The Ultimate Self Service Car Wash Guide
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- čas přidán 16. 03. 2023
- In this video, we're going to show you how to use a self serve car wash and get the best results! This is a step by step guide, with instructions on how to use the car wash, how to clean your car and how to get the best results. We will also go over the do's and dont's from the perspective of a car wash business owner.
Whether you're just starting out with self serve car washes or you're a veteran, this video will teach you all the tips you need to get the best results from your car wash experience! Thanks for watching!
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As a neurodivergent person who can get overwhelmed and intimidated by things I don't fully know how to do before going to do them, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this video man. I'm used to automatic washes or washing at home, and have been wanting to check one of these out but was intimidated by the whole system. Thank you so much man! Now I know what I'm getting into :)
❤
I feel the same way. This video has minimized my anxiety tremendously!🙌🏽😁🥰
I've always used the automatic car wash, but decided that on Tuesday I'm going to use the hand wash for the first time and found this video as a way to figure out everything about it haha.
Fellow Car wash operator here- You did a great job!
Cool truck- takes me back to when I was in college. Mine was a 1989, standard with a V-8, same rims and everything. A friend had the stepside with a six banger. 🙄 (but he had an Alpine CD player so he was high tech compared to our cassette tapes) 😁
Damn he really used the sand paper pole
The main reason I go to wash booths is the spot-free rinse. Our water here tends to leave a yellowish residue. Our local stalls do not have as many functions but what you presented has helped me when I use this kind of self-service in the future.
Good information, thank you.
Good job, Buddy! Thanks for sharing!😍
Winter in Massachusetts creates a mess of dirt & salt on a vehicle. In good weather I put a good layer of wax protection so I use the car wash rinse only. I put $3 bucks in quarters and run around the car to rinse off the crud. Good enough for me.
Great video. Thanks for making it. I learned a lot.
I wash my car once a year and I always do it at these self service places. Of course, I use the brush and you can see every scratch on my car. It takes one day for the dust to settle on my car and then I think it looks amazing.. well at least comparing to before. It takes me about three hours because I basically detail my car. I would do it at home and take better care of the exterior but it's not allowed where I live so I'll settle with this. Just washed my car today and it feels amazing.
that was very interesting what you said about presoak and foam pH, because in my mind good sequence would be to start off with presoak to soften all the dirt, then do pressure rinse, then soap/foam wash and rinse. so with that pH negating each other there's an argument for them to be in sequence like you mentioned I think
I really enjoy your carwash videos! Definitely second the idea on adding triple foam. If you've mastered getting your tire foam to look that good, you can have some excellent triple foam with some vivid colors. I'm good friends with a SS carwash owner and he says since adding triple foam he's seen a really good boost in revenue, mainly because people just love seeing all of the colors on the car. Most triple foam doesn't do anything, but if its visually appealing I love using it. Many carwash operators don't upkeep their triple foam so its runny but you look like you have that tire foam dialed in very well. Can't wait to see a video on it!
I got my Triple Foam installed and posted the video. Let me know what you think!
Thanks for your sharing. The video is comprehensive for people who have just owned a car. May I suggest that you could make another video about car floor mats wash. (especially the dirty mats after beach time.)
awesome video man!!!
Good job, well done, and best of luck
Good video I pretty much follow the same procedure except don’t use the brush. I just use the car wash as quick maintenance wash’s and then do proper wash at home.
A couple of things to add, The thicker the foam the more customers like it but it is all done with air and air doesn't clean very well a wetter product will penetrate and clean better, Wash from bottom to top and rinse from top to bottom to avoid dirt streaks. Low pH and high pH in a self serve is a tough thing to get right, I have thought about what it would take to do a true low pH / High pH set up and realize the educating the customers would be very difficult. In an in bay automatic I can get them to work well because I can control the parameters but you lose that in a hand wand. I worked at a company that produced extremely strong two step chemicals and required us to wash our work vans everyday and after3 years they still almost looked new. Btw high ph is good for bugs, oils and dirt, low ph is good for glass and, chrome and aluminum. You can get clear coat conditioner or clear coat polish, conditioner is a mild soap and polish is a wax. The polish will cost about two to three times what the conditioner cost but if you market it properly you can sell it that way, also ceramic infused waxes are starting to come online with most chhemical suppliers and that would be a very good option to install.
None of my local washes are this nice, but some are pricey at 30 seconds per 25¢. I too start with pre-soak every time. I also soak a clean wash mitt with pre-soak from the mat clips later at night (against the rules). That first, then power rinse the broken up material. Then I either go to power soap or foam brush. (Unless I’m dealing with heavy grime / films especially in winter, I skip the foam brush altogether, and only use it to apply the foam and NOT scrub). Once the car is covered in a film of soap OR foam I shut off the machine and spend 5-10 minutes lightly agitating the entire car with a mitt top to bottom before restarting the machine to only power rinse and then spot-free rinse. For the last 30 seconds I will power rinse the ground debris into the gutters and rinse the foam brush (courtesy to other customers and the operator!). Lightly hand/towel dry in the drying area afterward before heading home. Another tip is if you have big inner door bottom flanges on a truck or SUV you can open your doors and wash those off real quick with the power rinse in “pilot” mode (no trigger) while there is excess soap still on them.
Hi is using drying aid (ceramic spray) when drying is a must to achieve screatch free drying?
Btw in using twisted loopd drying towel
Ive got barely any good self serve car wash around here but one is pretty good, the owner just got a new system for 150K 1 1/2 years ago installed. He uses UV activated chemicals and also has Blacklights inside his boxes at night plus the foam is fluorescent as well.
He got a prewash (High pressure) Power Foam with 3 colors alternating (First one in entire germany when it opened, strong dirt remover, booster and insect remover, sky blue, mint green and violet now) of course a rinse option, foam brush (PE brushes but pretty clean usually altho ive noticed today or some other time there must have been something in the brush that scratched my paint but on my car i dont really care anymore plus when i started using self serves i didnt know things like brush covers exist which i can only recommend anyone to use and or sell if youre an owner) the shampoo has some additives added to it which acts as a protection layer to the paint as well as builds a gliding foam under the brush, Hot and cold wax option with added foam killer so u can literally skip the rinse option if you want and obviously a spot free rinse option as well.
The owner is very helpful when hes there and ive been talking with him quite some times already, he also got brush covers that you can borrow as well as tire cleaner and brushes.
Hes working on replacing the vacuums for 33K as well as the coin changer for about 3K whenever he gets around to do it. He also wants to make the shampoo and foam brush colored and fluorescent too soon.
He also got a floormat cleaning machine as well as brand new mat knockers. he also put up a pedestal on his free unroofed washing box for higher vehicles. He also plans on installing a vending machine.
Under the week its open 24/7 from 8AM Mondays to 10 PM fridays and then 9AM to 10 PM on saturdays.
Thats incredible. Some day I would like to visit more car washes in foreign countries and see the different setups.
@@therevestor Germany is very strict on water protection barely anywhere ur allowed to wash ur car at home and if so only with water, ur not allowed to let anything flow into the ground or grass, fields u name it that could damage the ground water or foliage, 50K and even higher if someone reports you......
That self-serve wash is the main one i go to for weeks now. I was there yesterday the owner wasnt there, but hey he works all week in the paintshop next door and operates the self-serve as well he cant be there all day especially not on saturdays.
And yeah i know self-serves with LCD Touch screens but these are rare to be seen usually its just buttons with monochrome displays also over here, but hey its robust and works well.
Very modern self-serves over here work with foam wax, low pressure foam guns, Solar panels, concentrate recovery systems even sometimes. WashTec has a combi gun where you can use the high pressure gun also as foam gun.
I know of self-serves offering underbody wash, some have cutouts in the drains so you can push a bike in it and wash it without falling over.
This is the self-serve i was talking about in the first post: goo.gl/maps/BKFSAuxF3XbF7Xnb7
www.tiktok.com/@sbwaschanlage_olpe_wb
Its crazy that all that tech fits inside a like 2,5 by 2 meters room and theres still space for shelves and storage.......
BTW as i scratched my car with that brush, and i guess ur customers will too i bet, put up a sign that the brush use in on their own risk and that they should pressure wash it before using at least or even better start offering brush covers somehow.
My recommendation would be generation 2 of the brush cover of Chemicalworks if you can get it in the US. Also noone can get after u legally if that sign is there as well u can just refer to it and noone can do you anything.
Also rim brushes as well, tire cleaner only doesnt get rid of all the brake dust and without u cant get into the barrell of the rims.
Ive also seen self serves with so called tornador guns for interior cleaning as well as automatic floormat cleaning machines too :)
I think this guy owns the car wash.
I could really go for a pumpkin pie right now!
🎃 🥧 🤤
About one third of my washing process is at the end doing nothing but spot-free rinse. No matter how much work you put into the washing, it won't matter if a short rinse leaves spots...
You make a good point I spend a significant time towel drying but I didnt want to drag the video out that long.
@@therevestor So the goal isn't to be that guy that peels out of there bragging about how he has his total wash time down to 3 min $3, and everybody else is doing it wrong? Funny how that guy always has the girl under his arm who also has taken a few short cuts, that 70's glow is timeless, said none ever
Again a great video.
Most of the self serve carwash in the US look verry simple / Cheap compared to here in the Netherlands
Here is common to have :
PLC control for the complete system
LCD screens with buttons(No rotary switch)
Vacuum transport for coins to a central vault.
Pumps with VFD control
Direct soap injection ( no hydrominers )
Washing pressure 1400 psi
( Some even 2000 psi with a special high pressure rinse program )
Also products are all transported with water instead of compressed air.
How do they get the low pressure for the pre soak ? ( Pump is only 1 speed )
Is there like a restriction valve or something.
No , it's called a flojet pump, it's a separate low pressure pump, some operate via electric, and some operate via air
Yup what Brian said its a seperate pump although my Pre-Soak is not a Flo-Jet its a different electric pump that runs constantly circulating warm presoak through the attic trough and keeping everything unthawed. All the houses are insulated as well. When Presoak is selected on the dial a solenoid in the trough directly above the bay opens for the pre-soak to flow out.
Alot of Car Washes here in the states were built in the 70's and 80's and if maintained somewhat could still be running the very same equipment. What was surprising to me when I got into the industry is that there has been very little technolgical upgrades in the timers at the meter box. Dixmor timers are the staple with the simple red letter screens. It seems like a touch LCD screen should be the latest technology but there is no established vendor in that space.
I manage a tunnel wash. Rarely ever use self bays. I did notice you don't have a Rain X or Ceramic coating function. May be something to look into. Love the vids.
Rain X would be good theres a lot of brand awareness there.
@@therevestor Definitely!
Is the Rain X a paint protector as well like a ceramic coating?
Hi. Where did you order your meter boxes from?
Will the time ticks even though the trigger is released?
1:04 you said counterclockwise, which is to the left when you were clearly turning the meter switch to in a clockwise which turns right other than that really great informative video
Great video. How did you find your location ? Did you buy the business
Thanks for explaining each step. I use this type of washing my car in the winter being in upstate NY the land of salt! Not.
Nice..
Gratitude
Nice video. Learned a lot it explains a lot. I never use the brush head. One error I noticed was you used the foam brush on wheels and tires then put it back on the paint. That’s a big no no if your care about your paint. Brake dust on the wheels tires even small amount will swirl and haze your paint like crazy especially on dark colors. I would do the whole paint first then wheels tires last. And always start from top (least dirty ) to the bottom (most dirty)
Thanks for the info!
I've never been to a self serve car wash, how much would it cost to do what you just did?
my local SS bay looks the same. i use the lower pressure spot free to pre soak and rinse my ceramic coated car.i bring my own bucket and ph neutral soap. NEVER USE THAT BRUSH ! THAT BRUSH WILL SCRATCH THE F OUT OF YOUR PAINT, GUARANTEED..
2:30 “get it a quick rinse top to bottom…”
Proceeds to start at bottom
He really using the brush😂
Thats when I quit watching
It’s always painful to watch
I think I will stick to washing my car at home. I do use these car washes in the northern winters though mainly to rinse the road salt off.
That paint job is 30 years old and has already encountered plenty of whatever is hiding in that brush.
@@Wigglythegreat2these are good for when your car is lightly dirty and you can just quick wash it down but when it’s really dirty always wash at home with a wash cloth
He owns this car wash....hes tryna tell us to waste more time so he can make more money
Nice truck
But how many minutes do you get per $2.50? Seems like they use $2.50 per use at the ones I have seen, but I do not know how many minutes they give you.
If you were closer I’d stop by and do a chemical swap for you and really dial in your soaps. 👌👌 I’m in NC
That would be cool if you could give me some tips. There are still a few things I havent figured out with mine.
Best tips to spend the most money
😂
it was painful to watch you use the foam brush, but what made it worse was seeing you scrub the paint, then the tires, then right back to paint. Picking up all that dirt and grime from the dirtiest part of your car and brushing it into your paint, guaranteed way to scratch your paint.
$12 wash right there. For $27 I can get all of that while firing up my pipe lounging on a conveyor belt and that's as many times as I want monthly and includes the air blower thing and super high powered vacuums
While also scratching your paint
@@Conner.Suzuki Yup. I was 'on the conveyor belt' two weeks ago and the belt stopped right when the huge brushes were in contact with the car. Chipped the shit out of my doors!
A lot of bad advise in this video. Then I realized he is the owner of the car wash so yh, ofcourse.
What's the end cost here $15
Question can’t u just unscrew and put your own cleaning stuff to the wand🧐
No drying?
Those lines looked pretty kinked going into the top of your soap jugs - does it not cause an issue?
They just have a bend but it doesnt restrict flow. There are one way foot valves at the bottom of the jugs
Never wash tires with the foam brush then wash your car with.
Only car wash a detailer would want to go to
Thank you I appreciate that comment
Where is the engine degreaser?
The self serve I use looks like a complete shit hole compared to yours! I found out the hard way that the numbered sequence isn't just a suggestion. It's the best way to get a good wash. Thanks!
The mfer self serve car wash near me, 4 minutes. What the f can be done in 4 minutes? And I got to keep dipping coins to keep the wash going. I’d as well use auto-wash if I’m spending that much
That'd be like a 40dollar wash ea time
If the hose isn’t slapping the shit out of your ride as you brush it you aren’t doing it right 🤣 jk
I never use that brush, used it on my brand new car and scratched the fuck out of it. Too many hicks in my town use it to scrap the mud off their shit boxes.
“Clockwise”
You got me!
@@therevestor That’s ok, clock”faces” disappeared a generation before yours! I do like your content and would love to speak to you one day. Keep up the good work.
First of all how do I even find a nice self service cash wash? All the ones I’ve seen are ugly and don’t have foaming cleaners like this!
Well. The. Revestor. That’s. Very. Hard. To. Do. With. Self. Types. Of. Car. Washes.
True true but I am only talking self serve car wash in this video
Not the brush on PAINT!!!!!!
OMg Never use the foam brush ever!!!! Worst thing you can do to a cars finish
Insane for using that nasty ass brush on your trucks body
Everything this tool said goes out the window once I saw he used the brush on the paint 🤣 dude used it on his wheels and went right to the paint 😡
It is horse hair, so it’s probably only bad for old paint jobs. Newer car paints are far tougher than the basic latex paint used on older cars.
Sounds like a $20 wash
So much chemical just to keep those tyre clean. 😢
Buy a $100 pressure washer + maybe $100 in accessories, and simply wash your car at home. You'll save yourself A LOT of money in the long run
Having access to all these cleaning agents on demand is probably worth the cost of convenience in my opinion
Not everybody has the luxury of living somewhere where this is an option
Great. And if you live somewhere cold where you have to shut off your hose spigots in winter you still need somewhere to wash your car. Plus all the setup and cleanup time you spend skiing it at home. Self serve car wash is actually one of the few remaining bargains to be had. 4 or 5 bucks for a solid car wash year round in 5 minutes or so.
Just use the brush your paint isn’t special anyways
Why do you want the out side of your vehical to smell like...anything i dont get it
Its more about the smell during the wash. As a car wash operator were trying to create an experience you come back to. Its the same concept with dish washing detergent.
@@therevestor If we're being honest about it, Id rather it smell like nothing and make the car wash $0.25 cheaper. Out of all the 50 different reasons I'd pick one car wash over another one, you would find "stage 8 smelled like pina colada" down at the very bottom of my list.