Clean and dry

WASILLA — It’s not every day that the grand opening of a car wash garners a tour from a sitting U.S. senator and a ribbon cutting involving two Valley mayors. But Friday’s event for the newest Mudbusters outlet was not for an ordinary car wash — the latest entry into Karen and Steve Mahoy’s family franchise is a unique facility in the state.

“We are thrilled and proud to open this facility for the residents of the Valley. It is one of a kind,” Karen Mahoy said prior to the official ribbon cutting Friday morning. Along with members of the local faith and business community, Wasilla mayor Bert Cottle and Palmer mayor DeLena Johnson helped cut the ribbon. Sen. Lisa Murkowski was expected to tour the facility in the afternoon.

“I am often asked, ‘where is Wasilla?... and I tell people it is between the four Mudbusters,” Cottle quipped at the ceremony. “I wish the Mahoys well. They hire local and have been an asset to the community.”

The 12,000-square-foot building off West Rupee Circle in Wasilla is like washing a car in your own garage. For the self-service crowd, gone are the days of pulling out of the hand-wash bay on a winter day to face the prospect of a chilly visit to the vacuum station. Everything is under one roof, and it’s heated.

The car wash also features two “touchless” bays and two Muttbusters pet washing stations.

Ten self-service bays within the main building offer the familiar accessories like a high-pressure sprayer and foam brush, but also feature a hand dryer as well as a complete vacuuming and carpet cleaning station.

“At our other locations, especially in the winter, I was always running into people who might not have had a towel and their car was wet and they were trying to vacuum it out in the cold,” Mahoy said. “Plus, parents know the fun of having to clean up that soda spilled in the back of the van when it’s 10 below.

“Now, everything is inside where it is warm and dry.”

Mahoy said while the touchless bays and Muttbusters rooms are open 24 hours, the self-serve bays are open from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m.

The Rupee Circle location, off the Parks Highway on the west side of Wasilla, is the fourth for the Mahoys, who opened their first Mudbusters off Knik-Goose Bay Road near downtown Wasilla in 1997. Other locations are off Herning Avenue and Financial Drive.

The Mahoys also have a contracting business — Steve is an electrical contractor — and have helped set up car wash locations around the state.

“We started with eight employees and now we are up to 18,” Karen said of the Wasilla business. “It has been such a journey for my husband and I.”

Mahoy said the new location was an effort to keep up with Wasilla’s growth to the south and west. She said the Parks Highway widening project and the alternate routes to access Knik-Goose Bay from the west would hopefully make the car wash a neighborhood stop.

“Our other locations are kind of neighborhood stops,” she said, “and we are hoping this one will be convenient for folks on their way home.”

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/mudbusterscarwash

Contact reporter Steven Merritt at 352-2269 or steven.merritt@frontiersman.com