While a commercial car wash is more eco-friendly than you doing it at home, you should still try to go greener if you decide to wash a car yourself. Some people believe that car wash cannot be done at home in an eco-friendly manner. However, this is not true. You can adopt green practices that can be friendly to the environment. Even if you cannot make it green completely, with that dirty water flowing down the drains into water bodies, you can reduce the impact by using greener cleaning products and tools. Check out here some more tips that work effectively in this regard.
Reduce water usage during a car wash
While you cannot stop the polluted water from flowing down, you can at least cut down your water usage. For this purpose, you may use a water spray gun that can put a restriction on the flow of water. Another technique to save precious water is to use such car wash products that are waterless. This means that you can use these products directly as a spray. When you spray this formula on your dirty car and wipe the sprayed area, you will find it ripping off the dirt. This can save you several gallons of water. However, you also need to take care to choose such a formula spray that is free of phosphates and is also biodegradable. This is what makes it truly green.
Repurpose the used water
There will always be some amount of water used during a car wash. You can actually try to do its basic filtering before it enters the storm drain or ground. You may do your washing job on grass or another such surface that can absorb water and help filter it. Another way to dispose of the used water is to throw it in your toilet or sink. Water from such sources is well treated before letting it reenter your waterway. It is better than letting the water flow into storm drains.
Pick up green cleaning products
Regular products like soaps, sprays and other cleaning agents usually contain high amounts of harmful chemicals. Such products are laden with sodium, potassium and phosphates that may all be dangerous for our environment. You can be friendlier to our ecosystem if you can avoid using toxic cleaning products. Replace these with greener products that are free of chemicals and are water based. You can visit a green store to check out for such products. However, make sure to go through the product ingredients and ensure its safety before making a purchase. Such green products will also be softer on the surface of your car. Still, you should keep the use of these products to the minimum, as you may not find 100 percent eco-friendly cleaning agents.
Avoid using hoses and oversized sponges
Using water hoses can waste a lot of water, as you usually keep it running while washing your car. Thus, avoid their use and pick up a water bucket instead. You may also replace your oversized sponges with a humid piece of cloth. This will help in cutting down the consumption of water. If you are cleaning the inside surfaces or interiors of your car, then you may just go for waterless car wash items.
Make use of effective cleaning tips
There are some tips that can clean your car’s surfaces without wasting extra soap or water. For example, you may remove dried-on bugs by wiping the surface with a cloth soaked in vinegar. After that, simply rinse the surface. Similarly, you can let some peanut butter sit on the surface having tar or sap. Within a few minutes, it will be removed. You can then wipe it using a cleaner. Such household tips can also be very friendly to the environment, as there is no use of harmful products.
When you wash your car at home, try to make the process as green as possible. Wash your car on an absorbent floor and make use of waterless cleaning products. Keep your cleaner choices to eco-friendly products.
