If you are in the commercial car wash game, we don’t need to tell you that taking care of your car wash pit is a must. People bring their dirty cars to you – and guess what – that dirt and grime ends up in your pit.
It’s simple science, that without regular maintenance, that dirt and grime (alongside all the greases and waste that go into cleaning those cars in the first place) is going to turn into sludge and sentiment. Stinky sludge and sentiment.
Timely cleaning of your car wash pit helps to keep things under control. Both from a health and safety standpoint, and a ‘my customers don’t run away because we smell like a farm’ standpoint.
We think the latter is underrated.
Without further ado, then, here are our Car Pit Do’s and Don’ts:
- DO: Keep a Regular Car Pit Cleaning Schedule
Keeping a simple but regular schedule is the best way to ensure happy customers and a happy workforce. At a minimum, you should be looking at cleaning your car pit once every 3-4 months.
Not only does regular cleaning keep your car pit in tip-top condition, but it also removes the risk of unwanted odors and a potential build-up of hazardous wastes.
Car Pits can get real dirty, real quick – having a properly scheduled maintenance plan, allows you to notify your customers with plenty of time and avoid the unexpected costs of additional maintenance fees if you let things build up too much.
- DO: Have a Plan for Disposing of Hazardous Waste
Along with the general dirt, grime, and grease you’ll find in any car pit – two particularly hazardous components that can be found in car pit sludge are Mercury and Arsenic. Not only are these chemicals harmful to the environment, but they can also be a danger for anyone who encounters them, putting you and your employees at risk.
Disposing of these materials incorrectly is not only dangerous but can be punishable by law. Every state has its own regulatory standards on waste disposal – but as a rule of thumb – we swear by the ‘don’t just throw toxins in the trash’ school of thought. Employing experts, who are properly insured and equipped to support you here is a sensible move, which leads conveniently to our next suggestion:
- DO: Consider Getting Professional Help
Not only can cleaning a car pit be a stressful, dirty, and time-consuming job, but as we’ve already touched on, the sludge generated in car pits is not something that you can just throw away in the normal way.
Any sludge from your car pit site will need to be tested before it can be taken to landfill sites – and that’s not just us telling you, it’s the Environmental Protection Division. So, to avoid getting on the wrong side of federal or local city regulations, we’d advise you to consider hiring people who really know what they’re doing when it comes to cleaning and disposing of waste. It’s a headache down the line you won’t have to think about.
- DON’T: Try to Take the Easy Way Out
We’re not trying to be your mom here, but if you run a car wash, proper waste disposal is one area you don’t want to try and cut corners in. Running the day-to-day needs of any business is already a huge commitment – without the stress of worrying about compliance with environmental laws.
Do yourself a favor and consider outsourcing one of the less salubrious elements of running this kind of gig – we’ve got a team on hand to talk you through any needs you might have, without trying to sell you the world while they do it.
- DON’T: Leave Things Until They Are Too Late
If you try to put off cleaning out your car pit until the very last moment, you’re only going to get yourself in unnecessary trouble down the line.
There are some areas of business where it CAN be okay to cut a slight corner occasionally, (don’t tell anyone we said this) – however, health and hygiene simply isn’t one of them.
If you leave your pit till it’s humming up a stink – an industry term we believe – not only are your customers going to notice, but your staff aren’t going to give you any thanks either. Especially if you end up with a fine, or even worse, a temporary disposition to stop serving until requirements are met.
- DON’T: Fake Your Own Waste Disposal Licence
Environmental Remedies have 25+ years of experience to our name when it comes to commercial cleaning and waste disposal. You may not know us for our Car Pit Cleaning – but we’re just as committed to our services in this field, as any other you’ve heard us be associated with.
We like to keep things simple – which is why we offer a full 360 service, from cleaning to disposal, to upkeep of regulation and reminders of maintenance needs.
Speak to one of our agents today and find out what it’s like to speak to someone truly passionate about waste disposal.
We’re less weird than you might think.