Zippy Auto Wash: Locally Owned, Engineered for Clean

When Corey and Michelle Weaver started exploring business ideas in the early 2000s, they were both working full-time and looking for something they could grow on the side. Vending machines, self-storage, even tech stocks were on the table—until they landed on something more hands-on.

“Corey has always been obsessed with keeping our cars clean,” Michelle said. “Every weekend, he’d be outside washing and detailing them, and he’d always say, ‘There just isn’t a good car wash around here.’”

That passion turned into a business plan. In 2007, they opened the first Zippy Auto Wash location on Ellsworth Road in Ann Arbor. Today, Zippy has grown to six locations—in Ann Arbor, Saline, Canton, and Dexter—with four more on the way.

What sets Zippy apart is a combination of convenience, customer perks, and constant innovation. Their Unlimited FastPass membership starts at $19.99 per month and can be used at any location. New members can even try it out for just $1 the first month.

Zippy locations are equipped with free vacuums, air fresheners, towels, air pistols, glass wipes, and even mat wash and dry stations. Customers also benefit from a Zippy Guarantee—if you’re not satisfied, they’ll rewash your car for free—and a 3-Day Platinum Rewash policy for retail customers.

Behind the scenes, the Weavers have invested in serious engineering to deliver consistent results. Each wash uses 96 sprayers, 12 soaps, 12 dryers, and Zippy’s exclusive Tsunami Blast pre-spray, which blasts away grime at 90 gallons per minute through 60 nozzles. But it’s their closed-cell foam brushes that really stand out.

“They look like brushes, but they’re actually bundles of soft foam fingers,” Michelle said. “They don’t absorb dirt, so they can’t scratch your car. That’s why we chose them—it gives a better clean without damaging the surface.”

From the beginning, Zippy has kept its roots local. The company has donated over $500,000 in car wash services to area schools and nonprofits and has hosted more than 250 fundraisers through its popular wash card program. For the past 15 years, they’ve also partnered with the Saline Lions Club to hand out free ice cream every Sunday in August, rotating between sites.

“It started as a way to say thank you to our customers,” Corey said. “And it’s something people really look forward to every summer.”

Though Corey left his job at Ford in 2016 to run the business full-time, he hasn’t stopped fine-tuning the equipment. “He’s always tinkering,” Michelle said. “Trying to make it cleaner, shinier, drier. He’s never quite satisfied.”

As for the future? The Weavers are still searching for the right site in Chelsea, which has long been on their radar. “It’s about more than just finding land,” Corey said. “You need the right zoning, access to utilities, and the right traffic flow. We’ll keep looking.”

Seventeen years in, Zippy Auto Wash is still a family-run operation—and a local favorite that just keeps growing.