Saving Water for Cars that Say "Wash Me"

With the unofficial start of Summer behind us, town residents can now look forward to many summertime activities. With pools being opened all around the area, it is easy to forget that our clean water supply is precious. Using the principles of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, today we take a deeper look at the time honored tradition of car washing and some things we can all do to help conserve water.

The first question that is often asked is "How often should I wash my car?" There are many different opinions on this, anything from once a week to twice a month to only when it gets really dirty. Realistically, car washing should be done when the car needs it, not something done out of habit or schedule. Frequent rains can extend the time between washings. It has long been speculated that the surest way to make it rain is to wash one’s car. It turns out that a good way to save water is to wash a car on a cloudy day so that the soap or rinse water doesn’t dry too quickly. If rain is not in the forecast, be sure to use a spray nozzle on the hose to reduce the water usage.

Deciding when a car "needs" a wash is a personal decision. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to determine if it needs washing:

• Can I write a word in the dust on the car?
• Can I clean just the spots with bird droppings or does the whole car need washing?
• Does pollen cover the entire car making it look yellow?
• Have I driven through mud or dirty puddles recently to the extent that I can see splatters on the car?
• Have I driven through a swarm of bugs recently, or can the wipers still efficiently clean the windshield?

Once you have determined you need to wash the car, you can apply the principle of re-use in many ways. First, many car washes recycle the water they use for washing cars. This helps cut down on fresh water usage and directs any waste water to the appropriate sewer facilities. If you want to wash your own car, do it on the grass. The water that runs off the car will help the lawn. Remember to use a bucket and for the wash. A low-phosphate soap will minimize any environmental impact.

For those truly into recycling water, you can capture the water from your washing machine rinse cycle and use that. If you are worried about spreading grease with a sponge, use old socks, wash cloths, and even T-Shirts for cleaning those especially dirty areas. While a chamois is the preferred material for drying the car, you can also use an old towel or old wiper blade to prevent water spots.

No article would be complete with mentioning that there are several products on the market that advertise water-less cleaning of your car. It may be worth your while to investigate some of these and continue to look for new products coming on the market.