Steam Cleaning Bays Explained

Any vehicle cleaning that produces water run-off onto the ground during a cleaning process has to be performed in a clearly marked area, away from public drainage systems. The ground must not be uncovered, it has to be sealed, and the water used has to be properly disposed of. This is why it is referred to as “bays”.

Additionally, any vehicle that needs to be steam cleaned has to have an effective and environmentally friendly way of removing the waste water. Vehicle steam cleaning can use a lot of water and to avoid run-off, vehicles that are being cleaned have to be cleaned in a walled steam cleaning bay. This means the water run-off is contained and can be properly disposed of and the hot steam cannot drift into other areas.

Environmentally Friendly

This careful separation of waste water from steam cleaning from normal surface water drainage ensures that there is no pollution from any steam cleaning done in bays. The bays are designed so that waste water is isolated using drainage gutters, sloped surfaces, and raised kerbs. The waste water is also directed to a silt trap then either stored for reuse, or collected in a sealed system for environmentally correct disposal.

This means that steam cleaning is also really beneficial for the environment because it uses no chemicals, and the ingrained oil and dirt are removed by the power of steam in an extremely eco-friendly way.

Reduced Water Volume

But steam cleaning is about to become even more acceptable to the environmentally conscious. The new varieties of steam cleaners entering the market use significantly less water than before. The new super-heated steam generators can clean a vehicle even more effectively than before and the greatly reduced volume of water needed limits the amount of waste water to be disposed of.

Of course as all cars, vans, commercial vehicles, tractors etc that need to be steam cleaned are obligated by law to be processed in a steam cleaning bay.

Cleaning to the Highest Standard

And why is the deep and effective cleaning of steam necessary? High quality finishing and spray painting require immaculately clean surfaces, and this is what steam cleaning provides. All dirt, brake dust, traffic film residue and oil is completely removed, and the car is cleaned to a very high specification. It just doesn’t get any cleaner than this.

All those grease encrusted areas will be sparkling clean, so repairs can be done quickly and efficiently, while the vehicle looks almost brand new.

Our dedication to operating an eco-friendly operation is highlighted by our closely following all the regulations for ISO 14001 – we always adhering to the standards imposed by correct environmental management.

We are proud to have accreditation from the Vehicle Builders and Repairers Association, and all our staff are fully qualified, either trained with City and Guilds or through gaining NVQ qualifications.

So don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at J Radford Group, we’re always happy to give you more information about our steam cleaning bays and how they can help your vehicles.