Cleaning the undercarriage of your vehicle regularly is crucial for the long-term health of your car or truck. A vehicle’s undercarriage is exposed to dirt, salt, rocks, ice and the de-icing chemicals used to clear roads of ice during the winter.
Regular exposure to these elements can cause harm to the undercarriage and the vehicle parts that the undercarriage secures, such as the axles, brake lines, exhaust systems and transmission.
For commercial vehicles, such as trucks and lorries, cleaning the undercarriage regular is more important as these vehicles spend much longer on the roads than non-commercial cars and vehicles.
In this blog, we’re going to outline why undercarriage cleaning is important for your commercial vehicles.
Undercarriage Cleaning Prevents Corrosion & Rusting
Some of the elements mentioned above, particularly salt and de-icing chemicals can corrode the undercarriage of your vehicle when left for a long time.
During the winter months, salt will stick to the metallic components of the undercarriage and attracts water, which will speed up the oxidation process, causing the metal to corrode and rust. Similarly, the de-icing chemicals used within the salt and grit can cause further damage. Cleaning the undercarriage regularly will ensure the safe removal of salt and other components.
It Prevents Overheating
A vehicle’s engine and transmissions reach high temperatures when it is on the road. To maintain a healthy vehicle temperature, heat is dispersed through the undercarriage. This cools down the engine and transmission and prevents overheating.
However, if the undercarriage has a thick build-up of dirt, grime and salt etc., heat may struggle to pass through. Overheating can cause severe engine damage and can lead to costly repairs.
It Allows Effective Drainage
During the rainy months, water that is collected within a vehicle’s components travels to the bottom of the vehicle and is drained through holes in the undercarriage.
If an undercarriage isn’t cleaned regularly, these holes can get blocked with dirt, grime and salt, preventing the water from draining. If the water can not drain, it may pool in another area of the undercarriage and cause the metal components to rust. Undercarriage cleaning ensures that the drainage holes are always clear so that water can escape.
Prolongs Vehicle Life
If you have a fleet of commercial vehicles, such as trucks and lorries, you will understand the importance of prolonging vehicle life. Having just one vehicle off the road for repairs can have a huge impact – slowing down business and resulting in loss of earnings. Plus, vehicle repairs and maintenance are not cheap.
Regularly cleaning your commercial vehicles (including the undercarriage) can prevent damage to the underbody parts of the vehicle, so you don’t have to fork out for repairs or new parts. Plus, the undercarriage is often visible on some trucks and lorries. Having it cleaned will demonstrate professionalism.
The Importance Of Professional Undercarriage Cleaning
You can clean the undercarriages of your fleet vehicles yourself. However, without the correct equipment and products, you may unintentionally cause harm. Some vehicle cleaning products available on the market use harsh chemicals that can cause corrosion. Plus, buying the correct industrial equipment and products can be a huge investment for a fleet company.
Having your fleet vehicles professionally cleaned is usually the best option. Professional fleet cleaners know how to carefully and methodically clean a vehicle’s undercarriage without causing further damage.
Professional Fleet Cleaning
At LPW Europe, we provide professional fleet cleaning services across the UK. We have over a hundred Mobile Fleet Wash units currently operating across the UK. An LPW Mobile Fleet Wash unit will visit your site, wherever you are located, and professionally clean your vehicles.
Our team arrive fully equipped with everything they need to get the job done. Including industrial pressure washers and superior caustic- and solvent-free ISO 9002 detergents that are safe to use. They also have a water containment and disposal system allowing them to take the dirty water away and dispose of it.
The LPW Fleet Wash team can visit at a time that best suits your business. And if you have multiple sites across the country, we can visit all of them whilst sending just one simple invoice.
Alternatively, we have LPW Truck Wash sites dotted in convenient locations across the UK. Check out our locations here – we may have one at a truck stop near you. Your drivers can take their vehicles to the LPW Truck Wash and have them professionally cleaned.
Or if you have an in-house team available to clean your fleet vehicles, check out our Online Shop. We provide industrial pressure washers, traffic film remover, detergents and screen wash.
Get in Touch
LPW Europe is the leading fleet cleaning company in the UK with almost 50 years’ worth of experience in fleet cleaning. If you have any questions about our services, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call us on 01708 463400 or email us at info@lpweurope.com.