Watch This Before You Buy a Self Serve Car Wash - Tips from an Experienced Owner

In this video, we're going to teach you about the benefits of owning and running your own self serve car wash. We'll discuss the proper equipment and strategies to run a successful car wash business.
Buy the Handi-Clam I used in the video at the link below. I recommend the 6' version
amzn.to/3FhNnLa
Before you buy a car wash, make sure to watch this video! We'll share with you everything you need to know about self serve car washes, from the basics to the tips and tricks of successful ownership. Thanks for watching, and we hope you find this video helpful!
I opened my first car wash last year after almost one year of updates and remodeling. After finally getting the doors open I have learned a lot about the intricacies of the car wash business especially on the technical side. Its fun and I enjoy it but at times it can be a "Dirty Job."
After some heavy use and some muddy winters my drain pits are filling up with silt and residue from the cars that have been washed. Once those pits get full there are two options. Pay a company to pump them out or get dirty myself and start bucketing. Its really not that bad if you have some help but there are some interesting smells and gunk in there.
If your interested in talking about car washes or scheduling a consultation call follow the link below which will also direct you to my TikTok videos.
linktr.ee/therevestor
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[@jimzocco6365]

As a carwash owner, been through all that, put an old sock around the dewater pump it will not plug up as fast and pump the water when it has sat for a bit so the solids drop out. Glad to see your coming along, stick with it the hard work pays off.

[@therevestor]

Glad to hear from another car wash owner!

[@Munizjr1986]

I stop in Wednesday’s and Sunday’s to clean my pits. I’m here looking for different options on doing the job. So far my method has been working. I rinse the floors then bucket and shovel what I can. Only when I miss a day does it accumulate.

[@mykatawato2043]

At our wash, we always dig and dump our own pits. We have 5 bays that drain to 4 centrally located pits that are hot tub sized within our second bay. I recommend doing it yourself and not having a sewer company service them. We had a company do it before and I think they just mixed up the sludge and dumped it back into our pits. We dig them by hand and dispose of the buckets. We are a green wash and do not allow any degreaser or engine washing. We use only biodegradable professional CW-safe products that are environmentally sound. Best to keep your sludge disposal regimen on the down low just in case your local yokle agencies are sticklers for telling you what to do and how to do it. Get what I mean? I also recommend getting some local labor help to dig out your pits every 2 months. It is pretty affordable done this way and saves your back. I also recommend adding sugar and yeast as well as other probiotic sump products to eat some of the sludge to keep it cleaner with less slime and sludge buildup. Let the microbes eat some of it! Good luck!!!

[@therevestor]

The sugar and yeast is an interesting tip I will have to give that a go as I can smell our pits sometimes. Thanks for watching!

[@gregtomamichel973]

As a carwash owner, I shovel my own pits. We are a particularly muddy wash, so cleaning mud from the bays and shoveling pits is a big part of our routine work.

[@thelegendthetruealpha]

I started watching your videos about a year into a new job at a multiple sight car wash co. (Best decision ever) maintenance tech. I am blown away at how fast you learned everything and the quality of the craftsmanship in the execution of solid decisions.

[@therevestor]

Thanks Chris for your comments

[@thelegendthetruealpha]

We TRY to pump them out once a month. It’s best to get them about 3/4 full or less. Every location has different pit sizes but I can do 6 pits a day on average. If they get too full, I’m lucky to get 2 done in a day.

[@thelegendthetruealpha]

When they back up it gets sediment in your pipes and causes major issues down the road

[@carwashreviewsandmore7609]

Nice to hear coming from someone coming into the car wash industry blind. LOL!

[@therevestor]

Yup always gotta keep in mind the downsides

[@Sohailali1]

Didn't know what was in those pits. Now we know.

[@therevestor]

Yes you do!

[@thelegendthetruealpha]

If your going to own a car wash, you gotta have a pit pump. You can even find another small ma & pop wash owner to go in halves on a good pit pumper. Like a Ring-O-Matic 750. You gotta have a pit pump and you would be shocked how many still hire a crew. It would save so much valuable time month after month after month and so on for an infinity

[@therevestor]

I wish I could find a couple other car wash owners to split one with me.

[@normalcarwash]

Hopefully will be closed on my carwash by the end of the month. Love this content! After watching, I would have called the vactor truck after about the first 20 minutes :-D haha

[@therevestor]

Great. Did you finish closing?

[@normalcarwash]

@@therevestor Yes!! I closed on it two weeks ago. 5 self-serve, 2 in-bay automatic.

[@CP-ok1gv]

@@normalcarwash you mind sharing your journey, maybe the price and/or negotiation tactics, and up front costs, maintenance/improvements?

[@brianlangley4043]

i used a shovel for the first 2 years of owning my carwash , i got tired of the hard labor , i ended up buying a used 328 bobcat (trackho) & trailer for 14k , works great and takes only about 5 mimutes per pit and about 10min total if you count washdown time

[@andrewsmall6568]

This is my type of heavy labour 😄

[@therevestor]

Some day I aspire to be at that point haha!

[@SpeakerSnake]

I could see a small couple hundred gallon tank + pump so you could pump it yourself being worth it long term. Throw it on an old trailer

[@seekingthetruth304]

Exactly what I was going to say. Get a high-capcity water pump, a generator and an enclosed tank on a trailer and just suck all that stuff out into it. You can easily buy all that stuff used.

[@therevestor]

I am thinking through this and getting the tank drained might be the issue here unless the drain valve was 2" plus

[@thelegendthetruealpha]

I’ve been pumping pits all day and will do it again tomorrow but everything is pumped out and Pits are out my life completely until there ready to go again.

[@therevestor]

How often do you have to pump yours?

[@956Sparkys]

There are some pumps that are called mud pumps, maybe invest on those, other than handy tools that are not worth contractor use

[@therevestor]

I have heard of that as well but dont know enough about them to buy one.

[@joseph.shammami9525]

Hey. The. Revestor. I. Love. You 😘😊🙏❤️

[@therevestor]

Thank you again!

[@DavidMadeira29]

I agree, especially when you're holding it by a car that just passed to someone else...

[@therevestor]

Sorry I lost you in that comment

[@newviewnc]

What does a company typically charge to come out and suck out the bays?

[@loganmcgee1869]

My uncle bought his carwash in 2007- we have a 4 bay single trap/pit system. Meaning three bays have pipe drains and the one on the end has a big trap. We use to pay arpund 2-300 every few months to get em sucked out. Now, since i got on the lease during covid, the estimate was 1500 but they said it's because that is their minimum. They only do 1000 gallons an up. We shovel it out, but sometimes use a harbor freight $100 utility pump

[@MrTacoma]

Do you think that sludge is mostly motor oil?

[@therevestor]

Im sure theres some oil in there but for the most part its just dirt and debris because it does dry out over time in my trailer.

[@genedougherty4729]

Use a sump 😮

[@therevestor]

Yes I will get more heavy duty pump on the next go around.