With car wash owners focusing on professional, modern appearances and attractive site development, a busy street with coffee shops, restaurants and retail stores is also likely to have a car wash in its midst. A combination of reasons accounts for both the public’s perception of car wash businesses and car wash owners’ focus on new approaches to providing their service.

“The cost of labor increased owners’ interest in businesses that provided different levels of service as opposed to full-service car washes,” says Ryan Essenburg, president of Tommy Car Wash Systems. Technology that automates more functions, including payment collection and loading cars, helps business owners operate with a smaller staff. “This is a significant change from 10 years ago when the traditional car wash was full service and employed 100 people on a busy weekend. Today, an express wash with three employees can handle the same number of cars.”

Technology has also changed the physical requirements for the building, with 80- or 100-foot conveyors that can wash as many cars as a 200-foot conveyor, and get them just as clean, points out Tricia Knott, creator of the Green Forest Car Wash. Reductions in the conveyor lengths as well as space required for equipment in the tunnel mean that a car wash requires less of a footprint, opening up location opportunities in more areas, she says.

Changes in the equipment and building design of car washes also improve the flexibility of the business to fit into non-traditional spaces, says Essenburg. “Historically, car washes had to be set on long, narrow lots due to tunnel length but now we can design a car wash to fit on square outparcels that are found on larger retail sites such as shopping centers,” he says.

Another change that has affected car wash design is the customer base itself, says Timothy Hogue of Modernwash Car Wash Architecture. “Women are not only an increasing percentage of car wash customers, but they often spend more money on car washes,” he said. Women are also very selective about the businesses they frequent because they want to feel safe and comfortable entering the car wash site. “Not only does this mean more open tunnels with natural light, but it also means clear directional signage, easy to navigate driveways and a clean, professional appearance,” he said.

Glass growing in popularity

Glass buildings not only provide a sense of safety and comfort to customers, but they also serve as a continuous billboard for your business, says Hogue. “People driving by the location can immediately see cars moving through the tunnel, reinforcing the message that it is a car wash,” he said. In today’s competitive market, having an attractive, modern building that matches or beats the appearance of neighboring retail establishments is important to building a brand.

Hogue says that landscaping should be an area of focus for sites. “Customers connect a beautiful site with a car wash tunnel that is just as well maintained, which means a cleaner car,” he said.

Full-service car washes that are not mostly glass can still reassure customers that their cars are in good hands by offering windows into the detailing area, or a video feed of the detailing area. Keeping customers informed as to the progress of their service makes them more comfortable with the business, said Hogue.

Creating a good customer experience that takes the entire family into consideration is another trend appearing in some areas. At Green Forest Car Wash, a jungle theme that features elephants spraying foam on the car along with cloths that look like leaves and the site decorated with rainforest themed items makes a routine task – washing the car – fun for children. “We’ve heard from parents who say their children ask to go to the car wash,” said Knott. “McDonald’s has successfully marketed its restaurants by appealing to children, so this not only makes sense but also sets us apart in the market.”

Because more customers are environmentally conscious, it is important to let customers know that your business is as well. Although many car wash owners use reclaimed water in their businesses, Knott was one of the first in her area to use an aboveground reclaim system. “This is a more environmentally sound approach because I can spot leaks before water goes into the ground, and I am not disturbing the ground by burying a system,” she said. Owners moving toward above ground systems are finding them more cost-effective during construction and throughout the life of the system since maintenance is easier.

While it is simple to build the most current systems and designs into a new building, there are still actions an owner can take to modernize an existing building, Hogue said. He offers these four tips:

• Update signage to provide clear directions and to reflect current or more modern typefaces and graphics.

• Reskin an older building with modern materials that improve appearance.

• Demonstrate how eco-friendly your business is by reclaiming water and using light emitting diodes (LED) lights – then tell your customers how you are doing your part to protect the environment.

• Landscape the site by emulating retailers in the area.

Technology continues to evolve

According to Essenburg, there are more car wash design changes coming in the future. While incorporation of building design and technology that supports multi-tasking already enables fewer employees to manage a car wash is available, the use of software residing on tablets to control the equipment, adjust or override system commands and allow the employee to be mobile rather than tied to a specific spot will continue to expand, he says.

Owners will also continue to face space limitations as they purchase sites. “We will see more owners thinking outside the box to handle space constraints,” said Hogue. “One example of a trend that may grow is equipment rooms on the second floor of the building.”

Technology that produces energy cost-savings will also continue to grow in popularity, says Knott. “Although most people assume water costs are significant in a car wash, my power costs more than my water,” she said. “The ability to program soft starts, the use of variable frequency drives and the option of adjusting timing to fit needs will all become standard in new car washes.”

While it is important to stay abreast of innovations and new trends in car wash design, Hogue offers a warning. “Customers are concerned about having a clean car, which is why they go to a car wash. Car wash operators are often focused on the equipment and the processes that produce a clean car, rather than the entire customer experience, but they need to take an overall view of their business,” he said. “Owners need to look at every aspect of the site, the building, the waiting areas and the tunnel from a customer’s perspective. Make sure the areas the customer sees are attractive, clean, inviting and modern.”