Evidence of the power of water is all around us. The Grand Canyon, for instance, is the result of erosion by millions of years of contact with a fast-flowing torrent. Nearer home, the world-famed Victoria Falls are retreating steadily northwards – again the result of erosion by water. Under sufficient compression and directed into a fine jet, water is able to cut through stone almost effortlessly.

The same principle is widely applied, although at far lower pressures, in these powerful and highly efficient modern cleaning machines.

Typically, a unit will consist of a water storage tank that doubles as a compression chamber. The actual compression is provided by a motor which may be powered by a battery or some version of the internal combustion engine.

Once the required pressure has been reached, the water may be directed onto the surface to be cleaned using a narrow-bore, hand-held tube, known in the trade as a wand. The pressurised water is released by activating a trigger. Interchangeable nozzles provide a narrow or wide jet depending on the surface or item that needs attention.

The jet dislodges any mud, dust or grit from all surfaces even with a cold water machine. However, where the dirt is more stubborn, some units are equipped with a heater for extra cleaning power. On very greasy or oily surfaces, the heat alone may still not always suffice. For these situations, specific detergents or solvents may be added to the water to improve its grease-cutting properties and some models are fitted with the means to feed these agents directly into the stream as and if required.

Compressed water is a highly effective tool that saves many hours when compared with conventional cleaning methods. ITS Africa can advise you on all industrial and domestic cleaning tools, and supply industry-leading high pressure washers.

At one time, if asked to make a list of their car wash cleaning equipment, most would have responded with items like buckets, sponges, squeegees, chamois leathers, buckets and hoses. Today, a growing number of vehicle owners are likely to produce a list of just two items; a chamois or soft cloth and a high pressure washer.

A shampoo with added wax may well take a lot of the time and effort out of restoring your vehicle’s shine but even this will be a wasted effort if, before it is applied, the surface of your car is not thoroughly clean and free of grit and dirt that, otherwise, may lead to severe scratching of your paintwork.

The garden hose may be of some help if your mains water pressure happens to be reasonable but, where the build-up of dirt is heavy and in those out of the way places like the wheel arches, it is unlikely to be effective and will almost certainly need a bit of sponging to help matters along and even this is quite likely to cause scratches.

For many, of course, the task of sprucing up the family motor is delegated to the local carwash. Here to, there has been a shift away from the more labour-intensive cleaning practices of the past with all of the preliminary cleaning, shampooing, rinsing and sometimes drying being provided by means of these pressure washers. The outlet may use individual units or centralised compressors that provide the pressure needed to operate several hoses and that are able to introduce a wax shampoo into the cold water jet when required.

More sophisticated systems may employ a mobile gantry system that makes several passes over the vehicle to perform each stage of the cleaning process in sequence.

When the time comes for attention to the interior, steam extraction cleaners leave upholstery hygienically clean, and dry and a quick wipe over of the dashboard is all that remains.

Kärcher offers a full range of quality car wash cleaning equipment for home, commercial and industrial use.

If you’re setting up a car wash, cleaning equipment will be high on your list of purchases. The precise need will vary with the expected throughput of the operation but will consist of units for washing the exterior surfaces of the car and smartening up the interior.

The starting point must be a suitable high pressure cleaner. In its simplest form this may be a portable unit with a water tank of suitable size; small for minimal traffic but larger for a busier facility. The larger tank prevents the need to refill it too often and so speeds up the service.

This type of cleaner normally works fine with cold water since modern detergents are highly efficient, making operating costs lower. Hot water and higher pressure models are available if your client-base is likely to include a lot of off-road vehicles, bakkies, trucks and the like but you will need to charge a little more for your services.

Fixed installations of pressure cleaners with centralised compression will require specially constructed premises but are ideal for busier operations.

When considering how to tackle vehicle interiors, the industry offers some alternatives. You can choose from conventional high power, high-capacity vacuum cleaners or equally powerful spray extraction cleaners.

The perfect solution is definitely to combine the use of the basic vacuum cleaner with that of a spray extraction unit, often referred to as a steam cleaner. The former is ideal for picking up sand, grit and other visible detritus from all of the interior surfaces.

The extractor’s spray penetrates deeply into the pile of the carpets and upholstery, after which the dissolved dirt is then sucked clear immediately. The result is that these fabrics are left deep-cleansed and perfectly dry in all weathers. Since clients are often in a hurry and may be deterred by long waits, this could be the perfect tool with which to improve throughput and turnover.

Clearly, the correct choice of car wash cleaning equipment will be of vital importance to the success of your business, so consult the experts at ITS Africa.

In a country as water poor as South Africa the use of Astroturf for sports fields and public areas has been steadily increasing as the legislation governing water usage has tightened and municipal rates for water consumption have increased. Today manufacturers of equipment designed to keep Astroturf in peak condition and appearance such as Horger Astroturf Equipment are extremely active in South Africa. These companies have made some of the most advanced Astroturf care products in the world available to the South African market.

The Horger range of Astroturf cleaning equipment is designed to make the cleaning of artificial grass surfaces as trouble free as possible. The self propelled Horger Astroturf cleaning system ensures that the artificial grass remains as pristine as the day that it was first laid by removing dust, pollen and humus that can contribute to the growth of algae, moss and mould. The growth of these organisms can impact not only on the appearance of the Astroturf, but can also cause health problems amongst users of the artificial ground covering. Inadequate care of the Astroturf can also cause hardening and less water permeability, affecting the lifespan of the product.

By using Astroturf cleaning equipment from Horger such as the Horger artificial turf cleaner SKU Trac 1200 users of artificial grass surfaces can ensure that the turf remains safe for use at all times. Neglecting the upkeep of the Astroturf can cause the surface to become extremely slippery, greatly increasing the risk of injury.

Horger Astroturf equipment can be used to vacuum up the filling material, such as sand or granules or even a mixture of both, filtering and cleaning the material and then setting the turf upright before returning the granular material to the turf. By using Horger equipment to ensure that the Astroturf remains in excellent condition users can make certain that the turf is both pleasant to look at, as well as safe to use.

The recycling and treatment of dirty water featured in vehicle washes and commercial high-pressure cleaning is often legally stipulated.

The reclamation of waste water is not only eco-friendly but also perfectly suited  for vehicle wash plants with a water demand less than 10,000 l/h.

The WRP 10000 ensures effective reclamation of oil free waste water (hydrocarbons up to 5 mg/l) without using any harsh  chemicals.

Kärcher recycling systems make it not only possible for you to meet legal requirements and standards but also considerably reduce consumption and costs for fresh water and cleaning agents. This means a savings of up to 85% of fresh water and cleaning agents.

Read more…

• provide appropriate services to meet customer needs, at prices economic to both parties
• employ competent staff and make them effective through training and the provision of suitable equipment and materials
• respect competitors within the spirit of free enterprise
• promote the Industry through professionalism at all levels
• comply with the statutes and the Association’s constitution and to be open to audit in order to ensure compliance.

The use of hot water high pressure cleaners has grown steadily since the concept of using high pressure water jets to clean soiled surfaces gained commercial viability in 1950.

Today units similar to this have found widespread applications in both commercial and industrial fields and Kärcher, the pioneers of this innovative cleaning technology, remains the industry leader having developed a wide range of these machines and other cleaning equipment that together offer a range of powerful solutions to address any imaginable cleaning task from commercial car washing to valeting Jumbo Jets.

Choose the Right Pressure, Temperature and Detergent Options

While cold water models also have their uses, the use of hot water is particularly effective for the really dirty jobs and, where a surface may be soiled with oil or grease, models that permit the user to introduce a suitable detergent into the jet are also available.

Task Size also Important to Your Choice

To a large extent, it is the area to be cleaned that is likely to prove most important to identify the precise model needed to tackle a given task. For localised cleaning jobs there is not likely to be a great deal of need to move the unit very far so a static model is quite likely to be adequate and will involve a smaller outlay.

As soon as the soiled area becomes fairly large, as in the case of a warehouse floor or outdoor parking area for instance, it may prove far more practical to purchase a mobile unit. It will save time and result in far less operator fatigue. Powered by mains electricity, battery or petrol for outside use, these units also provide the larger water capacity required to reduce the constant need for refilling. They come in a range of capacities to match the size of the job.

Static or mobile, petrol or electric, of large capacity or relatively small, designed to operate at modest or superheated temperatures, there are hot water high pressure cleaners suited to almost any commercial or industrial cleaning task.

*Subject to the terms and conditions.
To find out which types of products from Kärcher will be most suited to your specific cleaning requirements
Contact us for a quotation or free demonstration.

The demands of industry in terms of its cleaning needs far outweigh any domestic requirements both in their scope and in the challenge they often present. In the environments associated with healthcare, pharmaceutical manufacturing, food processing and large retail operations, the required standard of cleanliness alone is often far beyond anything than can be achieved in the home with the domestic strength devices at the homeowner’s disposal. Other industries may experience soiling and contamination that could be hazardous to workers. Only the power of industrial cleaning equipment is sufficient to meet these challenges.

Industry’s clean-up tasks often involve large areas and, frequently, only a limited time in which to complete them. The tools for these tasks are typically far more powerful than their domestic cousins and, because of their size will often need to be self-propelled. In this category, both walk behind and ride-on units designed for various cleaning tasks such as sweeping, scrubbing and polishing offer the ideal means to provide the high standards required and to do so quickly.

Industrial-strength dirt may need extra-tough measures on occasions and high pressure washers and steam cleaners will often be the most effective solution while also being useful for penetrating those less accessible areas that are prone to gather detritus.

Accidental spillage is a constant possibility in many industries and can result in health and safety risks unless quickly and thoroughly removed. High power vacuum units are available to cope with all manner of materials including thick sludge and even inflammables. In this respect, vehicle mounted units offer the means to deploy the facility quickly to wherever it may be needed, especially in outdoor locations as the vehicle also provides power to the unit.

In summary, today’s range of tools designed to meet the cleaning needs of industry is extensive and has applications in hospitals, banks, hotels, airports, railway stations, manufacturing plants, power stations, shopping malls and even on the high street.