Why You Should Offer Undercarriage Car Wash Services

A vehicle’s undercarriage components, such as the suspension, chassis, exhaust system, and drive train, facilitate smooth and comfortable rides and keep vehicles in optimal condition and performance. Given the overarching importance of these underbody components, vehicle owners must keep them clean and well-maintained through undercarriage car wash. 

As a wash owner, you should fill this need by offering professional car undercarriage wash services. Read on to learn the benefits of undercarriage cleaning for your customers and business, as well as reliable tips on implementing it effectively. 

The Importance of Undercarriage Cleaning 

Undercarriage car wash services benefit vehicle owners in the following ways:

Preventing Corrosion and Costs 

The underbody parts of a vehicle often take heavy knocks from rocks, gravel, and other large road debris. While these parts are sturdy and tightly fastened to withstand heavy impact, frequent knocks will inevitably scratch or ding the surface, weakening the protective coating on the underbody components. This exposes them to moisture and other oxidizing agents, such as oxygen, which trigger corrosion.

Regular undercarriage cleaning allows wash operators to spot dents or scratches early and fix them before they become invasive. You may use undercarriage spray or sealants depending on the extent of the damage. Early treatment saves vehicle owners higher undercarriage rust repair costs that can run north of $1,000 depending on the damage level.

Enhancing Vehicle Longevity 

A regular undercarriage car wash dislodges mud, dirt, and debris that sticks to the numerous crevices in the underbody surface. When such unwanted materials cake on the surface, they cause corrosion and clog the drainage holes. This causes the components to malfunction and eventually necessitate extensive repairs or replacements before reaching the ideal service life. 

Given that underbody parts such as struts and shock absorbers are designed to serve a vehicle for up to 100,000 miles, keeping them clean by procuring undercarriage car wash services prolongs their longevity. This, in turn, enhances the service life of a customer’s vehicle.

Improving Driver Safety 

When debris and dirt stick to components such as control arms, brakes, fuel lines, and suspensions, they interrupt normal functioning. For instance, caked-on dirt on the brake pads will compromise a vehicle’s braking efficiency and safety. Undercarriage cleaning prevents such unwanted consequences, and keeps parts running at optimal efficiency.

Benefits for Your Car Wash Business 

Car wash owners enjoy the following perks of offering undercarriage car wash services:

Building Customer Trust and Loyalty 

If you offer top-quality undercarriage car wash services, new and existing customers will have more reasons to become loyal patrons. Expanding the services on your car wash menu also tells customers you’re innovative and competent. It gives them peace of mind because they know they’ll find the services they want at your establishment. This builds confidence, trust, and loyalty in your car wash business. 

Attracting New Customers 

According to statistics from the International Carwash Association, enhancements in quality, value, convenience, and speed have significantly fueled demand in the industry. By offering quality undercarriage car wash services, you add value and convenience to your business. This attracts new customers who appreciate a wash location where they can enjoy all wash services under one roof.

Increasing Profitability 

Adding undercarriage car wash services creates an extra income source for your business. However, you must consider car wash profitability and pricing factors that can influence your profit margins and adjust them appropriately. Doing so means you get the right pricing strategies that earn you good profit margins without scaring away customers.

A Professional Finish: Undercarriage Car Wash Equipment and Products 

You'll need specialized equipment and cleaning products to deliver top-quality undercarriage car wash services.

Types of Equipment Needed 

Underbody cleaning involves spraying high-pressure water and cleaning products on the hard-to-reach undercarriage components. The two primary components you need are:

• High-powered pressure washer for a manual car wash or high-pressure undercarriage sprayer for automatic washes
• Specialized undercarriage nozzle attached to the pressure washer or undercarriage sprayer system

Modern systems such as in-bay and tunnel car washes have advanced components like rotating undercarriage washers that make underbody cleaning faster and more effective. 

Guidelines for Selecting the Best Products

Cleaning products used for undercarriage washing include rust inhibitors and underbody flushes, such as Bottom Guard. To get the best cleaning products, buy from a reputable car wash chemical supplier like AP Formulators, which can guarantee quality. 

Staff Training for Undercarriage Services 

Your car wash staff ultimately influences the quality of your underbody car wash services. That’s why you must invest in proper training so that all workers learn how to efficiently operate specialized undercarriage car wash equipment and the most effective washing techniques. You can achieve this by enrolling your workers and managers into top training programs such as LEAD™ course by the International Carwash Association.

Even after training, establish a best practice standard operating procedure for undercarriage car wash services. These guidelines help your staff maintain high-quality standards and pass down the knowledge and skills to new employees.

Marketing Your Undercarriage Car Wash Services 

Most customers, especially new clients, won’t know you offer undercarriage car wash services if you don’t advertise. Creating a strong car wash marketing strategy guides your wash operators and managers to promote the new service to new and existing customers.

Your wash operators are well positioned to sell your undercarriage services to customers, as they can quickly check a car’s underbody and tell if it needs cleaning. Such interactions make it easy to upsell the new service. Thus, part of your marketing strategy should be to train wash operators techniques to subtly upsell your new undercarriage wash services.

Leveraging Social Media and Online Promotion 

Using online marketing channels such as social media and your wash’s website is super effective at marketing new services to a broad target audience. Start by creating a social media marketing plan template to run a winning campaign. 

This helps you pinpoint which social platforms each segment of your target audience frequents. This way, you can double down on their preferred platforms and create helpful content, such as videos or infographics highlighting the benefits of undercarriage cleaning.

Gain a Competitive Advantage in Undercarriage Cleaning With AP Formulators 

Count on AP Formulators to customize undercarriage cleaning products for your wash business. By partnering with us, you’re guaranteed the best quality car wash cleaning chemicals, no matter the quantity. Contact us today and let us create formulas for unique cleaning products ideal for your wash business.