Zimmber Waterless Car Spa: A First Hand Experience

In these trying times of water scarcity, saving every last drop is more important than ever before. However, cleaning your car regularly is also a necessity to keep it in the best condition and it does require a fair amount of water. To address this issue, Zimmber, an online firm that provides household services, has started a waterless car spa treatment which is currently available in Mumbai and Pune and will be offered in Delhi soon.

To see how effective this treatment is, I gave it a shot with my own car – a 2011 Honda Jazz that ends up getting caked in dust on a daily basis thanks to ongoing construction work nearby. Here’s all you need to know about it:

What does the treatment involve?

The car spa treatment is a basic interior and exterior clean. Zimmber sends a team of 2 ‘champs’ who start the work as per the appointment you schedule through their website.

Here are the main components of the entire car spa:

- Vacuum cleaner (power source required)

- Cleaning spray/solution (used on the interior plastics and exterior)

- Carpet and upholstery foam (cleaned using a brush). This removes most stains, including minor grease marks.

- Polish (applied on the interior and exterior with separate pieces of foam) 

What do I have to provide?

All you need is a regular parking space and a power outlet. Everything else is provided by Zimmber. 

How much time does it take? 

It does depend on the size of the car and its condition, but it takes between 1 to 1.5 hours.

How much will this cost me?

Charges in Mumbai and Pune start at Rs 1,199.

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The Experience

Interior (3.5/5)

The team starts the job by cleaning the interior first. They vacuum clean the seats, the gaps between the seat base and backrest, and carpets as well. Even the boot floor and parcel tray are vacuum cleaned. While one of the cleaners vacuums the fabric bits, another uses a non-name brand solution to clean the interior plastics. The milky-white solution is sprayed onto everything from the dashboard to the door panels and is wiped off a few seconds later. 

I did have my concerns about this, since it is used on electrically sensitive bits like the power window and entertainment system controls. However, there is no damage to the electrical bits as the spray has a very mild density and is applied from a distance of about two feet to avoid any liquid build up. The end result is better than what you’d get with a wet cloth.

Finally, once the vacuum and spray cleans are complete, the plastic trim is polished and a carpet and upholstery cleaning foam is used to clean the seats and roof fabric. It effectively removes mild stains and is applied using a brush. There is no wet residue left after the foam is applied, which is great as you can drive off immediately after the treatment.

There are two areas where some improvement is needed:

- A stronger chemical to remove the more deep seated stains is required.

- The glass area wasn’t given much attention and swipe marks were evident even after the job.

Exterior (3/5)

Remember the milky-white solution used to clean the interior plastic? The same cleaning agent is sprayed onto the exterior as well, including the windshields and windows. It does work in the same way as water, so it will remove any dust/grime on the bodywork, but don’t expect any shine or glow.

While the treatment works fine as an alternative to a regular bucket-and-cloth hand wash, it’s not as effective as a pressure wash, especially since bits like the wheel arches are left untouched. Once the exterior has been wiped down, the tyres and wheels are polished and the end result is decent for the money you pay. Also note, the car shouldn’t be washed for at least two days after the treatment.

Areas of improvement:

- Here too, a stronger chemical to clean stains on the wheels would help add a lot of value.

- A little more attention to detail while wiping the car down is needed. There were a few areas such as the rainwater grille and a few panels where some of the dust/leaves/twigs were not removed.

Would I recommend it?

It is definitely worth considering as you save gallons of water and get a good end result. A periodic appointment will get you a good and eco-friendly clean. Also, since they don’t use water, you don’t get any ‘second hand’ dirt on your car i.e. if you have a regular car cleaner, chances are he cleans your car after washing a few others, which won’t be the case here.

What you can do is get the treatment twice in a month, and wipe down your car every alternate day. It reduces water usage and gives your car a more personalized clean. However, if you want your car to really shine, you’ll need a proper detailing job.