We have taken time to discover the analysis of washing vehicles and have developed with our partners a simple aspect to discuss the total washing experience in the fleet industry.

1. Temperature – hot water, cold water, ambient, temperature of vehicle, etc.
2. Time – labor, electric, water, fuel, dwell time of chemical, etc.
3. Application – automatic, manual, cloth, foam, touchless, etc.
4. Chemicals – soap, rinse, degreaser, wax, etc.
5. Procedure – cleaning of organic, non-organic, water hardness, chemicals, etc.

These 5 factors all react together to produce a satisfied wash experience or can counter act each other resulting in an inefficient, costly and unsatisfied result.

The total pie above constitutes the total cost per wash of a vehicle. By analyzing each segment of the pie, we can determine areas of improvement.

Most of the cost can be surprisingly buried in the facility costs of a building where utilities, supplies and labor are lumped into “maintenance”. By segregating the wash cycle at any facility, we can help improve results, maximize efficiencies and results.

Temperature and water chemistry is very important to the application of chemicals. Water with higher levels of dissolved minerals required much more soap to remove dirt. Types of dirt (organic versus non-organic) require different dwell times to efficiently remove and protect the vehicle. Reverse osmosis will remove the dissolved solids, however, most will not put in the system due to costs. Instead the chemical costs are sky high and would have paid for the RO machine many times over.

Labor is typically one of the highest cost, however, an automatic wash system should eliminate this cost. There are many times we observe an operator pushing the start button for an automatic wash system and stands there watching the complete wash cycle. Is this an efficient use of time and labor?

Of course the combination of the procedure and hidden material costs add up with no-one paying attention as it’s a hidden cost. Paper towels, gloves, mops, cloths, etc. go unnoticed in the cost. Spray cans with detail finishing walk out the door. We work with all wash bays to eliminate the waste and costs by suggesting over and over the proper use and dilution of chemicals.

Manual application is the most costly of all systems, yet the majority of companies continue to see this as the least expensive method. Manually applying and mixing chemicals is very inefficient. Purchasing chemicals in RTU (ready to use) is costly. Why are you buying someone else’s water and have to pay for shipping costs of this water when you have the least expensive supply at your own facility? Simply purchasing concentrated chemicals with automated dilution dispensers on site will save your company.

Do you know your cost per wash?