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Mobile car-washing cousins use steam for competitive edge

A newcomer to the Greater Victoria car wash and detailing scene is hoping to make a splash without using a lot of water.
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Adam Kittredge, left, and Blake Henwood of Superbath Mobile Carwash clean an SUV in a Victoria parking lot.

A newcomer to the Greater Victoria car wash and detailing scene is hoping to make a splash without using a lot of water.

Superbath, the mobile car detailing brainchild of cousins Adam Kittredge, 37, and Blake Henwood, 39, has been rolling around Victoria streets for a year now and is trying to set itself apart from the competition by using steam to clean cars inside and out.

“We are able to bring enough water with us to see us through a full day,” said Henwood. The partners use a self-contained van that comes with a tank carrying 70 litres of water, a small generator to run a vacuum cleaner and a diesel-powered boiler that turns water to steam to be dispersed at 115 pounds per square inch through a gun. “It will do as many as five cars,” said Henwood.

Henwood estimates they will use about 20 litres on a sport-utility vehicle, compared with an estimated

100 litres had it been washed by traditional means.

Kittredge also notes the environmental footprint of the business is further reduced by the fact they don’t use chemicals or soaps to clean vehicles.

“Steam is incredibly efficient for killing germs and odours without any chemicals. We are detailing but we are making it more affordable for folks and we’re able to do that because steam is really all we need. We don’t have to buy chemicals or shampoos, so our overhead is very low,” he said.

The company charges between $89 and $119 for an interior and exterior steam cleaning and vacuuming, with extra costs for waxing and work on tire rims.

They said other comparable local mobile services — firms that will clean and detail a vehicle at a home or office — range in cost from $155 to over $300.

Kittredge said they are targeting a market that doesn’t want a quick drive-through car wash, but also doesn’t want to spend hundreds and be without a car for a day.

“Our mantra is affordable detailing. We are really trying to get to busy parents and people like that who need this kind of service,” said Henwood.

The company offers online booking (superbath.ca), mobile payments and is working on developing a software application for smartphones.

“We want to use all of the convenience technologies. We want this to be something that is not a pain or a chore and something really convenient,” said Kittredge. “This makes life easier and so people will enjoy getting into their car.”

A year in, the company is busy, the men say, but admit they are still not paying themselves as they pump everything back into the business.

Kittredge, who plays in local rock bands Jets Overhead, Broken Strings and Thieves, said they are looking at expanding the business with a second truck likely in the next six months, and at some point they would consider offering franchises.