The past year has definitely been a challenging one for the car wash industry what with the recession and the continued competition from hand washing operations, but things are looking up. Kevin Pay, managing director at Wilcomatic, says: "January was very poor in terms of wash volumes due to the unprecedented cold weather which disrupted much of February too. Since then volumes have improved and many weeks have seen positive growth year-on-year, a trend we hope will continue with the ongoing volcanic ash deposits and dry weather."

When it comes to running a car wash in the Noughties, it's all about image.

There have been SO many developments in car washes in recent years it would be easy to get left behind. The latest technology means that softer brushes, shiny new car wash enclosures and multi-coloured foam are all the rage. And with increasing competition springing up in non-forecourt locations, as well as the - sometimes illegal - hand wash operations, the days of being able to leave your car wash to take care of itself in the corner of the forecourt are long gone.

Car washing continues to offer some of the highest margins on the forecourt, but it's not without its challenges.

Car washes can offer retailers high margins of up to 80%, but many retailers don’t give the car wash the attention it deserves – perhaps because it lies outside the shop, which has become the focus of many forecourts these days. As a result, many machines aren’t being used to their full potential, with factors such as maintenance and inadequate marketing hampering what should be a straightforward profit generator.

Car washing offers the most impressive margins on the forecourt, but with retailers placing a greater focus on their shops, equipment is being neglected by many operators, according to UK car wash suppliers.

Fuel retailers may be losing share in the car wash market to standalone operators, but it’s not all doom and gloom for forecourts. There is some light at the end of the tunnel in the form of new legislation – and it’s not often that legislation comes in forecourts’ favour.