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Trash Cans
- Thread starter Flamingo
- Start date
DiamondWash
Well-known member
Earl Weiss
Well-known member
Good luck with this idea. Please report back on the success.
Kevin James
Active member
Trash cans!! There nothing more Unprofessional/unappealing to drive into a car wash and see a bunch of old 15 or 30 gallon soap drums with the tops cut off or a 55 gallon drum turned upside down with a hole cut in the bottom being used as a trash can. What other businesses can you think of would use an ugly old soap drums as trash cans, I can’t think of any professional businesses that would.
Fatboy769
Living the American Dream
Spoken from a true professional! I've used 30gl drums for the past 12 yrs and judging by the buisness, don't think it has hurt me any.
Last edited:
Earl Weiss
Well-known member
FWIW I used the old drums for 20+ years.
Have switched to regular cans because I think it looks more professional.
I find May advertising has the best prices.
I use these.
http://www.mayadvertising.com/shop/detail.cfm?pid=237
I also put an eye Bolt in the edge of the vac Islands and a 4 ft Bungee goes attaches to the Bolt crimped at on end and hooked with the other. Keeps them from blowing around when empty.
Have switched to regular cans because I think it looks more professional.
I find May advertising has the best prices.
I use these.
http://www.mayadvertising.com/shop/detail.cfm?pid=237
I also put an eye Bolt in the edge of the vac Islands and a 4 ft Bungee goes attaches to the Bolt crimped at on end and hooked with the other. Keeps them from blowing around when empty.
jprb
Member
I have thought about reducing the number of trash cans on the lot. I added the extra cans because people would just pile trash on top of the lids when the cans on the vac islands got full, leaving more mess to clean up. Has anyone removed extra cans and actually reduced the amount of trash left at the wash?
When I bought my wash a few years ago it had a couple 55 gallon drums sitting outside the bays in addition to the cans with the domed tops in the vac bays. It was the dumping grounds for half the trailer park behind me. I got rid of the extra 55 gallon cans and started ripping people just dumping and not buying and my trash has went way down.
mjc3333
Member
Less cans in some cases means more of a mess. It depends on where you are located and what concept the customer has about trash and littering.
I have lids that are locked onto the cans (55gal) with a hole about the size of a coffee mug, obviously enough for "regular" car garbage, but not any other type of trash.
Once they fill the can, they proceed to dump their trash anywhere and everywhere. They feel they have the right to do it no matter what.
Time and time again, customers feel that whatever fits in their car is "on the list" as car wash trash.
That said, having some kind of lid that restricts how much trash can be stuffed into the can all at once does help in the long run.
Before I had the lids, the cans were wide open. That was when it was a free for all with tons of house garbage. The lids definitely cut down on the house “bagged” garbage. Now, I still get every now and then a customer who breaks open their house garbage and disposes it one piece at a time.
I have lids that are locked onto the cans (55gal) with a hole about the size of a coffee mug, obviously enough for "regular" car garbage, but not any other type of trash.
Once they fill the can, they proceed to dump their trash anywhere and everywhere. They feel they have the right to do it no matter what.
Time and time again, customers feel that whatever fits in their car is "on the list" as car wash trash.
That said, having some kind of lid that restricts how much trash can be stuffed into the can all at once does help in the long run.
Before I had the lids, the cans were wide open. That was when it was a free for all with tons of house garbage. The lids definitely cut down on the house “bagged” garbage. Now, I still get every now and then a customer who breaks open their house garbage and disposes it one piece at a time.
lighthousecarwash
Active member
I just bought 2 new cans for the front vac islands at my wash. I did have 4 open topped cans and the trash was overwhelming. I remember someone on this site saying that a top with a hole in it would cut down on the trash. I first installed my security cameras so I could catch anyone trying to steal my new cans, then switched out the 2 in the front and left the original ones in the back. I cut a hole about 6 or 8 inches in diameter in the lids and set them out. I was amazed! People can't just drive up and toss all their crap out the window and drive off now because they can't get it into the little hole without it bouncing all over the place. I used to come to the wash and see 4 trash cans overflowing, now I see 2 nice neat cans in the front that are about half full and 2 overflowing cans in the back. I now empty the front ones every other day instead of twice a day. I am going to get the back ones replaced as soon as I can. I occassionally get some household trash from someone pulling off the top and dumping, but not near as much as I used to. If I start getting a bunch of trash bags again, I will install an eye bolt and get some bicycle cable locks and go through the lids and down to the eye bolt so they can't take the top off.
Thanks,
Lighthouse.
Thanks,
Lighthouse.
