Eco-Friendly Car Cleaning
With the warm weather here, many of us will be washing our cars a lot more (if it’s not raining constantly, like it has been here for awile!) Believe it or not, washing your car in your driveway is one of the most eco un-friendly chore that you can do. Not only does task waste A LOT of water (about 150 gallons of water), but most of the soaps we use to wash are cars are terrible for the environment. Think about it: you’re washing your car outside, and when the soap runs off down the driveway, where does it go? Into a drain. Where does this water go? Eventually the run-off that ends up in our storm drains makes its way into rivers, streams, and other waterways, poisoning the creatures that live there and wreaking havoc on our eco-system.
Professional car washing is the way to go to save water. Compared to 150 gallons for at home washing, professional washes average about 20 gallons of water use per car, while drive-through washes average about 80 gallons. This is one example of capitalism benefiting the eco-minded consumer! Car washes use water saving methods to save themselves money. If they used as much water as we use to wash our cars at home, they would go broke! By using less water, they make more money, and help the environment (even if that isn’t their original intention).
In the U.S. and Canada, all professional car washes are required to drain their wastewater into sewer systems, so it gets treated before being released back into nature, unlike run-off from home car washing. Not all car washes, however, recycle their water or use green cleaning products. Check with your car wash to find out if they do.
If you insist on washing your car at home, you can reduce your impact by remembering a few simple things. Turn your hose off between rinses, or wash using a bucket, to waste less water. Try to wash your car on dirt or grass, if possible, instead of in your driveway. This will allow the water to be absorbed and neutralized before running into storm drains. Use eco-friendly cleaners such as Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds, Simple Green, Bi-O-Kleen, and Ecos Window Kleener. If you can’t get these products, look for cleaners that are free of phosphates and chlorine. Even better than any of these options is a water-free wash, such as Freedom Waterless Car Wash or Eco Touch waterless car wash kit. These options are great for spot cleaning, and will help you reduce the need for a full car wash.
Photo Source: suttonhoo22 via Creative Commons
It’s spring time and you’re probably doing lots of cleaning. Why not clean with some products you can feel good about (those which are environmentally safe, made from natural cleaning agents, free of toxic chemicals/phosphorus/bleach, and hypo-allergenic)? Kate and I tried Clorox Green Works products and we love them so far ($2.99-$3.39). Choose from All-Purpose Cleaner, Glass & Surface Cleaner, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Dilutable Cleaner, and Bathroom Cleaner. We also like Seventh Generation products, though I don’t recommend the Automatic Dishwasher Gel. It’s just too gentle and it fails to get your dishes or your car really clean.
i sponge bath my car with a mixture of about one third vinegar and two thirds distilled water…(later i recycle the plastic containers). sponge bathing your car is a tedious pain in the ass but i learned to do it out of necessity rather that concern for the environment. my car is black and i can’t wash it with regular tap water. the mineral deposites leave spots that are virtual IMPOSSIBLE to get out….anyhow…i use about three quarters of a regular size mopping bucket filled with the mixture. you have to immediately dry after wiping. i do about a square foot at a time. afterwards a nice wax and i’m good for another week.
It is interesting that in Honolulu the car washes, as far as I know, are required to collect the used water as it drains and “treat” it. I think that some recirculate the treated water back through the system repeatedly. This system may be specific to Hawaii because of the fact that a lot of “used” water drains directly or indirectly to the ocean. Also, fresh water is a commodity in Hawaii due to its geographic location and increasing population. I have always preferred to wash my car at home. You can take your time and do the job right and Make a difference at the same time. (Then donate those quarters to a good cause.) Take care my friend. =)
Espaz, wow, that sounds like a lot of work! I’m sure that your car ends up looking amazing, though.
David, all car washes in the US and Canada are required to treat the water, or have it sent to a treatment plant. They aren’t required to recirculate the water, but some do.
I never knew there were waterless car wash products. I will have to check them out.
Loren, I think it is meant more for use as a spot cleaner, but I think that if you spot cleaned enough, it could definitely reduce the need for full car washing.
This was a great article and the points that were made are so very true.
i myself have been using the Detail Magic waterless wash and wax for a few months now and i’m very pleased with it. it gives you a wash and wax in about fifteen minutes from the comfort of your own garage. and, the best part about it is that you can do it all without wasting a single drop of water!!
i believe you can order it online but i purchase mine at the home depot. it’s fantastic.
Henry, I just got some samples in the mail of a waterless car wash product (Freedom Waterless Car Wash) that I will soon be reviewing on the site.
Well, I haven’t really notice or given much attention on how much water I have been wasting for car washes. Most of the time, I would spend a few bucks for a car wash service in a shop. They use some sort of water recycling thingy when they car wash so I guess that is better than me hosing down my car.
cars, yes, that is better than washing the car yourself! They recycle the water, plus they use less of it to begin with.
Great post. I didn’t realize how much water is wasted by cleaning your own car instead of having it done by the professionals. This fact sure will make me think before I turn on the hose next! And I will definitely check out those waterless car wash kits – have never heard of them but they sound like a great idea.
Cheers :)
Simon, if you don’t mind a little extra work, the waterless car wash kits are great :) And sort of fun too!
wow.. waterless car cleaning. that’s the greenest way to wash cars. thanks for sharing.
Good Info. Greatly appreciate you sharing.
I have never seen a waterless car wash. How does it actually work to get dirt off the car? I would like to give it a go. I’m kind of a clean freak with my car.
Paul, it’s sort of like soap in a sense, and you just buff off the dirt.
Great post and nice way to car washing and save water. Thanks for sharing information.
This post hits me. I always do car washing myself. I like to work on my car always. I didn’t know that this is bad.
I’d much prefer the bucket and water DIY method – uses less water and doesn’t cost you anything but time, unless you can get one of the kids to do it, which never works in our house.
That’s another option, the bucket and water method, but make sure you use biodegradable soaps because they still rinse into drains!
Summer is here again. This is a great post to keep in mind… especially if you’re one to wash your car on a regular basis. Thanks for writing this!
In my opinion waterless car wash products are fantastic. I mean you get the same clean car without wasting too much water. Fantastic!
Recirculating used water isn’t such a terrible idea if it is well filtered and cleaned. But that may require a lot of power, although it could offset the water cost.
I am so lucky for i don’t have any car.
I won’t have to worry about the water i consumed on washing it.
But cleaning a car with less water consumption is a good idea.
I never thought of how much water i wasted when i cleaned my car. Im now looking into getting something like this, so thanks for opening my eyes.
I had no idea cleaning your car at home was so wasteful and harmful to our environment. We always do all of our cars with buckets though and tip it onto the grass when we are done. So i guess thats not that bad.
wow ! i can’t believe people are still commenting on this article. well…in retrospect, black cars are a BITCH to keep clean. no matter how i wash it, it ends up dirty a week later….like laundry. i only wash it on special occasions nowadays. i’ve got a nifty duster but it only works for a couple days after washings. i should have invested in a car cover.
I think that do it yourself car washes are the best. Not only are they a bit cheaper, but I think they do a better job anyway. Now I find out they are better for our planet. Thanks for the info!!!