Streak-free perfection is absolutely key in the world of car valeting and detailing. With clients paying large sums of money, ensuring squeaky clean results is absolutely crucial for staying up with the competition. Buying pure water is an expensive and inefficient way to ensure clean water for valeting, and considering water filtration solutions can save efficiency and money in the future.
Why filter car valeting water?
There are a host of minerals and impurities in tap water, such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, copper, and iron. All of these impurities can leave marks on the paint/chrome or glasswork if it is used for the final rinse on the car.
Pre-washing
You can use tap water for the prewashing stage, although it is recommended to use a drying cloth as you go along. If the water is not immediately removed, it can lead to impurities forming a mark on the surface. They are tricky to remove and can damage paintwork if not properly dealt with. It may be worth considering using a filter for your water before this stage, saving time in the long run. Using filtered water removes the impurities from within the water that consequentially lead to the appearance of streaks and marks.
Final rinse
The final, pure water rinse is where the quality of the water is absolutely crucial. This is the final stage before it goes out to the customer, so this is where perfection is the only option. It is essential to use pure water for the final rinse. This is where all final soaps and cleaning water are rinsed off. Due to the contaminants found in water, the final rinse could leave grey marks all over the car if not done with pure water.
Using a reverse osmosis system is an efficient way to approach the situation. The only downside of using reverse osmosis is the ratio of wastewater to pure. However, the run-off wastewater can be used for the pre-wash, if properly dried off or diluted with pure.
The best solution?
A lot of car washes buy in pure water for this final process. Although this works and ensures proper procedure for the final rinse, it can present issues elsewhere, as well as a regular expenditure. Storage can be an issue in terms of space and keeping the water good. A better solution would be to invest in a water filtration system that suits valeting needs. A reverse osmosis (RO) system can ensure a regular supply of pure water that is readily available to car washes.
RO targets all contaminants in the water, and vastly reduces mineral contaminants such as calcium, magnesium, and TDS. Larger and bespoke units, such as a 4040 commercial RO system offer an industry-leading ratio of pure to wastewater (1:1 or even better).
