Every summer you see the next door neighbour reverse the car into the driveway, unravel the garden hose and start to clean the car. If you have just invested in a new motor, you will want to do the same thing to keep it in tip top shape. Unfortunately, cleaning your car in the driveway using a water hose is not the most efficient or ‘green’ way of doing things. Here are some better solutions.
Commercial Car Wash
If you only recently invested in a new vehicle from Nene Overland, it would have sparkled as you drove it out of the showroom. Once it has been on the road for a couple of weeks and lost its shine, you will need to give it a good clean to ensure it looks as good as new.
Most car owners think that giving their vehicle a DIY wash is more environmentally friendly and cheaper than using a commercial car wash business. You may be surprised to learn that you are wrong on both accounts.
The biggest factor when it comes to the environmental impact of washing your vehicle is water usage. It may seem like lots of water is being wasted in a commercial carwash, but this is not. The machines are highly efficient at reusing water because they operate with high-pressure nozzles where your garden hose does not. A typical commercial car wash uses under 50 gallons of water whereas a home DIY wash wastes double, sometimes triple that amount.
Drainage
Commercial car washing machines are far more cost effective than DIY car cleaning projects. When you wash a vehicle at home, have you ever considered the indirect affects you are having on the environment? All of the water you are using, mixed with chemicals, is being emptied into storm drains that are connected to rivers, lakes, and other waterways.
Commercial car washing machines are getting greener each year and most of them now reuse the water when it has drained off the vehicle. If the machine is not equipped to recycle the water, it must be funnelled into a treatment tank.
Eco-friendly Car Washing at Home
If you do not have the time to go to a car wash or you enjoy cleaning your new car at home, it can still be done in a green manner.
There are guidelines in place to help clean your vehicle and prevent pollution. You just have to know how to do it in an eco-friendly fashion. It is important to use non-toxic, biodegradable soap which is free of chemicals. Pour your dirty water down the sink and not on the driveway. Turn off the hose when you are not using it and buy reusable cloths.
Next time you plan on cleaning your new car, make sure you consider the benefits of taking it to a commercial car wash. Although it may seem like it costs a lot more, it does not. You lower your carbon footprint and you do not have to purchase any cleaning products or equipment for yourself – which makes it a lot more convenient.