You can wash it an unlimited amount of times for the exact same price,” said Jenkins.
The smartwash also focuses on being environmentally friendly. Jenkins says all soaps are OK for the environment, so anything that does go down the drain won’t cause harm.
“We also reclaim up to 80 per cent of the water used in the wash and we reclaim it, filter it, make it good again and just keep pumping it. It saves tons of money and tons of water,” he said.
Washes will also include free vacuuming and a machine to wash your floor mats. Jenkins adds the few minutes you’re in the wash is also an experience with flashing lights and coloured foam splashing your car.
The Medicine Hat smartwash will be located at 1380 22nd St., and is the second location in Alberta – with the first in Lethbridge. A third Mint Smartwash is also currently operating in Billings, Mont.
“We want to beat Lethbridge, just like the Tigers versus Hurricanes. It’s a bit of a rivalry,” said Jenkins with a laugh. “I’ll be looking to set some new records against them.”
Mint Smartwash isn’t stopping with its new location in the Hat. Jenkins says they are currently breaking ground throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan with at least five new locations this year and plans to keep expanding throughout Western Canada.
