Car Wash System Manufacturers and Suppliers

Car washes can greatly extend the life of a vehicle. Caustic materials, such as road salt spread on winter roads, can corrode the exterior of a vehicle and rust its undercarriage. Most car washes use special soap designed to protect the paint finish. There has recently been increasing pressure on the car wash industry to use environmentally-friendly chemicals and to conserve water. Because of this effort, customers can find varying levels of sustainability-consciousness depending on where they take their cars. Some car wash systems integrate water reclamation systems, which capture used water, filter it, and then reuse it during future wash cycles. This greatly conserves the amount of water used, which saves money and reduces the chances that discharged water will eventually carry harmful chemicals into groundwater, rivers, and streams. Other sustainability investments include biodegradable or otherwise environmentally-friendly soaps and detergents, as well as the use of refurbished cleaning materials instead of new equipment.

Several different kinds of car wash systems exist, including self-service, automated, and full service. Each type of wash system requires different equipment and components. Car owners can also elect to add a variety of extras to their wash, including a wax coat, carpet shampooing, leather conditioning, and tire detailing. Self-serve systems have a large bay with a pressure sprayer and foaming scrub brush. They are usually coin operated; the number of quarters inserted determines the duration of the wash. Coin operated vacuums are usually available onsite and can be used to clean the interior and upholstery. In comparison, automatic car washes are a popular system in which cars are driven into the wash bay and either guided into the washing equipment by conveyors or the equipment moves around the stationary vehicle. Full service systems clean both the interior and the exterior of the vehicle and often include detailing.