A total of 390 milliliters, more than the equivalent of a can of soda, it’s all Plazy needs to clean a car and leave it spotless. Behind this startup that is revolutionizing car washing there is the entrepreneur Davide Brea, who launched this project a little over a year ago to turn something as unsustainable as washing a car into a gesture of commitment and respect for the environment. “And without giving up effective cleaning and with the comfort of a home service”, Brea adds.
The ecological cleaning of vehicles at home stands out for its sustainability. Its main benefit is saving water, as it reduces its consumption to just under half a liter. Namely, saves 150 liters of water per wash, something that in the current context of drought makes a difference. «On Catalonia the drought pre-alert has just been declared, and the scarcity of water, with increasingly empty reservoirs, is beginning to be a reality”, explains the CEO of Plazy, who believes that betting on solutions that almost completely eliminate water consumption, more than an option, is a necessity.
From this point of view of sustainability, Plazy’s proposal presents another important benefit: CO2 emissions are eliminated, since it avoids the user having to travel with his vehicle to carry out the cleaning. “We travel to the address provided by the client with our electric vehicles, making sure that the service is zero emissions”. Currently, Plazy has an electric fleet with which it offers its services in almost twenty Catalan municipalities.
Plazy’s environmental commitment also extends to products used in cleaning: they are biodegradable and comply with all European Union standards for cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces without harming the environment.
Anywhere
Another advantage of this cleaning system is that it can be carried out in any location, even on public roads, since it does not generate liquid waste. The customer can ask Plazy for a cleaning service anywhere their vehicle is parked: home, workplace, gym, shopping center. And if the client does not want to or cannot be present during the cleaning, she can leave instructions for the delivery and collection of the keys. “The vehicle is protected by insurance contracted by Plazy, and at no time does it move from the place where it is parked”.
A) Yes, Plazy’s electric car becomes a full-fledged car wash. In addition to not needing water, no other type of energy consumption is incurred during the cleaning service, since both the interior and exterior of the vehicle are cleaned by hand. “And one of the advantages of manual cleaning is that it is more effective, since it allows you to reach places that you cannot in a car wash or with a hose.”
In something as low-tech as washing a car, new technologies can also play a fundamental role. “We clean cars, but we are a technology company, since our platform allows us to have a 100% controlled, effective and, above all, profitable operation.” Plazy uses a car wash input algorithm that takes into account several factors: customer availability, weather, travel times based on traffic, occupancy and profitability.
“What’s more, allows our plaziers to be autonomous, since the platform notifies them when they have to offer a service or replace the cleaning material, and automatically regulates their occupation so as not to exceed the permitted working hours”. Plazy’s technology also allows measurements to be made regarding the quality of the service, to detect what is being done well and where it needs to be improved. According to Brea, this allows them to have everything measured and controlled. In addition to contracting and paying for the service online, the client can subscribe to the washing service and Plazy notifies him of the next scheduled cleaning date.
