A Comprehensive Guide to Mobile Car Wash Machines & Supplies

 

A mobile car wash company is an attractive business opportunity for professional cleaning companies. The market for this service is ever growing. Fleet maintenance companies who own or manage a large fleet of vehicles often seek the help of mobile cleaning professionals to keep their vehicles clean on site. Additionally, many large companies offer auto detailing services as a perk to employees by contracting out a mobile auto detailer.

 

Since mobile car detailing is a field of immense growth, many cleaning professionals are seeking entry. However, it is important to recognize that mobile cleaning is quite different from standard detailing at a car wash facility. Let's examine why.

 

An Overview of Auto Detailing

 

The process of cleaning vehicles is a more complex process than other cleaning jobs. The main difficulty is the wide variety of surface types.

 

The exterior metal parts and body of a vehicle are hard and durable. One requires a powerful cleaning machine, such as a pressure washer, for cleaning the engine components and exterior of the vehicle. In addition, the oil and fuel stains on the engine components are not easy to remove with less powerful machines.

 

However, most of the interior surfaces of a vehicle are soft. For example, seat upholstery, mats, and carpets are made of soft materials. Powerful pressure washers are not suitable for cleaning such surfaces, as their high output pressure will damage and soak them. As such, interior detailing requires a specific type of cleaning machine - a carpet extractor or carpet cleaner.

 

Mobile auto detailers not only have to have the right equipment to clean vehicles, they must be able to transport this equipment easily. As such, mobility is key. The following are brief descriptions of the ideal systems for mobile automobile cleaning.

 

Pressure Washers

 

Pressure cleaners are essential for cleaning the exterior hard surfaces of automobiles. Pressure washers pump water or steam at high pressure levels onto the surface to blast away stains and impurities. These machines are ideal for removing oil stains, chemical blots, petroleum residues, mud, grease, tree sap, bird splatters, and more from automotive exteriors.

 

However, one must consider the specifications of pressure washers for auto detailing: that is, output pressure level, output temperature, and flow rate. Ideally, the output pressure level of pressure washers must be less than or equal to 1500 psi. A higher pressure level may harm the surface, while a pressure level too low may not clean effectively.

 

Output temperature is important as well. Steam output is the best for a mobile car wash. If steam is not an option, hot water should be used. Using a cold water machine will cause you to use extra water, resulting in excess run off. And, when traveling to a customer's place of business, this is not an option.

 

Excess runoff is also a result of high flow rates. Therefore, moderate to low flow rates are ideal for cleaning automobiles in remote locations.

 

Carpet Cleaners

 

Carpet cleaners are also part of the auto detailing supplies needed. These are used mainly for cleaning the mats, seat upholstery, and other interior parts of a vehicle.

 

One must select a carpet cleaner that makes use of low flow technology. Otherwise, the seats and carpets of the vehicles will not dry as quickly as the vehicle owner wants. Also, damp carpets can lead to mold or mildew growth, particularly in environments with little air flow as with automobiles.

 

Carpet extractors are also available in heated or non-heated configurations. For the greatest cleaning power, purchase a heated carpet cleaner with temperatures up to 210°F.

 

Green Chemicals

 

Green chemicals are ideal for portable car wash services. These chemicals help in removing dirt and other impurities, but do not cause any harm to the vehicle, the people who travel in the vehicle, or the environment. It is better to select green products that are completely sourced from plants and readily biodegradable. Be on the look out for advanced green technologies that improve the cleaning power of these solutions.