"We Might Catch Fire Too"... 'Car Wash Ban' Issued Across Apartments After Cheonan Parking Lot Fire

Car Wash Ban Continues Nationwide in Apartments
Mobile Car Wash Industry: "Waterless Methods Also Harmful to All"
Apartments: "Unavoidable Due to Residents' Anxiety"

Apartment Mobile Car Wash Service Entry Control Notice. (Photo by Online Community Capture)

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] "Car wash vehicles are prohibited from entering the complex."

Recently, Apartment A in Songdo, Incheon, decided through the residents' representative meeting to completely ban car wash companies from entering the premises. Originally, there were no restrictions for the convenience of residents, but it was judged to be too risky. Other nearby apartments are either discussing the same issue or have already imposed entry restrictions. Apartment B in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, has also decided to block all car wash companies. Similar cases of blocking car wash companies are continuing near the apartment in Cheonan where a fire accident occurred.

Following the fire in the underground parking lot of an apartment in Cheonan, Chungnam, which caused damage to 666 vehicles, many apartments nationwide have issued 'car wash bans.' Mobile car wash services in apartments are usually decided through residents' representative meetings. Some apartments completely ban mobile car washes, while others do not impose any restrictions. Many allow mobile car washes but contract through bidding and collect fees. The apartment charges about 200,000 to 300,000 KRW per month as a business fee, and car owners pay 20,000 to 30,000 KRW per wash, with a set number of washes provided.

The mobile car wash industry is in a state of emergency. Companies that use the waterless method, which poses almost no fire risk, are also expressing frustration. Waterless car washing refers to cleaning cars using only chemicals without using equipment like LP gas tanks.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Since entry is decided through internal apartment management regulations or residents' representative meetings, companies have no way to object when asked to terminate contracts or barred from entry. A representative of a mobile car wash company said, "Since the fire accident in the underground parking lot of the Cheonan apartment, entry has been blocked in more than five apartments," adding, "We are explaining to management offices and residents one by one that we do not use equipment that poses fire risks, but there are many negative views."

The apartment side also has reasons. The biggest reason is that only a relatively small number of residents use mobile car wash services, and those who do not use them feel uneasy. Most companies are not insured, so if a major damage like this accident occurs, it is difficult to cover the aftermath. A management office official from an apartment in Gyeonggi Province said, "Since this accident, we have received many inquiries asking whether steam car wash companies are allowed in our apartment," adding, "We have allowed entry for residents' convenience and coexistence with companies, but we have no choice but to follow the opinions of the majority of residents."

Earlier, on the 11th of this month, a mobile car wash vehicle exploded in the underground parking lot of an apartment in Buldang-dong, Cheonan. The accident caused damage including 666 vehicles catching fire, and a male vehicle owner in his 30s, Mr. C, was seriously injured. Fourteen residents also inhaled smoke and received treatment at a hospital. Police and fire authorities are conducting a joint investigation to determine the exact cause and circumstances of the accident.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.