Business owners, including car-wash proprietors, are always on the lookout for something that can, as the saying goes, provide “the best of both worlds.” In the car-wash industry specifically, this means providing a spotless clean without causing any damage to vehicles, a combination that has not always been easy.
In years past, car-wash operators usually fell on one of two sides of the debate pertaining to which style of wash is best: touch-free (also known as touchless or brushless) or soft-touch (also known as friction). Both sides were firmly entrenched in their positions and attitudes, loudly proclaiming the advantages and superiority of their preferred style of vehicle washing while pointing out the perceived disadvantages of the other style.
Lately, however, there has been a softening in those previously immovable battle lines. This softening has been supported by the development of an innovative car-wash technology that offers the advantages of both the touch-free and soft-touch styles in one wash package.
Touch-free advantages
- Nothing touches the vehicle except water and chemicals, which are applied via high-pressure nozzles.
- Sensors “read” the vehicle to better ensure complete water/chemical coverage.
- Can wash a broad array of vehicle types, including oversized dually trucks.
Soft-touch advantages
- An excellent method to remove both organic and inorganic matter from the vehicle’s surface.
- Effectively reaches hard-to-get areas on the vehicle, such as rocker panels and the rear of the vehicle.
- Advancements in soft-touch design have lowered the risk of contact-caused vehicle damage.
As for the disadvantages present in either type of wash on its own, the two styles work hand in hand to help eliminate their respective challenges. In the case of soft-touch, these challenges include the potential for vehicle damage and the inability to clean some hard-to-reach areas that high-pressure washes can clean. For touch-free, the disadvantages can be longer wash times and inefficient cleaning, especially when road film is present.
Bringing these technologies together into one wash package with systems such as the PDQ Tandem Surfline create an ideal equipment option for the wash operator. After their cars get the perfect clean using multiple wash processes, customers will see the difference and come back again and again.
For more information, visit opwvws.com, or to speak directly to a sales representative, call (800) 227-3373.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.