# The legal side of mobile valeting/detailing



## sstevexs (Mar 11, 2012)

I have been trying to find the legal requirements for mobile detailing/valeting ie chemical waste, do you need to in from the counsel or anybody else??
Is it as simple as buying the equipment and off you go? i know public liability is a must but anything else required? and what about the people who do it from their drives and garages?

i have tried to search but not really come up with anything so any advice will be much appreciated.

thanks in advance.


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## Tom H (May 20, 2009)

Basically law states that you can not conduct trade on the road (although most people do without any issues) and you're not allowed to let trade effluent (water used when valeting) to enter the watercourse. 
Personally i wouldn't contact the council as they will take so long to find the correct person to speak to.
From experience, don't valet on the road, it's dangerous and illegal - i have nearly been hit by a car a few years ago when i started out and i have been threatened by a council environment worker for letting water go down the drain.
Now i only work in our unit or on private land.


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## Rob_Quads (Jul 17, 2006)

If you go and detail someones car on their own driveway are you then allowed to let chemicals get into the watercourse?


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

no as your still doing it on a commercial basis


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## sstevexs (Mar 11, 2012)

So how do mobile valeters exist? surely every valeter is breaking the law every time they valet a car?? what if your valeting at a commercial property for a client


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## srod (Dec 31, 2010)

My understanding is that because you are not working at a static location then you do not need to inform the environment agency who would otherwise need to inspect your facilities etc. I have valeted vehicles for the environment agency and had no problems. I generally took their vehicles to my home to valet and they had no problems with this. All they required from me was copies of the coshh sheets for the chemicals I use.

A guy I know runs a wheelie bin cleaning business and he has to dispose of the waste water from his operations back at his home. Because of this he has to have an annual check by the env. Agency, but he explained that this is not the case for mobile valeters for the reasons given above.


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## anpictum (Feb 7, 2011)

Check this out, not good news:

http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/PMHO0307BMDX-E-E.pdf


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## alexj (Apr 12, 2012)

anpictum said:


> Check this out, not good news:
> 
> http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/PMHO0307BMDX-E-E.pdf


Interesting read anpictum


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## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

srod said:


> My understanding is that because you are not working at a static location then you do not need to inform the environment agency who would otherwise need to inspect your facilities etc. I have valeted vehicles for the environment agency and had no problems. I generally took their vehicles to my home to valet and they had no problems with this. All they required from me was copies of the coshh sheets for the chemicals I use.
> 
> A guy I know runs a wheelie bin cleaning business and he has to dispose of the waste water from his operations back at his home. Because of this he has to have an annual check by the env. Agency, but he explained that this is not the case for mobile valeters for the reasons given above.


Sounds like the environment agency don't understand the rules!

Their own document states:_
Dirty water or run-off from vehicle washing and cleaning carried out as a business or industrial activity is called
trade effluent. Whether you're cleaning just one vehicle or responsible for a large lorry fleet, you must arrange for
collection and disposal of effluent to prevent pollution. It's illegal to discharge trade effluent to the environment or
into drains without permission._


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## srod (Dec 31, 2010)

anpictum said:


> Check this out, not good news:
> 
> http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/PMHO0307BMDX-E-E.pdf


Food for thought indeed.


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## sstevexs (Mar 11, 2012)

Hmm interesting


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## scratcher (Jul 20, 2010)

That is an interesting read. 

Am I understanding this bit correctly though. If you're cleaning someone's car on their land, the waste water and run off is their responsibility? In section 2.


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## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

scratcher said:


> That is an interesting read.
> 
> Am I understanding this bit correctly though. If you're cleaning someone's car on their land, the waste water and run off is their responsibility? In section 2.


If you're doing it commercially it's your responsibility regardless of who's land you're on.


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## alexj (Apr 12, 2012)

It would be interesting to know what the professional detailers do, 

mobile and from an industrial unit. 

Can they answer this please ?


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## stephen2982 (Jul 7, 2011)

oops what water?

i have asked this question a while ago, but always got the same response, never from a mobile valeter, but end of the day, you are washing the car of tfr from the road surface, but what happens when it rains and the same dirt is going down the drain?


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## Naddy37 (Oct 27, 2005)

stephen2982 said:


> oops what water?
> 
> i have asked this question a while ago, but always got the same response, never from a mobile valeter, but end of the day, you are washing the car of tfr from the road surface, but what happens when it rains and the same dirt is going down the drain?


Exactly. When I've finished washing the wheels, using a wheel cleaner, what's left in the bucket gets chucked down the drain in the road. When washing the car, it runs off down the same drain.

What's doing more harm, my rinse water, or rain washing crap off the road down the drain?


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## TigerUK (Apr 1, 2012)

there's far too much red tape for startups, thankfull;y we dont live in a communist country where half the population are police informants.

When you're starting out as a freelance/self empoloyed person I doubt anyone will notice.. But when your business expands and you hire employees then you will need to be seriously concerned about compliance.

That's one of the reason why "chain companies" charge so much more than independant companies. Usually because chain companies can't afford to get sued and have to pay for all the necessary expenditures, legal compliance, health and safety etc..


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## k18dan (Oct 31, 2005)

Anyone have a update on this.. I see the OP is a few years old now, would be good to see if there are any developments?


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## great gonzo (Nov 4, 2010)

How the hell would you catch run off water when working outside??

Gonz


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## HERC (Aug 12, 2008)

great gonzo said:


> How the hell would you catch run off water when working outside??
> 
> Gonz


A really big one of these :lol:


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## k18dan (Oct 31, 2005)

Lol..


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## MikeK (Dec 4, 2015)

great gonzo said:


> How the hell would you catch run off water when working outside??
> 
> Gonz


http://www.morclean.com/products/inflatable-wash-pads/

Something like that I guess.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


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## Mulder (Jan 18, 2008)

HERC said:


> A really big one of these :lol:


You mean something like this










http://www.chemicalguysuk.com/product_p/mat.htm

Unfortunately, not available in PINK


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## k18dan (Oct 31, 2005)

In all seriousness do you think this is something that is required for a newly starting out mobile detailer, ive searched high and low on the internet and I can only find old information but nothing recent?

Any mobile guys on here purchase a wastewater licence how much does it even cost?


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## AndyN01 (Feb 16, 2016)

Hi,

Many decades (!) ago I worked for Severn Trent. They had "Trade Effluent inspectors" and regularly prosecuted people for putting stuff into mains sewers.

If I remember correctly, business had to have a licence and dumping stuff into a sewer without a licence was an offense in itself.

Dumping stuff into drains that went into rivers was a big no no with fines to match.

I guess things have moved on but I suspect the "intent" is similar.

Make sure you do your research thoroughly as, if/when caught, you'll be up again organisations with criminal prosecution on their mind and the resources to follow it through.

Just my twopenneth to add to the thoughts.

Andy.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

I looked into this a while back with a customer, things may have changed, but i think the general conclusion, to quote QI, was "nobody knows"!

From memory, everything was geared to a static business, there was no specific legislation for mobile work, even the licence for trade waste was also specific to a drain as such, so if mobile you would need a licence for each drain you may potentially use.

A while back the EA in Scotland were dishing out fines to mobile valeters caught using drains for trade effluent, but i've not heard anyone mention it in recent years.

Taking cars home is another issue, you may need permissions from your local councel to operate a valeting business from home (there are noise consideratons, trade effluent etc), also some deeds, especially on new properties, may exclude motor trade type activities as a business. You also be responsible for any cars left in your care so should consider Motor Trade insurance.


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## Puntoboy (Jun 30, 2007)

Mulder said:


> You mean something like this
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is an excellent idea, but how do you remove the water afterwards? In the other video posted above yours they show using a wet vac to remove the water, but surely that would take an age.


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## foreverfreedom (May 25, 2016)

anpictum said:


> Check this out, not good news:
> 
> http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/PMHO0307BMDX-E-E.pdf


The document says quite clearly that it became out of date on 14/12/2015.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

foreverfreedom said:


> The document says quite clearly that it became out of date on 14/12/2015.


Three years after the post was made


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## foreverfreedom (May 25, 2016)

Shiny said:


> Three years after the post was made


Sorry, not used to seeing posts last so long; I would have started a new one. At my age my attention span can be measured in nanoseconds!


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## k18dan (Oct 31, 2005)

I wash there was a definitivee answer.. So you know where you stand


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## Chubbz (Jul 20, 2016)

Each local water authority will have a policy relating to the release of trade effluents into the main sewer. Having read a little around the subject today, I agree there are many ambiguous parts in these policies with no definitions to clarify certain aspects. The authorities have these policies to protect public etc but they also want to know who's putting what into the sewers or watercourse so they can recoup some of the vast amount of money they spend on water treatment.

I would imagine there are certain chemicals used in detailing that could be cause for concern, such as solvents and other biohazard materials found in tar removers, wheel cleaners, degreasers etc. After all we take precautions when using these chemicals so why wouldn't the authorities want to know what we're potentially putting into the sewer?

However, how significant a detailing business would be in terms of putting chemicals into the sewer I wouldn't like to suggest. Surely the volumes would be minimal, albeit some policy states only a few litres of chemical would constitute needing a consent from the local authority, depending on the specific chemical.

There remain too many ambiguities but I can't see a mobile detailer or one working from home, of even from a unit needing consent. Your local £5 car wash, with a huge daily volume, on the other hand would surely need consent and be licensed?


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## foreverfreedom (May 25, 2016)

Withdrawal of Pollution Prevention Guidelines - Effect on Mobile Detailers
http://www.rsk.co.uk/item/715-techni...uidelines.html
Quote:
"As of 17 December 2015, all Pollution Prevention Guidelines (PPG) have been withdrawn from use and from the .gov.uk website following the earlier withdrawal of certain guidelines. The Environment Agency has said that the withdrawal of PPGs is to make the guidance it provides more specific in relation to what the regulations require from businesses and the public. PPGs contained a mix of regulatory requirements and good practice advice. The Environment Agency no longer provides 'good practice' guidance and is removing this from its guidance documents."

It would seem that this is now what has to be done:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/discharg...mental-permits


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