When washing a vehicle, most people focus on protecting the paint job, shining the tires, and restoring clarity to the windshield or headlights. However, it’s also important to clean the undercarriage regularly to prevent damage to sensitive parts and components.
Offering an undercarriage wash in addition to your other car wash services delivers numerous advantages to the customer while simultaneously setting your business apart from the competition. Read on to learn more about why undercarriage cleaning is so important, how it can give you a competitive edge, and what to consider before upgrading your car wash equipment to accommodate this service.
Benefits of Undercarriage Cleaning
There are several practical reasons why drivers should keep their vehicle’s undercarriage clean throughout the year.
Corrosion Prevention
The undercarriage of a truck, SUV, or car directly comes in contact with various road conditions, debris, and environmental contaminants that can eventually damage its sensitive components. For example, mud, oil, and road grime from road surfaces can accumulate beneath the vehicle over time and lead to corrosion. Rust issues are especially worrying on winter roads as road salt and moisture come in frequent contact with the bottom of the vehicle.
Mitigating the effects of corrosion is the primary reason why undercarriage cleaning is so crucial. A rusted undercarriage can cause serious damage to brake lines, fuel lines, the exhaust manifold, or the vehicle’s frame. Undercarriage cleaning prevents all these issues and prolongs the lifespan of various parts that lay under the cabin — and the vehicle itself.
Consistently visiting a car wash with an under-car pressure washer is the best way to clear away road salt buildup, oil, dirt, and other contributors of corrosion. It’s simply the most effective method to prevent the need for undercarriage rust removal altogether.
Enhanced Safety
A dirty, rusty undercarriage also poses a safety hazard to drivers, passengers, and others on the road. With your axles, brake lines, CV joints, and vehicle frame clear of corrosion, you reduce the chances of accidents. Regular cleaning of undercarriage parts makes them less likely to fail or break down on the road. This is especially true for older, high-mileage vehicles that contain worn components.
Prevention of Costly Repairs
Neglecting undercarriage cleaning can contribute to major financial headaches. Extensive damage caused by grime and corrosion will eventually lead to expensive repairs or part replacements. Luckily, regular undercarriage washing can prevent deterioration and save drivers a tremendous amount of money in the long run.
How Undercarriage Cleaning Service Differentiates Your Car Wash Business
Adding an under-car pressure washer to your drive-thru car wash can help set your business apart from competitors. Here’s how:
Provides Comprehensive Services
Adding an undercarriage spray to your car wash will ensure every customer receives a full-service cleaning job across every angle of their vehicle. This comprehensive coverage gives greater value to your business, helping to draw in more customers looking for the best possible deal.
If your car wash has only focused on the visible exterior of vehicles in the past, adding an underbody car wash option will boost the appeal of your business. It will also help your car wash stand out from the crowd of similar companies providing only partial washing services.
After adding an undercarriage pressure washer to your vehicle tunnel, you can also consider creating a new, top-tier service option for customers at a higher price point. For instance, think about combining interior detailing, tire cleaning, and undercarriage washing into a single premium wash option. This can contribute to greater revenue potential per visitor.
Builds Trust and Loyalty
After installing a car undercarriage cleaner at your wash business, your customers will take notice of your commitment to providing top-notch service. Demonstrating your dedication to constantly improving your services by reinvesting profits into new machinery will also help build trust with your client base, allowing you to acquire more repeat customers over the long term.
With expansive and quality services on your side, you’ll have customers visit your car wash exclusively instead of seeking complimented services from your competitors. And this loyalty will pay off significantly over time. Remember, providing quality service to your customers today will also lead to free word-of-mouth advertising, actively contributing to more business in the future.
Attracts New Customers
An undercarriage pressure washer can help draw a higher number of brand-new customers to your business each month. With this service, you can finally reach people who understand the value of undercarriage washing and want a full-cleaning service from their car wash.
In addition, as an undercarriage washer allows you to provide a single-pass wash for the entire vehicle, you can mark your business as more convenient and time-efficient than other car washes in the area. As more customers become repeat clients, you can expect them to share their positive experiences with friends and family, which will help spread the word about your car wash to even more people.
Increases Business Profitability
An undercarriage wash can save your business money on the manual labor needed to clean a vehicle’s underbody by hand. These savings can allow you to operate with fewer employees on-site at a given time, reducing your overhead costs while increasing net income.
Since installing an undercarriage pressure washer improves the speed of service, you can also potentially process higher volumes of customers in a given day and ultimately reap more substantial profits monthly. Another possibility here is to slightly increase the cost of your car wash services to offset the expense of additional water usage from your undercarriage washer.
What To Do Before Adding Undercarriage Cleaning to Your Business
Introducing a new feature to your car wash is a big decision, and making a mistake can be costly. Preparing for a transition can go a long way to help your new undercarriage sprayer fit your tunnel car wash perfectly. Here are a few things to consider right away:
Invest in the Right Equipment
Avoid purchasing pre-owned, refurbished, or outdated undercarriage washing equipment whenever possible. While this may save you some money in the short term, antiquated equipment has a higher potential of breaking down and requiring repair or replacement. Instead, invest in top-quality undercarriage cleaning equipment coming from a trusted source.
You’ll also want to consider the type of undercarriage pressure washer that works best for your type of car wash. For instance, you may prefer to purchase portable undercarriage washers you can easily roll beneath a vehicle after exiting the tunnel. Other times, a stationary underbody wash system may work better to keep the queue moving for regular washing.
Different undercarriage cleaners come at diverse price points, so you’ll want to do some research and carefully consider your options.
Consider Training Your Staff
Educating your employees on how your undercarriage cleaning equipment works and what maintenance it may require is a good idea. Be sure to also carefully review the manufacturer guidelines for proper use of the equipment.
Consider keeping a few spare parts on-site, such as extra nozzles, O-rings, or other components. This will allow your employees to quickly fix some common minor issues and keep your car wash functioning.
If your equipment malfunctions while you’re away, confirm your employees know who to call for servicing to keep downtime to a minimum.
Tips To Market Your Undercarriage Wash Service
To benefit from rolling out a new piece of equipment at your car wash, your customers must be aware of the upgrade. Consider creating promotional posters and social media flyers to draw attention to your undercarriage wash service. These can, for example, discuss how to get vehicles ready for road trips and outline the main benefits of cleaning the underbody before a long drive.
You can also run a limited-time offer that provides customers with a free undercarriage wash so they can experience the difference themselves. During the winter, you can post infographics on your social media page and inside your store that discuss how road salt can severely damage the underside of vehicles. Pictures of severely corroded undercarriages can strongly demonstrate your point and attract drivers’ attention.
All these educational materials will show how vulnerable the undercarriage is and why it’s so important to keep it clean.
Discover Our Undercarriage Car Wash Solutions for Your Business
If you’re looking for professional installation and maintenance solutions for your new undercarriage pressure washing equipment, National Carwash Solutions (NCS) is happy to help. At NCS, we offer today’s most trusted brands in the car wash industry. With 298 experienced installation and service technicians on call to support you, you’ll always have access to professional assistance when you need it.
Contact us whenever you’re ready to discover more about how NCS can streamline your undercarriage washing and facilitate the growth of your entire car wash business.
