Here in the Midwest, autumn is a season of changes. The trees change color and shed their leaves, there’s a chill in the air, and we begin bundling up in our scarves and jackets. Did you know these changes impact our vehicles, and therefore, which fall car wash chemicals you should use? Specifically, how dirty our vehicles are, and the ease with which they can be cleaned? Let’s dive into how owners can prepare their car wash for these changes in weather to provide customers with the best clean possible.
Fall Weather And Car Wash Chemicals
When the leaves start to drop, pollen and dust start to invade the air. The fall harvest swings into full effect, and people often don’t realize a more tenacious and concentrated dirt floating around our roads and daily driving locales. All of this new seasonal soil leads to increased hardship on car washes. Vehicles come in with more resiliently dirty cars compared to summer months, when you are dealing with more rain and bugs.
This results in cars that are not only dirty but now more difficult to clean. Standard touchless car washes typically have a hard time keeping up and therefore, deliver less than ideal cleaning results. Proper chemical strength plays such an important role in the efficacy of the car wash’s ability to remove the stubborn dirt.
Assessing The Quality Of Your Clean
The best thing you can do is assess the cleaning capability of the wash as it stands. There isn’t a super scientific way other than simply keeping an eye on not only how dirty the cars coming into the wash are, but also how clean the cars are coming out. The dirtier the car is up front, the less likely it will be spotless rolling out the back. It’s a simple, non-scientific benchmark; take an hour or so to gauge.
You can also wipe a towel to inspect a vehicle that has just gone through your car wash. This shows any residual dirt that may not be readily visible on the surface, but is still present. Typically in this time of the season, on a white towel you’ll have excess grey/brown greasy, smeary type soil being left behind on the surface of the vehicle.
Another good test is to inspect the ‘eyebrow’ of the vehicle. The eyebrow is the area on the windshield around the path of the wiper blades. A car emerges from the car wash looking clean, but as the water dries, the eyebrow becomes visible again. This indicates the cleaning levels aren’t sufficient for the soil levels.
If you experience any of the above problems, you need to make some changes to the types of chemicals, the mixture of chemicals, or the friction routines. In all cases, you’ll want to call in the professionals.
Time For The Experts
So what should you do if you notice your car wash just isn’t cutting it? It’s probably time to call the professionals! Give us a call and we can schedule a visit from a Reliable Plus chemical specialist. Our chemical specialists have the knowledge and skill to recognize, adjust, and assist in understanding where you are currently and where you need to be. Chemical selection and application expertise from our chemical specialists help achieve the results that you and your customers need to have a wonderful wash experience. Regular chemical audits from our experts include checking wash quality, discussing product changes or new opportunities, and gauging inventory levels and ordering patterns. On top of that it is always good to have a chemical specialist come out whenever issues are present or during seasonal changes – don’t be the equivalent of the person who waits until the first snowstorm to get snow tires put on!
Products for Fall and Early Winter
Sometimes weather conditions require some higher strength alkaline or acid presoaks put on to combat this type of change in soil nature and surface loading. Ask your chemical specialist for specific product change recommendations. Or, you may simply need to run at higher concentrations. There is not just one solution, which makes it so important to work with a chemical specialist. They can help you determine the right formulation, how to properly use the fluids, and walk you through all the other complex factors that go into the management of car wash chemicals. It’s possible that you will have a different chemical line-up for each season to best tackle the unique weather conditions.
Minimize Frustration with Reliable Plus
The fall is always a tough time when it comes to cleaning, which often creates a tough time for wash customers, owners/operators, and technicians. It is important to know that we are all working together to deliver the best in fall car wash chemicals to everyone. Remember, there is light at the end of the tunnel. This phenomena, while wildly frustrating, is short lived and is usually ushered in by cold temps and winter where it is much easier to clean vehicles, even though they get dirtier faster from road salts and snow. Contact us today and find out how we can help you find your perfect balance!
