Commercial forecourt cleaning
A forecourt is judged in the three seconds before somebody decides whether to come in. It is also the hardest surface on most commercial sites, because the soiling is oil, fuel, gum and traffic film rather than algae.
Why forecourts need hot water
Cold pressure moves organic growth. It does not lift oil, diesel film or chewing gum without using force that damages the surface. Hot washing lifts them chemically and thermally at lower pressure, which is both more effective and gentler on the substrate. This is the one area of exterior cleaning where heat genuinely earns its place.
Run-off and the bit that gets sites in trouble
Forecourt run-off carries hydrocarbons. Letting it enter a surface-water drain is an environmental offence, not a housekeeping issue. We capture and contain wash water on hydrocarbon-contaminated surfaces and remove it for licensed disposal. If a contractor is quoting a forecourt clean without mentioning containment, that is the question to ask them.
Gum, and why it is priced separately
Chewing gum removal is time, not technique. On a busy retail frontage it can be the largest single element of the job, so we count and price it at survey rather than folding it into a square-metre rate that then does not cover it.
Scheduling around trading
Most forecourt work here happens before opening or after close. We plan for wet surfaces at handover and use containment so pedestrian routes stay usable.
How a commercial job runs
- Free site survey. We walk the site, identify the surfaces and the access constraints, and agree the scope in writing.
- Fixed-price proposal. One number per visit or per cycle, with the method stated. No day-rate creep.
- RAMS before mobilisation. A job-specific risk assessment and method statement, plus COSHH sheets for every product used on your site.
- Scheduled visits. Out-of-hours where the site needs it, so trading, teaching or residents are not disrupted.
- Monthly photo report. Dated evidence per elevation or per zone, which is what your own reporting line usually needs.
- Invoiced on completion. One invoice, whatever the number of sites.
Scheduled retainers start from £150 a month, set after the walk-through. All prices · Credentials pack · Commercial hub