Should I Clean My Own Car Wash Pits?

Whether you own one or dozens of car washes — cleaning their pits is a crucial part of their success. Failing to maintain your car wash pits can lead to odors, a clog, and other issues that will keep your car wash from performing its best. However, cleaning car wash pits is a stressful, dirty, and time consuming job.

While washing your own car wash pit will save you money, it could actually cost you more in time and repairs down the line if it’s not done right. If you’re considering cleaning your own car wash pit, take a look at our three recommendations to fully understand the job you’re about to endure.

Prepare Yourself for the Dirty Job

The pit of your car wash is filled with sludge, debris, and car runoff from every vehicle that’s ever been washed at your car wash. This car wash waste will sit in the pits and develop foul odors that your customers will smell. Cleaning your car wash pits regularly is the best way to prevent those foul odors as well as ensure that your car wash is in the best condition it can be.

But be warned — it is a very dirty job. The sludge that you will pull out of your car wash pit isn’t something you can just throw away normally. Any and all sludge has to be tested before it can be taken to a local landfill, as there could be mercury and arsenic within it.

Be Aware of the Risks

Because the sludge from your car wash pit can contain mercury and arsenic, there are a lot of risks that you and your employees are put it when you attempt to clean your own pits. The waste has the potential to be harmful if it comes into contact with whoever is cleaning it, as well as harmful for the environment. Because of this potential risk, it is crucial that you take your car wash pit cleaning seriously.

Another risk is how you dispose of your sludge. Again, most landfills require testing before your sludge can be disposed there. If you dispose of your car wash pit before testing it, you’re putting you and your business at risk for a legal issue.

Understand the Time Commitment

Managing and running a car wash business is a huge time commitment itself, so adding the task of cleaning a car wash pit onto a business owner’s already busy schedule can feel impossible. But the fact of the matter is: your car wash pits have to be cleaned regularly or your car wash will develop odors and not be in its best condition. Regular maintenance of anything has to be prioritized, meaning you might find yourself in a situation where you don’t have time to do other necessary business practices, such as marketing, customer service, and hiring.

Recognizing where your strength lies is a huge part of being a business manager. Hiring a company to clean your pits successfully, legally, and regularly will relieve you of the regular stress that is keeping you from putting your best foot forward.

When looking to hire a pit cleaning crew, be sure to consider these three preparations as well. How do they clean your pits? How do they dispose of the sludge? How often will they come by? How will they help you if there’s an emergency pit-related incident, such as a clog due to waste build-up?

At Pit Crew, we clean your pits safely and effectively. We don’t dispose of the debris, we destroy it, which is better for the environment. We also offer 24-hour response for those car wash pit emergencies, as well as a customer satisfaction guarantee. With over 18 years of experience, we bring car washes safe, cost-efficient, and effective pit cleaning services all along the East Coast.

We truly love partnering with car washes and helping their business thrive. Let’s work together — contact us today.