Common Pit Cleaning Mistakes Made by Car Washes

How Successful Car Washes Clean Up Nicely

Many car wash owners make pit cleaning mistakes that they don’t even give a second thought. Chances are you’re probably not tossing and turning at night thinking about how you forgot to schedule a pit cleaning.

However, you will start giving those mistakes some more attention when they impact your business. If you’re failing to clean your pits properly it could close down your bays or result in government fines.

Don’t fall into an unreliable routine for your car wash pit cleanings. Pit Crew can help you avoid errors and poor maintenance practices.

Top 5 Car Wash Pit Cleaning Mistakes to Avoid

Shoveling

Whether it’s your standard shovel from the hardware store or a hydraulic pit cleaner you’ve spent thousands on, you don’t want to be scooping your sludge.

Pit cleaning can get messy. You don’t want sludge slung all around your facility. If you’re not properly hauling away your waste, you could end up with extra cleanup in the long run.

Whether you’re breaking your back or running an excavator, scooping out your sludge leaves behind lots of liquids.

Hiring a Septic Company

Septic pumping businesses do a phenomenal job clearing out your septic tanks. However, a car wash pit isn’t the same concept. The sludge and scum found in septic tanks contain very different materials than those in your car wash pit.

Your pits see a lot more mud and potentially hazardous materials that have run off from your car during the washing process.

Most septic cleaning companies offer pit cleaning in addition to a myriad of other services. They aren’t specializing in the car wash industry and lack the tools to provide the highest quality services. It can take more time or cost more for them to take on the task.

Septic companies are also likely to improperly dispose of your waste due to the car wash industry having different standards than imposed on other wastewater.

Dumping Sludge Illegally

Septic companies may be reckless with the disposal of your sludge which can violate laws and result in fines for your company. Curious about your state’s wastewater restrictions? Check out these guides to pit cleaning in your state:

• Indiana
• Michigan
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Ohio
• Kentucky
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina 
• North Carolina
• Maryland
• Georgia

Many business owners risk massive fines by trying to haul away their sludge without the proper permitting. If you want to remove pit dirt on your own, it often requires a very specific drying process before you can attempt to dispose of it. Some car wash owners sacrifice a car wash bay for multiple days while they wait for dug-up pit sludge to dry.

Ideally, you find a way to remove the sludge immediately and have it properly processed. This takes a lot of work off your plate and ensures you won’t accidentally break the law.

Paying Too Much for Cleanings

Most car washes outsource their pit cleanings because without the right tools and expertise, it can be a back-breaking chore. However, you’ll find a lot of septic cleaning companies also lack the right tools. Making it more labor intensive and inconvenient for them to handle your cleanings.

This leads to higher prices for car wash owners. If your pit cleaning vendor doesn’t understand your business model and specific needs, they’ll struggle to provide you with an efficient service.

By finding the right car wash pit cleaning solution for you, you can lower costs and up your productivity thanks to less downtime in the car wash.

Waiting Too Long

Did you know your car wash pits can become too full? That’s right, if you put off pit cleaning, you can end up with drainage issues. If your car wash is filled with mud or won’t drain, you’ll have to turn paying customers away.

Don’t risk this dip in profits. Get yourself on a regular pit cleaning schedule. If you have a spike in dirty cars coming through, you’ll also need an emergency pit cleaning plan.

Pit Crew can handle it all from easy scheduling, emergency responses, efficient pit cleanings and processing your waste safely. Give us a call to set up your next cleaning.