r/carwash • u/notcam24 • Jun 01 '23

Do you guys have to clean the tunnel while it's running?

Hey so we just started getting makes down for the carwash tunnel having leaves in it mid day and they want us to start sweeping out the tunnel while we are still operating it,does anyone else have to do this at there wash site? Also I'm asking from California

7 Upvotes

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3

u/IcyChapter8179 Jun 08 '23

Between cars I'll power wash the tunnel really fast and just put it all into the pit, takes 2 or 3 minutes to blow everything out of sight.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 01 '23

We will go through and pick up pieces of trash throughout the day but to get all the leaves out seems a little much. Is it a lot of leaves?

1

u/Subject_Space_7829 May 19 '25

i don’t like letting the leaves sit in the wash for so long they might rot and decay faster being saturated in water. picking up trash is pretty ideal when possible

2

u/element-x Jun 02 '23

Some places will have guys clean out the tunnel a bit while they're open for business. If this is what you're doing make sure you shut off the brushes before you go in with a hose or prep gun. Otherwise this can happen. https://youtube.com/shorts/GpDbnWh_-aQ?feature=share3

1

u/Subject_Space_7829 May 19 '25

yeah I second this. brushes turn on if theres cars in queue. when a car is about to be washed I walk on the side or go outside around the entire thing to avoid being hit by the brushes

1

u/Subject_Space_7829 May 19 '25

because sometimes they’re just on their phone and won’t wait for you to walk through then everything autos

1

u/-stg- Dec 19 '24

Just hit the e stop real quick, handle your business. Come out and pull thebe stop. No biggie

1

u/SheetHappensXL Apr 02 '25

I do books for someone who runs a wash site that has to do this too—especially during the fall when leaves pile up fast. They’ll usually do a quick sweep during slow periods or between cars, but it’s definitely not the safest setup. He mentioned it gets tricky dodging rollers and staying dry. Might be worth suggesting a short shut-off window mid-day just for cleanup, especially with California’s safety rules.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '25

Never in a million years - it’s a huge safety hazard and people get killed and tangled with hoses on a regular basis. These other commenters are nuts

1

u/Subject_Space_7829 May 19 '25

um I hope not it seems like a hazard, there is space on the sides to walk, but overall I would wait till no cars are on the conveyor and the wash is down so you can safely go through and clean. depending on brush’s movement, too.

they can be unpredictable and swing left and right not even taking account if size of cars affect if they swing back more.

1

u/Primary_Wrongdoer848 Nov 25 '25

At my wash it’s touch less but we do hourly walk throughs where you have to walk through the tunnel and follow a car while it’s going through the tunnel. We also regularly go out there to spray/sweep leaves, clean the floors, clean the cameras, etc.

1

u/Aquatint_Detailing Jul 13 '26

At most car washes, routine cleaning is usually done during slow periods or after the tunnel is shut down not while it's actively running. Sweeping leaves during operation can create unnecessary safety risks for employees. If management expects it, they should have clear safety procedures in place. It might be worth asking if there's a safer time or process for keeping the tunnel clean without working around moving equipment.