Totally agree. The goal we figured is to get customers to realize that just because something is in their car does not mean they can throw it away at the carwash. Have you had any success or tried locking the trash can lids as well as making the hole around 10 in in diameter? We also hope they will eventually realize that if it can't fit, we don't want it.
Car Wash Forum
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Trash cans are gone
- Thread starter sparkey
- Start date
When I had trash cans all the lids were locked and the opening was reduced to 6". This helped a little but some people would just lay their trash on top if they couldn't fit it in the can. Since I removed all the trash cans I may find trash laying around once a week. I figure its the same people who don't respect your property whether you have trash cans or not. Some people will throw it on the ground if the trash can is right in front of them. Its the liberal mind set. Everyone owes them something for free.
kentadel
Active member
I removed the trash cans at a site and haven't looked back. I have a dumpster and will often find customer's trash in it which doesn't bother me a bit. Cleaner lot now, with no dead fish, counter tops, diapers, windshield wipers, undelivered newspapers, car batteries, drywall, paint, bags of dog poop ( I think)...you all have been there. Revenue is still good.
Remodeling a site now and will relocate the vacuum area. Cans will be removed, but I will have the dumpster nearby and available for vacuum users.
Times have changed. I have people that just pull in to empty trash and not use the vacs. That didn't happen much at all years ago. I see a lot of scratch tickets and unopened mail.
Remodeling a site now and will relocate the vacuum area. Cans will be removed, but I will have the dumpster nearby and available for vacuum users.
Times have changed. I have people that just pull in to empty trash and not use the vacs. That didn't happen much at all years ago. I see a lot of scratch tickets and unopened mail.
Following up on this old thread--- those of you that pulled cans off the lot, are you still happy with that decision?
Since covid, everyone is eating in their car. I have a location in a shopping center that is two lots down from a Chick-Fil-A. Since I am obsessed with watching car wash video, I check frequently and see about 50% of vehicles just dumping their fast food trash then leaving. I have just about had enough. I am thinking about pulling the cans at this location. So I may lose a few customers, but I can get rid of the dumpster at $120 per month.
The majority of business at this location is the two touchfree bays anyhow, and those folks are not dumping trash. I can at least give it a try for a month or so.
Since covid, everyone is eating in their car. I have a location in a shopping center that is two lots down from a Chick-Fil-A. Since I am obsessed with watching car wash video, I check frequently and see about 50% of vehicles just dumping their fast food trash then leaving. I have just about had enough. I am thinking about pulling the cans at this location. So I may lose a few customers, but I can get rid of the dumpster at $120 per month.
The majority of business at this location is the two touchfree bays anyhow, and those folks are not dumping trash. I can at least give it a try for a month or so.
MEP001
Well-known member
My "customers" sit in their cars in the bays to eat and throw the trash out the window on the bay floor, so having/not having trash cans wouldn't affect that. Now I just run them off the lot. I'm literally so busy now that I can afford to lose them if they do regularly wash, and about a third of the ones I run off for doing stupid still come back and end up apologizing because all the washes around me are crap.
We eliminated our garbage cans for a short while. They’d throw their trash on the ground around or on the vac island and then the wind would blow it out into the street. After 2 tickets for littering we put the cans back in. We didn’t have to pay the $500 fine, we ended up going to municipal court and told the judge that it wouldn't happen again and we’d police up any trash that blew out of the car wash. Still 5 hours of our time sitting in court was punishment enough and waste of time.
MEP001
Well-known member
I've always had that problem to some extent, but it's definitely gotten a lot worse in the last year. Used to be once a month or less, now it's several times a week.
Say what?? Where would this be? I know our country appears to be going that way, but I didnt know such lunacy existed already!? If I lived in that place I would take the effort to deliver all the trash to the city hall... It is public trash and a public service after all in that case.
In the city we have to have garbage service. It's added to our water bill. If you don't want it your still going to pay for it.
Since we aren't there all the time. We have a problem with homeless people coming and sitting in their cars in the bays for hours at a time. We ran a motor home out of the car wash on Friday and he got just out on the street when it caught on fire.
Attachments
traveler17
Well-known member
Holy Crap!! Impeccable timing
Yes, I pulled my trash cans well over a year ago. I will never go back. I haven't seen any decline in income. Matter of fact income was up last year. I still have a dumpster on site for my trash and the little bit I find laying around. If I see a regular customer with trash in their hand I tell them to pull the lid up a little on the dumpster that is chained shut and dispose of their trash and explain to them why I don't have cans anymore. I find trash laying around maybe once or twice a week. The best part is I don't have people sitting at my vacs for 40 minutes at a time digging all the trash out of their car, talking on the cell phone for 15 minutes then driving off. People who pull up to my vacs now are actual customers.
Kar B Kleen
Member
I have a couple of people that dig through my trash looking for a treasure or something who knows what. They clean up around the cans when they are done and compact the cans as part of our agreement that I won't run them off or have them cited for trespassing. They actually do a better job than my hired garbage man.
soonermajic
Well-known member
What the literal Blue hel??!!!
You are REQUIRED, to take the public's trash?!! That's in no way legal
Greg_T
Well-known member
Golly gosh, that's a bit too close for comfort. I hope everyone got out OK and that the wash is undamaged.
Never a dull moment hey Randy!
eckert16
Active member
Legal? Yes, your city requires you to have a license, inspection, etc just to operate amongst other requirements... trash receptacles at a carwash is another.. SHALL..be provided...which in legaleze is MUST. Yes, it's in the city code, under "Car Wash" amongst other requirements for the 'privilege' of being able to operate a car wash...
6. Trash receptacles shall be provided and routinely emptied to prevent the scattering of litter, and the applicant shall furnish and implement a working plan for the cleanup of litter and debris.
6. Trash receptacles shall be provided and routinely emptied to prevent the scattering of litter, and the applicant shall furnish and implement a working plan for the cleanup of litter and debris.
My results from the trash can pull since March 12th: Great move! The first couple of weeks, there was a bit more on the ground but overall the place looked better because there was not crap overflowing out the tops of all the cans. The ground litter has decreased significantly over the past 4 weeks, and I HAVE NOT SEEN a reduction in vac revenue.
My other location about 1/4 mile away has seen an increase in overall trash, but with this there has been an increase in vac revenue. So, I am not 100% sure the increase in trash relates to increase in revenue from other place, or it is just the overall increase in business we have been experiencing in the past few months. This location is fully attended, so the trash issue is more manageble as someone is there to take care of issues.
My other location about 1/4 mile away has seen an increase in overall trash, but with this there has been an increase in vac revenue. So, I am not 100% sure the increase in trash relates to increase in revenue from other place, or it is just the overall increase in business we have been experiencing in the past few months. This location is fully attended, so the trash issue is more manageble as someone is there to take care of issues.
