Brown Bear Car Wash turns “61” next Thursday (Aug. 23) and will be celebrating by offering free “Beary Clean” car washes to customers from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 26 tunnel wash locations, including in Des Moines.

Last year’s one-day event gave free washes to a record-setting 30,853 cars and trucks across the Puget Sound area.

Brown Bear founder and CEO Victor Odermat opened the company’s first location in 1957 at 1800 15th Ave West in Seattle. Brown Bear now owns and operates a total of 48 car washes throughout the Puget Sound area and Spokane.

“This has become a tradition for us, and it’s our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the communities that have supported us for over 60 years,” said Odermat. “It’s a fun and busy day as we celebrate with our customers while benefitting the environment.”

For participating tunnel wash locations and more information about Brown Bear Car Wash, visit www.brownbear.com.

Seattle-based, family-owned Brown Bear is the largest car wash operator on the West Coast and 10th largest in the United States. Widely recognized for its environmentally-friendly practices, Brown Bear uses gentle, biodegradable cleaning detergents at all its locations.