You might think no one goes to a car wash during the Winter, right? I mean, who wants to stand around freezing washing their car?

But guess what: Winter is one of the busiest times for car washes!

Yeah, you read that right. The cold season can be a golden time for car wash businesses. So, here we will dive into the why and how much money these car washes can make when temperatures decline.

The Truth About Winter

Let’s start with the basics. If you live in an area with snow, ice, and slushy roads (which can be exceptionally slippery), you know how fast your car turns into a moving piece of salt.

The cities lay tons of salt on the roads to melt the ice—yes, it prevents accidents, but all that salt is brutal on your vehicle—It can eat away at the paint, cause rust, and damage your car’s undercarriage. No one wants that, right?

That is why people hurry to car washes during Winter— It is not just about keeping the car shiny (though that is a nice bonus) but protecting it from grave damage.

Car washes help keep the salt off, which explains why they can get busier than ever in the cold months.

Winter: A Surprisingly Busy Season According to Statistics

Okay, how much money do car washes make in the Winter season? It turns out to be a lot!

According to Brandongaille, the percentage of demand for car washes by season goes like this:

Winter – 32%

Spring – 25%

Summer – 25%

Fall – 18%

Winter comes surprisingly on top with 32% of the annual demand for car washes. Compare that to just 18% for fall. Who would have thought that?

When tackling real numbers, we previously published an article about "How much does a car wash make in a week?" where most of the insights concerned the Winter season.

We highly advise you to check up on that article. Here are some examples:

• Car Wash Chronicles pulled in $4,011 a weekduring the Winter season (late January)
• Car Wash Chronicles mentions in another video that he made $61,679.75 in 6 months since opening, five months of which were during Winter.

Do you see the potential?

Some large car washes have reported making thousands of dollars daily during Winter months alone. And with usual customers coming in more frequently (thanks to that evil salt accumulation), Winter turns into a cash cow.

The Challenges of Winter for a Car Wash Business

Running a car wash in the Winter season comes with some headaches:

1) Car washes must invest in heated systems to keep everything running (which might cost around $600). No one wants their car covered in frozen soap, and heated water makes removing salt easier.

So, businesses have to heat the water, the equipment, and sometimes even the air (if you have a tunnel) or close the garage (if you own a self-serve) to ensure nothing freezes up—including customers.

2) While snowstorms might mean more business in the following days, no one is coming in during a snowstorm. If it is snowing, many car washes will close because washing your car during a storm is pointless.

3) The weather is not just sunshine and snow—it rains sometimes. The only time you might close, either during Winter or Summer, is because of precipitation.

How to Profit From Winter as a Car Wash Owner?

Even with the extra costs of heating and maintenance (that eat profit just as rust eats cars), the profit margins can stay healthy. Here is what you can do:

• Offer detailing service
• Offer waxing products
• Heated water and chemicals
• Closing garages for the self-serve car washes
• Market your car wash as anti-salt during the Winter
• Upsell anti-rust products, preferably fluid-film spray (you can find it on Amazon or Home Depot)
• Turn one bay into an automatic so people will not have the hassle of getting out of their cars and doing the work in freezing temperatures
• Invest in NuCoun in order not to freeze your cash handling

Wait, How Does NuCoun Fit In?

Speaking of cold cash, do you know what does not freeze up in Winter? Counting the cash your car wash makes!

If you are tired of handling stacks of cash by hand or want to speed up the process, you might want to check out NuCoun money counter machines.

It is not your average machine; this thing is a beast! the VS-75 counts up to 1,200 banknotes per minute, even under mixed denominations, so there is no need to separate notes ahead, detecting counterfeit bills, and can sort by denomination, face, and even orientation.

Seriously—why freeze while counting coins or cash when you could sit back and let the machine do the work? Time saved is money earned. And with how busy winters can get for car washes, every minute counts.

Is Winter Profitable for Car Washes?

Absolutely! Winter can be one of the most profitable times for car wash businesses. While there are added costs for heating and lost clients during snowstorms or precipitation, the high demand for salt removal and rust protection will be rewarding.

The key to success is having your keys. In other words—staying open as much as possible and being ready for after-snowstorm rushes when everyone looks to get their car cleaned up.

And if you are running a car wash (or thinking about it), efficiency is crucial—not just in washing cars but also in handling your cash.

NuCoun money counter machines can make your Winter season run smoother and a little warmer ;)