I have an issue with mudders too! We're not talking dirty cars here, but 4-wheelers that wash off enough mud to fill a 5-gallon bucket! When my car wash was built in 1982, they only put in 4" drains. The bay floors are made with aggregate cement NOT smooth concrete. The mud settles between all the rocks and is time-consuming to clean up. It takes several passes to clean up. We start with a push-broom to sweep up the mud, shovel it, then spray it, and repeat again. Although there is a slotted mud basket under the grate, some mud gets into the 4" drain. So, I'm literally on my hands and knees, using a slotted spoon to scoop mud out of the drain. Often, we have to use a balloon hose to clear the mud in the pipe. Not pretty or glamorous! Last year I raised my wash prices from $2 / 3.5 minutes TO $3 / 5 minutes and created this fancy sign... There's a sign in each bay - posted over the coinbox meter. I'm often on-site and can point to the sign and ask innocently, "did you happen to notice this sign?" I tell them to go to the cheaper car wash down the street, who can better handle the mud (they welcome the business). I'm a Car Wash - NOT a MUDDY Truck wash! I also have 31 video cameras, and live within 5 minutes of my car wash! Fortunately, I have noticed less muddy vehicles coming to my car wash, and more expensive, luxury cars - who appreciate the cleaner bays. Signage and consistency are important.
Same thing here, I've found out it is best to work on my carwash from 10pm to 4am because then you do not have to deal with any customers.
I can't believe I hadn't thought about that. Many thanks
I also tried that for six months. Didn't even slow them down. A couple times I'd see one guy at one end of the wash going through the last vac and another guy would be walking up to go through the first one again. There is no "simple" solution other than to keep them out.
We live in an area with lots of farms and 4WD tracks, so mud is simply a part of life for us. We have a 3 bay SS wash, and I shovel out about 50 gallons of mud each week. We also have 4" drains, and have to really keep on top of any muck building up.
people that put snow in the eyes to leave the doors open to let the steam escape, but don’t take the snow out when done…..
What a jackleg, people like that NEED a face full of low ph!!
We have lost all respect for Mr and Mrs Public. I could write a book and I haven't been doing this nearly as long as most of you older vets. We have now been doing it for 11 years if you can believe that Randy. We actually had a Granddaddy that once a month would come around the building from the back. Get out and wash his little Subaru Wagon, then go back to the car and get his napkins, open up the back hatch on his car and squat and drop the deuce right in the bay. I found out who he was and while I didn't know him personally I knew someone very well that knew him. I sent word that I was going to embarrass Grandpa in front of Grandma and the Grandkids at Walmart if he ever came on my property again. Needless to say it's been eight years and i haven't laid eyes on him again. But he thought he was real cute until the possibility was real that everyone in our community knew what he had done. I know he had some sleepless nights from what I've been told. What kind of a man.....well i'm not even going there. This would normally occur at 5:30 to 6:00 AM.
You will not totally keep a rogue out of your business. Has anyone noticed these plastic tooth picks laying around your site? I was told crooks keep them to try and pick locks or trigger machines to drop products with.
That's unlikely. It takes pretty strong metal tools to pick locks. It takes longer reach than a 3" plastic pick to get a vendor to drop product.
