Tips on the Proper Way to Wash your Car or Truck

It’s a nice sunny day and you decide to wash the car, however the hottest part of the day is probably the worst time to wash your car. Water dries up quick, and soapy water is the key to avoiding scratches and swirl marks. Follow these simple steps to ensure you have a swirl mark free shine every time. Make sure you car is cool

Do not start washing your car in the middle of the day, or after a long drive. This is especially important for your breaks and rims. Introducing cold water on your hot break rotors may cause them to warp. While very rare, cold water on an extremely hot windshield can cause it to crack. Use lots of water

Water helps lubricate the surface to avoid scratches and swirl marks. If you car is dry and you start rubbing a sponge or brush on the surface, all of the fine grit and road grime gets pushed into your paint to create tiny surface scratches. Start by wetting the entire car to rinse off any loose dirt or grime. If the car dries off on it’s own before you get to wash it, be sure to hit it with the hose one more time. Use low pressure water

If you decide to use a pressure washer, make sure it is safe for use on cars and trucks. While pressure / power washers are great for getting dirt out of engines, wheel wells, and the under carriage, they are not so great for your car’s paint. High pressure water will push any fine particles into the paint surface and cause tiny scratches. It’s best to use low pressure from a garden hose. Use the correct car wash soap

Get a car wash soap that is safe on all paints and clear coats. If you do not know what kind of paint your car has, it’s best to get a car wash soap that is safe for all. Most of them are, but it’s always good to check. Do NOT use dish washing liquid / soap. This is a very harsh soap that will do a great job of cleaning off the car, but will remove some if not all of the wax / sealant, and will leave a slight residue on the surface. Use a soft brush or car washing mitt

There are a variety of different sponges, mitts, and brushes for your car, and most are good. You do get what you pay for here. You want something soft that is going to hold lots of soap and water. You must keep the brush / sponge clean, rinse it often and make sure it is full of soapy water. This is the key to avoiding swirl marks. Start from the top down

Starting from the top will help with rinsing and not have you wasting water by going over the same section twice. It’s a good idea to also wash in sections, roof, hood, trunk, sides, etc. This way you can be sure to touch up any missed spots. Use a different brush / sponge for wheels

You can start or end with washing your wheels, but make sure you use a different brush or wash mitt. The wheels are usually far dirtier than the rest of your car, and you do not want to rub that dirt all over your paint. You should not need any special wheel cleaner, the same soapy car washing soap is good to use. Always check and make sure what ever you use is safe for rims. Chrome and alloy rims react differently to the same detergent/soap. Dry with a water blade

A good quality water blade is essentially a windshield wiper for your car’s paint. It removes a lot of water in one stroke, and will not scratch your paint. It’s a good idea to touch up any missed areas with a good quality towel. Terry cloth / micro fiber are the best. Again, start from the top. Always wash your drying towels separate from any other that may have special shines, or polishes on them. This will ensure they last longer and be less likely to scratch your paint.

These tips should help you prolong the paint and keep your car looking newer longer.

Future Of Truck Washing

Future of Truck Washing:”Fleet washing will always be a needed service I believe,” says Paul Horsley, PWNA President. “Fleet owners cannot afford truck wash prices. Washing their own units always looks good on paper but it seldom works. It might take them a year or so to come to the conclusion that it’s not working. They have a very hard time finding and keeping people to do the work. The equipment seldom works properly and the people using it are not trained correctly. They never expected the high costs of repairs and of chemicals. These workers are usually underpaid and they do not care about the equipment. They usually have a high turnover during the year, especially during winter months. This is why a mobile fleet service usually does well. “Recently Cleaner Times asked PWNA for insight into the area of mobile fleet washing and the challenges that the industry faces in the coming year. Several PWNA members who count truck washing as part of their business plan were consulted and responded to our request for information. The information begins at the top as PWNA President Paul Horsley, owner of Scott’s Pressure Wash in Calgary, AB, specializes in mobile washing among other things. Michael Hinderliter, another key figure in PWNA, owns Steamaway in Ft. Worth, TX, and also handles a lot of fleet washing. Scott Stone is the owner of A Mind for Detail in Mesa, AZ, and adds fleet washing to his list of services offered. Tom Bickett owns Combines Cleaning in Princeton, IL. And Don Flory is the owner of Envirowash in Baldwin, KS. CT thanks these industry professionals for taking the time to help with the article. The interviews are offered below in question and answer format. How has the increasing in fuel prices affected your business?Horsley: Fuel prices are definitely affecting our operation; costs have gone up over one hundred percent over the last few years. We have only raised our per unit price ten percent. So, it cuts into the bottom line. We have had increases from our other suppliers also. Most are adding a fuel surcharge of five to ten percent. We have also added a fuel surcharge of five percent to every invoice. Hinderliter: We have not raised prices in more than five years and in some cases it has been over ten years. Sometimes people think I am crazy when I tell them this but we have been able to do it by growing the business. More location to clean on a route means less travel time and being able to purchase in bigger quantities means lower supply cost. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to take advantage of these saving. Now we are being to micromanage soap, fuel and other supplies. Bickett: All our vendors and suppliers are tacking on fuel charges and no more free freight. Also anything that is made with petroleum or has petroleum in it, has definitely went up in cost. Stone: Our fuel costs have gone up about thirty percent in the past year. Flory: The increase cost of fuel is very frustrating. It has greatly affected our bottom line. We have toyed with various ways to keep up. We have been passing on rate increases each year and always wonder if they are enough. How has it affected the pricing of other supplies?Hinderliter: All our soaps have increased in cost as well as many other supplies by twenty to forty percent. Stone: I have not really noticed a huge increase in supply cost. I am certain I will see it in the near future. What are you doing to adapt?Hinderliter: We are trying to run tighter routes with less travel time. And looking for other ways to cut fuel cost such as lighter equipment and high fuel economy. Stone: One of the things we did was to by a smaller truck for a routine job that did not require a pressure washer. I am contemplating another truck, but am unsure of the associated cost savings. Additionally, I am reducing the mileage that I am driving, trying to use the telephone and other methods to solve as many problems as I can. Bickett: Tighten up schedules for crews, We limit the use our employees use company vehicles for personal use, running errands or picking up parts. Using a scooter that gets 90 mpg to go do bids and Estimates, instead of SUV. And of course increasing our prices and even charging a fuel charge on every invoice that goes out the door. We have increased some of our prices by 40 % and still are as busy. That being said though we have lost many accounts we’ve had for many years due to customer having to cut their cost and do it themselves for now. I believe the US dollar will continue to get weaker and weaker because of how everything hinges on fuel cost, as fuel goes up, everything else must go up to meet the same profit % or it will go ??? you guessed it DOWN. It is one Big catch 22. Flory: We are taking hard looks at new contracts and one-time commercial accounts. We are seeing clients offering four-year contracts, bidder beware. How is labor affecting your industry?Horsley: Finding labor is usually tough considering you need them to work weekends( our busiest time, road power is parked). This is when your going to do the most volume. I have always paid a couple of dollars more than most casual labor(warehouse workers). We have been very successful with offering benefits plus we also have a retention bonus – $1000 per employee per anniversary year. They look forward to the bonus every year. We ask them what are they going to spend their money on!Bickett: The Labor in the Midwest has become quite difficult with the increases in min. wage. We were always known for starting our janitorial staff out with $ 1. 00 or so more than min wage but now with the increases, everywhere is having to pay what we were always at. So it becomes challenging. Flory: We are blessed to have the same work force for a number of years and have not had to get too creative on the hiring front. Are you doing anything to help attract new hires?Hinderliter: We have been pretty fortunate, most all our new hires are referrals now. We have a pretty good group. Are you doing anything to help attract new hires?Stone: Craigslist; the last time I had a listing on Craigslist, I had over thirty applicants. They were all English-speaking, had a drivers license and many of them had experience. Bickett: We are evaluating again, How we can fit in paying for medical insurance again since I believe that is becoming once again a great need for employees, also we are implementing a large marketing program which I believe has a double benefit to it, obviously exposure to getting customers, but also the more attracting we become to potential employees…. . Do you use any special pay structure?Hinderliter: We pay a based on commission. Then calculate total hours worked to determine any overtime. The intent is to give our labors the incentive to be productive. Stone: I pay straight hourly. There are too many jobs, with too many variables to pay any other way. There are times, on especially profitable projects, I will offer a bonus for early completion. I also make sure I take the really “sucky” jobs, and let them know it. It seems to breed loyalty, and I actually enjoy getting out and working from time to time. Bickett: Just a honest wage for a honest day of work. We allowing our techs to up sell on the job and sharing a % of net profit with them and they are receiving more Tips $$ from so many customers. They love it and the company loves itFlory: Employees are paid only for the time they work and usually receive overtime. What about benefit packages?Hinderliter: We offer a minimal benefits package but because most laborers are so young they are seldom interested in them. I do believe this will change in the near future as I believe the labor market will begin to tighten. Stone: I have not yet had a need to provide benefits. All of my guys so far have had a spouse that had better benefits than I could ever provide. Bickett: Right now, Just a lot of perks RE: employee of the month= free gas of car washes, Bonuses, Holidays paid (6) ect. EctFlory: We offer paid insurance, simple IRAs, and limited ownership to full-timers. What are environmental concerns like in your area? Is there any enforcement?Hinderliter: Enforcement is spotty and inconsistent. There are over thirty-five municipalities in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area and they all have their own agendas. Fortunately, most all of them follow the same enforcement guidelines – no wash water can leave the property. Stone: I have not seen any enforcement to speak of. There are two local cities that claim enforcement, but I have only seen it once, about ten years ago. Bickett: Enforcement? Very little, if anyDoes your competition comply?Hinderliter: Some of our competition complies, but I still find that many, most new to the industry, still do not comply. And they are able to do so because we are washing fleets in the evenings and on weekends when enforcement officials are not on duty. I don’t expect this to last, as I am finding more and more education programs and public outreach by municipalities to encourage the compliance and a watchful eye. Stone: Fleetwash has all the equipment, of course, and it is all REALLY clean. Other than that, I am the only person I have seen that has any kind of reclaim equipment, and we rarely use it, because we have learned how to contain the water on the property of every location we wash. Bickett: NoHorsley: If you’re considering fleet washing you will need to familiarize yourself with local government regulations. Unfortunately, some of your competition might not be aware (or choose not to) comply with regulations. What people don’t understand is it doesn’t take much to comply. You should find a organization to learn from or a distributor/vendor selling environmental products so you can comply. Each one of our units has a custom made 300 gallon vacuum system on board. You’ll need one. What do you expect in the near future?Hinderliter: I expect that as the labor market tightens the demand for truck washing will increase. I also expect that the availability of education and information in the market place will cause a many more new comers to the industry especially if the economy continues into a recession. There is a lot of work out there and a place for many, good honest service providers will always flourish. Stone: I think with the turn in the economy, that there will be some more new guys. I long ago established a relationship with a lot of accounts that require a set amount of experience, and also full recovery equipment. (of course, it helps that I helped write the contract. ) I also think that prices on truck washing are going to have to increase. There are still companies here that are trying to compete with Fleetwash on price. The old pricing of ten years ago. The way I see it, prices are going to have to make a siginificant increase, just so contractors can remain in business. Horsley: I believe we will have to pay attention to environmental issues as we move into the future, changing weather conditions such as drought/storms ect will effect us. We might have to change the services we offer and locations we works in. I think the biggest threat is being unorganized as a industry. We need to have one voice! Stone: I am constantly exploring new services and markets to see if I can expand our sphere of influence, and to satisfy my ADD personality, that requires something different all the time. Plus, I firmly believe that I need to hit my competition where they are not. Once I get established in an area, it is a lot harder for them to come in and take the account, even on price. Flory: It seems we are at a time in which management is becoming even more critical and a time which may separate the, “Men from the Boys!”

What is Truck Mounted Carpet Steam Cleaning?

One way, if not the best way to get your carpets truly clean would be through Truckmounted steam cleaning. After you’ve chosen to get your carpets cleaned by this method, now you only have to find somebody that can do it correctly! Truck mounted carpet steam cleaning is the only recommended method for cleaning your carpets, so that you don’t void your carpet warranty. So, what does truckmounted mean? In the world of carpet cleaners, to be “truck mounted” simply means that a cleaning machine used to clean carpets is mounted on or in a vehicle, usually inside of a van. This machine is usually a standalone unit. It is very powerful and does not require anything more than just a water connection from a prospective clients residence or business. These machines were made to provide a simultaneous combination of hot water / steam injection and powerful vacuum extraction, in order to get your carpets clean and dry. If your carpet cleaner’s truckmounted equipment requires an electrical connection in order to operate, their “machine” is not a truckmount. There are other types of carpet cleaning units called “portable machines”, but they are nowhere near as powerful as their gasoline powered counterparts. Besides, they use up way too much of your electricity, making for a big bill! But then again, you need a good extreme portable unit to get that 18th story high rise condo unit cleaned! Gas powered units provide powerful vacuum suction for water extraction and use a “heat exchanger” to heat the water, bringing it’s temperature up to 210 degrees Fahrenheit. Some truckmount owners also have additional equipment in order to get the water even hotter than that! All in all, truck mount carpet cleaning is the best way to get your carpets cleaned, thoroughly flushed and rinsed and depending on how much power your carpet cleaner’s machine has, it will even leave your carpet relatively dry without the aid of any additional equipment. But still, quality carpet cleaning is a step-by-step process. For more information about the best Truck Mounted San Diego Carpet Cleaning has to offer, visit my website.