Competition in the Mobile Car Wash Industry

 We have all seen the mobile washing units cruising our city, usually they are trucks, vans or trailer set ups with a water tank and a pressure washer unit aboard. They market their services with flyers and business cards, however most of their business comes from weekly repeats and referrals. Some cities have hundreds of these units going around the city cleaning stuff. You may think what a great business, but like in any business there is a competitive component to the industry, which is not so obvious on first observation.

 A typical car wash competitor is a one man operation with no room in their truck, van or trailer for a hot water pressure washer; steam/cleaner pressure washer. Many of the smaller outfits have simply put a Home Depot Pressure washer on their truck or trailer and hooked up a plastic water tank to it. Chances are they may not even what to do with hot water pressure washer unit even if they had one. The fact of the matter is, that if the detailer had a steam/cleaner pressure washer, they wouldn't go out of business every year when it rains. In many parts of the US and even the world the mobile car washer has to deal with inclement weather which prohibits work low temperatures when water turns to ice and it is hard to sell a car wash when it is raining outside. Since washing cars can be a seasonal business many mobile car washers turn to cleaning other things with their units when it rains.

Best Car Wash and Wax Tips from the Pros

It is a proven fact that the better your car looks the higher the value you will get at resale or trade-in. Proper car care to include washing, waxing, and polishing will not only make your car look its best, but will help retain its value and make it last longer. For the purpose of this article we questioned numerous detailing experts and other similar professionals as to what works best. Here are their best car care recommendations:

Start by using a garage or shaded area. The hot sun will make proper car care and cleaning hard, if not impossible and could be detrimental to your car's finish. Next thoroughly wet down the car. This will remove dirt and road debris which will cause scratches if you skip this step and start using a sponge and soap on the car. If it is a hot day, be sure to routinely wet the car so it does not dry suds or cleaning chemicals on it.

 Next use a car wash solution, don't use general purpose detergents and cleaners that were never meant for car care and car washing. A car wash solution will not dry out your paint or strip and possibly remove protective coatings. A long armed, soft bristled wash brush will greatly reduce the time it takes to thoroughly clean your car. It will also make it easier on your back and muscles. A good quality brush can be cheaply obtained at Walmart for about $10-$15 - buy one, you will be glad you did. When you have finished washing the whole car, use a chamois to dry off your car. A chamois will remove water quickly and not leave lint which terry cloths are prone to do. Routinely washing your car will remove things like bird droppings, bugs and industrial fallout which are all detrimental to your car's paint and finish. If there is road tar or stubborn bugs left after washing you should use a bug and tar remover prior to waxing and polishing.

Coin Car Wash Scarborough | British Seaside Holiday

The thing that impressed us most whilst doing the research for this book was not how different holidays in the inter-war years were from today, but how similar. It came as a surprise to learn, for example, that the Bank Holiday traffic jam was nothing new. Rows upon rows of vintage cars (of course they were not vintage then, but very ordinary), bumper to bumper, going nowhere were a familiar sight on major routes into most of the big seaside towns from the 'thirties onwards. Sunbathing started in the 'twenties and that most important holiday fashion accessory, the pair of sunglasses, was common by the 'thirties.

There are differences of course. One man who found his Austin Seven boxed in by other parked cars along Bournemouth's Undercliff Drive, simply picked it up by the back bumper and pulled it out into the road! The main differences are in style, taste and in technology. We do not now like swimming outdoors in the cold - in the 'twenties it was recommended, even in Winter. No gentleman would go on holiday wearing a striped blazer and no lady would think beach pajamas and rubber bathing hats were the height of fashion. The aeroplane and the private car have replaced the train and the motor bus as the principal means of transport to the holiday destination. The main aim of the Summer holiday though, has not changed. As the Official Guide to Hastings and St Leonards put it in 1925:

"It is our pleasure when we take a holiday to give our moods and our tastes the rein. We feel free through our whole being even as we step from the train, and from the moment we leave the station we become truly ourselves and tastes which have had to be suppressed, and dreams which have been restricted to golden moments snatched from duty are released. We are resolved to do as we please, and all we ask of the town we are visiting is that it shall have something for each inclination."

The language is obviously period, and you could read 'plane for train, but the meaning is timeless. We go on holiday to escape our daily routine. To "give our moods and tastes the rein" to do what we please, not what we have to do.