Washing your car is essential to maintaining its value and keeping it looking its best. When it comes to washing your car, you might think that doing it yourself is the more eco-friendly option. After all, you're only using water from your hose at home, and not contributing to the local water treatment plant.
However, you might be surprised that this is not necessarily the case. In fact, professional car washes are actually much better for the environment than washing your car yourself. Here are a few reasons why automatic car washes can make a difference and work to protect the environment.
Car washes use less water than washing your car at home. The average person uses 80-140 gallons of water to wash their car at home. A professional car wash system only uses 45-70 gallons of water per vehicle. That's a difference of 70-120 gallons of water per wash when it comes to water usage.
Car washes recycle their water. In fact, it’s a requirement by many municipalities. While most people let their hose run while they sud up their car, this can lead to massive amounts of wastewater. Commercial car washes recycle their runoff water using a closed-loop system. This means dirty water can be filtered and reused over and over again, which conserves a lot of water in the long run.
Many car washes use environmentally friendly soaps and detergents. Most professional car washes use cleaning products, soaps, and detergents that are biodegradable and free of phosphates and other harmful chemicals. These products are gentler on the environment than the harsh chemicals you might find at the local DIY car wash—and they're just as effective in wiping away grime and dirt while preserving the water quality.
Car washes help preserve our waterways. When you wash your car at home, all of the dirt, motor oil, grease, and other pollutants from your vehicle end up in our sewer systems and storm drains, eventually making their way into our lakes, rivers, and oceans. This can have a negative effect on aquatic life and ecosystems. When you take your car to a professional car wash, these pollutants are contained and properly disposed of—keeping our waterways clean and water supply pure.
Car washes reduce air pollution. When you wash your car at home, all of those pollutants and emissions from your vehicle end up in the air you breathe— polluting your lungs and contributing to smog formation. But when you take your car to a professional car wash, these pollutants are contained, reducing air pollution in your community.
So there you have it — five great reasons to take your car to a professional car wash instead of washing it yourself! Not only is it better for your vehicle, but it's also better for the environment. The impact of reuse and water conservation at eco-friendly carwashes is integral to protecting the natural world. Next time you're tempted to pull out the hose and nozzle at home, remember that a professional car wash is always the best choice — for you and Mother Nature!
