With the rising price of gas, new car sales are falling. Many people are finding that their finances force them to drive cars that are not as flashy and new as they would want them to be. For now, all we can do is cross our fingers in the hopes that water-fueled engines are just over the horizon… and keep our older-than-desired cars as clean as we can. Which means a lot of trips to the car wash.
But a car wash sucks up a lot of water. If you want to be environmentally friendly while keeping your car clean, it can be hard. And for those of us whose math skills do not allow us to instantly calculate how many gallons of water are gushing out of a hose, it can be hard to know what kind of car wash is easiest on the environment. The truth is… all, and none. To find out more about the good and bad effects different car wash types have on the environment, read on.
Driveway Car Wash at Home: When you wash your car at home, you have total control over what products you use and how much water you need. Some soaps and products used in washing cars can really harm the earth. With a home car wash, however, you can control what you use, and use soaps and cleaners that don’t do as much harm to the environment. Plus, you get a bit of exercise, some sunshine, and maybe a water hose fight… pretty fun. However, of all your car wash options, a home car was is the one that tends to use the most water. The average amount of water used when washing a vehicle at home is fifty gallons. That said, it’s important to keep in mind that, if you’d like to limit the amount of water you use, you can… you have total control.
Self-Service Car Wash: The good thing about a self serve car wash is that is uses quite a bit less water than washing your car at home. At a self-service car wash, washing a normal sized car uses up about twelve to fourteen gallons of water (if it’s not too dirty). Also, when you go to one of those self-service car washes where you bring your own products, you’re the one who chooses how environmentally safe those products are or are not. One thing you don’t get with a self-serve car wash, however, is the lovely convenience of washing your car without even leaving the house– or getting it all done for you at a full-service.
Full Service Car Wash: There are a lot of great things about using a professional car wash. The obvious thing is that it’s ridiculously easy… and gets your car ridiculously clean. It also uses less water than washing at home, with about 11 gallons of water being used for compact cars, and 20 for trucks and SUVs. On the other hand, some professional car washes can harm the environment in other ways. Many use products and soaps that leech into the ground water and harm the environment in general. There are some, however, that “go green” with environmentally safe soaps and products… you simply have to choose the right one.