Keeping It Clean & Green: Eco-Friendly Car Washes
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Since the majority of today's consumers consider the environment when making a purchase, today's CRE investors and owners often choose eco-friendly products for retail businesses, like drive-through, full-service car washes.
These options do more than attract environmentally aware drivers; they provide ways for the car wash's owner to reduce operating costs. For example, a water recycling system reduces monthly water usage and bills.
Before we review the types of eco-friendly improvements and systems currently available for car wash businesses, here are some statistics and data that are attracting investors.
Goodbye Driveway Wash, Hello Full-Service
Perhaps you remember the days when you would see neighbors washing their cars at home. Today, most vehicle owners have switched to the convenience and results provided by an automatic car wash.
Recent data found that the percentage of vehicle owners using car wash facilities rose from 50% in 1996 to 79% in 2021.
Today, this market is getting attention from CRE investors, especially those who prefer hands-on management. Demand is increasing, which has led to predictions that the market will see 100% growth by the year 2030.
By combining eco-friendly water recycling and cleaning products, together with investing in energy-efficient equipment, car wash investors can attract more customers while banking a higher ROI.
Since a typical car wash may use up to 120 gallons of water per vehicle, recycling this water has become mandatory in some states. Let's look at these systems first.
Waste Not, Save Money: Water Recycling Systems
One of the biggest environmental concerns associated with car washes is the excessive use of water. Advanced water recycling systems manage this.
These systems collect, filter, and treat used water, reducing a typical car wash's usage by as much as 70% to 80%. This minimizes environmental impact while reducing water usage.
A typical water recycling/reclaim system is a standalone system designed to complement the car wash's main water system. Since they're separate, this means they can be repaired, serviced, and replaced easily.
While basic recycling systems use filters to clean water, newer systems are introducing high-tech features to improve performance and deliver cleaner, decontaminated water back to the main car wash system.
Take Water Reclaim to the Next Level
Recent technological developments have improved recycled water quality, including these three.
- Nanofilters filter water at a molecular level. They can remove extremely small particles, including bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants. Nanofilters are often used with other filtration methods for optimal results.
- Electrocoagulation uses an electrical current to remove suspended solids, oils, and other contaminants from water. The coagulated items are easily filtered out.
- Biofiltration systems use living organisms, such as bacteria and microalgae, to break down and remove contaminants from the water. These systems treat water without chemicals, and may be able to recycle up to 95% of the water it treats.
An investor/owner can improve the process by combining newer purification processes. For example, research has found that nanofilters and electrocoagulation work together well and produce an optimum result.
Car wash owners who choose ecologically friendly cleaning products will also win more customers and enjoy other benefits. Here's the latest on green car wash products.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
A car wash that promotes its use of eco-friendly cleaning products does more than attract more customers. In addition to preserving local water supplies, a green car wash can often claim that its detergents help preserve expensive waxed and ceramic finishes.
Manufacturers of green car wash cleaning products may use several different “recipes,” such as these:
- High pH presoaks and boosters target organic material and can be used as a prep gun detergent. These are also effective when used for wheel cleaning and during a degreasing treatment.
- Low pH presoaks help remove inorganic materials from vehicles that high-pH treatments may leave behind. These are worth considering within areas where vehicles collect high levels of sand, rust, scale and minerals.
- Foaming washes with green ingredients are important, as customers tend to associate thick layers of foam during the wash cycle with maximum effectiveness. These are available as biodegradable and phosphate-free.
- Specialized products can be used during a particular season. For example, winter calls for the use of biological cleaners that help remove salt and road de-icers, as these can eventually corrode a vehicle's finish.
Wondering what types of car wash products to avoid? Detergents that contain nonylphenols and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPs/NPEs) are harmful to aquatic life.
So are alkylphenols and their ethoxylates (APEs), chemicals used as surfactants in commercial detergents.
Another equally important factor for green-thinking investors and owners is lowering the amount of energy their car wash requires. Here are some strategies to consider.
Increase Profitability With Lower Energy Costs
While consumers admire businesses with renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, a car wash may not have the acreage or budget to install these. However, there are other effective ways to reduce energy consumption.
Installing motors with a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) Premium label helps reduce electrical consumption.
Variable Frequency Drives or VFDs allow a car wash manager to adjust the power used by equipment to be adjusted to lower levels. VFDs gradually increase a motor's speed to meet particular car wash process requirements.
Today's VFDs can be programmed to run a particular motor at a precise rate of speed, which often lessens both mechanical and electrical stresses on expensive equipment.
LED lighting can do more than save energy; they can be installed and programmed to provide customers with an entertaining, colorful light show during the wash process.
LED lights can even celebrate holidays with color-themed shows that customers can videotape and share on their social media.
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