Car Washing

Sustainability can often be achieved through do-it-yourself fixes, but when it comes to car washes, it may be best to leave it to the professionals.

Washing a car at home-either in a driveway or street-can lead to pollution of area waterways and may harm local aquatic life. This pollution occurs because soap, oil, and chemicals roll down the hard pavement and drain into storm drains, eventually making their way into local rivers, streams and lakes.

Commercial car washes can be a better sustainable solution because they often use much less water and may even reuse water several times. Water used during commercial car washes may also go through a treatment system before entering area sewers, reducing the overall pollution to waterways. The average person consumes 116 gallons of water hand washing their car compared to a commercial car wash which uses 37 gallons per vehicle.

However, for those unable to visit a professional car wash, there are several ways to make home car washes more environmentally-friendly. These tips include washing a car on gravel or grass, using a hose that has a nozzle that automatically shuts off when it's not in use, and using biodegradable soaps and car care products.