Washing during the pandemic

Does washing with the standard programmes at BKF car washes support antiviral prevention?

Here we can clearly say YES. The products we use at our car washes contain surfactants which, just like soap, destroy the lipid envelope of the virus.

Can we therefore say that the standard washing programmes at a car wash disinfect? We do not know the answer to that question. We have no studies confirming at what concentration and after how long the virus is destroyed. Such studies are carried out only for products used in medicine.

What we can certainly confirm is that washing at a car wash supports disinfection and antiviral prevention and reduces the risk of the virus being carried on the car body. Using strongly alkaline products at a higher concentration enhances this effect.

Using strongly alkaline products at a higher concentration supports antiviral prevention

Is it worth using other disinfectants / biocides at car washes, e.g. based on hydrogen peroxide?

There is no car wash product on the market that has been tested against coronaviruses. Industrial products, such as those based on hydrogen peroxide, were developed mainly to fight fungi and bacteria. Studies and tests show that thorough hand washing is more effective in antiviral prevention than using a disinfectant. By analogy, the situation may be similar here.

What we do know about hydrogen peroxide-based products is that they are strong oxidising agents. In plain language, they damage a wide range of materials, such as paintwork, rubber, plastic parts, aluminium and many other materials used in cars.

The paradox is that the higher the concentration and the potentially better the effect, the greater the risk to the car body and rubber parts.

That is why BKF, although such products are available from its suppliers, has decided not to add them to its offer until the risk of damage to cars has been clearly assessed. We have already started talks on this with a leading chemical manufacturer.

How can I encourage customers to use the car wash in these difficult times?

BKF car washes have a pre-wash spray programme. We recommend using a strongly alkaline product in it, e.g. Turbo Max shampoo. If you have a foam programme instead of turbo, it is worth using the same product there too. It will foam less, but it will work much better.

You can tell your customers that washing the car "supports antiviral prevention" thanks to the alkaline products with surfactants that work in the same way as soap.

What payment methods should you offer customers to keep things safe?

Contactless payment solutions come to the rescue. They are available at most BKF car washes, where customers can pay by bank card or with the BE LOYAL app. Mobile payments significantly reduce the risk of coronavirus infection, because there is no contact with cash.

The BE LOYAL app minimises the risk of infection at the car wash

Our statistics show that between 1 and 15 March the number of new users of our app grew by as much as 155%.

When can customers come to the car wash?

Remember that where movement restrictions apply, customers may need a valid reason for travelling to the car wash – check the rules issued by your local authorities. In Poland, at the time of writing, such reasons included for example:

• using the car for business, e.g. taxi drivers, couriers, hauliers, sales reps, service technicians, lawyers, etc.,
• a car so dirty that the number plate and lights cannot be seen – if the owner has to drive to the shop anyway, they can wash the car so as not to create a hazard,
• returning from a high-risk area, a hospital, etc. and wanting to disinfect the car.