Uniforms give your staff a neat, orderly look while they perform their duties. Uniforms can also provide customers with a sense of security.

When a uniformed crew member walks up to a customer at a self serve, full serve or detail shop, that customer immediately knows who that individual is and why they are there.

A Morale Booster

Employee morale can improve when you provide staff uniforms. A uniform gives an employee a personal connection with your company, emphasizes an employee's importance to the carwash and can provide an opportunity for an employee to take pride in their own professional image -- by maintaining and caring for their own uniforms.

Employee uniforms come in many sizes and styles. Which type you order depends upon your preference and the type of duty the employee performs.

T-shirts are popular uniform top for carwash operations. They come in 100 percent cotton or 50/50 or 60/40 polyester/cotton blends, and in varying material "weights."

For example, a 100 percent cotton T-shirt could be a very light or heavy shirt, depending on the material's weight. T-shirts colors are usually quite broad, may come with a breast pocket and run about $5 to $9.

The next step up from a simple T-shirt is a collared knit shirt. Knit shirts, or "polo shirts," are much like T-shirts but tend to be made from a more durable, heavier fabric. They generally come in many colors, have short sleeves and an open-necked collar with two to three buttons. The style of the knit shirt can be more professional-looking than the T-shirt.

Knit and Smock Shirts

Like the T-shirt, knit shirts come with or without a breast pocket and are available in 100 percent cotton and a 50/50 polyester/cotton blend. Price ranges for these shirts are very broad, from $10 to $35 each, depending on material weight and color.

Some operators may prefer a smock-style uniform top. The smock top has the same basic style of the knit shirt, but it buttons all the way down the front of the shirt, and the material is similiar to a woven dress shirt. The smock is very loose and can be worn alone or over a shirt.

Sizes of the smock top range from extra small (XS) to extra large number 4 (4XL). Smock fabric material can be 65/35 or 80/20 polyester/cotton poplin. They usually come with two front lower pockets and prices run $16 to $40, depending on material, style and size.

Some operators prefer more professional look than a T-shirt, knit shirt or smock. The woven shirt or "dress shirt" style is often the choice of these operators.

Dress shirts are long- or short-sleeved, button down the front, have collars and can have front breast pockets. Fabric material ranges from 100 percent cotton to 80/20, 60/40 or 65/35 polyester/cotton blends to broadcloth, oxford cloth or cotton poplin. Prices range from $17 to $24.

Completing the Look

Uniform pants are available in shorts or pant styles and 60/40 or 65/35 polyester/cotton twill material. Colors tend to be limited, with navy blue, khaki, gray, white and black being the most popular. Depending on size and style, prices run about $17 to $30 for shorts and $19 to $33 for pants.

Employees' names or your organization's logo can be embroidered or screen-printed onto the uniforms. Lighter weight fabrics (like many T-shirt materials) may pucker when embroidered, so companies may decide to use screen-printing on those types of materials.

To estimate prices for embroidering or screen-printing a logo, the uniform supplier must see the logo first. Screen-printing prices can include a one-time "art charge" or a charge for each screen (color) used. Embroidery charges are determined by numbers of items (picture or letters) to be sewn.

Anne Dantz is an editor with National Trade Publications, publisher of Professional Carwashing & Detailing.