Between hires, a rental car is inspected, valeted inside and out, and sanitised at its touch points before it goes back on the check-out line. A returned vehicle typically moves through a returns check, an interior valet, an exterior wash, touch-point disinfection, and a final ready-for-hire check — usually run to a fixed written spec so every branch and every car meets the same standard.
What actually happens to a rental car between hires?
- Returns check. The vehicle comes off the returns line and is looked over by branch staff before it goes to the valet bay — this is where existing damage is meant to be logged, which is easier to do accurately once the car is clean.
- Interior valet. Vacuum of seats, mats and boot; wipe-down of the dash, door cards, cup holders and screens; rubbish and any items left by the previous renter removed.
- Exterior wash. Body, wheels, glass and mirrors washed so the car presents well for the next check-out photo and inspection.
- Touch-point sanitisation. Steering wheel, gear selector, door handles, seatbelt buckle, infotainment screen and any shared key fob or card reader disinfected.
- Ready-for-hire check. Fuel or charge level, tyre pressures, washer fluid and any branch-specific checklist items confirmed before the car is released back to the fleet.
What should a good rental cleaning spec cover?
A written specification (rather than a verbal understanding) should set out: exactly what 'clean' means for that fleet — inside, outside, and touch points — how often a fuller interior deep-clean or shampoo happens rather than just a wipe-down, which products are used and to what COSHH assessment, and what the branch does if a car comes back visibly soiled, smoke-affected, or with a spill that needs more than the standard turnaround.
It should also say who is responsible for what: cleaning contractors clean and present the vehicle; damage assessment and any charge decision are the rental operator's own process, not the valeting contractor's. Keeping that line clear avoids disputes later.
How is sanitisation actually handled?
Because a hire car is used by a constant stream of unrelated drivers, the touch points a hand actually contacts — wheel, gear selector, handles, seatbelt, screen — should be disinfected on every turnaround as standard, not as an occasional extra. Cloths used on interior touch points should be kept separate from those used on wheels or exterior surfaces to avoid cross-contamination between tasks.
For a higher-visibility standard — for example after an illness report on a returned vehicle, or for premium fleet lines — some operators add a whole-cabin fogging pass on top of the standard clean.
How long does a turnaround take?
There's no single industry-wide figure, because it depends on branch volume, bay capacity and fleet mix — a quiet city branch and a busy airport depot run very different flows. What matters more than a headline number is whether your contractor has actually looked at your returns line, key/valet-bay logistics and peak-hour volumes and set a turnaround window against that, rather than quoting a generic per-car time that falls apart at your busiest period.
What should you ask your valeting contractor?
- Is there a written specification for interior, exterior and touch-point cleaning, or just a verbal understanding?
- Is touch-point disinfection included as standard on every turnaround, or charged as an extra?
- Are operatives directly employed and vetted (PAYE, DBS/Disclosure Scotland/AccessNI), or subcontracted?
- How is a realistic turnaround SLA set — against your actual branch volumes, or a generic per-car time?
- What happens with a heavily soiled, smoke-affected or spill-damaged return that needs more than the standard clean?
- If you also run motorhomes, campervans or a wider commercial fleet, can they be brought under the same contract and account?