In the car wash industry, each season brings its own set of benefits and challenges. As we move into springtime, in the Midwest, that means trading the snowy days, road salt, and de-icing chemicals for warmer temperatures, rain showers, and cars that are more difficult to keep clean. Car wash chemicals for spring need to be calibrated and equipment inspected. Read on to find out why cars in the spring take a little more work to clean, and what you can do to prepare for the spring meltdown.
The Changing Seasons
Winter is understandably an incredibly busy season for car washes in the Midwest. Vehicle owners want to keep their cars looking good and protect the exterior from the harsh winter chemicals. Despite the severe nature of these chemicals, they are mineral based and usually wash away with a thorough hot water rinse.
Contrast this with the soil that occurs in the springtime. The melt waters that flow onto the roads are filled with loosened grit, decay, pollen, and grime that has been hiding under the snow all winter. This dirt is much more difficult to remove and needs something more than just a hot water rinse.
A Spring Tune-Up for Your Chemicals
Lots of things are associated with spring, such as cleaning, Daylight Savings Time, and spring blooms. For car wash owners, it’s time to reevaluate car wash chemicals!
During the winter, you may have reduced your car wash chemical strength because of how easy it is to rinse away the winter grime. As spring arrives, you may notice that cars just aren’t as clean as they used to be. It’s probably time to increase the amount of chemicals you’re using to combat this new springtime brand of grime. Most commonly, your presoak chemicals likely need a boost.
Getting the Timing Right
It’s not easy to always identify the exact timing of this change. Things to be monitored at a car wash are chemical strength, usage, car counts, and in-bay mix of your presoak chemicals. Knowing the status of the wash’s cleaning capability relative to soil conditions is imperative to keeping success during these times. Operators can keep track of these things themselves. However, having a specialist from Reliable Plus come to assess your car wash chemicals for spring is the best way to stay on top of these items. They have the tools and expertise to assess the situation and give helpful, sound recommendations and changes to improve wash quality and customer satisfaction.
Equipment Maintenance
Going into the busy spring season is not the time you want your equipment to break. The winter is long, and the cold temps can be unkind to your car wash equipment. Inspect brushes, valves, tubing, nozzles, gaskets, and other components and make sure everything is in good working order. Schedule a Reliable Plus professional to come out to your property to inspect your equipment. Planned maintenance is always a better alternative to having your equipment breakdown. Plus, you can schedule your maintenance when it is convenient for you and your customers, and not during your peak busy times.
Other Springtime Checklist Items
In addition to getting your springtime chemicals in check and your equipment inspected, there are several other items to take care of:
- Turn off your floor heat: If you have in-floor heating, springtime is likely the time to turn it off to save electricity, and therefore, save money.
- Spring cleaning at your property: In the same way cars get dirty in the winter, so does the equipment at your property. The salt, gunk, and grime that your car wash has been washing off customers’ vehicles over the winter collects in your tunnels, stalls, floor grates and drains. Use a bay and wall cleaner to remove this build up; or, if you want your bay cleaned by a professional, contact our sister company Lube-Tech. The Maintenance 360 team can help make your car wash sparkle!
- Additionally, now that the snow has melted, it’s the perfect opportunity to go around your property and pick up any trash that accumulated over the winter and is now visible.
- Update your signage and marketing: This is a great time to update your signage with any spring specials and marketing campaigns.
Springtime Reliability with Reliable Plus
Midwest winters can be harsh and long. Celebrate springtime by making sure your car wash is in tip-top shape. Get your spring car wash chemicals dialed in, your equipment inspected, and take this time to do some general spring cleaning around your property. Reliable Plus has expertly trained professionals to handle all your car wash needs, from technicians to chemists to marketing. Get in touch today and find out how to make this the best spring ever!
