With the current desperate water crisis facing Windhoek and the entire country, businesses are desperately looking at alternatives to water consumption, particularly those business that are water intensive operations. The is exactly what Alain Joubert found when he purchased the country rights for Green Machine, a waterless car wash technique that is proving a hit with motorists in Windhoek.
Joubert started the Green Machine operations in Windhoek in December last year and testifies that it is a sustainable business model that quickly provides the operator with healthy returns. The technique uses a harmless, water soluble wax that is sprayed on and wiped off with a micro-fiber cloth. The system uses minimal water and does not pollute the water system. In fact, Green Machine actually uses about one litre of water per sedan vehicle and this water is only used to rinse the cloths used in the process. This is an astronomical savings compared to a conventional carwash that is estimated to use an average of 50 to 60 litres per vehicle. Even at a conservative estimate of 50 litres per vehicle, conventional car washes that wash 50 cars a day will use at least 2500 litres of water.
“Many customers, particularly car dealerships, are quite skeptical about the system. Many have expressed concern about their vehicles being scratched and some do not believe a waterless system can do a thorough job at cleaning their cars. However, we guarantee the waterless system will not scratch any vehicle,” said Joubert. He explained that the soluble wax used in the cleaning uses an emulsifying process that literally lifts the dirt of the vehicle. This dirt is then just wiped off using an eco-friendly micro-fibre cloth. “Even the cloths we use do not contain any harmful components,” Joubert added.
Joubert is now making Green Machine available throughout the country for other carwashes to make use of the advanced technology. Each fully-fledged Green Machine, including wax for 400 vehicles, can be bought for about N$35 000. This might seem like a massive investment for a carwash but Joubert is adamant that this investment can be recouped within a relatively short time. In addition, Joubert has designed a smaller version of the Green Machine, called the Green Machine Rucksack, that is ideal for smaller carwash businesses. The rucksack, can be bought for about N$3300 while entrepreneurs can select the size of the chemical kit they need. Here entrepreneurs can select a chemical kit for 400 vehicles or one for 200 vehicles.
“Training on how to use the system is provided free of charge. It is imperative that new owners of the technology undergo training to ensure the product is used correctly,” Joubert stressed.