don't wash your car at home ... take it to a car wash

Jun 2010
5
Posted In:  water bills  automotive

 

You may feel like you are saving money, or being frugal when you wash your own car at home.  As it turns out, it's quite expensive, both in terms of your water bill, and the impact on the environment. Professional car washes recycle the water they use, with sophisticated systems (even when the guy manning the place doesn't seem so sophisticated). Water is filtered and reused, saving about 100 gallons.

 

When you wash your car at home, you use between 80 and 140 gallons of water. That waste water goes into storm drains and makes its way into the local streams and rivers. That water is full of oil, exhaust residue, gasoline and all manner of nasty detergents. The commercial car wash uses only 45 gallons to wash a car and drains the wastewater into sewer systems where it is treated before going back into nature. The computer systems and high-pressure nozzles minimize water usage and many places recycle the rinse water.

 

Honestly, the money you spend at the car wash, when compared with the cost of clearing products and your water usage come out about the same. So do the environment a favor and go to the car wash.

 

 

 

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Comments

Re: don't wash your car at home ... take it to a car wash

Submitted by Jessica Bosari on Fri, 07/02/2010 - 21:33.
Jessica Bosari's picture

 This is an efficient way to clean your car. But there are a lot of road oils ending up in your local storm drains that way. At the car wash, those toxins are removed before the water is returned to the environment...

Re: don't wash your car at home ... take it to a car wash

Submitted by Jessica Bosari on Fri, 07/02/2010 - 21:32.
Jessica Bosari's picture

 I know it! I was equally surprised when I found out! It's not often that the commercial convenient solution is the greenest!

Re: don't wash your car at home ... take it to a car wash

Submitted by purplerain on Wed, 06/09/2010 - 23:17.
purplerain's picture

 You mean I've been slaving away with a hose and buckets of soapy water all these years for nothing?! There was me all proud of myself too, wet trainers and all. I'll gladly use the car wash! My back always kills me the next day from all that stretching. 

Re: don't wash your car at home ... take it to a car wash

Submitted by micharch on Sun, 06/06/2010 - 12:10.

I tend to use the "self clean" feature when my car is dirty. I park it in the driveway during a rain storm. Never fails to clean it up a bit at a darn good price.