There are many interesting facts about Washington that you may or may not be familiar with. Indeed, most folks know Starbucks Coffee started in the Evergreen State. In fact, so did the sporting goods company, Eddie Bauer. That said, few people know Washington was home to the first fully automatic car wash in America.

Since the invention of the automobile, people have been passionate about taking care of their cars.
monstArrr_/iStock Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
Necessity is the mother of invention, and as is often the case, businesses looked for ways to make the car washing experience faster and more efficient.
Museum of History and Industry via History Link
Early automatic car washes first made an appearance in 1914.
Museum of History and Industry via History Link
Of course, the word "automatic" is used very loosely here. Cars were washed by hand as workers pushed vehicles through a tunnel-like washing station.

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Years later, a conveyor belt system was invented which would pull cars through a tunnel using a winch.
FOTO:FORTEPAN / Erdei Katalin, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This surely sped up the process, but the washing, rinsing, and drying were still done by hand.
In 1951, the very first fully automatic, hands-free car wash, Pink Elephant, was opened in Seattle, Washington.
Elephant Car Wash/Facebook
This revolutionary idea was the brainchild of brothers Archie, Dean, and Eldon Anderson. The fully automated system utilized large machinery with soap sprayers, scrub brushes, and air blowers to wash, rinse, and dry cars faster and more effectively than ever before.
Today, the automatic car wash is a staple in towns all over the world.
Elephant Car Wash/Facebook

The next time you drive through a fully automated car wash, remember that this modern convenience got its start with Elephant Car Wash right here in Washington. Do you wash your car by hand, or prefer the convenience of a car wash? Let us know in the comments.

There are many other interesting things about Washington you might not know. Check out our previous article to learn more quirky facts about the Evergreen State.

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