Far from clean: Labour exploitation in the UK’s hand car wash sector

Hand car washes are widely used across the UK and the sector has gained attention for concerns about modern slavery and other forms of labour exploitation. This chapter delves into this issue based on an analysis of a wide range of literature and interviews with expert informants. We explicate the sector’s evolvement, its informality and the legislative, regulatory and enforcement gaps that nourish exploitative practices. We also discuss current interventions against modern slavery and labour exploitation in the UK hand car wash sector and identify routes to improvement.