Venturing Into Car Wash Business

Owning a car wash can be a profitable venture if you have the right equipment and approach. It’s a business that will drive you to success if you’re passionate about cars and cleaning.

Car wash, also known as “automobile cleaning and detailing,” is a service that is really lucrative as there are a lot of car owners in Nigeria, who because of work stress are unable to do that themselves.

The International Trade Administration has reported that over 11 million cars are used in Nigeria.

According to online resources, the minimum capital required to start a car wash business in Nigeria hinges on your location and the scale of your business operation. The type and quality of equipment you plan to purchase will also influence your initial investment

Speaking on the required capital, a car wash business owner in Niger State, Muhammed Baba, said “I started this business in 2019 with just buckets, tire brushes, glass cleaners, water hoses, car wash brushes and cleaning towels with N50,000 but now, to get the same thing, you should be having over N200,000 if you have a space and if not, you will be looking at 400,000 and above.”

Also an online website, counsel noted that the estimated cost of starting a car wash business in Nigeria is between N500,000 and N5,000,000, this figure is tentative, and the actual cost can vary based on the unique circumstances of your business.

“For a small-scale car wash business employing basic equipment and operating in a low-cost area, you would need between N200,000 and N500,000. On the other hand, starting a large-scale car wash business equipped with standard automatic tools could require a multimillion-naira investment, given the high cost of these machines,” it stated.

Speaking on the location, a carwash owner in Osun, Sonubi Olugbenga explained that setting up a car wash space has to be in high-brow areas so you can attract better-paying customers.

He noted that his car wash business on the road side has been of good advantage to him as he washes 6-10 cars per day as he earns ₦5000- ₦10,000 daily and ₦250,000 per month.

Speaking on what he does basically, he further stated that he cleans, washes, polishes cars, dry cleans carpets, apply cleaning agents to remove stains from vehicle exteriors and interiors, wash tyres and wheel arches and blackening tyres.