Our Story
It all started with a dream. Thomas Thomas (yes, that’s his real name) came over to America in the 1920s through Ellis Island with his family and nothing else to their name.
He graduated from Manual High School in Louisville, KY, and served as a Sergeant in WWII. Upon arrival home, Tom and his two brothers got a crazy itch to start Louisville’s first automated car wash in 1946 on 2nd Street and Chestnut.
At the time, only 15 car washes were operating in the United States.
Seventy years later, having washed millions of Louisville’s cars, technology has changed but the Thomas family still believes in the same value that Tom and his brothers did—to put out the absolute cleanest car around, while being fast and friendly.
Now with two locations to serve the Louisville area, and one Nicholasville location, Tom’s son Eli and grandson Alex are at the helm with a bright future ahead.
Thomas Car Wash cares about our community
As successful members of the community, we have a responsibility to help those that are less fortunate and contribute to the common good. Investing in our community is a great way to give back to those who have helped support our business over the years, and we do just that through our fundraising program.
Find out how Thomas Car Wash can help raise money for your cause or organization!
Thomas Car Wash cares about the environment
Upon our recent partnering with Ameri-Chem, we now make our own special blend of soaps and waxes. From dealing with hot road grime and bugs, to cold rain film and salt, we make sure that every chemical blend we put out is suited to best clean your vehicle. Our Hydrapel blend is a special all-seasons paint sealant that helps to repel water and future dirt from harming your vehicle’s finish.
We are members of the International Carwash Association's WaterSavers® Program.
Pollution from rinse water runoff, and the chemicals it contains, can empty into rivers and streams from storm and sewer drains. This has been proven to negatively impact our ecosystems.
Being a WaterSavers® car wash, we prevent water pollution by routing wash water to treatment prior to its return to the environment and only use 40 gallons (151.5 liters) or less of fresh water per car wash—less than the typical home washing machine.
Visit carwash.org to find out more about WaterSavers®.