Manual cleaning equipment
Cleaning machines for washing by hand
High pressure cleaners do most of the washing. Steam cleaners handle interiors, sanitising, and exterior work where the waste water has nowhere to go. These are two different jobs, not a choice between two machines.
Where it fits
Every wash bay still needs a lance in it
An automatic wash cleans the outside of a car in a few minutes. It does not reach the engine bay or the inside, and it works best on a car that has had the heavy dirt taken off first.
So these machines are not what you buy instead of an automatic wash. They are what stands next to it. And on a site washing only a few cars a day, they are the whole wash.
- Pre-wash and finishing work alongside an automatic wash
- The whole wash, where volumes are low
- Engine compartments and interiors, which no automatic machine touches
- Workshops, service bays and fleet depots with no automatic plant
High pressure cleaners
The machine that does most of the washing
A high pressure cleaner is the main machine for cleaning a car by hand. Water at pressure lifts road dirt, mud and grease off paint, wheels and chassis.
Three jobs account for most of its work.
- Pre-wash before an automatic wash. The heavy dirt and grit come off first, so the automatic machine finishes a cleaner car.
- Engine compartment. Close, detailed cleaning in a tight space, with hot water where there is grease.
- The whole car by hand. The sensible route when you wash only a few cars a day and an automatic machine cannot be justified.
Steam cleaners
For the inside, for sanitising, and for when the water cannot drain
Steam cleans with heat rather than volume. It uses very little water, so there is very little run-off to collect afterwards.
That solves three problems a pressure lance cannot.
- Interior cleaning. Seats, trim, carpets and vents, cleaned without soaking them.
- Sanitising. Hot steam treats the surfaces people sit on and touch.
- Exterior cleaning where discharge is the problem. Sites with no drain, no interceptor, or a limit on what may leave the site can still wash the outside of a car.
Which machine
Match the machine to the job
Start from the work in front of you rather than from the machine. Most sites that clean cars properly end up with one of each.
| The job | The machine |
|---|---|
| Pre-wash before an automatic wash | High pressure cleaner |
| Engine compartment, detailed | High pressure cleaner |
| The whole car by hand, low volumes | High pressure cleaner |
| Wheels, arches and chassis | High pressure cleaner |
| Floors, parts, plant and machinery | High pressure cleaner |
| Interior cleaning | Steam cleaner |
| Sanitising | Steam cleaner |
| Exterior cleaning where water cannot be discharged | Steam cleaner |
In this section
Pick the machine family
Both are trolley machines built to run every day. Tell us the work and we will size the right one for it.
Professional High Pressure Cleaners
The main machine for washing by hand. Pre-wash before an automatic wash, engine compartments, and the whole car where volumes are low.
Read moreSteam Car Wash Machines
Interior cleaning and sanitising, and exterior cleaning where water discharge is restricted. Electric and diesel fired.
Read moreUsed in
Where these machines work
Automotive
Workshops, service bays, detailing and car care.
Transport fleets
Bus, truck and taxi depots cleaning between shifts.
Manufacturing
Machinery, tooling, parts and shop floors.
Food industry
Wash-down of surfaces, equipment and floors.
Agriculture
Tractors, implements and sheds.
Construction
Plant, small equipment and site cabins.
FAQ
Manual cleaning, answered
We already have an automatic wash. Why would we buy a high pressure cleaner?
For the pre-wash and for the engine bay. An automatic machine gives a better result on a car that has had the mud and grit taken off first, and it never touches the engine compartment or the inside. The lance covers what the automatic wash cannot.
Do we need both a high pressure cleaner and a steam cleaner?
Most sites that clean cars properly do. High pressure does the washing. Steam does the inside, the sanitising, and the outside when the water cannot be discharged. They cover different jobs rather than competing for the same one.
We have nowhere for the waste water to go. What then?
Steam. It uses very little water, so there is very little run-off to collect. Where a site has no drain, no interceptor, or a limit on discharge, steam lets exterior cleaning carry on. Tell us the constraint and we will tell you what is workable.
Do we need hot water on the high pressure cleaner?
It depends on the dirt. Cold water is fine for mud and dust. Grease and oil come off far more easily with heat, which is why we supply hot as well as cold machines. If the work is mostly greasy, ask us before you settle on a cold model.
Do you supply spares and service?
Yes. These machines are sold to be kept running, and wear parts are stocked for the ranges we supply. Tell us the model and we will confirm what is held.
Talk to a KKE Wash Systems specialist
Tell us the cars, the dirt, how many washes a day, and where the water goes. We will recommend the right machine and share pricing.