Car Wash

Car washing may be one of the few activities where it is considered more “green” to have the job professionally done than it is to do it at home.  Car washing wastes a lot of water, typically 140 gallons per wash. Dirty water that comes off your car contains contaminants from soap and any other chemicals you used in washing it, as well as all the dirt, sludge and oil you removed from your car. Soaps used for car washing contain phosphates, which support rampant algae growth in ponds and lakes.   When algae take over a water supply, fish and other creatures are deprived of the water’s oxygen.

When you wash your car at home, any soap or other chemicals you use floats down the driveway into storm drains ending up polluting any nearby lakes, ponds or rivers, the dirty water bypasses water treatment facilities, which normally treats water (that goes down your sinks or toilet) before releasing it into the environment.   When run off goes directly into the storm drains, it can take with it many chemicals that are harmful to humans and to fish and plants in the water.

Commercial operations use less water and they are required to recycle much of it.  They are mandated by law to follow EPA regulations for disposing of dirty water and sludge in a way that does not harm the environment.

For those who insist on washing their car at home, there are all natural waterless car wash solutions that will do the job well in an environmentally friendly way. These are safe products that have been designed to break down the dirt so that it can be buffed away with a clean cloth.

In some areas, waterless car washes may be the only option now days as some cities in California, Texas and Florida have passed laws to restrict or even ban home car washing as a result of droughts that have depleted local water supplies and for the negative effect of toxic run-off.

As we are making more conscious decisions in purchasing eco-friendly cars like the hybrid Toyota Prius, it is important to become educated on “green” methods to maintain our cars as well.