If you are planning on starting a mobile detailing business, then you probably have already come across the question, where do mobile detailers get water from? After all, large auto detailing tanks don’t refill themselves! Unless running a waterless operation, water just so happens to be the cornerstone of making mobile car detailing business run.
There are several avenues to make getting water a much more seamless, clean, and overall quicker experience
Where Can Mobile Detailers Get Water From?
The Customers Themselves
Believe it or not, it is not uncommon practice to bypass buying a tank and use the customers’ water instead. Keep in mind that not all customers will be “happy” about you using their assets. But generally speaking, the majority do not care if they are disclosed about this beforehand.
Mobile Detailers can communicate requirements by using a booking system which asks customers about their access to water. Software like fieldd allows businesses to customize booking questions, ensuring you know where you can get water from and ensuring customer understand your need for access to their assets.
Fire Hydrants
Yes, you read that correctly; you can use a fire hydrant to fill up your auto detailing tanks. However, before you see this as a green light to help yourself to the town’s water! Keep in mind that you must register your mobile detailing business with the water department to gain permission to hydrants. You will likely be required to use a meter with each use and be charged per cubic foot. Something to keep in mind is that most fire hydrants have built-up debris because they do not get used often. So be mindful to let it run for a minute or two to clear that out before filling up.
At Home
Finally, you can refill your tanks and get the water you need on your own dime and time at home. Now, you can use a standard hose, but you want to kick your quality and speed up a few notches by going with a portable deionized water system instead. These machines are usually around $300. The deionized water will significantly help with reducing hard water spots and upholstery stains. In short, it will be a bit of an investment, but worth the opulent outcomes you gain in the end.
PS: Keep in mind that you do not need to deionized water for the entire mobile detailing service. You can use standard tap water for most of your work. But if you do the final rinse with deionized water, you’ll be able to gain that spot-free result
Summary – So Where Do Mobile Detailers Get Water?
In summary, there are a few different ways you can get water for your auto detailing business. Whether you decide to invest in your own tank and generator or leverage your customer’s resources, both are effective options to get your mobile car detailing services off the ground and help you scale over time. It all boils down to what your objectives and initial budget are and what your goals are for both the short/long term. Whatever your setup is, invest in the right tools/gear to achieve quality results, and the right customer infrastructure for open communication.
