Ultra-concentrated chemicals have been available in the car wash industry for a long time. There was never a surprise that manufacturers want to sell and ship the smaller containers and the wash owners like the smaller footprint as well, there was always one underlying problem, they sucked! They were so thick and hardly sold, they would sit in the back corner of a warehouse for years, or so it seemed. They clogged tips, you had to add water just to get the chemical to pull. This time it worked, the next time it didn’t.
From what I understand ultra concentrates previously had been artificially thickened, additionally powdered dyes were also too common in the manufacturing of the chemicals. This would lead to the products thickening up over time and turning into gel as the water evaporated in the product or it would be so thick that it would clog metering tips or foot valves. The old ultras were just more headache than they were worth.
I have to say I was always a skeptic of the ultras from having a bad taste using them early in my car wash career and I never liked the idea of having to add water or mix due to the terrible inconsistencies of the end user. Whether it be water quality or just the chance of spilling it all over the place, and anyone who has ever spilled triple foam knows exactly what I am talking about. I always wondered why people would add water when you can simply just use a smaller tip. Well, the reason was because you had to break down the consistency of the product, how annoying. Who has this kind of time, and is it worth saving a couple of bucks to give yourself the headache.
It wasn’t until following our latest recession and gas price hike that Lustra Car care products had really taken the idea of the ultra-concentrated product and completely revamped it. They came up with a line of ultra-concentrates as well as the use of powder alkaline in order to reduce shipping costs and get away from the hazardous shipping. They created an easy to use system that a grandmother could follow and brought the ultra concentrates back to life.
With the advancement in the industry with liquid dyes and new chemistry practices “ultras” are ready to be put back on the shelf. Since the Ultra-concentrate revamp, just about every chemical manufacturer has some type of system in place. Finally ultra concentrates that kept their consistency and with a system to put them in place. Ultra concentrates are now available for all types of machines and equipment and especially should be considered if you have a small equipment room or like neat and orderly.
Not only are they easier on shipping from the manufacturer to the consumer, they have a much smaller foot print and are more eco-friendly than anything on the market. Most important of all, they work. You can often replace 8 plus products for the space needed of three to four 55 gallon drums. No one wants to lug around 55 gallon drums anymore and it is time to get on board.
