Is it not pc to wash your car now?

08/01/08

As the price of fuel rises, sales of new vehicles tend to fall. And many of us are driving around in cars that are not, perhaps, as sexy and new as we would like 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. And that means plenty of hours spent at 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 unless you're Rain Man and can count every gallon of water as it shoots out of the hose, you probably do not know what kind of car wash is most environmentally friendly. In reality, all of them are... and none of them. To find out more about the good and bad effects different car wash types have on the environment, read on.

Home Car Wash: 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. On average, a person washing his or her car at home uses at least 50 gallons of water. 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-Serve Car Wash: The best thing about a self-sevice (generally coin-operated) car wash is that you'll use much less water than you'd normally use at home. For an average sized, not-too-dirty car, a self serve car was uses up only 12 to 14 gallons of water. 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. You lose the ease of a full-service car wash and the convenience of washing up at home, however.

Professional Service Car Wash: A full service car wash has a lot of pros. For one, it's super easy and convenient, of course. A professional car wash also requires less water than using the hose at home; 11 gallons or so for a small car, and 20 gallons or so for a truck or sport utility vehicle. However, some full-service car washes can be unfriendly on the environment. 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.