Drying Pets in a Hanvey Mobile Grooming Van

The art of drying and humidity control is very different in mobile. This is not a brick-and-mortar salon environment. With that in mind, many factors tie into reduced drying times in order of importance:

Proper Bathing

Good Towel Drying

Humidity Control

Dryer Technique

Frequency of Grooming

Proper Bathing

As groomers, we learn early on that prep work is the most important step in the grooming process. Without proper prep work, you cannot have a beautiful groom. In this instance, we are referring to proper bathing. All dogs, regardless of coat type, need to be shampooed and conditioned. The Bathing Beauty helps make that easier by limiting the amount of product needed for both steps and making it easier to rinse (especially conditioner). When their coats are not properly washed and conditioned, their haircoat is more likely to retain the moisture than repel it. It is a myth that conditioned haircoats take longer to dry. Primitive conditioners for dogs were heavy, left a waxy feel, or had subpar silicones. This is no longer the case. There are many conditioners on the market with varying functions. The key is not to use too much. A little goes a long way, especially when paired with the Bathing Beauty. The conditioner is designed to smoothen the hair shaft, allowing easy moisture-wicking while properly moisturizing the skin after stripping it of oils.

Good Towel Drying

Proper toweling is important. Getting as much water off as possible before drying ensures that little sprays off the dog onto surfaces that can create more humidity. When possible, having pets stand on a towel or absorbent bath mat during drying can help catch water droplets.

My personal favorite is the absorber towels. They take up little space and can be put into a closed bucket with disinfectant after use.

Regular towels are great for wrapping the dogs, allowing them to use their body heat to help evaporate a good portion of the water off of their bodies before drying. However, the towels themselves take up a good bit of space and, when left in the salon area, add to the overall humidity level. They need to be placed in an appropriate storage container that seals when not in use.

There are a variety of towel types available, so there doesn't have to be one way to do it. The key is washing the towels properly. Generally, avoid using fabric softeners, as they cause towels not to absorb water properly!

Humidity Control

Humidity control in a mobile van is a major key to quicker drying times. Avoid using the exhaust vents, as they are often used improperly. They only provide benefits when the outside humidity level is significantly lower than inside the grooming van. The vent over the tub does not discriminate and pulls out all air, including that from the A/C. When using them, both need to be opened, not just the one over the tub. If only the powered vent is being used, it creates a vacuum that does not move air out of the salon area as intended. It needs to pull in air from somewhere to cycle it. Running the A/C with open vents negates any effectiveness of the A/C dehumidification.

The van's A/C unit in the salon is a powerful dehumidifier. Running the A/C on high while also ensuring the “cold” dial is turned all the way to its coldest setting provides the best dehumidification while blow-drying the dog. If the cold dial is turned off, the A/C becomes just a fan and cannot pull moisture out of the air. When blow-drying a dog, the water coming off of their coat has to go somewhere, so it fills the air, creating humidity. The A/C pulls in that humid air and removes moisture from it. Once the dog is dried, keep the A/C on high for about 20 minutes to allow it to remove residual moisture from the air. The key is to allow the A/C to do its job without being interfered with. This includes keeping the A/C and or heater running in between appointments.

To help maintain the proper atmosphere inside the small grooming area, it is best to bathe and blowdry one dog at a time. Bathing multiple dogs simultaneously and blowdrying them all in succession creates two major problems. It increases the overall humidity level and puts the most power draw on the conversion batteries. Working on one dog at a time allows the A/C to catch up while you finish the groom on that first dog before bathing and blowdrying the second. In a brick-and-mortar salon environment, there is a lot of space for the hot and humid air to dissipate. In contrast, in a mobile setting, there is limited wiggle room for temperature and humidity control. Being realistic about the limitations set by the environment will help immensely.

If a humidistat is inside the salon area, the humidity levels can be monitored. When you first start blow-drying the dog, the humidity in the salon can easily jump to 80%, but watch as the A/C quickly reduces that number as you continue to blow-dry. (Proper placement of the humidistat is key for accurate readings. It should be placed close to the bulkhead door near the Hanvey Logo) It is fascinating to watch how the humidity rises and falls as drying occurs. 

Dryer Technique

Dryer technique is next. Bulk drying and water stripping should be done inside the tub. The tub contains the water droplets and lets them drip down the drain. Check the tub trough occasionally to drain it again as it collects water. The tub also catches dander and loose hair, making it easier to keep the salon area clean. Raised tub grates for the bottom of the tub are available for both sizes of tubs, and I highly recommend them. It keeps the dog's feet up and off the bottom of the tub, and it's easier to walk the dog into the tub as it raises the bottom by about 6 inches. Hanvey provides three nozzle types: the basic cone nozzle, the medium flat and the wide flat water stripper, but my personal favorite is the medium flat nozzle, as you get the best of both nozzles in one.

Using the flat nozzle or the medium flat, a water-stripping technique can help squeegee off a large amount of water. Lay the nozzle level with the coat, following the direction it lays, and “push” the air and water into a towel.

Having a drying routine is important. If possible, avoid bouncing all over. With large dogs, dry one whole side of the dog before turning it around to work on its other side. Once the bulk of the water is removed from the dog, you can move it to the table for finish work. The feet are usually the wettest part at this point, so I take my towel and blow dry the water into them.

Dry dogs according to the lay of their haircoat. Poodles can have their hair blown up to make it stand out from the body. Flat-coated dogs like labs and boxers should have it smoothed down, not fluffed up. The water-stripping technique works well on them.

The HanV dryer is beneficial because it doesn't create an excessively hot salon space. Hot dryers make the A/C work harder, and hot air can damage skin and haircoat.

Frequency of Grooming

Certain coat types require more frequent grooming. Doodles are popular, and their numbers are growing. Breeders often do not properly coach owners on how much grooming they truly need, and with their wide range of coat types and sizes, it makes it hard to narrow down a specific grooming routine for all of them. In most cases, Doodles must be groomed every 4-6 weeks.

For example, grooming a large (80lb+) doodle on a four-week schedule would take me two hours from start to finish. Bathing and drying took roughly an hour, and the haircut took another hour. If they missed that appointment and went to eight weeks, it was common for me to spend an extra half hour or more at the next appointment.

Scheduled frequency is key for doodles and double-coated dogs. If they do not come in every 4-6 weeks, their coats become extra dirty, long, and compacted with undercoat, requiring more time during bathing and drying. This is made more difficult in a mobile setting.

Some considerations

The salon area gets cold during the winter months, and cold walls are more likely to condense. Wet walls add to the humidity. While driving to your first appointment, it is a good idea to run the heater and the A/C on high to warm and dry out the interior before bathing and drying the first dog. Then, repeat the process throughout the day to keep a drier atmosphere. 

Don't be afraid to run the A/C during the colder months. Keep the cold dial turned on, but turn the A/C fan on low or medium. Also, run the heater to stay warm!

The A/C reduces humidity levels BEFORE it can drop the actual temperature. Allowing the A/C to run consistently throughout the day, especially between appointments, helps keep the temperature and humidity low.

Humidity in the air while drying is perfectly normal and expected. It is not uncommon for humidity levels to reach the 80th percentile during the peak of blow drying. The question is, does it drop back down once drying is complete?

Data for the Curious

For those who wish to see the numbers, I gathered them from grooming in an older van during the height of summer ‘23. I intend to do this test again in the summer of 2024 with the new brushless A/C.

June 6th, 2023: Outside Temperature was 86° degrees with Humidity at or around 70%

A 60lb profusely double-coated mix, groomed every 4 weeks.

A/C running on High with cold dial turned all of the way.

Without towel drying (drying him from sopping wet):

12:39 pm Start temp after bathing:      70°F Humidity: 62% 

12:58 pm End temp after drying:          73°F Humidity: 64% (At the peak of drying, it reached 72%)

1:16 pm Finished with the dog:            68°F Humidity: 42% **Just over 15 minutes to recover.

June 7th, 2023: Outside Temperature was 84° degrees with Humidity at or around 70%

A 70lb Aussie, groomed every 4 weeks.

A/C running on High with cold dial turned all of the way.

Without towel drying (drying him from sopping wet):

1:50 pm Start temp after bathing:       70°F Humidity: 56%

2:15 pm End temp after drying:           73°F Humidity: 46% (At the peak of drying, it reached 72%)

2:55 pm Finished with dog:                  64°F Humidity: 38% **45 minutes including haircut time.

The A/C had already significantly recovered before blow drying was completed.

June 8th, 2023 Outside Temperature was 77° degrees with Humidity around 60%

A/C running on High with cold dial turned all of the way. The heater was running before starting.

I often run the heater even in summer to warm the tub, so my bathing temperature doesn't significantly drop.

1:10 pm Start                                         79°F Humidity: 49%

2:42 pm End                                          68°F Humidity: 36%

2:56 pm Start (2nd Dog)                       72°F Humidity: 53% **Starting temp with new dog.

Halfway through drying:                              Humidity: 82% **Peak

3:40 pm (End of bath)                           68°F Humidity: 70% **Husky bath/deshed.

3:58 pm Finished with dog.                  72°F Humidity: 76% **The whole van is soaked and started to evaporate, raising the humidity again

4:16 pm Recovery                                 68°F Humidity: 48%

4:29 pm End of Day                              66°F Humidity: 42%

June 15th, 2023: Outside temperature was 81° degrees with Humidity close to 100% (Storms moving in)

Two Black Labs

Test of open-vent drying:

Heater on before starting.

3:00 pm (Dog 1) Open Vent                75°F Humidity: 63%

3:31 pm End                                        81°F Humidity: 59%

Temp before bathing next dog:          72°F Humidity: 44% *Vents were closed to get some recovery before the second dog.

4:00 pm (Dog 2) Open vent                66°F Humidity: 66%

4:24 pm End                                        73°F Humidity: 70%

(At the peak of drying, it reached 80% Humidity)

I am in the process of getting new data for 2024 with the brushless motors. This includes getting drying/humidity information from users in different parts of the USA, including places like Houston, TX, and the New England area. The intent is to get data during the summer and winter months.

Some final thoughts:

There are many different ways to achieve the same result—a dry dog in a reasonable amount of time. However, it is good practice not to make the job harder than it needs to be. This article covers some of the foundational ways to make drying happen properly in a Hanvey Mobile Grooming Van.

Mobile grooming is best suited for dogs who are groomed frequently and on a routine basis. Dogs groomed over 8+ weeks, twice a year or yearly, take too much time, and time is money, especially in mobile grooming.

If a large dog like a doodle takes 2-3 hours to groom, it should cost 2-3 small dogs' worth, when one small dog generally takes an hour to groom. This is often why large dogs are not cost-effective in mobile grooming, as they aren't charged appropriately.

The HanV dryer works great for small, medium, and large dogs that are groomed routinely. Double-coated dogs with impacted undercoats may struggle.

Using an overpowered dryer to blast through poor grooming maintenance and bathing techniques only gets you so far and may also damage your battery system.