As a car wash operator, one of the first big decisions you need to make is the type of car wash service you will provide customers.
Each type of car wash provides their own unique benefits and is likely to suit a specific type of business, so its worth understanding the different types available before investing in any equipment or machinery.
We’ve outlined the main types of car washes below.
Tunnel System Car Wash
With the tunnel system, the customer takes the car to the tunnel and allows the conveyer system to steadily carry it forward while it goes through various wash stages. It can also provide a service to clean underneath the car and the final stage is a powerful fan to dry the car. The tunnel system often provides a more complete car wash than other systems.
The tunnel system is timesaving as more than one car can be washed together in a single tunnel, and it only takes 5–10 minutes to wash a single car.
The Flex-serve tunnel
The flex-serve tunnel wash is a service with which you can add optional exterior, aftercare, or express valeting service for an additional cost. Essentially, the flexible nature of this service means that after the tunnel wash customers can also enjoy some of the benefits afforded by having their car hand washed.
In-Bay Automatic Car Wash
In-bay automatic car washes are often found at petrol stations and are the most popular type of car wash among car owners. They can be either friction-style, touchless, or both.
The service allows consumers to select from a menu of wash options which may include undercarriage cleaning, tyre and wheel cleaning and spray-on wax. This gives them the opportunity to select a wash to fit their budget. The washing process involves the automatics rolling over a stationary car to wash it.
An automatic car wash is a popular choice because the structure washes cars quickly and doesn’t require a regular attendant, although many automatic car washes can only accommodate one car at a time.
Traditional washes use brushes to remove dirt and grime, while some facilities feature touch-free methods that clean cars using only chemicals, water and air. Touchless car washes may be safer, as there’s a reduced risk of cosmetic damage to the car when brushes aren’t used. Some automatic washes employ attendants to towel-dry the cars.
Touchless Car Wash
The touchless car wash involves flexible machine spray that can reach all areas of the car’s surface using high-pressure water jets and a combination of cleaning & polishing chemicals that are applied onto the car surface and left to work on the dirt for just the right amount of time. In general, a touchless wash takes a little more time than the traditional brush wash.
While this type of vehicle washing is ubiquitous in warmer and dryer countries, the technology to cope with UK weather has only relatively recently become available here. Therefore, there are currently not many sites, but more locations are emerging all the time.
Self-Service Car Wash
With the self-service car wash the car owners wash their cars themselves, paying separately for options including soap, brushes, high pressure water and wax. Other features that are frequently available to customers are vacuum cleaners and tyre inflation.
This type of car wash is relatively cheap, and customers have the option to wash their car the way they like. This can be particularly important if customers don’t like anyone else to handle their vehicle or it does not fit into other car wash facilities
Get Started with PSD Codax
Whatever type of car wash you decide on, our range of innovative forecourt products here at PSD Codax can help improve the flexibility, security and profitability of how you sell carwash and valet services.
To learn more about these products simply download our brochure or get in touch with our expert team today.
