Let’s be honest . . . very few people say, “Hey – wouldn’t it be FUN to give the dog a bath today?”  It’s a messy, arduous endeavor, and usually neither the washer nor the washee come out of it very happy.  Not to mention the mess in the bathroom if it’s done in your own home tub.

On the other hand, who minds going to the car wash?  The car looks great, it effortless on your part . . . . heck, it can even be a source of entertainment for the kids!

Well, now you can tackle BOTH jobs – washing the dog and the car at the same time – and NOT have to pull a “Mitt Romney” dog-strapped-to-the-car-roof to do so!  (Come on – you know you were picturing it for just a moment!)

At Garwood’s In-N-Out Dog Wash at 300 North Avenue in Garwood, smack dab between Westfield and Cranford, owner and operator Mike Kelly has seen enormous success in the first year of business.  Patrons seem to love the idea of a place to take their pooches to wash and groom them, without destroying their own homes and bathrooms.  Kelly decided it was time to expand.  Hence the car wash!

Kelly has now taken over the Auto Spa at 215 South Avenue East in Westfield, (the Garwood pet grooming center remains open, as well), and arranged it so that the lobby houses two tubs for self-serve washing of pets. For now, it is only open on weekends, and as an opening promotion, customers who buy a dog wash get a free car wash.  Then you can then put your clean dog into your clean car and go home a happy camper!  The plan is to add some groomers and other pet-related services, as the business grows.

Wash your pug and your Bug, your daschund and your Datsun,  your hound and your Honda.  Kill two birds with one stone, without having to clean up anything afterwards.  It’s a fantastic idea!  Hmmm . . . . . along those same lines of thinking, I wonder if I can put the laundry, the kids, AND the dishes into the dishwasher at the same time . . . . . . ?

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