6 Types of Car Washes: Choosing the Right Model

Deciding to open a car wash franchise could help you make a living as your own boss. However, you have to start the process by choosing from among the most common types of car washes. Each type comes with a different upfront investment, daily workflow, and chemical demands. Find the right fit for your entrepreneurial style with this handy guide.

What Are the Different Types of Car Washes?

There’s a lot of overlap between the various types of car washes. They all fall into two basic categories: self-serve and professional service. They also tend to offer either manual or automated cleaning. Between those four options, you end up with about six types of car washes to choose from. Choosing between tunnel and bay structures, manual and automated washing systems, and self-serve options largely depends on how involved you want to be in your business.

1. Self-Service Car Washes

Most new car washes are self-serve, no matter what format they take. All businesses where the vehicle owner does all or most of the work are considered self-service car washes. This includes both manual/hand car washes with pull-in bays and tunnel systems that automate the washing process to some degree. There’s a lot of variety within the self-service category, so you’ll need to further refine your choice before picking a specific franchise. Chemicals needed for self-service car washes vary depending on the equipment installed.

2. Hand Car Washes

One of the oldest and most established forms of self-service car wash is the hand wash. This type of facility features covered bays that drivers pull into, containing high-pressure sprayers, foam brushes, and other tools they need to scrub their vehicles. You can make supply sales of products like a microfiber towel for anyone who forgot a soft cloth for drying off water spots. Labor and equipment costs are lower than with other car wash categories, but you’ll need to stay on top of chemical refills and check the bays and brushes regularly for issues that could damage vehicles. Some of the best products for self-service car washes include APF’s Wash 'N' Rinse, which even works with cold water, and Foam Maker for impressive foam brush results.

3. Automatic Car Washes

The other main group of self-serve car washes involves equipment that automates the washing process. Customers still set up the wash stages they want and enter the tunnel car wash themselves, but a conveyor system moves their vehicle through the brushes, sprayers, and other pieces of washing equipment. There are some bay-based automatic car washes, but most are tunnel-based because it provides more space for multiple stages of washing and waxing.

Automatic washes provide a hands-off approach that many customers prefer—while still minimizing labor costs—but the equipment investment is much higher than with hand washing bays. The conveyor car wash system has a high cost both upfront and for maintenance. The best products for automatic car washes include APF’s Wrap Lubricant to keep brushes moving smoothly over the surface and the classic Rainbow Triple Coat.

4. Touchless Car Washes

Most automatic car washes rely on friction washing techniques where the brushes make physical contact with the surface of the vehicle. This removes stubborn dirt and debris, but there’s a misconception that the friction can wear away the protective clear coat over the vehicle’s paint. That has led to the rise of touchless bay and tunnel washes that make no direct contact with the car. High-pressure water and extra effective foaming chemicals are needed to ensure a good wash without the need for full-sized brushes. While some consumers may consider it the best type of car wash, you’ll need a market willing to pay for the upgrade to cover the upfront investment cost. One of the best products from APF for this kind of car wash is the Excel Hi pH Touchless Presoak to lift away stubborn dirt.

5. Full-Service Car Washes

If you don’t mind spending more on labor to save on equipment costs, you may want to start a full-service car wash instead. Most of these businesses are set up as bay car washes, whether the customer pulls in for the wash or one of your employees handles that step. Your employees will do all the washing while your customers wait. These businesses tend to go beyond the basic wash options available from an automated system. They also tend to include interior cleaning, detailing, undercarriage services, and more. Some of the best products for full-service car washes include APF’s grease-busting Cherry Soap, affordable Wash 'N' Rinse, and the reliable Wash 'N' Wax chemicals that provide quick results.

6. Flex-Serve Car Washes

The least common type of car wash is the flex-serve model. This category works like a self-serve car wash with a tunnel or bay that customers pull into for a simple exterior automated wash, while also providing manual services like detailing, window washing, and hand waxing. The best products for a flex-serve car wash include the Bottom Guard rust inhibitor from APF, which makes for an ideal upsell.

How to Choose the Best Car Wash Type for Your Business

Your chemical selections largely determine your car wash profitability. While equipment investments are quite a bit larger, they don’t recur every week, month, or year like chemical purchases. Professional car washes can save money by selecting products that combine multiple steps into one chemical, such as combined wash and rinse foams. This not only reduces your costs by volume but also reduces the storage space needed until the chemicals are used. 

Remember that specialty chemicals like equipment cleaner and tire sprays may cost a little more, but they differentiate you from the competition. Consider your target market and offer more budget-friendly, single-stage wash options if that appeals to your customer base. There's little point in ordering and stocking high-end chemicals if they're rarely or never used.

Differentiate Your Business With the Best Products

Each car wash process is unique. You may need to provide extra services like grill clearing, mirror polishing, and headlight defogging to succeed in the wash industry. If you require custom chemical formulations to spend less on refill costs, contact us today at AP Formulators.