Throughout my travels in the car wash industry, I have had the privilege of visiting countless operators, and each site always brings me a unique set of challenges to tackle. One commonality that I have noticed is that the long-term and highly successful car washes aren’t typically the first in line to add the latest and greatest extra service products. Instead, they prioritize and understand the basics of properly cleaning vehicles efficiently. This focus on the fundamentals is not just a safe bet, it’s the winning formula.
Time and again, when an operator calls me in to evaluate common issues with drying, rinsing, or trying to achieve a better shine, the solution almost always lies in making an adjustment to the cleaning process. Seldom is the fix completely solved by bringing in some fancy new drying agent or a new extra service product.
Understanding The Cleaning Process
From the first presoak to the final lubrication soap, the cleaning process is more than just concentrated soaps mixed with water and air sprayed onto vehicles. It is a carefully evaluated sequence mapped out between different types of equipment, speed, and water.
What I have learned from fantastic operators is this equation of variables is the most important factor in customer satisfaction. It is the bedrock of the service that you provide. Understanding how these stages should be mapped out given your equipment package, wash type, and throughput goals will help you optimize results, ask better questions, and be a better car washer.
Detergents and Cleaning Steps
In car washing, there are typically three general types of detergents: acidic, alkaline, and neutral soaps. These detergents are made up of three main components: surfactants, builders (acids or alkaline salts), and solvents. Surfactants break down and lift dirt, create foam, and add lubrication. The builders attack dirt while in solution and do not allow it to be redeposited on the surface. The solvents aid in dissolving tough oils and greases.
An acidic detergent is targeted to clean and remove inorganic soils such as clays, minerals, brake dust, metals, and salts. An alkaline detergent is targeted at organic soils such as oils, fats, greases, road film, pollen, tree sap, bird droppings, and bugs. Neutral detergents will tackle the easy-to-remove contaminants and add lubrication to help wash equipment work effectively.
These types of detergents are mapped out in either one, two, or three steps of cleaning which are the common sequences in today’s car washes. We define these steps by the number of times you cross the centerline on the pH scale.
For example, if you use multiple but all high-pH soaps at your wash, it would be considered one-step cleaning. If you use both high- and low-pH soaps and only cross the neutral point once throughout the wash process, it would be considered two-step cleaning.
The most common method in express model washes is the two-step cleaning process. This typically starts with a high-pH cleaner and ends with a low-pH cleaner. In these systems, the friction from the brushes plays a key role in helping remove soils during the switch from high-pH to low-pH cleaners.
Conversely, today’s touchless automatic machines are typically set up for the same two-step cleaning process. The difference is that, in most regions of the U.S., the sequence is reversed, starting with a low-pH cleaner followed by a high-pH cleaner to optimize performance without the benefit of friction. Some might question: Why wouldn’t I just use low pH and then high pH in the friction tunnel?
The key difference lies in the role that friction plays in the wash process. Starting with high-pH detergents allows the organic soils to be loosened up and removed easily with the brushes. Once the high-pH detergents have done their job, the low-pH detergents get to work. They work on the inorganics and neutralize the surface, preparing the car for finishing products. This results in a fully cleaned car, ready for the rinsing and drying process.
So, where does the three-step cleaning process come into play? It is typically suited for operators who want or need to push the boundaries of the express model with speed, quality, and throughput. Starting with low pH, moving to high pH, and then back to low pH allows for the same cleaning advantages many touchless automatics benefit from and conditions the car for finishing. Car washes can utilize the extra step to get their track speed to more than 250 cars per hour.
Evaluate the Cleaning Process
When evaluating your car wash cleaning process, you will want to observe, measure, and consider many factors. First and foremost is the type of soil your region typically deposits on cars.
High-traffic and densely populated areas may require stronger high-pH solutions to tackle road film, while more rural areas may need strong low-pH solutions to remove a high concentration of clay soils. By paying closer attention to how vehicles enter your wash, you can begin to assess the blend of variables that define the site’s cleaning process needs.
The necessary cleaning steps, the types and strengths of detergents, coverage of chemical applications, conveyor speed, application placement, water quality, equipment quality — the list of factors goes on and on. Each of these components plays a critical role in optimizing customer satisfaction.
As you examine your wash more closely, it’s important to recognize that even small adjustments can significantly impact its quality and consistency. A better understanding and a heightened focus on better cleaning will go a long way toward growing your customer base.
Conclusion
Long-term sustained growth in this industry is not all about offering the latest and greatest technology at the top of the menu — it’s about consistently putting out a clean, dry, and shiny car. Operators who take the time to question, assess, and fine-tune the end product will stand out over the ever-growing competition. Now is the perfect time to reevaluate and make the changes that will drive long-term success.
