Car wash modernisation

Why should car washes be modernised?

Money is the main argument. If your car wash no longer makes a profit and you keep putting money back into the business, it is time to decide what to do next.

Do you own a car wash in an excellent location and have money to invest? BKF has a solution for you. The first option is to replace the whole old car wash with a new one – as we did. The second option is to upgrade part of it by exchanging the washing technology and adding new wash programmes.

To encourage you, we will show you our own example and the results we achieved in just 3 months after such a replacement.

The main benefits of a modernised car wash

For us the most important one is energy savings, because they mean better financial results for the car wash business. The second, equally important, is fewer unwanted breakdowns – service costs are negligible for the next few years. Other advantages include greater attractiveness, better washing quality and a wider choice of wash programmes. All of that brings in more money – and remember that well-managed costs combined with a higher turnover mean higher profits for the car wash owner.

The next significant argument is convenience: remote access to the data generated by Carwash Manager via mobile apps. This solution provides many opportunities for monitoring the condition of the car wash and helps with business analysis. Alarm notifications are not a novelty – they are our standard! With the Carwash Manager app you always know what is happening at the site, no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Business customers. You can win them over with the BE LOYAL mobile app: they not only pay for their wash conveniently with their phone, but also receive an invoice automatically. Is looking after business customers a challenge for you? With the BE LOYAL app everything happens by itself. Thanks to the modernisation you can also drop inconvenient loyalty cards in favour of paying with the app.

How did we upgrade the car wash in Szczecin?

In 2022 we decided to buy the oldest car wash in Szczecin. Despite its outdated technology, it had been operating since 2002. Unfortunately, the cost of repairs, frequent breakdowns and problems with spare parts led to repeated closures of bays. The cost of those failures was unacceptable.

Our goal was to upgrade the car wash. We began by planning the replacement of all old washing technology with new car wash equipment. We also replaced the whole construction with a new one – Lumi!

The new equipment:

• container
• washing technology
• software
• money changer
• vacuum cleaners
• booms
• lances and other accessories.

Along with the devices, the software changed too. Modern car wash software that enables remote operation, plus many convenient functions for managing the car wash day to day, makes it an ideal tool for every car wash owner.

With the new software the car wash owner can remotely, among other things:

• top up loyalty cards
• change chemical dosage
• switch the car wash or individual bays on and off
• generate financial reports
• monitor traffic at the car wash
• check the cash level in the money changer
• and much more.

Besides the equipment, the design was replaced as well. The attractive openwork attic of the Lumi construction is our standard, and we built another car wash in Szczecin under it. As with our other car washes, we relied on RGB LED lighting to make the car wash visible from a distance. This is particularly important in the evening: the changing lighting is distinctive and highly visible, so it attracts customers' attention.

How much money does the car wash generate after modernisation?

As you know, the location of a car wash has a significant impact on its revenue. This 4-bay car wash is located in the centre of a large Polish city, close to a big housing estate, apartment blocks and a shopping centre. There are 2 petrol stations and a car service at a large intersection nearby.

After modernisation the car wash generated twice the turnover! We estimate that the funds invested in autumn 2022 will pay back within the next few years.

Fleet customers have a significant impact on the turnover of our car wash. With BE LOYAL mobile app payments available at the car wash, taxi companies, couriers, transport companies and ride-hailing drivers are keen to use it. They accounted for more than 18% of all payments last year.

Are you interested in modernising your old car wash or just upgrading it?

If you are considering the future of your business – modernising, upgrading or replacing your car wash technology – please contact us. We have various ways to help you. See also our car wash modernisation offer.