In Rhein-Ruhr Harbor - where there used to be a scrap yard — now sits one of Mr. Wash’s most modern and impressive car washes. Covering about 20,000 m² (around 215,000 square feet), the facility is the opposite of what one might expect to find in Mülheim an der Ruhr’s largest industrial area. It is bright and open — with glass walls that let in plenty of light, even in the self-service areas.
But, while the transformation makes the site almost unrecognizable from what it was before, a piece of its history has been forever preserved in the front
of the building, where a small section of the original railway track has been placed — a nod to the site’s history.
OWNER: Richard Enning
YEAR OPENED: 2025
SITE SIZE: 20,000 m2 (215,000 sq ft)
EXTERIOR WASH CAPACITY: 3,000 cars per day
INTERIOR CLEANING CAPACITY: 1,000 cars per day
CONVEYOR LENGTHS: Two wash tunnels, each 54 meters long (177 feet).
Two interior cleaning belts, 38 meters each (125 feet).
NUMBER OF CAR WASHES DAILY:
The exterior wash system is capable of processing up to 3,000 vehicles per day, depending on factors like conveyor speed and hours of operation. In the interior cleaning section, the conveyor runs at a constant speed. Here, the daily capacity depends on vehicle spacing (and corresponding available staffing) and opening hours. With the current operating parameters, about 1,000 vehicles per day can be processed there.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FEATURES
About 10,000 m² (107,600 sq ft) of the site is equipped with photovoltaic panels, allowing the facility to partially power itself. “We’ve also drilled our own well on site, helping to reduce the use of drinking water,” said Robert Kerbler, director of operations.
UNIQUE FEATURES
In addition to car wash operations, Mülheim is now a key technical hub for Mr.
Wash. “We’ve built a spacious warehouse on-site that houses our mechanical workshop, our spare parts inventory and even our company archive,” Kerbler said. “Most of our equipment is designed and developed in-house.” The new extra-wide conveyor belts are an example of this. They were designed for this site, make vehicle alignment unnecessary. “Cars simply roll onto the belt, and wide tires are no issue,” he said.
This is an excerpt of an article from CAR WASH Magazine.
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