Using nanotechnology and one litre of water, Greenline Clean aims to clean cars more economically

Since June, car cleaning company Greenline Clean in Oud-Beijerland has been owned by 19-year-old Reinier Scherpenisse. He took over the business from the previous owner and continues the existing Hungarian franchise formula, which focuses on environmentally friendly techniques.

On a business park in Oud-Beijerland in South Holland, car cleaning company Greenline Clean is located. Owner of this company is 19-year-old Reinier Scherpenisse, who took over from the previous owner in June this year. “Ever since I was young, I have had a passion for cars. When I bought myself a beautiful white Saab, I loved cleaning and polishing it at my grandfather’s car company. At first, I did this mainly with my own car, but later this expanded more and more to cars of friends and acquaintances. When I heard through my grandfather that this business was for sale, the ball started rolling.”

Green franchise formula

Greenline Clean is originally a Hungarian car wash franchise that opened its doors in the Netherlands in autumn 2023. This was done at the time by Katalin Krüzselyi-Biezepol. She was already familiar with the concept and believed that the ‘green’ way of car washing, which Greenline Clean claims to stand for, has the future in the Netherlands. Personal circumstances forced Krüzselyi-Biezepol to stop working, after which she put the business up for sale on the condition that the new owner would continue the concept.

“And that was no problem for me,” says Reinier. “On 11 June I received the key, but two weeks before that I was already making preparations, such as obtaining the Greenline certificates to work with their products. On the premises itself, I did not change much. Upstairs is a coffee area where customers can sit quietly while I clean their car. Downstairs is fully equipped for car washing and polishing.”

Nanotechnology

Cars are cleaned by hand by Reinier using a specially developed nanotechnology-based cleaning agent, which is 99.9 per cent biodegradable. According to GreenLine Clean, nanotechnology is a technology in which the detergent’s molecules crawl between the dirt and the surface. This loosens the dirt from the surface, which is then removed with a cleaning cloth. “Hard scrubbing is not necessary here,” says Reinier. “So basically, I only use a spray can of cleaning agent and a micro-cloth. In addition, I use significantly less water than with traditional washing methods. A carwash – depending on the type – can use between fifty and one hundred and fifty litres of water per wash. And even if you wash the car yourself at home, you quickly lose ten litres. With the method I use, I only use one litre of water. That makes it environmentally friendly and efficient.”

So although Reinier says he uses significantly less water, a cleaning takes more time than in a traditional car wash. A standard cleaning, where the car is not too dirty, takes half an hour on average. For polishing a car, where a thin layer of paint is removed to repair light scratches, dull spots and blemishes, he takes a whole day. “It’s not taking a storm at the moment, but I get all the bookings in via an app. In this, customers can book appointments up to a year in advance. I offer three standard packages: Easy, Premium and Pro. In addition, customers can choose additional services such as interior cleaning, polishing or wheel treatment. The app also records how much water I use and serves as a control: I have to upload before-and-after photos of the cars I clean. This allows them to see in Hungary what happens, but it also allows you to show a customer that, for example, a scratch was already on the car and that it was not caused by me.”

Text continues below the photo.

Polishing bridge

One of the investments Reinier made recently is a polishing bridge. As a result, he no longer has to bend his knees daily to clean the underside of cars, but can hoist them up. He is also experimenting with new services, such as cleaning convertible roofs. “I have yet to try that out a bit because I haven’t done that before. A customer asked if I could do that and together we made good arrangements to test it out and together we made good arrangements to test it out.”

As the company is still relatively small now, Reinier hopes to grow in the future. For now, the focus is on quality. “Since the start, there have been no complaints and customers go home satisfied. I still test a lot and want to keep improving my service. Maybe in a few years I will move to bigger premises and start working with staff. That would be nice.”

Also read:

• ‘Fuel sellers overlook carwash as profit maker’
• Splashy start in the carwash business
• Shell petrol station in Middelburg gets new Basic Wash location