Chemicals

Finally found this blog, Thanks! I am a new operator just starting my 3rd year and currently using EcoLab products. Recenly I have been visited by several chemical companies and am attempting to decifer which one is the best for my wash. Armorall,Kaddy, Lustra was hear yesterday and another last week.
My basic question to you veterans is how do you decide what chemical to use?
I have a 65'Express conveyor wash.

Thanks for your input!
Lee

There is no one right answer... well maybe there is. Different types aand layouts of equipment and environmental conditions as well as levels of experience require different approaches. IS the rep supplying some level of service other "Buy this good stuff from me".

I have bought and still buy from some of the suppliers you list. I have found equaly effective for show an cleaning products thru Kleen rite including triple foam soaps and Polish, and sealer wax. I use Wheel cleaner, drying agent, on line tire shine and a name brand surface sealer for the marketing appeal.

So, the one answer. Try different stuff. You may find something you like that saves you a boatlooad of $.

I agree with Earl.

Is one chemical better than the other. Its all about what the operator wants.

So how did I choose which chemical works best for me. I like to watch the way the chemicals work. Did you see that break, did you see that bead? Do you like that smell, the way the color and the foam looks. Do you like a thick foam or do you like a nice light fluffy , shaving cream like foam. Can you stand the smell of those chemicals in your tunnel all day long, or does it make you cough. How hard is it to keep your tunnel clean, Does it get dirty fast.

Some of this you might not get on a short tunnel where its not much for sight, your blink of the eyes will not allow you to see the chemicals (dance).

With out getting into how chemistry works those are some questions I asked myself while comparing chemicals. If you can't see a difference I would suggest go with the less costly one.

How well does the car shine after it leaves your place clean. Is it just a normal shine or is it a nice rich deep shine. How would you know the difference until you try different stuff. You won't.

Go with what you like and your customers would be happy with. After all its just bubbles. ;)

I sell chemicals, and I must say that what yall are saying is dead on with my thought process, and what I tell people. Every wash is different you have to find what works best for your wash. If one brand was that much better than the other then everyone would be using that brand. As you can tell from the operators on here no one really ever says XYZ brand is the best. Support is another thing to look for. An experienced rep should be very valuable. I tell potential customers that I am like another employee, but one they don't have to pay. Since you already buy chemicals, why not choose the brand that comes with an extra set of eyes in your equipment room? I would ask for a cost per car for the chemical, then simply keep track of your inventory and car count and double check what you were told. It's pretty simple math, not sure why more people don't do it that way. It's also more acurate than the beaker method.

Since every wash is indeed different, if a distributor or salesman gives you a cost-per-car figure it's probably made up.

I've tried a lot of chemicals and usually start by titrating them to the manufacturer's specifications. If that doesn't clean I increase it until it does. That's your true cost-per-car figure.

I always recommend starting with what the manufacture recommends and end up somewhere else. It's not a one, two, three deal and your finished.
It can take time. Don't forget your customers also want to see some sort of show - suds ! Every wash is different and we also know that some owners dilute at some point. The experienced ones know better. Finding a good marriage between cleaning and decent drying is a learning process. My optimum goal was always clean and shinny. What did the car look after it dried in the garage or the next day ?

Thanks for the input! My current supplier is working fine- but then I don't really have anything to compare to because their product was here when I took over managing. 2 reps' have come and gone and only gotten better help with each one. My knowledge comes from what I read and have experimented with.
I tried the clear tubes for the tripple foam application and am not really impressed with the "show" - big squirts and large blobs of foam didn't impress- now I'm trying the foam shower heads....

Thanks for your imput, I will read on...

Lee

You raise an intersting point with regard to shower heads and clear tubes etc. Another instance of differences. If you are an ee the view from inside the car is much different than the customer in a full serve looking at the car from outside.

I made my own tubes for triple foam. Used plain white PVC with 1/8" holes every foot but the holes are staggered so there is a 4 inch space from tube 1-2-3. . Say the first tube starts holes are at 2-14-26... inches the next is 6-18-30... and the next is 10-22-34.... This allows for nice color striping seen from inside the car and from the following car.

Lee

There are numerous excellent chemical companies in the market. They key is not just the chemical but the support your chemical supplier will provide. That is one more thing you do not have to worry about as an operator, if you have a great chemical supplier who you can trust to give you the support you need, honestly, informatively and upfront.

That said, I would recommend you take a serious look at Kaady Chemical Corp. Why? Kaady is a 50+ plus veteran in the car wash industry and owns acnd operates a chain of 17 high volume exterior-only car washes.

The chemicals his company produces are for his chain of washes first and foremost and I can tell you as a past user that he constantly is improving the chemicals to perform better. His goal is to produce the finest wash he can and the chemicals are a key part of the scenario.

The people that work with his company are all ex-carwash operations people and know their stuff.

So you are getting a car wash chemical line formulated by a car wash operator, used in his car washes and supported by carwash people.

I can tell you that this company will give you the finest support in all phases of your car wash operation.

Just a few well intentioned thoughts.

Bud Abraham