Great White Express Car Wash Dangerously Clean Fun

“If you’re going to have a car wash, why not be the apex?” begins Debbi Whitlock, co-owner of Great White Express Car Wash, found at 1075 Crossing Circle in Spring Hill. “I have a background in veterinary medicine, so I was drawn toward some sort of animal theme, and it just happened to be Shark Week on the Discovery Channel,” she adds, explaining the inspiration for naming the business after an apex predator. Debbi operates Great White Express in conjunction with her husband, James. He worked in Information Technology before they opened Spring Hill’s only locally-owned car wash in the spring of 2020, which happens to feature the longest car wash tunnel in town.  “That’s significant because it gives us more time to have extra applications of soaps,” begins Whitlock. “We use Blair Ceramics, which is the only patented wet application ceramic that’s being used in the car wash industry. It’s a true ceramic molecule that bonds to the topcoat and helps the vehicle leave drier and shinier and stay clean longer because it puts a protective layer on the car.”  

Aside from that technological advantage, Great White Express distinguishes itself by being decidedly family-friendly, with ongoing events designed to appeal to kids.   That includes doing a Haunted Tunnel for Halloween in October, an event that has served a two-fold purpose in the past. “First, to attract a little bit of attention, but also to help entertain families during COVID,” says Whitlock. “It was something families could do to get a little Halloween spirit going,” she adds, “with goodie bags for kids, in case they didn’t get to go trick or treating.”  

But Great White Express also sponsors regular appearances by the likes of the “Spring Hill Spiderman,” not to mention Captain America, Darth Vader, and Great White’s own mascot, Bruce the Car Wash Shark, all of whom are known to take pictures with kids through car windows.   “If it’s not a fun environment, kids can be really scared of car washes, and that’s a deterrent to parents wanting to go through the car wash. So we make it as fun as we can,” explains Whitlock, before noting that Santa comes by at Christmastime with gifts for children.    

Meanwhile, Great White Express offers its share of events to appeal to adults as well.  “We have done a couple of rounds of car wash karaoke, where people can sing songs as they go through the car wash. You can see the contest winners on our Facebook page,” says Whitlock, noting that the first round of car wash karaoke was won by a non-profit group called Freedom Reigns Ranch, which incorporated a miniature horse named Goliath into their video for Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” a song that also features Billy Ray Cyrus.   “We gave away a thousand-dollar (first) prize for that, and they were tickled to death to get that to help feed the horses at their therapy ranch,” relates Whitlock, who says the business maintains a tight connection to local charities.   

“Every month, we do a charity focus, and we round up to donate an amount over what has been donated by our customers,” explains Whitlock, with Maury County Animal Services and the Center of Hope being representative examples.  “We are trying to be more than just a car wash. We are trying to be part of the community and let the community get engaged,” elaborates Whitlock, before highlighting how the Great White Express membership packages include a family plan that allows the second car—and additional cars—to be included for 50% off, making it easy for families to keep multiple vehicles clean at a reasonable cost.  Most notably perhaps, the Whitlock’s are looking forward to opening a second location in Spring Hill, perhaps as soon as later this year. The new location will be found off Main Street behind the Kentucky Fried Chicken and in front of Lowe’s on the north side of town.  In keeping with the spirit of everything they do, “we want to make sure we have a location that’s convenient for everyone in Spring Hill,” she concludes. 

Visit their website at greatwhiteexpress.com  Contact Great White Express Car Wash 

931-446-9344 they are located at 1075 Crossing Circle Spring Hill, Hours: Mon-Sat 9-7:30; Sun 12-7:30