Solving a Unique Cleaning Challenge with the Right Custom Chemistry

One of Howco’s most challenging projects occurred in 2021 when we engaged with a small touchless car wash chain with very high standards in the mid-Atlantic region. One of the chain’s wash locations was experiencing difficulty finding the chemistry to produce satisfying wash results for its customers and do so at a reasonable price-point. When a Howco cold call introduced us to the chain’s owners, their time and cost committed thus far to solving the mystery of poor vehicle cleaning and drying had proved frustrating and not financially feasible. 

Howco embraced the challenge and began testing various chemical combinations to produce the required excellent wash experience. Over several months, the dilemma continued to prove formidable. Determined to find the source of and a solution to the difficulty, Howco sent multiple samples of soil taken from local vehicle surfaces to various chemical manufacturers, working to discover what was uniquely problematic at this wash. 

 Soil sample testing finally revealed that the airborne fallout from a nearby industrial enterprise was adhering to car paint and proving tough to remove via the normal touchless car wash process. 

 With this knowledge, Howco worked with its partners to develop and perfect a specially formulated hybrid of car wash chemical products to create an effective, efficient, and affordable solution to successfully address the issue. Further, the wash chose a TRUE-VUE chemical management system supplied by Howco to distribute the new chemistry combo, allowing real-time monitoring from any web-connected device. 

 The opportunity to collaborate with our customer and vendors to diagnose and solve the predicament and produce a stellar car wash result proved interesting, exciting, and quite gratifying.