Are you building a new car wash? Buying a car wash? We'll help you get it right!

Here are some important things to think about when you’re starting a car wash: 

  • Location – does your site have a lot of traffic? Is it near a shopping mall, restaurants, gas stations, or any other businesses that would attract customers? 
  • Layout – have you thought about the flow at your site? Where will cars drive in, where will they exit? Are you going to have vacuums after the tunnel or before? 
  • Car wash format – operators around the country are converting or building express exterior car washes. What format are you going to choose? 
  • Employees – Who will work there? How many staff members do you plan on hiring? Will you be the manager or should you hire someone else to do that? 
As a car wash owner, you have a lot of decisions to make, and they all have their own impact on your business and customer experience. 
  • Choosing a distributor
  • Car wash equipment
  • Point-of-sale software/hardware
  • Running an unlimited program – how will you validate members?
  • License plate recognition vs. RFID tags (more on that below)
  • Chemicals
  • How many wash packages will you offer?
  • Vacuums
  • Water reclaim
 
 
We recommend doing your research on every element of your car wash to make sure you choose what’s right for you. Independent research, finding a mentor, and partnering with a distributor are all great ways to learn more about the industry and what it takes to be successful. 
 
Our team is always available to speak with new car wash owners and we look forward to hearing from you! Fill out the form on this page to get in touch with our product specialists. 



Running an unlimited program: RFID or LPR?

How will you validate unlimited members at the point-of-sale? Although the industry has been predominantly using RFID tags for years, there’s been a significant shift towards license plate recognition. License plate recognition (LPR) is used by a range of state and federal agencies, including the police and the Department of Transportation. Now that it’s proven to be a reliable way of verifying the identity of a car, the technology is seeing more widespread commercial uses like in car washes.