Steam Car Wash equipment

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dannys415

New member
Hello all,

Has anyone seen or heard of a steam car wash system? I used it for my mobile detailing business and would like to hear some opinions. It's great because I don't have to worry about reclaiming water or pulling a trailor. All I need is about 10 gallons of water and I'm set for the whole day. It does a great job on exterior (awesome for wheels) and I go straight into interior to remove stains, kill odor in carpet, clean door jams, and any other place that's hard to reach.

I'm really considering expanding my business plan with these machines. I've spoken to a few people in the auto detail industry but I want to throw out the idea to you all to get as many opinions as possible...to see if I've missed anything. Thanks in advance for your valued input.

Dan
 
hey dan,

I have heard of people using steam cleaners recently and they were just raving about how easy it is to use it. Could you tell me where I can find one that I can lug around? I live on Guam and they only have the household models. Please let me know. Thanks.

Pat
 
I'm familiar with steam cleaning of interiors and engines but not on the exterior paint . How about a web site on this ?
 
dannys415 said:
Here's a demo...
......Let me know what you think......
Click to expand...
Wow, that's a steamer! Looks great for wheels, engines, nasty door jambs, etc., but I don't know about doing a whole car with that. Looks like the guy spent a lot of time just doing the hood and his towel got pretty dirty. Seems like it'd be faster doing a regular (or QEW) wash, plus I'd think that would pretty much strip off any sealer/wax that was on the car.
 
Yeah, I had my doubts myself but after trying it out, it's awesome. The guy in the demo took his time on purpose...but it's much faster. And it's not as hot as you may think. If you focus in one are for a long time, it may take off sealent but no more than a soap and water wash. You can wash about 15 to 20 mid-sized cars with 5 gallons of water and...no chemicals! No need for reclaiming systems or trailers or water tanks. Thanks for the input!

Dan
 
Eliot Ness said:
Wow, that's a steamer! Looks great for wheels, engines, nasty door jambs, etc., but I don't know about doing a whole car with that. Looks like the guy spent a lot of time just doing the hood and his towel got pretty dirty. Seems like it'd be faster doing a regular (or QEW) wash, plus I'd think that would pretty much strip off any sealer/wax that was on the car.
Click to expand...

my thoughts exactly... MELT THE CARNUBA WHY DONT YA'
 
That video is pretty good . After your first post I did some searching on google . This process of cleaning seems to be big in China , I saw complete drive through washes using steam. The mobile type units I found aren't cheap ($8,000- $5000) and used only 2 quarts of water , much less then the 5 gallons per car mentioned here . I can see a use for these types of units but the price needs to come down as it will over time .
 
It doesn't use 5 gallons per wash, that's how much the water tank holds. Actual use per car is about 8 to 10 ounces. Yes, it is very popular in Asia but it's also in Austrailia and Canada. The concept is still very new but I think once it's marketed properly, it will put a slight dent in the car wash industry. As far as cost, how much does it cost for a mobile trailer with all the fixings and a reclaiming system, much more than $5k - $7k for sure? And if consider how versatile it is, it's really a bargain.
 
dannys415 said:
As far as cost, how much does it cost for a mobile trailer with all the fixings and a reclaiming system, much more than $5k - $7k for sure? And if consider how versatile it is, it's really a bargain.
Click to expand...


Sorry I don't agree with this thought . If your buying a trailer , you decided you need something that big to hold all your equipment regardless . Its far different then spending $5000 to $8000 on one piece of equiment such as this steamer . You still need other suppiles and equipment to detail cars . Either way your going to need a trailer or truck for your equipment .

There's plenty of pros doing deatils with QEW type products and all you need are towels and a few gallons of water. Like I said earlier I can see a use for these types of units but the price needs to be more affordable . Im sure in the future it will be .
 
I have heard of steam cleaner for the inside detailing aspect too but not for exterior clean. Thanks for the link to the website, very interesting method.
 
I personally use my VX5000 steamer all the time and it totally rocks..
But I still use other things inside too..

My Female Clients always like to know that I am steam cleaning and to a point disinfecting a lot of the areas their little ones spill, etc., in their cars...

Using it for outside would require a lot more horsepower in terms of psi and then all the gear that goes with that machine..

Since I was a little kid, we always used Steam and the hottest water to clean car engines and especially underneath and all the brakes to knock of as much gunk as possible. Even very hot water is way good to clean and start things coming loose that need to be removed...
Dan F
 
Wow old thread revival. My fear with exterior steam cleaning would be the amount of lubricity available to avoid scratching.
 
Todd@RUPES said:
Wow old thread revival. My fear with exterior steam cleaning would be the amount of lubricity available to avoid scratching.
Click to expand...

What about combining a waterless car wash spray with the steam? Spray panel first with waterless wash and then proceed to steam wipe the car.
 
since this was resurrected I should add that my good friend in the car club uses a steam cleaning guy who has some $10k steam machine and he gets the outside of his yellow challenger done frequently....it is marred terribly
 
512detail:
What would cause the marring, except improper drying techniques (like using an old cotton bath towel) or perhaps not having clean paint surface in the first and then wiping it dry? (when I say not having a clean paint surface, road residue from dirt or clay driveways/roads can adhere to a paint surface and require physical agitation with a wash media (sponge/chenille pad/boar`s hair brush) to remove... just saying)
 
Marring can also be caused during the wash process itself such as using unsafe washing media and not flushing the paint thoroughly throughout the washing process
 
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