Who We Are

Gleam History

Gleam Car Wash is the brainchild of Emilie Baratta, who started the business from scratch after a neighbor mentioned the lack of a car wash in their area. After a decade working in complex infill redevelopment projects across numerous cities, Emilie had started her own small real estate company, scaling from developing green high rises down to small, interesting one-off projects. A car wash seemed a great way to build green, enhance the community via inclusive hiring and job creation, and provide a needed service.

After intense research, Gleam Car Wash was born. Gleam opened in the fall of 2016. Since then, Gleam has created over 40 jobs, cleaned hundreds of thousands of vehicles, and strives to produce the highest quality car wash, with the greenest possible infrastructure and the most inclusive possible hiring practices, in all of Colorado and beyond. Approximately 20 percent of Gleam employees have an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD). The remaining Gleam employees are all on a spectrum of some sort, because aren’t we all, and comprise high schoolers, college students, professional detailers and car washers of all ages.

Gleam takes environmental stewardship seriously. Both Gleam and our second location, Gleam II, have 41 kW of solar on their tunnel rooftops, which are designed to have the optimal pitch for solar energy generation. Motors have VFDs, LED lighting dominates, and waste streams are seriously monitored – each car wash recycles and composts.

Additionally, each Gleam location is a mini water-treatment plant, capturing up to 90% of the water used in the tunnel, treating and reusing that scarce resource. As a result, instead of using up to 100 gallons of potable (drinkable) water per car, Gleam uses approximately 10 gallons of potable with the remainder being “reclaim” water. None of these measures were required by code or zoning; it has been 100% voluntary.

Gleam staff is dedicated to providing top notch car washing service, providing everything from simple exterior car washes to the highest end detailing. Emilie runs Gleam Car Wash alongside Eiljah Williams, a serial entrepreneur who can literally fix anything, and Matthew Weston, a detail veteran who has run teams detailing everything from hundred million dollar planes down to Datsuns headed to auction. The entire team is proud of contributing to our community and protecting our environment.

Gleam Car Wash Partners with Project SEARCH to Hire People with Cognitive Disabilities

Founder Emilie Baratta started Gleam with a focus on sustainability, as well as, a desire to give back to our community in the best ways possible. One of the initiatives we are most proud of is our proactive employment outreach to hire as many people with cognitive disabilities as we can. Typically, between five and 20 percent of our staff are individuals on the autism spectrum or who have another cognitive disability.

We’re excited to have partnered with Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Project SEARCH program, an innovative program that supports high school students with significant disabilities as they transition into the workforce. So far Gleam has hired three graduates from Project SEARCH!

The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, in recognition of our commitment to limiting our impact on the planet, awarded Gleam Car Wash the Green Business of the Year in 2018. And although we already treat 90% of our water, offer recycling and compost, and generate our own energy, there’s still more to be done! Thank you for supporting our dream!

Explore Gleam’s Services

Exterior Washes

Fast, Thorough, and Professional External Cleaning

Interior & Exterior Combo Service

Exterior Car Wash and Custom Interior Cleanings

Detailing

Quality, Professional Detailing Packages to Meet Your Needs

Self-Service Dog Wash

Easy to Use Self-Service Dog Wash

Car wash membership

Wash as much as you like for one low monthly price. Five membership options starting at just $34. Our best packages pay for themselves in under TWO washes!

Two locations to serve you

Gleam

4895 W 38th Ave | Denver, CO 80212
720-476-7705

OPEN DAILY:

Tunnel | 8am - 6pm
Interiors & Detailing | 9am - 6pm

Gleam I

Gleam II

15911 E Colfax | Aurora, CO 80011
720-476-7705

OPEN DAILY:

Tunnel & Complementary Vacuums | 8am - 6pm
Detailing By Appointment

Gleam II

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