Eco-Friendly Car Wash Tips: How to Wash Your Car with Less Water
When looking for ways to take care of the environment, one activity to consider is your car washing habits. What is the best way to get an eco-friendly car wash that uses less water without harsh chemicals?
Car Washes Are More Eco-Friendly Than You Think
It can be easy to assume automatic car washes are a wasteful use of our limited water resources, but let’s take a closer look.
Water Volume
Depending on the methods you use at home, you can inadvertently use more water than a commercial car wash. The average at-home car wash uses between 40 and 140 gallons of water to clean a single car. A newer, eco-conscious automatic car wash uses 9-15 gallons of fresh water per vehicle. (source)
Waste Water
The other thing to consider is where that water goes after you’ve used it. In a commercial car wash, the water used to get your car exceptionally clean is funneled into the community’s sewer system. This water gets treated, filtered, and returned to the usable water sources in the area.
The water you use in your driveway will most often find its way down a storm drain. It isn’t cleaned and filtered before being directed back to local streams, lakes, and waterways. The chemicals in your cleaning agents and the dirt and oils you wash away can harm the wildlife and local ecosystems.
Going Green When Washing Your Car At Home
When you choose to wash your car at home, keep the following tips and tricks in mind.
Proper car maintenance: Ensure your car isn’t leaking any oil or other chemicals you don’t want in the water system. Take a look at your driveway for old oil spots as well.
Location: Wash your car on your lawn rather than in your driveway to allow your used water to absorb into the earth rather than heading directly to nearby water reserves.
Non-toxic, biodegradable soap: Choose a car washing agent free from phosphates, fragrance, chlorine, and petroleum-based ingredients. Avoid acid-based cleaners and degreasers.
No running water: Don’t leave the hose on while you’re working. You can even invest in several car washing buckets and sponges.
- Wet your car down in sections with clean water from a bucket.
- Scrub the area with your bucket of washing water.
- Then, rinse the area with a sponge from another bucket of clean water.
- Save the running water for a final rinse of the entire vehicle, if you like.
Dirty water disposal: Make smart choices about water disposal.
- Use the leftover water in your “clean” water buckets to feed plants you normally water.
- Dump your soapy water down a sink, toilet, or tub so it can be recycled properly.
High-quality, reusable cloths: Invest in microfiber cloths for cleaning and drying your car, then wash and care for them properly.
Work with Mother Nature: Pop outside during or after a rain shower to wipe down your car with a microfiber cloth. The cloth helps remove loose dirt and debris after it has been loosened by rainwater, reducing scrubbing, chemical use, and the water you’ll need during your actual car washing chore.
Using Less Water–How About No Water?
Did you know that there are ways to wash your car without water? There are products available that can be used to wash your car or touch up small areas that don’t require water.
What Is a Waterless Car Wash?
A waterless car wash is a process of cleaning your car without depending on water to do the job. It involves innovative car care products designed to remove dust and dirt and polish your vehicle by simply spraying them on and wiping them off.
How to Use a Waterless Car Wash?
Using waterless car wash products is fast and easy. You simply spray them on and wipe them off. However, it’s not an option for heavily soiled cars, and using these products may mean attending to your car’s exterior more often than you otherwise would.
Is a Waterless Car Wash Safe?
High-quality waterless car cleaners are safe for your vehicle and the environment. Professional car detailers often recommend these products for spot cleaning and more. They are designed to be scratch- and streak-free when used as directed with a microfiber cleaning cloth.
Save the Environment In a Way That Works for You
The choice is yours. Be informed, no matter how you choose to wash your car.
Take a closer look at the cleaning methods, chemicals, and water recycling systems of commercial car washes near you, like Take 5, to find those that align with your values. And evaluate your own car washing methods.
You might even choose to reach a compromise. Bring your eco-friendly supplies to a self-serve car wash that will provide ideal pressurized water control and appropriate disposal and renewal of used water.
The answers to eco-friendly car wash choices that are best for you just take a little bit of time and thought to discover.
Visit a Take 5 Car Wash Near You Today!
Ready for a sparkling clean car while using less water? Find your neighborhood Take 5 Car Wash and visit today.