What Clean Line GmbH does

Clean Line GmbH is a privately held German car wash operator headquartered in Ratingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, operating three physical facilities in Ratingen, Hattingen, and Borken that serve the Rhein-Ruhr metropolitan region. Founded in 2000 and structured as a GmbH & Co.KG partnership with Thomas Gerhold as managing director, the company delivers automated and self-service vehicle washing, cosmetic detailing, and full-care packages to private vehicle owners as the primary segment and to commercial fleet operators as a secondary segment, accepting consumer cards, mobile wallets, and fleet cards (DKV, UTA, novofleet) across all locations.

The service architecture is built around four tiered wash programs — BlueCare (€12), GreenCare (€13/15), YellowCare (€16/18), and RedCare (€18/21) — with member discounts for cleanCard holders, plus CarCosmetic add-ons covering windscreen cleaning (€20-30), leather cleaning and sealing (€90-150), nano-sealant treatments, upholstery cleaning (€80-120), ozone odor treatment, and convertible top care. Four FullCare bundles (F1-F4) priced from €70 to €590 combine exterior wash tiers with interior cleaning and ceramic or nano-paint protection, targeting higher-margin detailing and leasing-return demand. The underlying wash technology includes warm-water systems with underfloor heating and warm-air drying enabling operation at temperatures down to -8°C, oversized-vehicle handling up to 2.40m width, and ceramic and NanoProtect coating chemistries applied as premium upsells.

Revenue is generated entirely through transactional fees, supplemented by the cleanCard prepaid loyalty program (minimum €20 reloads, lost-balance protection, minimum four promotions per year) and the cleanPAY mobile app for cashless one-click payment. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through physical locations, with digital demand generation via Google Ads, Facebook and Instagram (paid and organic), email newsletter through Klick-Tipp, and post-visit customer surveys. DEKRA and VDA quality certifications, plus integrations with Superchat for AI-assisted customer messaging and Cloudflare for web performance, round out the operational stack.

Name

Clean Line GmbH

Legal name

Clean Line GmbH

Website

https://cleanline-carwash.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Clean Line GmbH operates three car wash facilities in Germany's Rhein-Ruhr region (Ratingen, Hattingen, Borken), serving private vehicle owners and commercial fleets with tiered wash packages (€12-€21), cosmetic add-ons, and FullCare bundles (€70-€590), supported by the cleanCard loyalty program and cleanPAY mobile app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ratingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Car Wash Services: Core revenue from automated and self-service car wash operations. Wash packages range from basic (BlueCare at 12€) to premium (RedCare at 18-21€), with differentiated pricing for CleanCard holders vs. non-members.
2. CarCosmetic Services: Vehicle detailing and cosmetic services including windscreen cleaning (20-30€), leather cleaning and sealing (90-150€), interior cleaning, ozone treatment, and convertible top cleaning. Additional revenue stream with higher margins.
3. FullCare Packages: Comprehensive vehicle care packages (F1-F4) ranging from 70€ to 590€ depending on vehicle size and service level. Includes exterior washing combined with interior cleaning and various protection treatments.
4. CleanCard Loyalty Program: Recurring revenue through prepaid card system. Customers load minimum 20€ and receive discounts on services. Creates customer lock-in and predictable revenue through reloads.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Clean Line GmbH operates automated and self-service car wash facilities at three locations in the Rhein-Ruhr region (Ratingen, Hattingen, Borken). The company sells tiered wash packages (BlueCare, GreenCare, YellowCare, RedCare) priced from €12 to €21, CarCosmetic add-on services such as windscreen, leather, upholstery and nano-sealant treatments, and bundled FullCare packages (F1-F4) ranging from €70 to €590. A prepaid CleanCard loyalty program and cleanPAY mobile app support cashless payments and repeat visits.

Product overview

Clean Line GmbH operates as a car wash service provider with a multi-tiered product architecture consisting of core wash services and add-on modules. The core offering includes four wash packages (BlueCare, GreenCare, YellowCare, RedCare) ranging from basic to premium care with escalating features and pricing from €12-21. Adjacent to wash services, the company offers CarCosmetic add-ons including window cleaning, leather care, nano-sealants, upholstery cleaning, ozone treatment, convertible top care, and wheel cleaning services. The Full Care packages (F1-F4) represent comprehensive bundled offerings combining exterior wash programs with interior cleaning and paint protection at €70-590. The company supplements its service portfolio with the cleanCard loyalty program and cleanPAY digital payment app, enabling cashless transactions and customer retention. All customers receive complimentary cleanlinePLUS amenities including vacuums and mat cleaners. Services are available at three locations in Ratingen, Hattingen, and Borken, Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• cleanCard: Customer loyalty card program offering discounts on car wash services
• cleanPAY
• cleanlinePLUS
• BlueCare
• GreenCare
• YellowCare
• RedCare
• F1-F4 FullCare Pakete

Products and services

• BlueCare Wash

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 satisfied customers served

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• DEKRAcoreOthersDEKRA is a leading international expert organization in the field of testing, inspection, and certification. As a Cleanline partner, DEKRA provides quality assurance and safety certification for the car wash services, validating professional standards.
• Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA)coreOthersThe German Association of the Automotive Industry provides regular quality assurance and compliance certification for Cleanline's car wash operations, ensuring adherence to industry standards.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WashTec AG: World's leading manufacturer of car wash equipment and a major operator of wash sites in Europe. Comparable as both a potential equipment/technology supplier and a broad incumbent in the same category.
• Sonny's The CarWash Factory: Largest manufacturer of conveyor car wash equipment globally, with a broad portfolio of tunnel and equipment solutions. Relevant as a broad incumbent shaping the technology stack used by operators like Clean Line.

Direct peers

• Mr. Wash: Germany's largest car wash chain with hundreds of sites nationwide, offering automated and self-service washes across multiple price tiers. Closest direct competitor to Clean Line's automated wash model in the German market.
• IMO Car Wash: European-headquartered car wash chain with a significant German footprint, operating automated wash tunnels with tiered wash programs and loyalty mechanics. Competes head-to-head for retail and fleet wash customers.

Others

• Dr. Wack Chemie: German specialty chemicals manufacturer producing automotive cleaning and care products (e.g., under the 'Dr. Wack' and 'S100' brands). Comparable as a potential chemistry supplier and brand in the same vehicle-care category.
• Kärcher: Global cleaning technology company producing professional and consumer cleaning equipment, including vehicle care systems. Adjacent as a potential supplier and technology reference point for Clean Line's wash chemistry and equipment choices.
• National Carwash Solutions: Provider of chemicals, equipment and operational services to the car wash industry across North America and Europe. Adjacent ecosystem participant relevant to wash chemistry and operational benchmarking.
• PDQ Manufacturing: US-based manufacturer of in-bay automatic and tunnel car wash equipment. Relevant as an adjacent equipment supplier whose technology choices shape the operational profile of car wash operators.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cleanlinecarwash
• Instagraminstagram.com/cleanline.carwash
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clean-line-gmbh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clean Line GmbH