Tunnel washes are a staple of the car wash industry and are just as popular today as they were decades ago. Customers love to sit back and relax as the automated machinery cleans their vehicles. If you are a new car wash owner, you want to select tunnel wash chemicals that are sure to woo your customers!
Preparing the Vehicle
A tunnel wash is the most effective when the proper chemicals are used in each stage! To start, you need to apply a high-pressure rinse to cool the vehicle’s surface. Cooling surfaces will prevent unwanted reactions and allow each chemical to perform at its maximum effectiveness.
Wheels and Tires Cleaners
Cleaning wheels is the most difficult cleaning task a car wash faces. Brake dust is produced from friction. This hot dust bakes onto surfaces which makes removal extremely challenging.
The most effective and safe way to clean tires and wheels is to apply a non-acid tire cleaner such as Simoniz Brake Away or Kleen-Rite Wheel Brite to dry tires. Allow for adequate dwell time before spraying them with water.
Additional Options
If you are looking to impress your customers, consider adding an undercarriage cleaning system for your top packages. First you will want to rinse the underside of the vehicle with low pressure application of water. During the winter, apply a salt remover such as Simoniz Desalt to remove road treatments.
Then, apply an undercarriage spray with rust inhibitors. Simoniz Rustite is a good option. Rust inhibitors protect the vehicle from oxidation until the product wears off over time. Customers understand that cleaning the underbelly of their vehicle is important and they are willing to pay for this service.
Include a bug remover in your a la carte options during the buggy spring and summer months. The summer heat bakes acidic insect corpses onto vehicle surfaces. Over time these skeletons will damage the vehicle’s clear coat and paint. Apply a chemical like Kleen-Rite Bug Master to remove these stubborn bug carcasses.
Encourage your employees to promote bug removal and undercarriage cleaning services to boost your sales.
Presoak Chemicals
Next, apply an effective high pH presoak. As the product dwells, it will loosen soils sitting on surfaces. High pH chemicals handle most organic and inorganic soils. The presoak step prepares vehicles for the brushes and wraps.
Brush Chemicals
After the presoak, vehicles are ready for scrubbing. Administer an effective high foaming brush detergent to provide ample lubrication for brushes and wraps. Adequately lubricated brushes lift away the dirt loosened by presoaks without redepositing it on the vehicle. Magic Lustre is a popular choice.
Triple Foam
Many tunnel washes incorporate triple foam in their top wash packages to add value for their customers and increase their revenue per car. Triple foam is applied just after the vehicle exits the brushes. A quality triple foam polish will shine the vehicle’s surface and prepare it for a wax or sealant, followed by a drying agent.
Waxes and Drying Agents
Once it leaves the brushes, a vehicle is prepared to accept a sealant or wax, followed by a drying agent. First, apply a clear coat sealer or wax for an eye-catching shine. Waxes and clear coat protectants are not just for show; they also protect the vehicle’s clear coat and paint from environmental harm such as UV light, dust, pollen, road grime, and other contaminants. Sealants also act as a drying agent bonding with the vehicle’s surface to bead water.
When it’s time for sealers and drying agents, choosing quality products can impact the final results for each customer. Drying agents and sealers are a cost-effective way to remove water from the vehicle. Simoniz offers a unique product named Ceramic Sealant, formulated with a ceramic polymer similar to that used in the detailing industry. Check out what other operators have to say about it. Following up this step with a clean water rinse will help prepare the car for the final stages of your tunnel wash.
A La Carte Products
Finally, add-on services are a great way to boost the monetary value of each wash package and improve customer satisfaction. Encourage attendants to ask customers if they would like to add these offerings to their wash. Some examples are windshield treatments and tire shiners.
Windshield treatments are applied at the end of a wash. These products create a protective barrier on the glass to repel rain, sleet, snow. The surface will bead up water on glass surfaces to improve the customer’s vision when driving. Simoniz Vision Clear offers superb results.
One of the last steps in a tunnel wash is to shine the tires on the vehicle. A tire dressing will impress customers when it produces a brilliant sheen on tires. Simoniz Black Beauty will even protect a vehicle’s tires from damaging UV rays.
If you don’t have the staff or ability to add a la carte offerings, you can add these products to your top package for a low-cost way to make customers feel like they are getting even more bang for their buck.
Conveyor tunnels provide exceptional results when the right chemistry is used to clean vehicles. Happy customers will repeatedly visit your wash to clean their cars, resulting in increased profits. Please call us at 800-233-3873 if you need help picking tunnel wash chemicals that meet your needs. We are more than happy to help you!
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