The 5 factors of effective car washing

There are five simple components to the process of effectively and efficiently cleaning cars. Get them all right, and you’ll guarantee your customers keep coming back and are happy to pay the prices you are asking. How do the 5 Factors impact your wash, and how do you make sure you are getting the best results?

These 5 Factors are known by the acronym W.A.T.C.H., which stands for Water, Action, Time, Chemical, and Heat. So, what does each one mean, and how can you make sure you are getting the best results from each of the five factors?

Water is vital to your wash quality. We wash with it, we dilute chemicals with it, and we rinse with it. Do you know what the pH level of your water is? Do you know what dissolved solids are in it? These things impact your wash and rinse quality, and the final appearance of the vehicle, so we must be aware of the water quality we are working with.

Action refers to the type of physical action your wash uses to clean vehicles, whether it be a friction wash or a high-pressure touch-free wash. Do you have effective brush lube products to protect your equipment and the vehicle paint surface? Are your presoaks effective at breaking the bond between the dirt and the vehicle? Could you be getting better results, shinier cars, and happier customers?

Time simply means the amount of time the car surface is being cleaned. What is the dwell time of your cleaning products on the vehicle surface? Is it long enough? Are you getting the best bang for buck from your chemicals?

Chemical is a pretty obvious one. Are you using the best quality products you can get your hands on, or are you cutting corners? We know that customers are happy to pay top dollar for brands they know and trust, especially when the results are spectacular. But when their car comes out of your wash and is still dirty, customers don’t come back, no matter how cheap your prices are.

Heat is something we probably don’t think much about in Australia, but the temperature actually does impact the quality of the wash you provide. What is the ambient air temperature? What is the water temperature? How hot is the car surface, and how does that affect your results?

Need some help in assessing whether you are using the 5 Factors of Washing to the best of your ability? Give your Velocity Vehicle Care expert a call and we can come and help you. It costs nothing to get some advice!

Article written by David Cooke