With summer in full swing, your wash process needs a few adjustments to keep up with the heat. These summer fleet wash tips will help you stay ahead of streaking, flash drying, and wasted product so your fleet looks the way it should.
As temperatures rise, the surface temperature of the equipment you are washing will increase as well. This can cause your detergents to react faster than they do normally, especially in comparison to cooler weather.
This faster reaction time means that detergents will 'work' more quickly than you're used to. There is also an increased risk of the soap drying too quickly on the surface. This can lead to streaks and spots that are difficult to remove. Most fleets treat their suggested dilution as fixed. It's a starting point, not a rule.
You might be familiar with how a low pH acidic formula can cause bright or 'white' streaks when applied too strongly or in hot weather, but this can also happen when using your alkaline, high pH soaps, causing the surface to brown.
[Pull Quote: Chemical damage from drying too fast can cost $5,000-$10,000 or more on a tanker or livestock hauler.]
Getting this wrong isn't just a cosmetic problem. A rewash costs extra time, water, and detergent. But real chemical damage from drying too fast can mean replacing an etched windshield ($500-$1,500), buffing and polishing wheels or fuel tanks ($500-$1,000+), or, on larger surfaces like a tanker or livestock hauler, $5,000-$10,000 or more. Vinyl graphics and decals can run $1,000-$5,000 to replace if the finish is damaged.
In hot weather, direct sun, engine heat, and road surface temperature combine to make a vehicle coming straight off its route much hotter than one that's been parked.
Try to wash before the fleet heads out or long after it's been parked so surfaces have time to cool. If you must wash a hot vehicle, cool the surface with cold water first to reduce streaking risk.
To reduce the speed at which the soap dries on the surface, we recommend using inlet (straight from the faucet) water temperatures or even using cold water while washing. Cooler water helps to keep the surface temperature down, giving you more time to work with the detergent before it dries.
If you're bringing your own water, try to keep it stored in the shade.
Instead of trying to wash the entire vehicle or piece of equipment at once, break the process into stages. This method prevents sections from drying out before you have a chance to rinse them. Focus on smaller areas, wash, and rinse thoroughly before moving on to the next section. This provides a full clean without the risk of detergent drying on the surface.
Whenever possible, schedule washing for early morning or late in the day, when temperatures are cooler. This helps manage equipment surface temperature and makes the job more comfortable for your team.
Some crews wash before sunrise or after sunset entirely, when the extra edge matters most.
Hot weather washing isn't just hard on your equipment; it's hard on the people doing the work. [Link: see our hot weather safety guide for the full signs to watch for and what to do.]
Hot weather is a good reminder that even small process changes, water temperature, timing, and wash stages can make a real difference in results. If you're curious whether your overall wash procedures are as efficient as they could be, our Fleet Wash Efficiency Audit is a good place to start.
Small adjustments now mean your fleet looks sharp all summer long.
Stay cool, stay safe, and happy washing!