Jim Is Back at Hand Car Wash USA

If there’s one thing 25-year Colton resident Jim Selle (65) knows about, it’s the value of hard work. For seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. and through the evening hours, this modest man loves what he does for a living. Having worked at Hand Car Wash USA, located on Washington Street in Colton, for 18 years, what Selle loves most about his job is hard to choose. “Spending time with the people is what I enjoy,” said Selle. “Customers and crew are what I enjoy the most.” Selle was first introduced to Hand Car Wash USA while working at Graziano’s Pizza Restaurant in Mira Loma. He had known Tom Abeyta, then-owner of Hand Car Wash USA, who used to come into the restaurant. Abeyta offered Selle a job at the Car Wash. Selle worked there for 18 years before taking six months off and coming back in May of this year, under current owner Saab Bhullar. “Being asked to come back felt good,” said Selle. The respect and appreciation between these two men is evident. Selle is there helping out in every way he can—whether it’s performing maintenance, repairs, greeting customers, washing or drying cars, ordering supplies—he does it all. Hand Car Wash USA has been in operation for approximately 24 years. Open seven days a week, the shop sees thousands of cars each week. With some 300 to 400 cars serviced on the weekends, another 150 are washed on weekdays. “Hand car washes are very popular with those who want to take care of their cars and their paint jobs,” shared Selle. Vehicles washed by hand are typically cleaned more thoroughly than automatic car washes, as the lack of contact can hinder the ability to clean the car completely, according to autos.com. Additional processes, including claying, polishing and waxing, help to remove embedded contaminants and restore luster to a car’s finish. Hand-washing methods allow for human washers to pay special attention to areas that require a little more tender love and care. Selle looks forward every day to working with the people he loves and doing the work he loves, he noted. “I’m glad to be back,” said Selle. “It feels good. And everybody knows me by my little red Corvette.”