Steam Car Wash equipment

[dannys415]

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

[delta]

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

[rollman]

I`m familiar with steam cleaning of interiors and engines but not on the exterior paint . How about a web site on this ?

[dannys415]

Here`s a demo...

http://68.122.199.62/download/productdemo.wmv

Let me know what you think.

dans@magicsteam.com

[Eliot Ness]

Here`s a demo...
......Let me know what you think......

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.

[dannys415]

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

[joyriide1113]

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.

my thoughts exactly... MELT THE CARNUBA WHY DONT YA`

[Premiere Auto]

Sorry about bringing this thread back to life.....anyone have any updates on exterior steam washing equipment??

[Ronkh]

Sorry about bringing this thread back to life.....anyone have any updates on exterior steam washing equipment??

http://www.detailcity.org/forums/aut...ior-steam.html

[RBell789]

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.

[Stokdgs]

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

[Todd@RUPES]

Wow old thread revival. My fear with exterior steam cleaning would be the amount of lubricity available to avoid scratching.

[jtriplet]

Wow old thread revival. My fear with exterior steam cleaning would be the amount of lubricity available to avoid scratching.

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.

[512detail]

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

[Lonnie]

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)