This year, our very own Dave Hill, Operations Support and Development Manager for Transchem and Turtle Wax Pro, spoke with Rich Dipaolo on the Carwash Podcast, Wash Talk, part of Professional Carwashing & Detailing.
Every car wash faces unique challenges due to weather, climate, types of debris and busyness. During their conversation, Dave explains the 5 Factors of Cleaning, which in the midst of different and difficult cleaning challenges, are the powerful elements a car wash can control, and succeed with! These factors are Water Quality, Chemistry, Active Cleaning Time, Temperature, and Mechanical Action. Once optimized, the five factors will work together and provide clean cars at an affordable price point.
Let’s look closer at each of the Five Factors of Cleaning:
1 / WATER QUALITY
Water quality includes water hardness, pH, and total dissolved solids. If not moderated, water quality issues can reduce the effectiveness of the chemicals or even cause issues. Many washes must use softened water and even reverse osmosis water (for final rinsing), for the cleanest, spot free results.
2 / CHEMISTRY
Chemistry includes the products being used at a wash (like Turtle Wax® Pro) and how they are applied to the vehicle. Proper concentration for each chemical is important to achieve the best results from the chemistry.
3 / ACTIVE CLEANING TIME
The active cleaning time (dwell time) is the amount of time a product is on the surface of the vehicle before being rinsed off or before another product is applied. Typically, a longer active cleaning time increases the cleaning power of the product.
4 / TEMPERATURE
The cleaning temperature is a combination of the air temperature, surface temperature of the vehicle, and the temperature of the products. If one fluctuates (for example, during hot summers, where the surface temperature might rise significantly) you might need to adjust the temperature of the products.
5 / MECHANICAL ACTION
In a friction wash, mechanical action is created by the cloths or brushes. In a touchless wash mechanical action is in the form of impingement (the force of the water against the surface to be cleaned).
WHAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL
There are other factors that you have less control over:
- Time between cleanings
- Previous products used
- Humidity
- Ambient temperature
- Physical nature of the vehicle surface
- Composition of soils
These elements introduce some unknowns, which is why it is critical to maximize the five controllable factors.
FINDING THE BALANCE
Each cleaning factor plays a role for great results, but sometimes you cannot utilize each factor fully, and that’s often able to be overcome. The absence of one cleaning factor can be countered by others to ensure a clean, dry, and shiny vehicle. For example, if the presoak temperature is too low, you might increase the wash pressure or leave the presoak on longer.
Depending on the type of cleaning, some factors might have a greater impact. For example, with the limited mechanical action involved with touchless car washing, controlling the chemistry and water quality are critical. However, in a friction wash, the most important factor is the mechanical action while the chemistry, temperature, and water quality play less significant roles. Taking the time to tailor the factors to your wash and its cleaning challenges is worth the effort, as you determine the correct balance of these elements for having great results at an affordable price point.
CONTACT US
At Turtle Wax Pro, we help ensure that our chemistry is working in synergy with the rest of the cleaning factors for exceptionally clean car wash results. If your chemistry is not optimized to your other cleaning factors, nor delivering the results you need, reach out today and see the difference that Turtle Wax Pro can provide.
