The main purpose of getting into a carwash, such as Mister Car Wash, is to make your car looking and feeling cleaner. But have you ever asked yourself about the factors that the carwash staff consider when making decisions regarding your car? Let’s take a look at the five common factors and their effect on these decisions.
We also want to emphasize that no one factor takes precedence over the other four factors. These five factors must be in the right balance to achieve the desired result – a cleaner car.
Water Quality
The best carwashes don’t use tap water per se without looking at its overall quality. This is so because water quality significantly affects the effectiveness and efficiency of the cleaning chemicals. The water quality include the hardness of the water, as it affects the thickness of the foam, and the total dissolved solids since it affects water spotting.
Most carwashes uses a water softener for these reasons. Many also condition their water to ensure a better clean for the vehicles.
Chemistry of the Chemicals
Not all detergents used in carwashes are formulated the same, and it’s the principle that the staff keep in mind when choosing the cleaners used on every car. Indeed, the best carwashes will adjust the settings on the cleaning tunnel to account for the type of soils on the cars, as well as the geography and current weather conditions. For example, associators like surfactants and solvents are best used on heavy, oily soils.
There are also other factors that are considered, such as the sequence of application and the pH balance.
Mechanical Action
This refers to the effect of friction, as caused by direct physical contact, on the cleanliness of the vehicle. The friction can come from various sources including water, detergents and the resulting foam, and brushes, among others.
The more mechanical friction there is, the less dependent the results will be on the other factors. This isn’t to say that traditional carwashes provide better results than touchless carwashes – the latter usually use stronger chemicals to compensate for the absence of mechanical friction.
Temperature
The temperature of the water as well as the cleaning bay and the car is important in a carwash, too. Generally speaking, cold water can decrease the effectiveness of the cleaning chemicals. But if most of the cleaning process is done through friction, then there’s less need for a higher temperature.
Time
In general, the longer the time the chemicals sit on the vehicle, the better the results will be. But there’s no need to worry about waiting too long for your vehicle to come through the bay – the carwash uses other methods to speed up the process.
These factors may not be your primary concern as a customer. But you have to ensure that the carwash staff seems knowledgeable about them and, thus, make the necessary adjustments.