Great Green Idea: Green Cleaning: Eco-Friendly Home Car Washing

Eco-Friendly Home Car Washing

Washing your own car is not a big job but it can have tremendous ramifications for the environment including water use and chemical cleaners that could affect the water supply. That's not to say you shouldn't wash it but there are several considerations to be made:

1. Cleaners: there are plenty of eco-friendly cleaners on the market but if you don't have access avoid using anything with phosphates, which endanger aquatic species. Also, it's best to keep the soap in one bucket and the rinse water in another spilling left over soapy water down the toilet.

2. Where to wash: Car owners often park in the driveway or on the street and use any number of chemical cleaners to make their automobile shine. The cleaning agents do their job but when dripping onto the ground carry with them toxic substances that were on the car. The problem is regular concrete or asphalt is not porous and when the fluid lands on the ground it seeps into the drain contaminating the local water supply. Although porous concrete is available it's not widely used and certainly not durable enough to be used on streets and highways. Therefore, when washing your car park it on the lawn or similar surface and wash it there. The reason is soil acts as a natural filter for water purifying it as it seeps into the ground making its way to aquifers. This should also be done when using eco cleaners because although the cleaner may be environmentally friendly the dirt that is coming off the car probably isn't.

3. Water: Standing with the garden hose in hand bombarding a car with gallon after gallon of water is unnecessary. Truthfully, very little water is needed to wash a standard size car, in most cases as little as three buckets. However, don't wash the car in the sun or when it's too hot outside, as soap and suds will dry faster than you can rinse them away. In the end you'll be forced to use more water. The best thing is park the car in the shade, take a sponge, and start from the top down wetting, cleaning with soap, and rinsing by scooping out water from the bucket with a small cup. Do one side, then the next, and front and back saving the tires and more intricate parts for last.

4. Towels: Don't use paper towels. Instead purchase lint free cloths that can be used again.

Understandably for larger vehicles its likely you'll be using more water. Just keep focused on the points covered above and judge for yourself how to apply them to your situation.

Sometimes it may not be easy to drive your van or SUV on the lawn without ruining the grass. In such cases, be aware of water-free cleaning products on the market that may be useful to you depending on how much grime you must remove. If you find one that works for you this is by far the best way to protect the environment, as it uses the least resources.

Jakob Barry writes for Networx.com. He covers various green-home topics, including green house cleaning ideas and electrical conservation.